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Understanding your FFE better with Hybrid Assistant & Hybrid Reporter


Mister MMT
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Hi everybody. I'm driving a normal Hybrid and usually report in the Fusion Hybrid forum.

 

I wish to bring to the attention of FFE drivers Hybrid Assistant, a free Android app which allows one to get much more information on the screen of a well positioned smartphone. I use it all the time and it helps me a lot understanding what happens under the hood and improving my driving style and hence, mileage.

 

The app needs a fast BT OBDII emitter like the OBDLink LX (about 50 $), recommended by their site after extensive testing.

 

I'd like to know whether the app also works with the FFE. If it did, it could be a worthwhile practice.

 

In addition to providing real-time information, Hybrid Reporter, another app available on their site, allows for creating detailed reports with tables and graphs, much like the ones produced by LarryH. It were his graphs which convinced me the FFH is a very economic hybrid.

 

Driving in Germany, everything is in metrics, but HA and HR also work with miles and gallons.

 

If you're interested, please visit my message showing some examples of my use, and have a look at the attached pictures.

 

Jan

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Report_2017-03-26_11-38-39 Kempten Stuttgart.html

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@murphy. Yes, it supports US units. No, it is plug & play. For some Toyota models, there is an EV intensive setting. Maybe somebody could try and see whether it is applicable to the FFE. In case a test shows HA is OK, you could contact the HA team directly with your request(s).

 

In HR one can select the items/parameters to be included.

 

Lucky guy to drive without running the ICE most of the year! I bed there are not many FFE owners able to use the FFE like that?

 

Jan

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@murphy. Yes, it supports US units. No, it is plug & play. For some Toyota models, there is an EV intensive setting. Maybe somebody could try and see whether it is applicable to the FFE. In case a test shows HA is OK, you could contact the HA team directly with your request(s).

 

In HR one can select the items/parameters to be included.

 

Lucky guy to drive without running the ICE most of the year! I bed there are not many FFE owners able to use the FFE like that?

 

Jan

I note that it specifies an OBDLink LX.  I have an OBDLink MX which appears to be more capable than the LX based on this comment on the LX website.

 

Consider purchasing MX if you need access to the proprietary Ford & GM vehicle networks (MS-CAN and SW-CAN) in addition to the standard OBD-II protocols.

 

I'm retired and my longest regular trip is 10.5 miles.  I get my electricity from 10 kW of PV solar panels most of the year so the trips are free.

 

I'll see if it works in my 2013 Fusion Energi Titanium vehicle.

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Thanks for trying! Too bad it did not work right away.

 

Did you try to go to parameters? Click on the tool symbol in the lower right angle. Here, you can choose the language, mode of connection (you can choose between BT and WiFI, I believe BT is best); Choose automatic stop; Further down you can select unities (unités in French).

 

It could also be that the connexion between your smartphone/tablet is unstable. It happened to me frequently and I had to try 3 to four times, before the car was recognized. A recent update of the firmware via the OBDLink website got rid of this problem. Could you please check that?

 

In case it still does not work, I suggest you contact priusfan on HybridAssistant@gmail.com.

 

He is the one who adapted HA for the Mondeo. He'll need a log file, and will explain you how to get it. Mention me as the "instigator".

 

Jan

Edited by Mister MMT
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Thanks for trying! Too bad it did not work right away.

 

Did you try to go to parameters? Click on the tool symbol in the lower right angle. Here, you can choose the language, mode of connection (you can choose between BT and WiFI, I believe BT is best); Choose automatic stop; Further down you can select unities (unités in French).

 

It could also be that the connexion between your smartphone/tablet is unstable. It happened to me frequently and I had to try 3 to four times, before the car was recognized. A recent update of the firmware via the OBDLink website got rid of this problem. Could you please check that?

 

In case it still does not work, I suggest you contact priusfan on HybridAssistant@gmail.com.

 

He is the one who adapted HA for the Mondeo. He'll need a log file, and will explain you how to get it. Mention me as the "instigator".

