Let's go pure EV...

[elm70]

Thanks
I did try this
But. It did not work for me

 

[anko]

Mine was glued fixed :evil:

It took Vtech himiself about two hours to unfix it. About 8 other cars 'we' did the same day were fine.

 

[elm70]

Thanks anko

My PHEV is a Dec 2013 from Netherlands, so I guess it most likely has the glue as well in this plug

I would have like to play with this vtech box, but I don't see a way for me to fix this connector on my car

 

[JockeD]

Just got my very own PHEV last weekend
I'm super happy about it this far. A long time before I got it I registered here and started reading.

The first thing I was thinking about doing was buying and installing the Vtech-box. Are there any news? Haven't read anything from Vtech himself or any of the users out there lately. What's up?
For instance the glued connector anko had in his car. Since mine is a late 2013, is there a risk mine is also glued? Do we know why some cars are glued and which ones?
Have there been any upgrades made to the boxes? I remember vtech saying that upgrades would be possible via USB.
Any new findings about the ICE-heater?

 

[jaapv]

December 2013. No glue, just short wiring = a bit of a twisted back getting at it. I got my dealer to fit the box.

 

[JockeD]

December 2013. No glue, just short wiring = a bit of a twisted back getting at it. I got my dealer to fit the box.

Just as mine then. So age is no trustworthy indicator if it is glued or not. Could there have been something special about ankos car perhaps?


Just read this on the vtech website about the box:
"Alternative setup:
NORMAL mode is EV mode, also switching to gasoline mode (factory car) can be done with short kick down (just "kick"). Then - return to EV mode will occur when acc pedal is fully released. With this setup Outlander PHEV has better start from zero (still standing)."

Has someone used it and care to share what they experienced?

 

[anko]

For instance the glued connector anko had in his car. Since mine is a late 2013, is there a risk mine is also glued? Do we know why some cars are glued and which ones?

I had a BearLock mechanical steering wheel lock installed in my car. In hindsight, I suspect 'they' broke the connector during the installation of the lock and glued it back together.

On the same day I had my PHEV box was installed, we did 7 other PHEVs, many of them 2013 cars. Non of them had the same issue.

 

[JockeD]

For instance the glued connector anko had in his car. Since mine is a late 2013, is there a risk mine is also glued? Do we know why some cars are glued and which ones?

I had a BearLock mechanical steering wheel lock installed in my car. In hindsight, I suspect 'they' broke the connector during the installation of the lock and glued it back together.

On the same day I had my PHEV box was installed, we did 7 other PHEVs, many of them 2013 cars. Non of them had the same issue.

Aha! So your car, in this respect, is quite unique... Thanks for that.

Any more observations after using the box for some time?

 

[jaapv]

The longer you use it, the more you become aware that you can obtain exactly the same effect by using the accelerator sensitively. But the box makes it easier.

 

[Exander]

Hi all,
I'm new to this world, I come from toyota/lexus Hybrids to plugin modifications, but now I'm sparing to buy soon an outlander.
How is going the "rewrite the ecu" stuff?
I will be very interested in knowing more about ecu reprogramming, because I will like to swap the original battery.
Can you please vtechtuning teach us something on how this is being done (hardware and software needed), or are You here only for "business"?
If for business, how much will it cost to have a moddable EV ecu? Writing parameters with canbus requests will be ok for me.

Best Regards,
Exander

 

[jaapv]

You do realize that reprogramming an ECU is probably going to cost you your MOT and possibly the tax benefits of the car if you are found out?
If Volkswagen AG couldn't talk their way out of it, I rather doubt whether you can.

 

[elm70]

Hi all,
I'm new to this world, I come from toyota/lexus Hybrids to plugin modifications, but now I'm sparing to buy soon an outlander.
How is going the "rewrite the ecu" stuff?
I will be very interested in knowing more about ecu reprogramming, because I will like to swap the original battery.
Can you please vtechtuning teach us something on how this is being done (hardware and software needed), or are You here only for "business"?
If for business, how much will it cost to have a moddable EV ecu? Writing parameters with canbus requests will be ok for me.

