In order to use the Hybrid Assistant it says I need an OBD Adapter. Can someone please explain what it is, what it does and why I need it. Thanks. Barrysle

 

You have to buy a piece that plugs into OBD2 diagnostic port. Depending on what and how you want to connect, you can use wireless or wired adapter. Wired has pigtail that connects to your device of choice - phone, laptop, PC. Wireless had usually BT transmitter built into it that connects wireless. You then pair it with phone.
There is bazilion of them to choose from. Go to Torque website, they have very good webpage with descriptions and choices. If you use iPhone, you are screwed, adpaters are very expensive.
here's my word of wisdom. I have 3 adapters and used them on two different hybrids - TCH and HiHy.
In BOTH cases, after about a week of use, I ended with ABS/VSC light on. So I stopepd using them. i tis said that ones with pigtail do not produce such effect on hybrids.

 

Did you see this page on the Hybrid Assistant site?
https://hybridassistant.blogspot.com/p/obd.html

 

Wow! I was not aware of this app. I just downloaded it and took it out of a drive. I was amazed how much information is available, it seems pretty much every hybrid function that has a number attached can be displayed in this app. I've never really noticed the battery blower working before, always assumed it was very quiet. Nope. I took the blower off vehicle control and put it full blast. Its like a mini-hurricane under the rear seat. I guess my battery has never been very hot before. And the reporting function, pages and pages of stats and graphs for a simple 15 min trip, many of which I'm not sure what they are saying. Maybe time for some study.

Couple of weird things, the speed display was quite a bit off, and it showed me regeneratively braking 100% of the time regardless of what I was doing (I am not a two footed driver). The energy meter correctly shows regenerative energy going back into the battery and both battery and engine energy leaving when not braking, but it still seemed to think I was braking all the time. Anyway, pretty cool nonetheless. Worth some playing around with for anyone that likes this kind of stuff.

 

I think the regeneration even when you do not apply brakes, you can notice it during foot off the gas and not on the brake. The interesting/new part would be that the energy flow guide display shows traction and ICE working together to send power to wheels but the app is showing region happening .. most likely the display is showing net flow of energy.

Salim

 

Now that I've used this app a few times, I'm impressed with the real time graphing it does on the power flows for each MG, battery, and engine. The other day I spent a couple hours on the highway and it was really interesting to see how the power flows swapped back and forth between the MGs. Most of the time cruising on the highway MG2 (the motor more or less connected to the drive wheels) is actually running as a generator and the smaller MG1+engine is pushing the vehicle. This is "heretical mode" referred to by the hybrid techies (heresy I guess because the big so called "drive" motor is actually resisting forward movement just like it does during braking), or simply put the hybrid CVT's likeness of overdrive. But step on the gas a bit to pass or go up an hill its really fascinating to see the bigger and more powerful MG2 quickly shift from generator to motor and simultaneously the smaller MG1 switch from motor to generator. In a blink of an eye the two swap roles seamlessly to bring the more powerful motor online.