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My Hybrid Assistant & OBDLink LX won't work with a Gen 4

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Lain, Dec 20, 2021.

  1. Lain

    Lain Junior Member

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    My Hybrid Assistant (Ver. 3.311) & OBDLink Lx (Model LX101) works great on my Gen2, but not at all on my brother's 2021 Gen 4.
    My three Android devices (Motorolas & Samsung) all behave the same. On start-up, the Connection Status block at the Hybrid Assistant screen bottom enunciates in the following sequence:
    • Yellow: "Waiting for Connection"
    • Yellow: "Connecting"
    • Yellow: "Service Started"
    • Magenta: "OBD Initialization"
    • Green: "Unknown" (Instead of "Prius 4")
    After enunciating "Unknown," Hybrid Assistant quickly trips off, and the screen blanks to white.
    I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions to try at week's end when my brother visits. Thanks in advance!
     
    #1 Lain, Dec 20, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2021
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I don't have any suggestions but I have a similar problem with my current PP. HA and OBDLink Lx worked fine on my 2017 PP and 2020 PP, but after I got 2021 PP, it behaves very similarly to what you have described. I thought it was OBDLink Lx causing the problem, but exactly the same problem was observed when I paired the app with other OBDII dongles. Tried Panlong and Carista.

    I don't have any other hybrid car HA support so I can't test the app and adaptor on other cars.
     
  3. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I wonder what Toyota did. My OBD Link LX works fine on my 2017 Prime with whichever version of HA I have. (probably not the latest) Your description sounds like it might be a bug in the app. Have you tried contacting HA?
     
  4. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    That is my thought and had it as my TO DO list but have not contacted HA. If I know anyone using HA on 2021 PP, then at least I know it is not the 2021 model year PP, as I know it worked fine on both of my 2017 and 2020 PPs.
     
  5. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    I'm not sure exactly how bt works and my cheapo ODB2 bt doesn't work anymore with HA now that I've upgraded it to a new version that has hybrid reporter integrated. But I also now have 3 bt ODB2 adapters paired on my phone. So my next step will be to unpair all three adapters and try try again from scratch.

    My cheapo bt adapter got one 60 mile trip logged the first day I tried it with the new version of HA. But it also logged two trips of 0 miles just before or after the trip it did log. Confusing? sorry bout that! I'm not really sure what the deal is with it yet, either !
     
  6. Lain

    Lain Junior Member

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    Thank you Salamander, Jerry and vvillovv for your interesting accounts of HA with various Gen 4s!
    Prompted by your suggestion of contacting HA, I looked again and found an address ([email protected]). I'll inquire with them, and post any response.
     
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  7. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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  8. Lain

    Lain Junior Member

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    Thanks Jerry!
    Yes, I just now skimmed the FAQs because HA got right back to me, despite exigencies of the Season. They wrote simply, "Send logs as explained in the FAQ."
    However, this is going to take me some time. First, my brother must arrive with his Prius, then I'll need to learn all about logs, find them on my Android, send them, etc. (I'm not adept.)
    Anyway, it may be January before I have anything, but I'll post HA's comments when they reply.
    Thanks again to all! Happy Holidays!
     
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  9. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Thanks for your update. I have not contacted HA yet, but after reading your comment above, I got interested in contacting them to see if they can help me. Unlike your case, I have my car sitting in my driveway right now.

    I just emailed HA with the debugging log that may have been stored in the system from my last attempt to start the app. I will let you know if I hear from them. With the holiday coming up soon, it may take time for them to respond. By the way, my attempt to use HA on my current 2021 PP with three different OBDII adaptors ended with the same result. They all briefly connect successfully, but immediately lose the connection. The sequence of the connection and losing the connection is shown below.

    upload_2021-12-22_11-49-0.png

    upload_2021-12-22_11-46-42.png

    upload_2021-12-22_11-49-48.png

    upload_2021-12-22_11-51-31.png
     
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  10. Lain

    Lain Junior Member

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    Thank you Salamander, Jerry, vvillovv.
    HA got right back to me on Christmas Eve. He suggested I enter the code "KARF" on the setting menu, database maintenance page at lower left. He had thought my car was a Prime, whereas it's a Prius LE. After this was clarified, the respondent suggested that I enter the code, "KB3F." This didn't work either.
    The respondent then replied, "then the 2021 version is too different from the previous one . . ."
    (Like Jerry, I wonder what Toyota did.)
    Anyway, I thanked him/her, and wrote that several of us would be very happy if HA could be made to work with the 2021.
    Thanks to all for your help!
    Happy New Year!
     