 

Jan

I updated the OBDLink MX firmware to the latest version, 4.3.2.  The units are properly set.  Both devices indicate they are connected to the car properly but no data is displayed.

OBDLink and Torque connect to the car and display data properly.

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Thanks for your efforts and the feedback. It reminds me the time when priusfan kindly adapted HA for the Mondeo, and I was his guinea pig.

 

I was CCed on your exchanges by e-mail with him, and I'm thrilled you're close to something feasible. Could you maybe post a few screenshots, also during a short ride? Would you mind using the ICE just for seeing how that goes? Maybe you'll remember Hybridbear's trick to put the gearbox in L just for a few seconds just after starting the ICE. 

 

I would also be very interesting in a HR report. It can be attached as a file.

 

To the best of my knowledge, there is no PID for the gas tank reading. priusfan told me fuel consumption is based on mass air flow. That's maybe why it is in metrics. It is not as precise as what is possible for Toyota Hybrids, but it often is comparable to the dashboard indication. 

 

I look forward to reading your comments

 

Jan

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Torque can accurately display the gas tank level in percent so there has to be a PID.  What it is I don't know.

The version that I have is hard coded to work for a Ford and displays as a "Mondeo H".

I don't know if he can find a way to put it into the general release.  There is apparently a problem reading the car's VIN.  I don't know why since other programs can do it.

I haven't looked at HR yet.  I might get a chance tomorrow between a meeting in the morning and the eclipse in the afternoon.  It will go to 80% where I am in south eastern PA.

 

Are you aware of the following?  I wonder if they work for the Mondeo.

 

Engineering Test Mode

Hold the left OK button and start the car.
Watch the upper left corner of the left display for the letters ET to appear in yellow.
After the letters appear release the OK button.
Use the down arrow to scroll through the screens.
Press and hold the OK button or shut the car off to exit engineering test mode.


My Ford Touch Engineering Test Mode

Press and hold the Eject button and the >>| button.
 

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@murphy and priusfan. My gas tank level also shows zero. priusfan  used among other sources LarryH's Torque PID for FFE-FFH master list (thanks to him for that). I could not find there a PID for the gas tank level. I hope it can be implemented in some way, since the gauge of the instrument panel is not very precise, and I'd like to know at all moments how much gas is left.

 

Mass air flow is in g/s, and I do not know how priusfan implemented this to show the fuel consumption in metrics. I hope it can be shown in Miles and Gallons-USA for HA users in the USA.

 

HA was originally developed for Toyota and Lexus Hybrids. I know it was rather complicated to adapt it to the Ford HF35 hybrid system. I'm therefore curious to see whether it will be possible to adapt the indicators of battery use to the larger battery of the Energi makes, with its EV and HV modes. 

 

If HA would become available for download for the FFE, FFH, C-Max H and E, it may be necessary to hardcore separate VINs.

 

Thanks for the tip with regard to the Ford Engineering Test Mode. It is indeed available for the Mondeo, but the access procedure is slightly different. I'll try it out, in order to adjust the mileage shown in the instrument cluster to the measured one: mileage shown/measured mileage * 1000. In my case, it would be 0.950.

 

I wish you a lot of fun with the eclipse. Even an incomplete one is quite nice to follow.

 

 

Jan

Torque PIDs FFE-FFH master list from Larry 2014-05-24.pdf

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murphy, that's very encouraging. The HA dev team is getting close. 

 

I note that several graphics in the HA reports are not well drawn, but I had that too and there is a fix for it.

 

I contacted the dev team this morning with some suggestions. I hope we might get a well functioning HA for the HF35 hybrids in the USA in the coming days.

 

Acces to the Ford Engineering Test Mode was successful, and I corrected the fuel consumption, now 945.

 

Enjoy the eclipse!

 

Jan 

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While waiting for further news from murphy, I've made a video in Miles and Gallons in order to better show you the kind of information HA and HR would give you if the HA team decided to make it available for the FFE & FFH. 

 


 

It is possible to play it at speed x2.

