[Ohm]

No, no API. Just loaded up the Tamper Data browser extension and watched the traffic that goes back and forth when performing a start command through the official website. I'm not sure I have any idea how to program a cron job in Android, nor have I ever done much programming with Android at all - my expertise is all in web app development and scripting technologies. As it stands at the moment, I can't do anything the OnStart website can't do for you - only I can schedule those things to happen without my input. I will certainly share what I've done, but since I've only had the car for 3 days (and haven't used the app I did for more than testing functionality at the moment), I'm thinking I should hold off at least until I'm sure it'll work consistently. I'm also mildly concerned about them blocking my work. Since it's not an API, it will be very fragile and will very likely break the moment they make changes. I don't want to be "responsible" for fixing it, nor do I want to be held accountable should it cause any real issues...

Perhaps someone else would like to take "ownership" of it?

 

[Ohm]

Shared here - though I'd still love for someone else to pick it up and run with it from here.

 

[tboult]

Thanks Ohm.. replied on the other thread. I'm just finishing up a busy time but have already planned on getting into android programming for the Volt (well mixed iphone/andorid for some, just droid for others). I agree that web-replay hacking is just that and not really ideal for an "application" that requires support.

 

[DCFusor]

Once I figure out what language you used and how this works, I might pick this up and run with it for linux. Running windows in virtual box just to do the Volt in the driveway is more work than walking down there. Fixing windows for clients made me rich, but now that I trade stocks for a living (my own dough only) no way windows gets run - too dangerous and insecure for my taste. Having seen the nasty underbelly of that one...

 

[Ohm]

That's ok - I won't get to it in the next week, but I'll likely be converting this to either perl or php in the next few weeks so I can run it on my ReadyNAS (which runs linux). I have one more feature to add yet too - the option to unlock the doors after the preconditioning cycle is complete.

If you get to it before I do (I'm out all next week), please share the code!

Ohm

 

[aardvark102]

So I have my first real world experience with the cold weather ICE running. I preheated for about 15 min prior to leaving. (2 cycles) the car was parked in my garage temp was 47 F in the garage, 12 F outside (garage is surrounded on three sides by house and kids room above). As you can see by the picture my one way commute to work is 2.9 miles. I drove .2 miles to my daughters bus stop, waited 2 minutes for the bus and then the ICE kicked in .3 mi from home, Ran for the next 1.3 miles and kicked out. My mpg at that point was a dismal 27. It recovered to 45.9 by the time I parked it. Disappointing to say the least, but the drive home in the afternoon was nice (the temp was a balmy 28 F). The night before in 20 F temps, I made a 14 mile round trip with no preheat and the ICE kicked in at 1.4 miles from home and one again at 7 miles. Seems in sub 25 F Tempos you really want to drive 5-7 miles to even out the economy. My 3 Mile commute will kill my overall mileage. Seems that there needs to be a way to indicate that I'm only making a short trip. Any additional comments?

why is my picture upside down? Shows ok in iPhoto

 

[artsci]

As I drove from my office to home this evening (about 7 miles) the ambient temperature dropped from about 28 F to 25 F a few miles from my house. As soon as the temp hit 25 the ICE came on and stayed on for the rest of the trip, but I expected it to happened based on what I've read on this thread.

 

[Ohm]

Seems in sub 25 F Tempos you really want to drive 5-7 miles to even out the economy. My 3 Mile commute will kill my overall mileage. Seems that there needs to be a way to indicate that I'm only making a short trip. Any additional comments?

Your commute, results, and observations are pretty much identical to mine. I was very tempted to drive around the block a few more times to get my average back up! With my 5.7 mile trip at 20F, I'm getting about 55mpg. when I had to run to the store and make a much shorter 2 mi trip, it dropped to about 38. I'm thinking maybe I'd do better if I drove as fast as possible - minimize the time, which seems to be the biggest factor. I'm not seeing much, if any difference in pre-heating - though it sure feels nicer!

