Throwing out 3 quick questions

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Rasta

Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Messages
7
Location
Vancouver BC
Hi, we have only had our spark for a month and I have a few questions I was hoping the group could help me with:

1- In a scenario where the battery is charged up to 70% and has stopped charging (as per the schedule) at home but still plugged in ....will the cabin pre-heating function draw power from the ev battery or the home via the charging cable?

2--Has anyone found a app that you can use with any home charger and your spark to determine remotely what % of your battery is charged (without using onstar?

3- What is the best charging setting to use in your spark that runs the least interference with:

a) home charger software commands & scheduling.
b) public charging stations

I ask because we are having trouble connecting , or connecting and being disconnected 5 minutes later with both (we use chargepoint at home and most of the time at public stations.

Thanks for any insights that you have,
Gary
 
Rasta said:
Hi, we have only had our spark for a month and I have a few questions I was hoping the group could help me with:

1- In a scenario where the battery is charged up to 70% and has stopped charging (as per the schedule) at home but still plugged in ....will the cabin pre-heating function draw power from the ev battery or the home via the charging cable?

2--Has anyone found a app that you can use with any home charger and your spark to determine remotely what % of your battery is charged (without using onstar?

3- What is the best charging setting to use in your spark that runs the least interference with:

a) home charger software commands & scheduling.
b) public charging stations

I ask because we are having trouble connecting , or connecting and being disconnected 5 minutes later with both (we use chargepoint at home and most of the time at public stations.

Thanks for any insights that you have,
Gary

1. If it has stopped charging (is this using peak charging times?) it will use the cars battery, because you have told it not to use the power.
I use departure charging so I leave at 8am and the departure time is set for 1pm so the car is actively charging when I unplug it to leave but is still under 80% charge. If you pre-condition/remote start the car with my type of charging it will draw what it can from the house power and the rest from the car battery (depending on charging voltage.)

2. Since our car is in our driveway near our house the bluetooth OBD2 adapter reaches and connects with my phone anywhere in our house. I am using Enginelink on iOS and Torque Pro with Android both with Bolt PIDS loaded, but you only need one. I just leave this plugged in and on our mantle so I can check it when I pass, but I don't check it as much as I used to.

3. a. I'm not sure about these as the car has all of this built in so I would have the car do the logic (peak hours or departure time) and use the home side to just charge.
b. Any setting should work but you should know that if you plug in and unplug it then plug it in a second time it will override any departure or peak rate settings and begin charging immediately (your green light on your dash will also show this by staying on solid when power is going to the car.)
 
Rasta said:
Hi, we have only had our spark for a month and I have a few questions I was hoping the group could help me with:

1- In a scenario where the battery is charged up to 70% and has stopped charging (as per the schedule) at home but still plugged in ....will the cabin pre-heating function draw power from the ev battery or the home via the charging cable?

2--Has anyone found a app that you can use with any home charger and your spark to determine remotely what % of your battery is charged (without using onstar?

3- What is the best charging setting to use in your spark that runs the least interference with:

a) home charger software commands & scheduling.
b) public charging stations

....

1 - Is easy to answer. When the car has stopped charging due to the car's charging schedule, use the key fob to start cabin pre-heating. Watch for the light to go solid green / Listen for the EVSE to click its relay on.

2 - I'm not sure, but when at a DCFC station I see "% of charge" displayed on the station.
Does that data come from the car or is it voltage based in relation to what EV you have listed with the station provider?
I suppose I could answer that myself by watching the display next time I stop the charge and see what the car displays in the 'green battery bar', but that would only be to the nearest 10%.

3 - Not sure what this question is asking, 'interference'? ..... I've never used the 'schedule' feature. I plug in and walk away, so I'm not any help with whatever is being asked.
I assume you are talking about charge schedules you set in the car because you are on a TOU plan with your electric company.
When you plug in at a public L2 you want to charge immediately, correct?
It is bad EV etiquette to be plugged in and not charging. The rule is 'Chit & Git', correct?
 
NORTON said:
Rasta said:
Hi, we have only had our spark for a month and I have a few questions I was hoping the group could help me with:

1- In a scenario where the battery is charged up to 70% and has stopped charging (as per the schedule) at home but still plugged in ....will the cabin pre-heating function draw power from the ev battery or the home via the charging cable?

2--Has anyone found a app that you can use with any home charger and your spark to determine remotely what % of your battery is charged (without using onstar?

3- What is the best charging setting to use in your spark that runs the least interference with:

a) home charger software commands & scheduling.
b) public charging stations

....

1 - Is easy to answer. When the car has stopped charging due to the car's charging schedule, use the key fob to start cabin pre-heating. Watch for the light to go solid green / Listen for the EVSE to click its relay on.

2 - I'm not sure, but when at a DCFC station I see "% of charge" displayed on the station.
Does that data come from the car or is it voltage based in relation to what EV you have listed with the station provider?
I suppose I could answer that myself by watching the display next time I stop the charge and see what the car displays in the 'green battery bar', but that would only be to the nearest 10%.

3 - Not sure what this question is asking, 'interference'? ..... I've never used the 'schedule' feature. I plug in and walk away, so I'm not any help with whatever is being asked.
I assume you are talking about charge schedules you set in the car because you are on a TOU plan with your electric company.
When you plug in at a public L2 you want to charge immediately, correct?
It is bad EV etiquette to be plugged in and not charging. The rule is 'Chit & Git', correct?

2. Try installing the TorquePro APP on an android device and using Bluetooth to connect to a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter. You will also need to install the Bolt PIDS on the android device - I use my android cell phone. One of the variables available to view is the State of Charge (SOC). I have compared this with the screen on the DCFC charger and they both agree. As the battery is used, the SOC value will decrease too. You can also monitor other variables such as battery capacity. This one is great for showing how quickly your HV battery capacity declines over time / mileage.
 
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