 

Following the recommendations of Recumpence on the C-Max Hybrid forum and the videos of ptJones

 

I'm trying out Pulse & Glide or EV-Coasting while maintaining a SOC higher then 50%. 

 

The preciseness of the EV-kW bar in the upper right corner of the HA screen is very helpful: keeping it  as close to zero (below 1.0 EV- kW + or -) as possible nearly corresponds to driving in N. 

 

It takes some exercise because the gas pedal is quite sensitive (one would need an ECO mode).

 

I managed gliding over nice stretches without rapidly losing speed, but can certainly still get better at it. The tyres are at 39 psi. I'll try 42. It was hot (84 °F) and no AC...

 

Even so, 65 mpg US (probably 5 % less in reality) on this drive is far better then EPA-US and one of the best I had on this trip, which I run frequently!

 

Nevertheless, driving mainly using the ACC gets me 62 mpg under the same conditions and is requiring less attention. 

 

I'll keep testing, but doubt P & G will become my main driving style.

 

Jan 

Report_2017-08-22_11-33-11.pdf

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I assumed you were in the loop.

 

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Report_2017_08_23_09_03_46.pdf

 

 

You need to find a volunteer that has a Hybrid to test the current test version of the program.

I think it would be very close.  The large battery in the Energi complicates the display.

Preferably someone that knows how to move files into and out of an Android phone and install an app that doesn't come from the approved source.

Edited by murphy
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murphy, that's indeed very close! 

 

The Power Distribution graph shows the striking difference with a FFH: the DCLmax is 68 kW. During normal driving, your traction battery delivers > 20 kW, and there are a few peaks of 50 kW. The FFH battery can deliver up to 18 kW, but that is just sufficient for soft acceleration. That must be very pleasant and comfortable EV driving. Anyway, a normal hybrid is not the same as a Plug-in hybrid. Both have their Pros and Cons.

 

I assume you activated HV driving yourself. The DCL drops to 35 kW, and the FFE becomes a FFH. Clearly, some of the graphs could be improved a bit to manage the battery management of a plug-in.

 

The gas tank level is implemented. The average consumption graph is still in metrics. That can be fixed, I think.

 

 

You need to find a volunteer that has a Hybrid to test the current test version of the program.

I think it would be very close.  The large battery in the Energi complicates the display.

Preferably someone that knows how to move files into and out of an Android phone and install an app that doesn't come from the approved source.

 

You have been quite efficient. I feel the community here can give you credit for your goodwill. And of course to Xavier (priusfan) from the HA team who did a terrific job.

 

I'll post in the other forums in this sense. Apart from the fuel consumption aspect, which people may appreciate to different degrees, for me, HA is in the first place appreciated for helping me understand what the system is doing, and being informed the way I drive my Hybrid on- and off-line. 

 

Posting some results also makes people aware of this.

 

Thanks for everything!

 

 

Good to know, HA will not become available for iPhone or iPad users. Some acquired an older Android phone or tablet, from Android 4.0 on. Mine for example is a S Note 2.

 

Jan

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  • 3 months later...

The Hybrid Assistant App and the companian Hybrid Reporter Apps for Android Systems are now fully functional for all Ford Hybrid and Energi models.


 


And recently, there have been a few additions which make its use in my eyes even more rewarding.


 


The "High Precision Fuel Chart" ​is one of them and there is also the inclusion in HA Reports of a series of Graphs. I appreciate most those showing the BSFC Values​ in colors and in combination with instantaneous fuel consumption. It is now possible to adapt its driving style in such a way that the ICE burns fuel in the most efficient way during driving!


 


Yo find everything in the "Blog Spot"​ of 2017/12/13.


 


I upload a few screenshots


 


And the Link to the corresponding HA Report.


 


And also one HA Report​ from a longer trip.


 


Everything is in metrics, but I hope you see the benefit.


 


Download first these html files from the Dropbox folder before opening them in your browser.


 


I recently saw similar reports from a Lexus IS 300h, and they displayed much more yellow and orange.


 


 


Jan


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