Using clone ELM327 Bluetooth OBDII adapter with Leaf

[jackal]

Is there a manual for the app or a reference to what all the numbers and info mean? (e.g. in the Distance to Empty (DTE) setting what does % State of Charge (SOC) Reserved mean and what happens when I change it from the default setting.)

One other question I have is if I leave the ELM327 in the OBDII port, will that drain the battery? I noticed a red light from the device when plugged in even though the Leaf is off.

There won't be a manual or instructions of any kind until the dust settles !!! These guys are coming up with ideas as fast as Jim can write the code. Pretty exciting.

DTE is simple calculated kWh's usable multiplied by a default factor of 4 miles/kWh (that's about 65mph down the level freeway, and fairly typical of around town economy). So, quite simply, 21kWh usable with a new condition, warm and balanced battery multiplied by 4 will equal 84 miles.

You can change the economy to a different value. Let's say you want to make a trip at 75mph, or about 3 miles/kWh. That same economy might also be typical of turning on the heater at lower speeds. Just put that in the program, and viola!, it will show 3 * 21 = 63 miles from a full charge with a new condition, warm and balanced battery.

Please check out the Range Chart link in my signature line to get an idea of typical economy values at typical speeds.

The reserve portion is just that; how much do you want to keep in reserve that won't show on the DTE screen. For my wife, I want it to run out where 0 miles means Turtle mode, and get off the freeway. Otherwise, if I reserve some %, she'll be calling me complaining that she's 20 miles away, and the DTE says 19 miles, what should she do. I would then have to explain that there X% in "reserve" and she won't believe me and then I'll have to go get her in a perfectly functioning car that could have made it.

Hope to see you at the June 8 San Diego meet (see signature line for details) where I'm sure somebody will have one or two of these.

Hi Tony,

Could you help add a 'formula section' to the wiki? I find your formulas and data posted very useful and will no doubt be very helpful to 'interpret' the app. Example: How many gids for Turtle etc. Thanks in advance!

 

[firetrax]

I agree - the problem we have in the UK is that the dash for 2011 models only displays kwh per mile to 1 decimal place e.g. dash display of 0.2 kwh per mile could mean anything from 0.21 to 0.29 kwh per mile - a massive range !

I was therefore wondering if it would be possible to extract this reading with a higher resolution and degree of accuracy from the CAN bus?

2. In the UK we do not get miles per kwh on the dash reading. Instead we get kwH per mile but only to 1 decimal place making it quite useless. Is there any way to read miles per kwh from the CAN bus?

Other cars, like Tesla, use Wh per mile also. I'm sure the code could be modified to "tap" on the data and switch from:

4 miles/kWh

to:

250 wattHours per mile

The formula is simply 1 divided by X miles/kWh = wattHours per mile

1 / 4 = 250

1/ 3 = 333

 

[Turbo3]

Changes
* made font smaller for temp label so digits don't need to move. You need to switch to C to see all the text that needs to fit.

I don't understand what is being displayed on screen 3 when degrees C. is set. What is the extra number in parentheses???

The Leaf provides two numbers for each of the four temp sensors. One is a raw sensor number used to calculate C or F to 1/10 degree resolution and the other is an integer in C. The number in parentheses is the integer number so degrees C. It is there as a check for the calculated number. If the calculation is correct or close they should change at the same time when changing from one degree to another.

I don't have access to the Leaf long enough to verify this as I am not the primary drive of the Leaf :-(

 

[rickbecker]

So, now that I have version .21 running on my eVent phone and it is paired with an ELM327, I thought I'd do some testing. I want to look at a cell balancing event. What cell voltage difference would suggest the need for balancing? What logging interval is suggested? How much storage would I need on the eVent phone for logging an L2 charge from 80% to 100% and then 4 hours of balancing? Are there any tests I could conduct to contribute to the body of Knowledge?

 

[garygTx]

I noticed something unusual this morning using v21. I had to stop for a light after only going a short distance. The watthour display went to about -7 when I stopped completely. As I sat there not moving, the display kept going more negative. When the light turned green it read about -33. Climate control was off (just in case that could matter).

I had not noticed this in v20, so I don't know if it is new or not.

 

[Turbo3]

The BMS is constantly adjusting how much usable energy it thinks is in the Battery. So it can go up or down at any time. Battery temp will cause an adjustment up or down. I sure Phil will correct me if he knows different.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Hi Tony,

Could you help add a 'formula section' to the wiki? I find your formulas and data posted very useful and will no doubt be very helpful to 'interpret' the app. Example: How many gids for Turtle etc. Thanks in advance!

That's probably a smart idea. Unfortunately, I'm up to my arm pits in the "crunch" leading up to the BC2BC All Electric Vehicle Rally and Golden Plug Ceremony.

All my stuff is posted throughout the forum, and if somebody digs and compiles it, and sends it to me for edit / verification, I'll do that after July 8.

Gids to Turtle is variable, since the Turtle threshold is lowest cell pair voltage and load. Figure 7 to 8 Gids at freeway speed, going up hill, etc, and 4-5 Gids in very low speed, light power scenarios.

That's why I like the Gid2%, so that folks don't have to know formulas. When Gid2% says 0% and the DTE says 0 miles, you are either in Turtle or VERY close to Turtle. Jim has done a remarkable job of simulating the Gid2% concept without the ability (yet) to use Gids.

On the SOC% reserve for DTE, Turtle will come on at 2%-3%, which is as close to 4-8 Gids as we have now. You get to chose.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I agree - the problem we have in the UK is that the dash for 2011 models only displays kwh per mile to 1 decimal place e.g. dash display of 0.2 kwh per mile could mean anything from 0.21 to 0.29 kwh per mile - a massive range !

