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I DID IT!!!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by daniel, Jul 15, 2004.

  1. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I did it! I installed the Costal Tech EV switch (cruise-control stalk version). It seemed to work.

    The installation, for this idiot klutz, was not easy. But if I can do it you probably can. Following are my experiences:

    First off, I had a great deal of difficulty removing the passenger-side A/C vent cover. It just didn't want to budge. I suspect that there's a way to make it slip out easy as butter, but I pried and wrenched at it for a long time before it came out. I cannot say what I finally did to make it give.

    Once I exposed the wires, I found that the plug was nearly impossible to get at. It is way behind stuff, and even with the vent cover off there is a lot of solid plastic in front of it, and, by my count, seventeen million and three wires in the way of it. I nearly gave up at this point, but being anal retentive, kept poking at it until I got it out.

    Once the plug was out I realized that it would not come out into the open. Those seventeen million and three wires are tied into stiff bundles, with only about two and a half millimeters of slack. Telling myself, that if I ruined it, Toyota could fix it and probably would not charge me more than a few thousand dollars for the repair, I managed to slip the plug under the other wires and out into the open.

    There still was not much room, but with only slightly more than superhuman effort I identified the two indicated wires and got the wire splices onto them.

    Then came the really hard part: inserting the dreaded pin. It took me a while to figure out how to lift the retaining bar by using a screwdriver on the two pins at the side, and I got the pin in flush, though I suspect it should have been a bit beyond flush, because I don't think I got the retaining bar quite all the way back in. I'm not sure, because I think I busted off that side pin trying to force it back.

    Attaching the leads to the wire taps was easy. Getting the plug back into place was actually possible, and re-inserting it, once it was back in place, was child's play.

    Replacing the A/C vent cover was easier than taking it off, but still required some messing around with it.

    I was parked on the street so I could work in sunlight, so I got back in the driver's seat, powered up the car, and as soon as the Ready light was on I pulled the cruise-control stalk toward me and held it until I heard a single beep. Costal says two seconds, and that's what it seemed like. I drove it around to the back of the apartment building and into my garage without the engine starting. I don't expect to go out again today, but tomorrow I'll report further on whether it seems to work the way I expect.

    Costal says the installation takes 30 minutes. It took me 50 minutes. But I spent a lot of time trying to figure things out, messing with the A/C vent cover, etc., and working slowly and deliberately. 30 minutes it probably right for anyone who's not a klutz.

    I repeat: it seems to work. It gave no indications of anything untoward.

    Thanks to Wayne Brown, for figuring out how to make EV work.
    Thanks to Costal Tech for a (relatively) easy way to implement this with no drilling.
    And thanks to Evan for better pictures than come with the kit.
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    :clap: :multi: :party: :rofl: :lol:

    Good for you Daniel! I can't believe you're not going out to play with it a little more, but I'm glad you got the job done. I expect complete testing and confirmation of Rich Evans' findings about differences b/w CC EVb and standard EVb within the week....soldier! :mrgreen:
     
  3. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Goodness gracious! Do you mean I'm the first to install the production version of Costal's switch???!!!

    Well, I was tired after spending several hours at the street fair and eating too much street food, and it was very hot, and I wanted to try it out on a calm mind. And to be honest, I was in no great hurry. Getting it in, and driving into the garage in EV mode without anything exploding, was enough excitement for one day. Especially since I had originally intended to install it tomorrow.

    I'm also not entirely sure of what I need to test about it.

    Engage cruise control between 25 and 34 mph to see if there is a conflict.

    Engage cc while in EV mode to see if they work together.

    Try out how hard I can accelerate while in EV mode (i.e., are people behind me going to get angry because I can't pull away from a stop at a reasonable speed without disengaging EV?)

    See how far it will go from a full SOC in EV mode.

    Drive from the gym to the office on EV mode just because I can (they're only a few blocks apart).

    See if I can engage EV mode while in motion (in electric-only mode, or with the engine running).

    I'm not concerned about possible conflicts with the CC cancel function, because I never use it. If I need to cancel cc it's to slow down, and then I have to use the brake anyway, so I don't need the cancel switch; and if I do need to cancel cc I just switch it off with the button.

    Anything else I ought to test?
     
  4. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    You're the first I've heard of. Your test list looks pretty good. I'm most interested in the issues I mentioned in the list of things Rich had mentioned.
     
  5. the1universe

    the1universe New Member

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    What is a production verson of Costal's switch?
     
