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Originally Posted by Ecky
I don't believe the Insight's engine has such a valve. It simply hasn't been an issue for any of the engines Honda and Toyota use in their hybrids, for whatever reason. They're still among the lowest failure rate and longest lasting component in the drivetrain. So whatever the theory, it has proven a non-issue in practice.
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Even though it may eventually not have that valve (it's fitted to the oil filter cartridge, not to the engine itself), I'm sure neither Toyota or Honda would want to harm their reputation with oil-starving issues and would find a way to overcome any possible worry about it.
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Yeah, ultimately these are all just electric motors, and it's not hard to build an electric motor that can outlive any gasoline engine it's bolted onto. It's probably cheaper to have just a single motor/generator than having separate starters and alternators anyway.
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It wouldn't surprise me if starter-generators would become mainstream in non-hybrid cars in the mid term, not just due to an eventually lower cost but also to meet stricter fuel-efficiency requirements. Being able to also incorporate regenerative braking seems possible too.