If I have to stop uphill on an incline while towing my boat my electric motors don’t have the power to get me rolling again. Shouldn’t the gas engine engage under a load? I’ll have it floored but just hear the electrics straining without any forward motion.
NEVER ever tow on the D gear you will burn up the electric motors and transmission...
This vehicle is equipped with a 4 Speed Automatic for towing..
TOW MODE aka "M" on the shifter
this will also shut off Autostop and electric motors..
DON"T try and keep using the electric motors to tow.
They are not meant to TOW anything.
you will burn them both out it might also burn up the CVT portion of the transmission..
it only has Dual 80HP/184 ft./lb motors that is only enough to move the SUV by it self to upto 29mph...
the CVT is only limited to 900 pounds tow.. like the Prius.
but still wise to just use the tow mode.. this will lock out the CVT to only generating power for the electrical grid and A/C
if the engine still does not start ..
turn on the heater.. this will force the ICE to run in v8 mode only