  6. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    The production version (of anything) is the version they intend to sell to the public. In this case, there was a beta-test version first, which had some problems, reported on in the link in Evan's post.
     
  7. mboileau

    mboileau New Member

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    Just received my EV switch kit from Dave. I don't know if this is what's referred to as the "production version". Looks like Dave's having a small PCB manufactured and stuffed, which is then shrink-wrapped. Nice job. Now I know what I'll being during my lunch hour today....
     
  8. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    "Production model" is my term, to distinguish from the beta-test version reported on elsewhere.

    PRELIMINARY REPORT:

    Cruise control below 34 mph works just fine with the Costal EV switch. I engaged it, disengaged it, "cancelled" it and restored it, all numerous times, and without any problems.

    I have not yet attempted to engage cruise control while in EV mode, or vice versa. This is a very low priority for me.

    It refused to engage when I first powered up this morning. The battery SOC was 3 bars. So I presume that it will not engage with the battery that low. I'm sure this has nothing to do with the installation. It's got to be in the computer's programming.

    In EV mode I was able to accelerate from a stop as fast as the average driver around here, though not as fast as I am accostomed to doing. This is acceptable.

    I was able to engage the EV mode even while the car is in motion. I am very happy with this. Somehow I had gotten the idea that perhaps it was necessary to stop first.

    As expected, range in EV mode appears to be short. The battery drains pretty quickly, but I don't have any clear idea of actual distances yet. But this, too, will be independent of the installation.

    I have not noticed any of the quirks reported in the beta-test version.

    I have not yet had it over 35 mph since installing the switch.

    When I engage to EV mode while driving, I do NOT hear the beep, telling me it has engaged. I get that beep if I engage it immediately upon starting the car.
     
  9. mboileau

    mboileau New Member

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    Okay, I installed Dave's EV production mod during my lunch hour. The entire process took me 20 minutes, most of which was trying to get my hand on the grey connector to remove it from the computer. Dave's directions were very clear and the process was straight-forward. I used needle-nose pliers to fully close the wire taps (which is what I assume Dave wants you to do since he says to have needle-nose pliers but doesn't refer to them in the instructions). I used an eyeglass screwdriver to carefully push the new pin all the way into the connector until it snapped into place. I'd expect this is something that may easily be missed since it doesn't go in easily.

    I engaged the EV mode right after starting the car. It gave me the beep I expected. I had reasonable acceleration maneuvering out of office parking lot and was able to cruise down our back road for a bit in EV mode at about 30 mph. The battery quickly dropped from 6 bars down to 4, which doesn't surprise me. As I increased speed to 35mph, the EV mode disabled automatically, and normal hybrid operation resumed. When I came to a stop at the first traffic light, I tried to re-engage the EV mode. It did not engage since the battery was now sitting at 3 bars. It's also quite hot out. I know there's a temperature dependency, but I'm not sure at what temperatures the EV won't be available.

    I haven't tested the cruise control interaction yet, or verified the ability to intentionally disable EV (and get the triple beep). I'll try those options on my way home tonight.

    Overall, it's a nice little option to have, but I wouldn't set my expectations too high. Maintaining EV mode for an extended period of time isn't really possible since there are far too many conditions that would disable it. I'm extremely glad that it disengages when the battery is too low. That makes me feel more comfortable about not stressing my batteries or shortening their life. I also expect that many people who install this option will claim that it doesn't work at all since the changes in behavior can be very slight. The option itself would be better named something like "EV Preferred Mode" to further emphasize that your car will not run off the batteries exclusively when this is enabled.

    I'm glad I have it now, if for no other reason than because it's there, so I wanted it. Sorta like half of the computer peripherals I own. I don't necessarily use them, but I could if I wanted to....
     
  10. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    MB,
    It is possible that EV wouldn't engage at the stop b/c of the HV bat. being at 3 bars, but also there is a warm up stage where EV can't engage too, and you may still have been within that stage.

    A few other things to note. The ICE will, always, kick back on immediately when you've been in EV mode and hit the button again.

    Watching the SOC drop is not an accurate indication of how much charge you're actually using in EV mode....you'll notice a continued drop in the SOC read out even after the ICE kicks back in and begins recharging the battery. I've often driven my 'favorite EV route' out of the parking garage, past 4-5 very quick stop signs to the intersection of a main road. Usually SOC will show about 4 bars when I get to that last stop. When the light changes for me to turn onto the main road I hit the EV button, the ICE kicks in, and I can drive less than a block and the SOC will drop to about 2-3 bars despite arrows going from ICE to Batt. on the Energy screen. It's nothing to worry about, but don't rely on the shown SOC to decide how far you can drive in EV mode.

