Finally added the EV mod

[Sarge]

Hey everyone,

First off, Jimbo - nice detonator button!

Well, I finally built up the courage to tackle installing an EV button after pondering it for a long time. Rather than create a new thread, I thought I would share my experience here.

First, I printed and followed Dr. Evan's 2004 instructions, and they worked like a charm, though I did encounter two anxious moments... more on that in a minute. In any case, the whole job took me just over 2 hours, and seems to work like a charm now.

First, I opened up the steering column to harvest a few pins. As Evan explained it was a bit tough to get the two covers separated, but I found a gentle squeeze on near the seams seemed to help, without needing any metallic tools, thus no damage.

Using my paperclip, I managed to work two pins out, though I only needed one in the end. I think I will tape the second one to the inside of the console lid in case I ever need it.

Getting the glovebox out and vent covers was no problem at all. Unplugging the ECU plug was fine, easy to identify the proper receptacle thanks to the great documentation.

I soldered the pin to one piece of 14awg speaker wire I had hanging around. After some anxiety, I finally decided to plug it into the ECU after triple checking to make sure it was the right hole. A very tight fit (solder didn't help, of course), but used the jeweller screwdriver to push it down, praying I didn't fray/slice the wire in the process. Feeling nervous about cutting any factory wires, I tried looping the ground wire around some big 12mm bold below the vent, that seemed part of the frame(?).

OK, time to test it out, before I go any further! I take a deep breath, put the car in Ready, and touch the wires together. Nothing different, but the car also doesn't report anything wrong, so I didn't break anything. (phew!). Hmmmm...

I wonder what the problem is. I pull the ECU plug out, push the pin some more, put it back in. Same thing. Start checking the ground.

No change. Starting to stress.

I decide to use one the taps I have and tap the black & wire pin 1 wire. Same thing, but then something dawns on me; each time I pressed it, I did notice it switched to the Energy screen, but I was expecting a beep or some kind of message about EV mode to appear, but I never got it (and also always killed the ignition before the 7 seconds so it never started when it "failed").

Anyway, to make a long story short (too late, I know), it was working, I guess 2006 (+?) doesn't beep when EV engages. Who knows, maybe this is a wrong assumption, but that is what I expected based on what I had read in the past.

Anyway, now I am pumped that the hardest part is done and it is working!

Now I just need to fish the wire over and install the button.

Problem #2. I taped the wire to a straightened coat hanger and started fishing. I got it through fairly quickly, but it was pretty low down at the steering side. So I tried to pull it back, only to end up getting it stuck somewhere in the middle. Big mistake. I spent the next 45 minutes trying to untangle it and get back to square 1. I eventually did it, but it was not easy. Another 15 minutes or so and I finally got it through, I pulled it through the button hole, drilled my blank 1/2" for the Radio Shack (or "TheSource") button, installed it closed it all and up and case closed! Very exciting!

*** That's all for the installation, now for a personal story about my experience today.

Anyway, took it for a test drive as I went to pick up my wife, showing off what I can now do my with my new toy. As luck would have it, I was EVing away from where I picked her up, and the timing was perfect as I reached purple bars at precisely the same time I reached a level crossing where the signals just started. Yeah, I was then sitting there, ICE idling, wasting gas and watching a train go by. Oops. Ah well.

But then, for the next hour or so we did a bit of shopping and everytime I hit my EV button it kept telling me "Can't enter EV mode" - even when I pressed it immediately after starting and before the ICE engaged. Battery was 7/8 bars (blue), so State of Charge (SOC) wasn't the problem. The temperature was about 22C(~80F), which was not extremely warm, but it was a bit humid.

Once our errands were over, we got back on the freeway for a short while (~10 mins), and once I got off again back in the residential territory, it seems the EV button is working fine again.

From my knowledge, the only conditions that prevent EV from engaging are SOC being too low, initial warm-up already started, or battery temperature either too hot or too cold. Since it wasn't either of the first conditions, I presume it had to be #3, possibly since I had just drained it down to purple and it had just been recharged...?

Anyway, just thought I would share my experience, and if anyone has any comments as to why EV wouldn't engage for an extended period as described, I would be happy to hear them.

Thanks and sorry for the long post!

PS - I also just updated my sig.

[JimboK]

Congrats on the install, Kevin.

Another "EV deny" criterion is speed >33 MPH. What was your speed during those episodes?

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by JimboK

Congrats on the install, Kevin.

Another "EV deny" criterion is speed >33 MPH. What was your speed during those episodes?

Yes, that is true, however in this case I was parked. I had just put the car into Ready mode and immediately pressed the EV button before the engine kicked in, and it denied me multiple times over a half hour period or so, I tried each time I got stopped at a light.

