Charge Now: Mode?

I think it's a one time thing based on the manual.

 

It is an on-demand overide of scheduler. You can access it not only when you turn off your car but also anytime you open a door so long as car is plugged in. Yes. it is a one time thing. Next time you turn on your car, it is back to the default which is the scheduler.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I guess you could fiddle with the Charge Now setting in the MID every time you want to immediately charge, but it seems like it would be easier to just plug in, pull out, then plug in again as mentioned on page 139

 

True, but it's only two button presses to save a cycle on the connector.

 

Sure it's easy if you're thinking about it when you shut off your engine and before you get out of the car, which could be the case a lot of the time. But I would think there are often times when you later decide (or remember) that you need to charge. Faster to plug and unplug than having to go around to the drivers side, open the door and click it over to Charge Now.

As for the charging cable, I would think the counter only increments when charging actually takes place, not every time you plug in the cable. What if you have it scheduled for 7:00am, you plug in the cable, then later you're doing something in the garage and have to unplug the cable, then plug it back in when you're done. Is it going to charge you a cycle for that? I doubt it, as I would expect it is only counting actual charge cycles.

 

I'm talking about the mechanical wear-and-tear on the components.

 

I can't imagine they are that fragile, assuming you don't use a lot of force when plugging in. I realize your electrical experience is informing your opinion but I am just assuming (maybe incorrectly) that the connectors are robust, and designed for a lot of use. After all it is Toyota that said you can use this method to start charging. Unless we want to be cynical and assume they are trying to increase their sales of replacement cables. I would think the receptacles are built sturdily also.

 

Connectors range from a rating of about 5 lifetime cycles to millions, depending on design. This one is rated for 10,000 cycles.

 

I thought it was the electrical part of the charge cable that has a cycle limit, which if I remember reading that after it reaches the count it shuts off and you have to buy a new one. But maybe you are right the limit could also be due to expected mechanical wear after that amount of use. 10,000 cycles represents tens of thousands of hours of charging, often outdoors in sun, rain and freezing weather, combined with the fact that the cable will be man-handled quite a bit during those 10,000 cycles, and yes connected and reconnected.

But again if plugging and unplugging risks premature failure of the cable or receptacle, we need to hold Toyota to task for building this method into the system, which I'm sure they know people will use it because it is so much easier than running around to the other side of the car and pressing buttons. Of course this is a moot point for meticulous drivers who always have their schedules planned and always remember to switch to Charge Now before exiting the car.

 

SAE J1772 - Wikipedia

"The connector is designed to withstand 10,000 mating cycles (a connection and a disconnection) and exposure to the elements."

 

Okay well I guess I am just going to wear the dang thing out and constantly have to buy replacements

But seriously this is good information, thinking about how to decrease wear on any part of the vehicle is always good.

But regardless what the stats say I'm sure I will be plugging and unplugging to start charging any time that is the most convenient, even if that means a risk of replacing some components later in the vehicle's life.

 

I agree that I wouldn't run around if I forget, but I'd try not to forget 99% of the time.

 

Considering how unstable the app is, at least for iOS, I would not expect it to work all the time. Easier to make sure your vehicle will be charge while you are there with the cable and the car.

 

For my iPhone 6s with iOS 10, the EnTune app sometimes would not open or gets stuck in loading. I setup another iPhone6 with iOS 10 but much cleaner since it has a subset of what I have on my main phone and it tends to open fine without issues.

The EnTune app sometimes would not communicate with the car when you are sending a command, like Remote AC or Charge Now, it just times out.