HowTo: use OBD-II and CarScanner to see Power Output/Regen/Charging and other data

[bbulkow]

Thanks -
Since you dived into CarScanner, maybe you know about (or get curious about ) the one thing I want to do: show efficiency over time, in miles / kwh.

Car scanner has the numbers. I don't know how much history it has, but I'd be happy with something like "over the last 20 minutes" "10 minutes" "5 minutes". Other cars have these efficiency barcharts.

I think that means two things:
1) How do you create an "x over y" tile
2) Are their entries for "kwh consumed over N minutes" and "miles travelled over N minutes"

thanks!

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[Rt1AWD]

One of the first things I asked @Ford Motor Company for to enhance the dashboard/instrument information is real-time display of Power Output/Regen/Charging in kW, and Battery Energy remaining in kWhr.

No response of course.... so I went in search of the easiest and most cost effective way to display 'custom' information. Turns out that it is pretty easy, and not very expensive. All you need is:
- a free phone App
- a OBD-II reader
- (optional) phone holder to position phone somewhere near your line of sight

1. get the phone app to display scan data
from Android PlayStore or iOS, download/install 'Car Scanner ELM OBD2'
some addl documentation is available online at
https://www.carscanner.info/
There are other choices available now, but CarScanner does what I wanted. Basic App is free, but I paid $6 to upgrade to 'pro' version to support the developer.

2. buy an OBD2 adapter with full ELM protocol support
CarScanner developer recommends 'quality' ODB2 with full ELM protocol support
such as: Viecar Bluetooth 4
$25 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTKSCEJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?


3. first-time config of CarScanner
download app, install app
plug OBD2 into port, turn car 'on'
pair phone to OBD2 device
open CarScan app, select paired device, 'connect'
configure app
- create a 'vehicle', etc
- create a Dashboard to display desired sensors

4. Then, to use
plug OBD2 into Port, turn car 'on'
open CarScan app, 'connect', which can take 30 seconds...
Settings-> pick what you want to do
- Dashboard to show selected sensor datastreams
- display/export DTC for error codes recorded
- record Accelleration for accurate performance testing
etc, some of which are for ICE cars only

It is pretty simple to create your own dashboard to display whatever sensor data you want. This is a sample layout that I find useful:

and I found a very affordable phone holder from @AOSK that I modified a little to hold the phone where I wanted AND block the sun from cooking the back of my center display. https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...display-all-phone-apps-like-carscanner.20913/

I find this combination very useful to display actual Output/Regen/Charging power, and actual battery capacity remaining as well as battery temp


[update 1/20/24 to add some step-by-step info on setup, and my current config file.cbz] --------------------------------------

- open CanScanner app on phone

- click 'settings' ,
- set up connection profile for Ford Mustang Mach-e
- 'backup' config file once you have it set up, or import .cbz
- ....back

- click lower-right 'demo' button to enable setting up y dashboard

- click 'dashboard' to display 1/16 possible layouts. each layout allows you to put whatever sensor you want in the box. I like layout 4/16. you can scroll thru possible layouts by touching upper left of screen, and << or >> to different layouts.

- dble-touch any gauge area to edit what data goes in the area.

...attaching my .cbz with .txt extension, you'll have to rename to remove the .txt if you want to import it to CarScanner

I have a similar setup, I have actually designated an old phone for this

 

[Rt1AWD]

Here is my setup

 

[dtbaker61]

Here is my setup

sweet!
I am hoping that @Ford Motor Company notices that some of us REALLY want to see power in kW, and remaining capacity in kWhr.

your display of motor torque is cool, and I did that for a while, but I found it too distracting, and it made the other displays too small for me to read.

I would be really nice to be able to display on the big center screen, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

 

[Rt1AWD]

sweet!
I am hoping that @Ford Motor Company notices that some of us REALLY want to see power in kW, and remaining capacity in kWhr.

your display of motor torque is cool, and I did that for a while, but I found it too distracting, and it made the other displays too small for me to read.

I wanted to include motor torque just to see how the system balances torque between two motors in different driving situations. I've made them smaller then others with a modest color scheme so they don't attract attention too much.

I would be really nice to be able to display on the big center screen, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

Actually I would prefer if Ford allows customizing at least some areas of the front screen. I believe the used/recuperated power monitor belongs there

 

[alexgorod]

Here is my setup

Do you use 1PD? And if so, does "brake light v4" shows when the brake light turns on?

 

[Rt1AWD]

Do you use 1PD? And if so, does "brake light v4" shows when the brake light turns on?

I've put that monitor specifically for the purpose of finding out when/if the brake light turns on in the case of aggressive recuperation. But apparently that monitor shows the brake pedal push only. It doesn't even turn on during BC rides. So it is useless

 

[dtbaker61]

I wanted to include motor torque just to see how the system balances torque between two motors in different driving situations. I've made them smaller then others with a modest color scheme so they don't attract attention too much.




Actually I would prefer if Ford allows customizing at least some areas of the front screen. I believe the used/recuperated power monitor belongs there

totally agree that power output/regen belongs in front. maybe a bar along the bottom, as long as it has color bars and actual kW marked or displayed as well...

 

[kindofblue]

Here is my setup

Does your phone need an active sim card? I've got an earlier gen android I could use if it doesn't need a sim card.

 

[dtbaker61]

Does your phone need an active sim card? I've got an earlier gen android I could use if it doesn't need a sim card.

after you install the CarScanner app it would not need a SIM.... it communicates w ODB2 via Bluetooth. So yeah you could leave an old phone mounted in the holder.

The other cool thing about your phone in the AOSK holder is that it sticks above the dash 'enough' where you can dbl-click to get to your camera and snap a quick picture or video ahead in lieu of a separate dashcam.

I use my 'live phone' because on road trips I sometimes want to dictate an email, or 'note to self', or pull up my Contact list on the phone since the voice activated one sometimes cannot find the contact I want. I'd rather have the phone in the holder than have it in my hand.

 

[Rt1AWD]

Does your phone need an active sim card? I've got an earlier gen android I could use if it doesn't need a sim card.

You don't need a sim card at all. Car Scanner doesn't require internet connection.... at least if you purchase it.

 

[fleeps]

I am using a vLinker Bluetooth OBD II Scan Tool with my 2023.5 Mach-E. I get zero for battery power and HV Voltage, although other sensors, such as HV Current, seem to be correct. Any idea what is wrong or ideas for how to fix?

 

[worachj]

I am using a vLinker Bluetooth OBD II Scan Tool with my 2023.5 Mach-E. I get zero for battery power and HV Voltage, although other sensors, such as HV Current, seem to be correct. Any idea what is wrong or ideas for how to fix?

Which vLinker adapter are you using? Vgate makes several vLinker versions. Are you using the correct profile in CarScanner?

https://www.vgatemall.com/products/

 

[fleeps]

Which vLinker adapter are you using? Vgate makes several vLinker versions. Are you using the correct profile in CarScanner?

vLinker FS Bluetooth
Profile for Ford Mustang Mach-E/F-150 Lightning

 

[worachj]

vLinker FS Bluetooth
Profile for Ford Mustang Mach-E/F-150 Lightning

Sorry, I'm not of any help. Not sure what HvbV and HV Battery power represent.

HvbV might be HVB Voltage module variation which would read around Zero. My values look similar to yours.

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