However, once I got on the highway or a short jaunt home, it was working fine again once I got back down to lower speeds again.

Bizarre... like I said, I guess battery temp must have been the reason...? I don't have a ScanGauge or anything to know for sure.

[JimboK]

Originally Posted by Sarge

Bizarre... like I said, I guess battery temp must have been the reason...?

That seems plausible. It wouldn't have been my first thought with ambient temp at 80F. But if you use EV a lot the battery can heat up. Something else that will heat it is sustained regeneration like you would get descending a very long hill. I've seen battery temperature as high as 120F descending the Appalachians, considerably higher than any temperature I've seen during normal (for me) operation, even in the hottest of summer heat. Then once heated, the battery takes a long time to cool. Not specific to EV mode -- preventing heat buildup in the first place, when possible, is better than cooling after the fact.

[Sarge]

Just a follow-up since my install 5 days ago;

I haven't had an "unexplained rejections" of EV mode since the first day - only when battery charge was too low (i.e. 3 bars or less) or speed was too high, as expected each time (just checking/testing). It always engaged immediately after startup as long as the battery SOC was decent.

I really like having the added control of delaying the ICE startup. Since I live in a townhouse complex - and often have to wait for traffic before pulling onto the busy street - I like engaging EV right away and waiting until I merge into traffic and get up to "cruising" speed before disengaging EV. I prefer the warmup to happen while the car is rolling rather than sitting idle.

Experiencing how the EV dynamic changes vs stealthing (i.e. you can accelerate reasonably quick within EV parameters vs featherfooting it in stealth), gives me a much better appreciation of PHEV conversions.

I do wish there was a way to activate that EV light on the dashboard. Once or twice this week, I engaged it then got distracted or stuck at a light or something, then hear the three beeps as it is forced out of EV due to low SOC, which of course hurts my overall MPG since it is not an opportune time to recharge. Oops! Ha ha... (I'm still in the "playing" stage, what can I say...)

Haven't had to do any car shuffles this week, but it will be handy for that too...

Cheers!

[vertex]

I have had numerous instances where EV mode does not engage. I drive every morning from my house to the train station (2.2 miles) to go to work. I always try to engage EV mode immediately. Once in EV mode, I can get all the way to the station without the ICE starting. The run is mostly level and down hill, so I only loose 1 bar on the trip. This week I could not get into EV mode twice. The SOC was higher then other times it went into EV mode, and the temperature at 6:45 is in the 60s. In both cases, once the engine warmed up, I was able to enter EV mode. It seems finicky.

[don_chuwish]

Originally Posted by vertex

I have had numerous instances where EV mode does not engage. I drive every morning from my house to the train station (2.2 miles) to go to work. I always try to engage EV mode immediately. Once in EV mode, I can get all the way to the station without the ICE starting. The run is mostly level and down hill, so I only loose 1 bar on the trip. This week I could not get into EV mode twice. The SOC was higher then other times it went into EV mode, and the temperature at 6:45 is in the 60s. In both cases, once the engine warmed up, I was able to enter EV mode. It seems finicky.

Hmn, so that makes me wonder if the EV mod is right for me. I've been considering it because I live at the top of a short steep hill. My morning drive taking a kid to school is just a mile, mostly downhill with some flats. If EV will engage right from the beginning I could regen all the way down the hill, cruise on just a little EV to the school, then drive normally back home. Also, same story if I'm headed for the highway, regen down the hill, short flat run to the onramp, then highway speeds recharge the battery. Am I wrong? Will EV not work when the car is cold?

- D

[JimboK]

Originally Posted by don_chuwish

Hmn, so that makes me wonder if the EV mod is right for me. I've been considering it because I live at the top of a short steep hill. My morning drive taking a kid to school is just a mile, mostly downhill with some flats. If EV will engage right from the beginning I could regen all the way down the hill, cruise on just a little EV to the school, then drive normally back home. Also, same story if I'm headed for the highway, regen down the hill, short flat run to the onramp, then highway speeds recharge the battery. Am I wrong? Will EV not work when the car is cold?

- D

EV should work in your situation unless some of the known "EV-deny" conditions exist: warmup stage 1 activation attempt, speed >33 MPH, low SOC, hot or cold battery.

As for the cold battery, ambient temperatures need to be very cold. I've seen cold battery-related EV-deny only with overnight lows in single digits. See this for more on that one.

Vertex's situation seems to be an anomaly, like a few others have reported on rare occasion. Two theories: a key bounce effect like I apparently had with my first switch or activation attempt during stage 1.

[don_chuwish]

Thanks JimboK! The car lives in a garage. Not heated but I doubt it'll ever see below freezing in there. Now the biggest trick for the EV switch install (I like the one from Sigma) will be relocating the PIAA fog light switch that the previous owner put in that spot.

- D