ALL POSTS about Charge Timer Failure

[Dsinned]

I read somewhere that a "scheduled" deferred departure based on climate control activation will NOT initiate, if there is less than 50% battery charge remaining.

If true, I think this may have something to do with the problem, at least in part and probably when a scheduled charge never happens on its own accord. Has anybody been able to isolate outright failures of scheduled charging when your battery was less than 50% SoC to begin with?

Anybody heard anything new from Toyota yet about the resolution to this problem?

SeaMonster?

 

[TonyWilliams]

... Has anybody been able to isolate outright failures to schedule charge when your battery was less than 50% charged to begin with?

It's rare that my car is above 50% at the end of a day, and it both charges and occasionally fails to charge below 50%.

 

[Bassman]

Car was at 25% last night when I plugged in at 8pm. I set my alarm clock for 11:30pm, because I just knew it wasn't going to charge. Sure enough it wasn't charging, so I had to initiate charging on my Entune app. It took 2 times before it started. I had set the departure time for 7am, but I really leave at 5:30am. Charge was completed at 5:13 am after starting at 11:33pm the night before. Is it too much to ask for a charge timer that actually works as it is suppose to? :x

 

[SeaMonster]

I got a small update from my dealer today. They told me that Toyota was very pleased with the data they retrieved from the recorder in my car along with the copious notes I took. They also said that Toyota is working on a software fix for the car and some sort of fix for Entune. Of course, this was second hand and they had no details on the fix or the timing. And to put this in context, I had called the dealer the day before and let them know that it had been two weeks and I hadn't heard anything. I like my dealer and I was quite polite with them. But in the course of the conversation I did let the phrase "lemon law" drop out. So I really can't say how much meat there is in their call today. It could be they are just trying to assuage me. Or it could be that progress is being made. I'll give them more time... And I'll report anything I learn here.

 

[Dsinned]

Sounds encouraging . . . Entunes could well be the culprit here. Surely Entunes software has something to do with Charge Management functionality. Thanks for the update!

 

[Sport Mode]

Thanks SeaMonster!

Is there a way to post the notes that you gave Toyota?

I would love to compare them to my notes to see if the bugs and failures are the same.

In about 3-4 weeks I will be taking my RAV4 EV in for its 5,000 mile checkup and plan on addressing this issue with my dealer.

 

[SeaMonster]

Thanks SeaMonster!

Is there a way to post the notes that you gave Toyota?

I would love to compare them to my notes to see if the bugs and failures are the same.

In about 3-4 weeks I will be taking my RAV4 EV in for its 5,000 mile checkup and plan on addressing this issue with my dealer.

I have an excel spreadsheet. It started with just start and stop times so I could estimate my electric usage on a monthly basis. But then it grew to track other things as this charging issue became apparent. I have added columns over time as different theories have come up. And I have added some columns that were just used while the Toyota recording device was installed.

I don't see an easy way to attach the file. If you PM me an email addr, I'll happily email it to you.

 

[SeaMonster]

I get my car back tomorrow and I ma told they have done a firmware upgrade that should address "some" of the charging failure issues. Apparently there is an issue with 240 charging after doing 120 charging and this WON'T address that. This is all I know. I haven't had my car for over a week for thisissue, so it will be nice to get it back. More news as I get it...

 

[Dsinned]

So, "maybe" if we stick to 240V charging only, they may have a partial fix. That probably would cover many, if not most owners with L2 EVSEs. Please try to find out if the firmware update requires us to bring in our cars for servicing at a dealer, or merely radio transmitted update to our Center Consoles w/o dealer involvement?

Thanks for the update, and please let us know if your car is working any better after your get it back. TIA.

 

[waidy]

I get my car back tomorrow and I ma told they have done a firmware upgrade that should address "some" of the charging failure issues. Apparently there is an issue with 240 charging after doing 120 charging and this WON'T address that. This is all I know. I haven't had my car for over a week for thisissue, so it will be nice to get it back. More news as I get it...

Both of my Ravs are still virgin on 120V. Therefore, I know my schedule charging problem is not the one they haven't fixed.

 

[yblaser]

I have been paying more attention to this charge time issue lately, and I do not know if it was mentioned here before, but it looks like the car thinks its plugged into 110V even on a 220V EVSE. If you plug in and then open the driver side door, the right screen comes on saying plugged in and giving the time to charge for 110V. If it is not plugged in then it shows both 110V and 220V.

So, it looks like it is starting the charge assuming 110V supply voltage and possibly whatever current the EVSE is saying it can supply. Mine supplies only 16A, so it is pretty close to what I think is the car's initial assumption of 15A. That is, when I look at the center console when the car is turned off, it states an estimated start time when plugged into 110V and when I plug the EVSE in, it then shows an estimated start time slightly delayed from the originally predicted 110V time.

When we plug our Volt into the same EVSE with delayed charge programmed (which works fine), you can here the EVSE close its relay and possibly open again a short time later (I'm not 100% positive on the second part). I'm guessing that the Volt is pulling the pilot signal down to tell the EVSE it is going to charge so that it can measure the supply voltage and then possibly going back into the standby mode. The RAV4 doesn't cause the EVSE relay to close until it actually wants to charge so it has no idea what the supply voltage is until after it starts.

 

[yblaser]

I get my car back tomorrow and I ma told they have done a firmware upgrade that should address "some" of the charging failure issues. Apparently there is an issue with 240 charging after doing 120 charging and this WON'T address that. This is all I know. I haven't had my car for over a week for thisissue, so it will be nice to get it back. More news as I get it...

