Newbie here.... some general questions

[Fjpod]

Just bought a 2020 Outlander PHEV (in the US). Have driven a 2010 Gen 3 Prius for 10 years (loved that car) and a 2012 iMiev (loved it also). I studied these cars for many years made some mods, etc. Got great mpg/mpge out of both of them. But I traded them both in for the Outlander. I can see this is wayyyy different than either.

Newbie questions, if you will indulge me....
1. What is the best way to get maximum mpge? I've read about using the CHARGE button, but doesn't that just cause the gas engine to lose efficiency? Wouldn't it be best to put on a full wall charge every night or before starting any longer trip?

2. I am having trouble getting the Android app to work/communicate with the car. I can set it up properly with the SSID and password, and it communicates once, but then I get error 2201. Salesman was having the same problem and is researching it for me....

3. What is that round silver "power" button for on the left top of the keyfob?

4. When trying to schedule overnight charging using the app, is there a way to get the same charging program to work every night of the week? Say I want to charge from Midnight to 8 AM every night.

5. Also having trouble with the voice activated phone calls. the MMIC is not recognizing me verbally saying the names on my contact list?

Any help appreciated.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

1. What is the best way to get maximum mpge? I've read about using the CHARGE button, but doesn't that just cause the gas engine to lose efficiency? Wouldn't it be best to put on a full wall charge every night or before starting any longer trip?

You're missing the way the car works. The battery is small, so the car starts charging the battery as soon as it shows empty (actually around 30%) after 20-30 miles. It then charges the car till the range increases by a mile or so, at which point it switches to EV till the range drops back down. Then it goes round and round the same loop continuously till you change something. It does this in Save too, just maintaining your chosen range. So the PHEV is effectively running in Charge more than 50% of the time. Charging manually has minimal effect on range as long as you arrive at your next charge with an empty battery and don't try to charge a battery above 80%. You can try to game the system by using Charge when the car is in Parallel mode above 40mph, as the ICE is driving the wheels directly and charging with excess power. In Series mode below 40mph, the ICE runs as a generator, so is less efficient at driving the car. Charging while above 40mph and using EV when you're below 40mph might save fuel, but I've yet see anyone prove it.

2. I am having trouble getting the Android app to work/communicate with the car. I can set it up properly with the SSID and password, and it communicates once, but then I get error 2201. Salesman was having the same problem and is researching it for me....

I dream of AA on our 2015 pre-facelift model...

3. What is that round silver "power" button for on the left top of the keyfob?

Don't have that on our's, but people have rewired it to start preconditioning on the car from the fob.

4. When trying to schedule overnight charging using the app, is there a way to get the same charging program to work every night of the week? Say I want to charge from Midnight to 8 AM every night.

The app has 3 charging schedules. So you can select, say, schedule 1 for every night and it will charge at the same times every night. Same for preconditioning if you have it, but it uses 3 different schedules

5. Also having trouble with the voice activated phone calls. the MMIC is not recognizing me verbally saying the names on my contact list?

I've never used it after the first couple of weeks, as it just seems too much like hard work. Good luck!

 

[Fjpod]

Hey, thanks for the info so far... Thought of Few more questions...

1. On a cold start in winter does the ICE turn on to warm up the engine?

2. For cabin heat.... There is no electric heater, correct? Calling for cabin heat automatically turns the Ice on?

 

[ChrisMiller]

1. I've read that if it gets really cold (negative Fahrenheit temperatures), the ICE will start, but it doesn't get that cold in the UK, so I can't confirm.

2. The electric heater depends on the model, mine has one, but US model ranges are different (and mine's getting on for 5 years old).

 

[ThudnBlundr]

Some models don't have the electric heater, so all heat has to come from the ICE. You can turn the heating off all together and rely on the heated seats if you have them, but that's getting a bit extreme IMHO.

If your model has an electric heater, using it to preheat the car will mean that the ICE shouldn't start. Plus you get the benefit of a warm car with a clear windscreen. Normally a difference of around 10C between outside temperature and desired cabin temperature will cause the ICE to start even with the electric heater. The heater takes energy from the drive battery, so using it will decrease your range by a mile or two. The heater can take up to 4kW, so will use more power than any AC charger can provide. Leaving the car for 10-15 minutes after preconditioning ends will allow it to charge up again, but obviously how fast it cools down depends on the external temperature. I've used ours in -4C without the ICE starting, but it may start anyway at lower temperatures

 

[Fjpod]

Not sure if mine has the electric heater. I guess I should push some buttons to check it out, but it has been over 85 degrees fahrenheit, and humid, around here lately. The AC is working fine though.

 

[ChrisMiller]

There are no buttons you push to select direct electric heat over indirect heat from the ICE - it's all under the control of the car's 'brain'. You ought to be able to find the manufacturer's spec for you specific model on the Internet. In the UK it's only the most basic models that lack the electric heater.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

If there is the option to precondition the car on the central display, you have the electric heater

 

[Fjpod]

If there is the option to precondition the car on the central display, you have the electric heater

Thank you for the response.

The next thing to figure out is if the car, under normal driving, will use the electric heater or turn the ICE on for heat. Or is the electric heater only used for preconditioning?

Guess I'll have to wait for winter...LOL.

 

[TweeNeuzen]

About the voice recognition of phone contacts, be sure your phone book is active and not the phone list of the car.. did cost me some time to figure out on the 2014 MMCS.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

If there is the option to precondition the car on the central display, you have the electric heater

Thank you for the response.

The next thing to figure out is if the car, under normal driving, will use the electric heater or turn the ICE on for heat. Or is the electric heater only used for preconditioning?

Guess I'll have to wait for winter...LOL.

Once the car is warm, it won't need to use the ICE, which is only used to provide rapid heat on cold days. As I mentioned, after preheating the car, the ICE never fired while in -4C

 

[Fjpod]

If there is the option to precondition the car on the central display, you have the electric heater

Thank you for the response.

The next thing to figure out is if the car, under normal driving, will use the electric heater or turn the ICE on for heat. Or is the electric heater only used for preconditioning?

Guess I'll have to wait for winter...LOL.

Once the car is warm, it won't need to use the ICE, which is only used to provide rapid heat on cold days. As I mentioned, after preheating the car, the ICE never fired while in -4C

When I had my iMiev, the electric heater would run the battery down REAL quick... to the point where it would be better to burn gas rather than electric. I was hoping there was a way to insure the electric heater was off.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

The electric heater can take 4kW at full whack, but takes much less once the car is warm. So assume around 1-2kW once warm and it will take several hours to empty the battery. And compare that to the many tens of kW needed to accelerate the PHEV and the 20kW needed to maintain 50mph

 

[Fjpod]

The electric heater can take 4kW at full whack, but takes much less once the car is warm. So assume around 1-2kW once warm and it will take several hours to empty the battery. And compare that to the many tens of kW needed to accelerate the PHEV and the 20kW needed to maintain 50mph

But if the ICE is warmed up from usage, won't it just defer electric and use engine heat?