    It's kinda exciting how everyone's playing with this EV stuff. I think someone should do a nice photo article of their installation of the their CC EV mod for the archives here for those more anxious about doing it themselves.
     
  11. mboileau

    mboileau New Member

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    I'm not quite sure I understand the "warm up" phase that's been mentioned a few times. Maybe in the city, Evan, it's still chilly during the day, but out here in the EB, it's 90+ anytime past breakfast. The EV activated when selected immediately after pressing the Start button. I assume then that the car was already toasty enough to comply. I haven't manually turned EV off since it's automatically disabled itself each time due to one of the automated exit conditions. To be honest, I really don't even see a need for manually disabling it since all I have to do is either press down on the accelerator faster or simply ramp up my speed past 35mph.

    I forgot that Dave's instructions also tell you that the MFD will automatically transition to the Energy Monitor screen when EV is engaged. I suppose one way for me to be sure of when it's responding to my switch is to simply leave the MFD in Audio or something and see if it changes.
     
  12. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    There are 4 phases of start up, which I do not/cannot remember the exact details of. But simply put the ICE and Hybrid system goes through those phases, and when in the second phase EV mode cannot be started.

    Thus, you're correct that after the Ready light appears and within the first 7 seconds after it appears you can enter EV mode by hitting the button/control. However, if you let the ICE start (after 7 seconds) or immediately after exiting EV mode if you entered it before ICE start up you will not be able to go into EV mode until that phase completes. It 'may' complete phase II faster in warm tempertures, but even if it's 90+ degrees there's a mandatory cycle that must be gone through and EV mode is locked out.

    Also, if the battery temperture exceeds some preset limit you can not enter EV mode.

    Tosh listed the 4 phases and described what happens in each a while back, I'm not sure where that list is and don't have time to search at the moment. If no one else has that list I'll search later for you.
     
  13. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Evan, it seems to me that when the ICE first starts up, whether on powering up the car, or on exiting EV mode if you engaged that on power-up, the ICE does not want to supply power to the wheels immediately. During the first minute or two of ICE operation, the car will get most of its power from the battery/motor. This will drop the SOC by one bar or so. I do not believe this drop reflects energy drain from the battery during EV mode, but rather energy used after. I have observed this drop in SOC most mornings, as though power was coming from the battery rather than the ICE.

    Until now, getting the car to stay in electric mode for parking-lot creep was erratic. Sometimes it would, and sometimes it would not. I believe that very low-speed is inefficient on gas power. It's cool to be able to force EV operation under such circumstances, as well as to assure that I never have a full battery when I start the ICE cold, so there will be a place for that energy to go during the mandatory warm-up phase.

    mboileau, you do not get the three beeps when exiting EV mode with the switch. There is no indication, other than the energy flow from the engine.

    And the reason for cancelling EV mode manually is that you may come to the end of the area where you want to be in EV mode. Since the ICE does not want to supply power to the wheels immediately, it may be a good idea to cancell it a minute before reaching the place where you want the ICE to be operational.

    Example: coming home from a play tonight, I put the car in EV mode at power-up, for the slow creep out of the parking lot. As I approached the street I cancelled EV mode to give the ICE a moment to warm up before hitting the street, where I would want to have more acceleration.

    Question for Evan: I don't think I got the pin to "click" into place, as mboileau mentions, although I did get it flush with the surface of the plug. Is this likely to cause me problems? It would have required a really tiny pointed object to push it beyond flush, and the instructions said nothing about that.
     
  14. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    One more thing that prevents EV from coming on is if the A/C is on full blast - I guess the A/C alone is enough to keep the battery draw high enough to prevent safe EV mode. My attempts to turn on EV when the A/C is cranked and when I'm just starting the car almost always result in 3 rapid beeps.
     
  15. Steve Goldenberg

    Steve Goldenberg New Member

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    I did the buttonless EV kit install. Even though I got it right, it didn't come on because my battery is usually in the 3 or 4 blue bar range. If I charge the battery (Foot brake + D + full throttle) for a minute or two, and pull the cruise stalk for 2 seconds the EV comes on which is verified when the Consumption screen automatically switches to the Energy screen. It's neat and fun but of no real practical value. If I could charge the main battery from 110V AC at night, I could drive to the supermarket and back in EV mode. Induction charger needed!
     