I was therefore wondering if it would be possible to extract this reading with a higher resolution and degree of accuracy from the CAN bus?

Well, as of right now, I don't believe the crack team has found that piece of data. If they had, I would be all over this thread suggesting how we could use that for DTE.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I will add the option for Wh/Mile next. I am thinking of steps of 10 Wh. How does that sound?

I think it will be perfect.

 

[vrwl]

I don't have access to the Leaf long enough to verify this as I am not the primary drive of the Leaf :-(

Sounds like you need to buy another Leaf. :roll:

 

[vrwl]

I noticed something unusual this morning using v21. I had to stop for a light after only going a short distance. The watthour display went to about -7 when I stopped completely. As I sat there not moving, the display kept going more negative. When the light turned green it read about -33. Climate control was off (just in case that could matter).

I had not noticed this in v20, so I don't know if it is new or not.

Yep, I noticed the same thing yesterday. I didn't say anything about it because it was literally the very first time I used the app while I was driving (and my husband was freaking out because I was looking at the app too much instead of the road), so I figured I'd better get used to all the information being presented before I questioned it. Glad you asked because now I know too.

 

[FairwoodRed]

I noticed that color coding of the temp seems to wonky. I had the temp change colors even though it didn’t actually change. I am looking at the average temp, so maybe the color change is keyed off a single sensor rather than the average?

I’d like to see an option for selecting which data fields to hide on screen 3. For instance, I know I’ll never want to see %SOC – it would be nice if I could pick what I want shown via the settings screen. Maybe a tap on the whole field would turn that data off and grey it out?

 

[vrwl]

I noticed that color coding of the temp seems to wonky. I had the temp change colors even though it didn’t actually change. I am looking at the average temp, so maybe the color change is keyed off a single sensor rather than the average?

I’d like to see an option for selecting which data fields to hide on screen 3. For instance, I know I’ll never want to see %SOC – it would be nice if I could pick what I want shown via the settings screen. Maybe a tap on the whole field would turn that data off and grey it out?

Or instead of greying it out, make setting selections for which of those fields you want to have displayed. Either they display or they don't.

 

[Turbo3]

Temperature color is always based off the highest temp. Does not matter what you have selected. It is a warning type signal.

Updated Version 0.021t at the new link http://bit.ly/LeafBatApp or if you have already downloaded from that link you can use the "Look for updates" button as it has been updated for anything from that folder.

Features
* Miles/kWh or Watts/Mile or (if Metric selected) Watts/km
* Selection of Miles/kWh removed from Setting DTE panel. Change it on Screen 3 with UP/DOWN pads.

 

[FairwoodRed]

Temperature color is always based off the highest temp. Does not matter what you have selected. It is a warning type signal.

Then is there any chance of smoothing it out so that it doesn't rapidly change between yellow/green?

 

[Turbo3]

Version 0.22 has just been released.

Go to the first post for the direct link to the apk file.

Note that versions 0.21 or less can not use the "Look for updates" button in the settings panel to get this version. Once you have version 0.22 you will be able to use the "Look for updates" button to get all future updates.

 

[Stoaty]

I have been testing version 0.21 on a 100 mile drive today (charged in the middle while visiting parents). Here are my observations/suggestions:

1) The yellow temperature is very hard to see with polaroid sunglasses on (haven't tested anything warmer, as my Leaf is still pretty cool ). Not sure if it should be made a darker color, or we have to look over the polaroids, or whether yet another set of colors you can customize is needed.

2) It would probably be a good idea to add a temperature range that is over 105 degrees F. (although I don't ever expect to run into it). If you do, I would probably make the 96-105 range as a medium pink (for readability, see #1 above) and make red the color for > 105.

2) When the app is not connected (e.g., because you unplugged the ELM327 or you went in the house), an annoying "Connection Failed" keeps popping up. This makes it difficult to study the data away from the car, or to show the app to another interested party. If possible, having the Pause button available even when the app is not connected would be a big help here. I would expect that the Pause button would NOT be sticky between sessions of the Leaf Battery--you should have to consciously pause it any time you don't want it to try to connect.

3) The ability to change the miles per kwh on the fly is very nice (Edit: in version 0.22), but the left pad partially overlays the number in brackets. I would expect it to cover the whole number and the brackets, or not cover the number at all.

Great work!!! I can't believe how fast the app is being updated and shaped to better meet our needs.

 

[Stoaty]

Is there a way to force the ELM327 to stay on (that is, keep transmitting) while driving?

Not sure what you mean by this. I drove for 2 hours today with the ELM327 transmitting to my Fusion 2 phone. I didn't do anything special. Does yours turn off?

 

[Stoaty]

I just want to confirm that the Virgin Mobile prepaid phone LG optimus V ($39.90 from Walmart, Android v2.2) and a cheap 'stubby' ELM that I bought from AliExpress ($8) works.

Can you provide a linke to the ELM327 you bought so I can add it to the Wiki? Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 770]

Can you provide a linke to the ELM327 you bought so I can add it to the Wiki? Thanks.

Here are links to the two that I've purchased, both work:

Newest Elm327 Bluetooth V1.5 OBD2 OBD II Auto Diagnostic Scanner Mini Adapter (purchased from hotstuffous) - definitely a clone (address is 11:22:33D:EE:FF). I've left it connected for as much as 3 days at a time with no ill effects on the 12v battery.

Simvalley™ Mini ELM327 Bluetooth OBD2 Auto Diagnostics Scanner with Power Switch for Android - might be an original ELM chip (address is 00:0D:18:27:EB:AF). Because of the power switch, this will be my "daily driver" that I'll leave connected all the time.

Thanks for setting up the Wiki page for this - I'm sure it'll help a lot of people to be successful.