Best Regards,
Exander

There is no need to ECU modify for extend/swap the 12kwh battery

The ECU / BMS logic works based on voltage level, it should also be able to automatically adapt the EV expected range

Anyhow ... replace the 12kwh battery it sound an expensive procedure, for a "little" extra fuel saving

About "play" with ECU setting ... there is no need of "reprogram" .. there are tons of CAN codes that allow to change lot of parameters, like the KW power from the battery to the motors (from 60kw to 110kw) , the % of discharge before ICE kick in, etc .. including the "pure EV mode"

Unfortunately the only owner / aware of this codes, is vtech ... but ... fortunately ... if you get a VTech box, you may be able to ask him to get a custom box with the codes that better suit your needs

 

[Exander]

Yes, My request is exactly that, will they publish those codes, or keep private to make profit?
I also do phev modifications to toyota and lexus, and my hardware box is on sale, but all the informations is open and we share together to grow, same thing with vectrix. Just want to know if it will be share Knowledge or not. I'm an engineer, canbus is not a problem, but I never done ecu preprogramming, so I still don't know how to do it.

changing:the KW power from the battery to the motors (from 60kw to 110kw) , the % of discharge before ICE kick in, the total battery Ah, battery chemistry, bms protocol, are all the stuff I will enjoy diving in

Will also like to know, since they are smart, if they can do a similar work to the ecu fot toyota al lexus.

Best Regards,
Exander

@jaapv No tax credit in italy, only tax

 

[elm70]

Yes, My request is exactly that, will they publish those codes, or keep private to make profit?
I also do phev modifications to toyota and lexus, and my hardware box is on sale, but all the informations is open and we share together to grow, same thing with vectrix. Just want to know if it will be share Knowledge or not. I'm an engineer, canbus is not a problem, but I never done ecu preprogramming, so I still don't know how to do it.

changing:the KW power from the battery to the motors (from 60kw to 110kw) , the % of discharge before ICE kick in, the total battery Ah, battery chemistry, bms protocol, are all the stuff I will enjoy diving in

Will also like to know, since they are smart, if they can do a similar work to the ecu fot toyota al lexus.

Best Regards,
Exander

@jaapv No tax credit in italy, only tax

The only person that I know which has these codes for the Outlander PHEV is VTech

As far as I know, he does not share this knowledge

But for 300 euro ... you may be able to do some reverse engineering of his box , still the cool codes (increase power from battery, etc) are not present by default in this box, but only via "request" which may or may not be "satisfied"

Vtech managed to reverse engineer these codes ... so possibly other with similar skill set and knowledge can do the same .. unless he has/had a "contact" inside Mitsubishi which helped him

 

[Exander]

I don't want to reverse eng. or steal work of others, but before Wed Mar 2016, the idea was eco modification, with OBD2 dongle and android app, really cool! and now it's a commercial hardware device that only act as a damped electronic gas pedal, I will like to know why the first idea was abbandoned, or when it will be ready.

 

[elm70]

I don't want to reverse eng. or steal work of others, but before Wed Mar 2016, the idea was eco modification, with OBD2 dongle and android app, really cool! and now it's a commercial hardware device that only act as a damped electronic gas pedal, I will like to know why the first idea was abbandoned, or when it will be ready.

Actually it was only a guess that the original Vtech box was just a OBD2 dongle + app

The real Vtech box is not just a "damped electronic gas pedal" ... putting the box in the middle of gas pedal, the box not only can control the gas pedal signal, but as well it has access to the CAN bus ... so I 'm quite sure ODB2 interface is present in the Vtech box (or at least the CAN bus access)

Definitely the Vtech box can send CAN Code to the Outlander PHEV for activate special features ... bad luck no Bluetooth interface, but only a USB port and a configuration apps for PC

There is no question that the Vtech box is a good engineered product .. only draw back it is that is not as easy to install like an OBD2 dongle solution could have been ... but a OBD2 dongle solution would have been reverse engineered in 2 seconds

This gas pedal box, Vtech is apparently using with success in other 3 cars .. so it is not so Outlander PHEV specific at the end ... I guess every modern car with electronic gas pedal have same/similar interface with CAN bus too.

 

[GreyBigFoot]

Well, I tought the vtech box was simply tampering values at the gas pedal... Hence the need of profile adjustment to make it work right.

 

[Exander]

why they no more reply?

 

[elm70]

why they no more reply?

vtech is a busy man ...

It is hard to get any feedback from him .. unless you are in business with him.

 

[Tipper]

I thought that during the development of his box he found that changing codes, ecu, etc was too difficult or risky whereas a simple throttle pedal modifier was easy to develop (I suspect they already had a similar box used for other cars) and easy to fit. So that's the way it went.