 

[Lee Willis]

I had the ICE come on due to low temperatures for the first time this morning. It was 24 degrees here in central NC but 38 in the garage. After about two miles of driving the ICE# came on and stayed on for one cycle: I suppose it was no cold enough to make it cycle again during my brief (11 mile) trip to work. The net result was, because I have a longer commute, 147 mpg average for the trip.

I'm happy it operated this morning did mainly because it confirms the car is working as it should.

One thing I have to watch is that, as soon as the ICE came on, I switched Climate to "Comfort" to make the most of all that wonderful ICE warmth, and then left it there after it shut down at the end of its one short cycle, making quite a difference in the rate I depleted the kWhr remaining, but it was only for about 8 miles so I figure I used less than 1/3 kWhr for heating. And I have still have enough battery to get home and more . . .

 

[Brian Loves Cars]

I drove the car this morning and had the ICE/temperature experience. My garage temperature is 55 deg F, the outside temperature is about 15 deg F today.

I jumped in and backed it out of the garage and the ICE fired up with the "Engine running due to temperature" warning within 50 yards of my house. It ran for about 1.5 miles (2-3 minutes), then shut off. It came on two other times during the drive, each time stating the same warning - "engine running due to temperature". I finished my errands with 14.3 miles on the battery and 2.7 on the engine and 143 mpg.

The battery claimed 26 miles of range when I began driving and 17 remaining when I quit. Based on the rate of drain per mile I was driving I think the whole battery would have delivered about 40 miles today. I used the heated seats for a few minutes and listened to Siamese Dream loudly the entire time. I accelerated hard once. I'm pretty impressed by the range.

I really wish that they would give us a "short trip" button so the ICE could just stay off on my twice-daily 7 mile round trips taking kids to school and picking them up. I will not be getting infinite mileage around town in the winter. Too bad, that would be fun!

 

[scottf200]

Brian, you likely can make it run just once by using COMFORT setting.

See: COMFORT-setting-limiting-quot-Engine-Running-due-to-low-temperature-quot-ERDTLT
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...COMFORT-setting-limiting-quot-Engine-Running-due-to-low-temperature-quot-ERDTLT

I drove the car this morning and had the ICE/temperature experience. My garage temperature is 55 deg F, the outside temperature is about 15 deg F today.

I jumped in and backed it out of the garage and the ICE fired up with the "Engine running due to temperature" warning within 50 yards of my house. It ran for about 1.5 miles (2-3 minutes), then shut off. It came on two other times during the drive, each time stating the same warning - "engine running due to temperature". I finished my errands with 14.3 miles on the battery and 2.7 on the engine and 143 mpg.

The battery claimed 26 miles of range when I began driving and 17 remaining when I quit. Based on the rate of drain per mile I was driving I think the whole battery would have delivered about 40 miles today. I used the heated seats for a few minutes and listened to Siamese Dream loudly the entire time. I accelerated hard once. I'm pretty impressed by the range.

I really wish that they would give us a "short trip" button so the ICE could just stay off on my twice-daily 7 mile round trips taking kids to school and picking them up. I will not be getting infinite mileage around town in the winter. Too bad, that would be fun!

 

[Brian Loves Cars]

Scott, thanks. I'm having some trouble posting in this thread for some reason. Here is attempt #3.

I think you're onto something with comfort mode. I drove 15 minutes in "fan only" mode and the ICE started 3 times. 15 minutes immediately thereafter in "comfort" mode and the ICE did not start. Air temp was 24 deg F. My son and I went on a drive just now to check out the car, used comfort mode, and the ICE did not start over 24 miles and at least 40 minutes.

The comfort mode trick looks like a winner to me, nice work.

 

[PeterHC]

The way the controls for the ICE cold weather start-up seem to be set by coolant temperature as documented by Scott above, you would wonder if the 135- 175°F that a lower coolant hose heater can provide would do for those who want to suppress cold weather starts for short trips.

Does this make sense and any experience with engine heating devices for the Volt?