  11. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    I had a similar experience when we got one of the first 2019 Rav4 hybrids. HA was very responsive in communicating back and forth until we got it working. So, the guy clearly makes an effort. Hopefully, when you can send him a log, he can come up with a solution. Let us know what happens.
     
  12. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Thanks for your update. I have not heard from HA after sending them a debug log. I just looked at the app on my phone, but could not find the "database maintenance page" under the setting menu. Can you show me where you are seeing that?
     
  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    UPDATE: I did find the "database maintenance page" in the Hybrid Reporter section of the app. I did not think that will help but I tried putting the code anyway. Well, it did not work, but since I was already sitting in the car trying anyway, I put the app back to the default settings and power cycled the app and OBDLink LX several times.

    At first, it was not connecting, but after 3 or 4 trials, the app started to enter the OBD initialization step instead of being stuck in Connecting. On my final trial, it finally connected and recognize the car as PriusPrime for the first time. I did not need to drive anywhere, so I have no data to log, but the app seems to have fixed itself. Next time I have to drive somewhere, I will see if it can now connect and record the data in the log.

    upload_2021-12-26_11-56-54.png
     
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  14. Lain

    Lain Junior Member

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    Thanks Salamander! Your account is encouraging.
    I just now tried connecting using the "Dash Board," in OBDLink's own software, and also using Torque Pro, but had no luck with either.
    Please let us know if you are able to make HA work with your 2021.
    Note: My access to the 2021 ends Wednesday when my brother leaves.
     
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  15. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    When I first acquired the 2021 PP in July and tried using HA app on it, although I could not get it to work, I had no problem connecting and using the OBDLink's own software, Carista App, Dr. Prius, and Tire Assistant App. All except HA worked fine. From that, I concluded the problem is on the HA App (or a combination of the HA app with the phone/car) rather than on the phone or car, Of note, the Tire Assistant app is developed by the same team who developed the HA.

    In any case, next time I have to drive my PP, I will try connecting to HA and see if it record the trip data as designed.
     
    #15 Salamander_King, Dec 26, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2021
  16. mc357

    mc357 Junior Member

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    I am having the same issue, I can't get hybrid assistant to work with my 2021 prime xle.
    I looked at their supported car section, and sadly they do not support 2021 Prius prime. I really wish they did.
     
  17. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Well, today I tried connecting to the HA app using the Carista dongle. (I had my OBDLink LX in our other car.) When I first started the app and selected Carista for the Bluetooth, it did not connect. I restarted the app again and on the second try, it did connect and recognized the car as Prius Prime.

    My trip consisting of ~30miles was driven mixed HV and EV and the app dashboard seemed to be working. But after completion of the trip HA report was not registering the fuel use on the HV mode portion. But the funny thing is that the report did register the engine running. I started the trip from 97% SOC and finished the trip with 1% SOC left. The total distance on EV mode was 24.51miles, out of 33.12miles or 74%. For the remaining 26%, ICE was running, but no fuel use was registered.

    I will need to try the HA app again next time I drive using the OBDLink LX to see if the problem was with the dongle.

    upload_2022-1-8_18-43-13.png

    upload_2022-1-8_18-47-3.png
     
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  18. mc357

    mc357 Junior Member

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    Is this with a 2021 prime? Maybe it's my obdii adapter, if it works with the LX I'll buy that adapter.
     
  19. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yes, my PP is new 2021 PP Ltd. I had used the HA app in my previous 2017 PP Premium with OBDLink LX adaptor, but when I first got the 2021 PP last July, the app did not work. I was having a connection issue similar to OP as I commented in #2. The connection problem was not OBDLink LX adaptor specific, but the same OBDII initialization problem with Carista and Panlong adaptors. That was back in last year July. I gave up on using the HA app for a while until I came across this thread.

    I haven't tried using the OBDLink LX adaptor again but it seems the Carista adaptor is working now, at least it connects and recognizes the car. Only problem I just found out is that the Carista dongle seems to continue to draw Amp even after the car is shut down. It was draining the 12v battery fairly quickly. The OBDLink LX adaptor has an auto shut-off function when the car goes off. Since I don't drive often now (only once or twice a week) and we are having an arctic blast right now (low temp -26F), I decided to remove the Carista dongle and am now charging the 12v battery.

    I will check again with the OBDLink LX adaptor next time I have to drive the car.
     
    #19 Salamander_King, Jan 10, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2022
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  20. mc357

    mc357 Junior Member

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    Thank you,I can't wait to hear if the LX adapter works as well. I wouldnt want the parasite drain either. It will be in the teens, to single digits here next few days, that's cold enough!