  16. mboileau

    mboileau New Member

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    Okay, I had the weekend to play around with it, so now I have a better idea of how and when the EV mode will work. First, Daniel, you're correct, I only get the triple beep when the ECU decides to shut down EV-only mode on its own. I don't get any sort of confirmation from using the stalk to select or deselect the function. I've been trying to get the MFD to toggle as stated in the install instructions, but haven't been successful yet.

    Htmlspinnr, I'm glad you've seen that full A/C prevents it completely, because that's been happening to me. It's been quite hot here, so the A/C is usually on full when I start the car. If I leave it off after car has been parked for a while and start it up, I can get the EV mode immediately if I pull the stalk right after pushing the Start button, generally speaking.

    During other driving conditions, the EV mode does seem rather erratic. I'm training myself to try to engage it at the appropriate times, but not sitting there yanking at the stalk until it does. I figure the ECU knows best.

    Daniel, as for the pin "click", if your switch is currently making contact, it's probably far enough in, but be aware that it could work itself back over time due to vibration. The only ideal tool I found for fully inserting the new pin was an eyeglass flat-blad screwdriver. Small enough to fit into the hole but with a flat edge to push with that won't pierce the wire.
     
  17. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Are you saying that if you're on the Consumption screen before you engage EV mode that the MFD does NOT change over to the Energy screen? If that's what's happening then I've got more questions. When did you get your car? Can you toggle b/w Consumption and Energy screens with the INFO button on the steering wheel?

    If that's not the issue than can you clarify the statement...I'm a bit confused...as usual. :oops:
     
  18. mboileau

    mboileau New Member

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    I need to do a few more "controlled" tests before I say it doesn't work that way. I'll let you know.

    My car has a 1/04 build date, and it did use to toggle between Energy and Consumption. I had the SSC-40D service done, only because I got the letter, and now it doesn't do it any more. I was surprised at getting the letter because I thought mine was made after the correction was found in production, but apparantly not. As to whether or not the newer ECU software behaves the same as before in all other functions, that's questionable.
     
  19. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I have not noticed any erratic behavior. As reported by others, it will not engage EV if the engine is not yet warm (I have yet to test Evan's assertion that it must be not only warm, but actually in Phase III operation) and it will not engage if the battery SOC is 3 bars or less. It will disengage itself if I step too hard on the pedal (though as Evan reports, I can step much harder than without EV engaged) or if the battery SOC drops to 2 bars.

    This morning, with 5 bars, I engaged EV immediately on power-up, and drove to the mini-mall a tad over a half a mile away (10 minutes walking) and the SOC dropped to 3 bars. Upon leaving, I could not engage EV. This suggests an EV range of 1.5 miles from 8 bars, but I've never seen 8 bars. 6 is common enough, but 5 is more so. And often enough it's at 4. So I'd say it has a real-world EV range of 1/2 mile to one mile, depending on charge.

    I was not able to engage cruise control while in EV mode (not that I'd ever really want to; I was just testing).

    Upon engaging EV, the MFD will switch to the energy screen if it is not already there, but does not toggle back upon exiting EV. I don't think it was supposed to.

    Mboileau, are you familiar with the three "phases" of the computer? Your "erratic" behavior could be due to trying to engage it when it is not yet in phase III. The engine must be fully warm, AND THEN the car must exceed some speed (somewhere around 35 or 40 mph, I don't remember exactly) OR it must come to a full and complete stop for 10 seconds.

    I'm still going to test this. My typical commute does not have any streets over 25 mph speed limit, or stop lights, for the first 5 or 6 minutes, so I'll be able to get the engine warm and yet not yet in phase III, to see if I can engage EV.

    I'm going to hope for the best with that pin. As I said, it's flush with the plug, and it's tight. I just don't remember hearing a click. And although I pressed the retaining bar back in, I'm not sure it latched. There's a reason I sub-titled this thread "Idiot klutz successfully (?) installs Costal EV switch."

    The real advantages of the switch are probably minor. However, I was angry and frustrated that the car would sometimes insist on running the ICE in very low-speed situations, as creeping through parking lots, and this annoyed me. Having the EV switch may be a small thing in objective terms, but it VERY GREATLY increases my comfort level with the car, as I can force EV operation under those kinds of circumstances. I like the looks I get as I glide silently along, and I feel that I'm saving gas by shutting off the ICE when it is clearly not necessary.
     
  20. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I've had the SSC-40D done, but my #7 does not have the info switch on the steering wheel. I need to touch the screen to toggle. And this works fine even after the re-programming. And as I said, engaging EV does switch to the energy screen.