 

[kickincanada]

Peter,

Welcome to the forum! Where exactly are you in Northern Ontario (maybe you could be more specific on your profile)? There is a Canadian thread here:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?7649-OFFICIAL-CANADIAN-VOLT-THREAD/page178

I'm afraid you will be disappointed this winter, especially for short trips. I'm in Ottawa and even with the relatively mild winter my ICE frequently cycled when the temp gauge hit -4 (even if it was sitting in a +22 garage all day so I know to a certain extent it is not about coolant temp). The 2013 model will have the ability to select the outside temperature level at which the engine may run to assist heating in Electric Mode (it was explained in page 5-56 of the 2012 owners manual but we never got the functionality). http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?14108-New-quot-Cold-quot-mode-for-2013-Volt

And if it is not available to us 2012 owners in a software upgrade, there is a thread around here somewhere about a hack. here it is
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...ad.php?10293-Where-s-the-Temperature-Sensor-for-quot-Ice-running-due-to-..-quot

 

[kaybee]

I just got my Volt last week. In my config options, I have a few settings I have not seen anyone mention before:
1: enable/disable use of the ICE while conditioning when plugged in
2: a toggle between using the ICE for assisted heating when COLD out, or VERY COLD out.
I'm not sure what the temperature difference is between COLD and VERY COLD.
Anyone know?

 

[saghost]

I just got my Volt last week. In my config options, I have a few settings I have not seen anyone mention before:
1: enable/disable use of the ICE while conditioning when plugged in
2: a toggle between using the ICE for assisted heating when COLD out, or VERY COLD out.
I'm not sure what the temperature difference is between COLD and VERY COLD.
Anyone know?

You've actually seen this on the car, not just in the owner's manual? What's the last part of your VIN? Do you know your car's build date?

I ask because the 2012 owner's manual has included those options since the beginning, but we haven't had a car with them in it reported before.

 

[gieso]

I just got my Volt last week. In my config options, I have a few settings I have not seen anyone mention before:
1: enable/disable use of the ICE while conditioning when plugged in
2: a toggle between using the ICE for assisted heating when COLD out, or VERY COLD out.
I'm not sure what the temperature difference is between COLD and VERY COLD.
Anyone know?

Welcome to the club. I am sure that you will love your Volt.

Will you please confirm that you are actually seeing this on your Volt and not just in the manual. Having just received your Volt, I am assuming that you might have one of the most recently produced Volts, so I am hopeful that yours has newer SW that was maybe put in during the plant shutdown. If GM has implemented this much requested functionality on the 2012's, there is hope that other MY12 Volt owners (like me) might be able to get this functionality via a SW upgrade.

PS: You might also consider including the last part of your VIN in your signature. We have started a convention to include the model year (B=2011, C=2012) and then the last 4 or 5 digits of your VIN.

 

[kaybee]

Yes, I saw it in the car! My car was built the week of May 14th, 2012. I'll try and take a pic, and post it.

Ok, this is my first time trying to attach something. hopefully this works:

The "Engine Assisted Heating (Plugged-in)" is a check-mark item (which I un-checked):

The other one looks like it controls the temp when the engine turns on, but gives no detail as to the difference:

The last part of my VIN is CU125204 - not sure what code you'd make out of that (C125204?)

 

[gieso]

Yes, I saw it in the car! My car was built the week of May 14th, 2012. I'll try and take a pic, and post it.

Ok, this is my first time trying to attach something. hopefully this works:

The "Engine Assisted Heating (Plugged-in)" is a check-mark item (which I un-checked):
View attachment 5968
The other one looks like it controls the temp when the engine turns on, but gives no detail as to the difference:
View attachment 5969

The last part of my VIN is CU125204 - not sure what code you'd make out of that (C125204?)

Ooh..... I want it!

As for your signature, I would think you are C25204. The 1 between the C and 2 is always there. When they build more than 100,000 Volts in a year, I bet it will change, but for now, it is always a 1.

 

[saghost]

Very interesting. Thank You.

So now there are three discrete blocks of 2012s, with subtle changes between them. This is another change I hope we see in a firmware update (though the effect here in Delaware will be small, and last week we got enough information together to build a simple ERDTLT defeat if there isn't an update.)