[conjecture] Sounds like they changed the software to have the car assume it is charging at whatever voltage it was last charging at. [/conjecture]

If so, it really is only an 80% solution, but at least it is something.

 

[Sport Mode]

Does anyone know if there is a way to determine what Version of Firmware is installed in your RAV4 EV?

It would be great if it showed up somewhere on the central display or via Entune.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Does anyone know if there is a way to determine what Version of Firmware is installed in your RAV4 EV?

It would be great if it showed up somewhere on the central display or via Entune.

It should be on the maintenance page:

DIAGNOSTIC MODE ON NAVIGATION

After the power switch is turned to on (IG), check that the map is displayed before starting
diagnostic mode. Otherwise, some items cannot be checked.

(a) Turn the power switch on (READY).

(b) Press the "Home" switch 3 times, while pressing and
holding the switch the third time, operate the light
control switch: Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off, Tail, Off

 

[SeaMonster]

I have been paying more attention to this charge time issue lately, and I do not know if it was mentioned here before, but it looks like the car thinks its plugged into 110V even on a 220V EVSE. If you plug in and then open the driver side door, the right screen comes on saying plugged in and giving the time to charge for 110V. If it is not plugged in then it shows both 110V and 220V.

So, it looks like it is starting the charge assuming 110V supply voltage and possibly whatever current the EVSE is saying it can supply. Mine supplies only 16A, so it is pretty close to what I think is the car's initial assumption of 15A. That is, when I look at the center console when the car is turned off, it states an estimated start time when plugged into 110V and when I plug the EVSE in, it then shows an estimated start time slightly delayed from the originally predicted 110V time.

When we plug our Volt into the same EVSE with delayed charge programmed (which works fine), you can here the EVSE close its relay and possibly open again a short time later (I'm not 100% positive on the second part). I'm guessing that the Volt is pulling the pilot signal down to tell the EVSE it is going to charge so that it can measure the supply voltage and then possibly going back into the standby mode. The RAV4 doesn't cause the EVSE relay to close until it actually wants to charge so it has no idea what the supply voltage is until after it starts.

Interesting. I wonder if that has anything to do with your EVSE being 16A. With my 40A Leviton, the car shows ONLY 240 charge times when it is plugged in.

 

[SeaMonster]

I get my car back tomorrow and I ma told they have done a firmware upgrade that should address "some" of the charging failure issues. Apparently there is an issue with 240 charging after doing 120 charging and this WON'T address that. This is all I know. I haven't had my car for over a week for thisissue, so it will be nice to get it back. More news as I get it...

Sounds like they changed the software to have the car assume it is charging at whatever voltage it was last charging at. If so, it really is only an 80% solution, but at least it is something.

I don't believe that anything I wrote (or implied) should lead you to that conclusion. They were clear that this is not a 100% solution. But I don't think the new firmware is assuming anything based on previous charges.

 

[SeaMonster]

I got my car this afternoon. They have updated the firmware, but there is nothing visibly different. (Not that I expected there would be.) I'll see how charging via schedule goes, but that will take time.

I tried to get a firmware version by going into Diagnostic Mode, but I don't seem to be able to get into that mode? What is the light control switch?? I tried the headlight switch and the dome light switch. Also, what is "Tail"??

Hopefully I can get a version number. What version to others have?

 

[yblaser]

Interesting. I wonder if that has anything to do with your EVSE being 16A. With my 40A Leviton, the car shows ONLY 240 charge times when it is plugged in.

Hmmm, well I guess there goes that theory. Thanks for the information.

I don't believe that anything I wrote (or implied) should lead you to that conclusion. They were clear that this is not a 100% solution. But I don't think the new firmware is assuming anything based on previous charges.

Sorry, should have been more clear. It was conjecture on my part based on my observations with the charging on my EVSE and the statement that it was going to have problems after charging on 110V.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I tried to get a firmware version by going into Diagnostic Mode, but I don't seem to be able to get into that mode? What is the light control switch?? I tried the headlight switch and the dome light switch. Also, what is "Tail"??

"Tail" light. On the turn signal lever.

No, I have not been able to get mine in diagnostic yet either. I intended to have a tech at the dealer show me, but when I asked, of course he just said that he uses the Toyota shop computer for that stuff. I'm going to guess that he hasn't done it either, particularly when he stated that mine has been the only Rav4EV in his shop.

 

[Dsinned]

This is almost maddening . . . a top notch s/w engineer "should" have figured this out in a couple days tops! If only the source code was public probably some of us could of even figured it out!

I have been "scheduling" recharges of my RAV4 EV predominately on Saturday nights. This is one of PG&E's Winter off-peak rate periods for E-9A customers after 9pm. Thus, when my car starts charging earlier than midnight on Saturday night, (and doesn't complete within 7 hours), with minor deviations on both sides of the the scheduled charging "window", it does not result in paying more for electricity, like it would on any other day of the week.

Lucky for me, I typically live off of a standard charge for a whole week at a time, Sunday thru Saturday. Any other time, other than Saturday or Sunday night, I have to manually charge to insure the charge occurs in the off-peak window. Which is a PITA because I have to stay up and wait till midnight before manually initiating the charge. Even so, the subsequent balancing charge of about 30 minutes in duration, will not complete prior to 7am! :roll: