Pulse & Glide mod?

I suppose a "cruise P&G mode" could be programmed.

But I wonder whether a P&G driver anticipates terrain...something the car could never do.

And, as far as I know, no owners have modified any of the car's software. I haven't even heard of people trying to do so.

 

While i'm sure it could be done, i doubt anyone would really want to go trying to modify the software for fear of screwing something up. Additionally, this is something that i doubt Toyota will ever include in the car... While cruise control is acceptable, having a car automatically P&G introduces too many potential problems. for example, it could pulse at an unexpected moment and cause you to rear end someone (and then toyota needs to worry about law suits)

While i'm sure it could be done, i doubt anyone would really want to go trying to modify the software for fear of screwing something up. Additionally, this is something that i doubt Toyota will ever include in the car... While cruise control is acceptable, having a car automatically P&G introduces too many potential problems. for example, it could pulse at an unexpected moment and cause you to rear end someone (and then toyota needs to worry about law suits)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MikeSF @ May 20 2006, 05:15 PM) [snapback]258640[/snapback]</div>

That's what I want! Tired of checking the MFD and the car is so smooooth I can never feel it change from one mode to the other.

Wildkow

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ May 20 2006, 08:33 PM) [snapback]258649[/snapback]</div>

After driving the car for a while, I'm starting to get the feel of the "sweet spot" without using the energy screen. I usually keep the consumption screen on so I can see the mpg bar with my peripheral vision. On a few occasions where I've been wanting to pulse and glide I've found that I'm already on "no arrows" when I switched over. Not 100% at it yet, but I'm guessing it's possible to train yourself so that a p&g switch isn't necessary. Plus, so much of p&g depends on terrain, it would be very hard to program effectively.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Redblue88 @ May 20 2006, 07:33 PM) [snapback]258691[/snapback]</div>

I agree you will learn to feel when you are in glide and after a while you can even discern when small amounts of power are coming from MG2.

 

gliding is easy, what we really need a button for is "dead band"

 

I had this idea, and I think it can be accomplished easily...

here is the idea.

two people go in the car, hook up a voltmeter to the throttle wire and monitor the voltage that the pedal sends out at certain pedal positions,

get into dead band position, capture the throttle voltage.
get into glide, capture voltage

once you have a voltage for the minimum pedal position for each "mode" you fabricate a circuit board that has circuits for each mode and a switch to activate them..

then with the right reisstors and what not, you can trigger those modes by sending the correct voltage down the throttle wire and simulating pushing the pedal to that *Perfect* position.

this way, when driving, you flip the switch and the car thinks that you are just pushing the gas pedal.

I think it could be easily done. just needs someone who can get the voltage reading and find a way to simulate that voltage.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MikeSF @ May 20 2006, 06:15 PM) [snapback]258640[/snapback]</div>

I think we already have one in the car. It's the shift lever. Pop into Neutral and you are in Glide. Bump it back to Drive to engage the HSD again. That's effectively what Glide is, or am I missing something.

After a week I'm getting better at hitting the right pedal pressure without having to look at the MFD. Problem we have in Colorado is there is rarely a flat road. Most road at least have a minor pitch to them, or they have a rolling aspect where they go up a little then down a little. Glide won't cut it on the up sections, but sure is nice on the down sections.

I'd like to be able to cut off the engine in the glide above 42 MPH. I have not tried the Neutral trick, as I don't want to be dinking around that much, just want to do it with the foot when it works for the terrain.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(benighted @ May 21 2006, 01:11 AM) [snapback]258752[/snapback]</div>

I thought gliding was "deadband?"

All yellow arrows...stealth...electric only...

or am I missing something.

terri

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(terri @ Aug 16 2006, 11:36 AM) [snapback]304098[/snapback]</div>

I think they are referring to deadband as accelerating without power going to the battery. Gliding is no arrows at all.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darkecho @ Aug 15 2006, 02:56 PM) [snapback]303684[/snapback]</div>

Here's the big problem though: at different stages of warm up, terain inclination, temperature, etc. The amount that someone has to push the pedal (ie the voltage you want to read) will be different for each of those stages.

Also, it wouldn't be quite that simple, as you'd also have to hook it up to the break so you know to turn it off when the brake is pressed (so you aren't reving the engine against the breaks when trying to avoid rear ending someone who unexpectedly stopped).

honestly though, i feel this is something that is best done by feel of the driver (ie with no mod, just the way it is now). I rarely have a problem with most of these items, and can pretty much glide whenever i want without even thinking about it anymore...

 

I understand what you are saying, however, say at low SOC, the range of pedal that activates PnG is 15%-20% wheras the range when the SOC is high is 15%- 40% depression, you can find out the voltage that is sent down the throttle wire at 15% depression, hook it up to a momentary switch, perhaps the one where EV mode would be if we had it, that way, soon as you let off the momentary switch, the simulated throttle position is removed, you would never had a problem with fighting the brakes this way, and no special switch would be needed, you would simply take over throttle with your finger and then when you let off, control is restored to your feet.

now, say you are correct i that at a lower SOC the pedal depression necessary to activate the Glide is 10% to 15% and for a high SOC its 15%-25%, you can still acheive a compromise by making the switch send a simulated 15% pedal position.

1st we need to figure out how the SOC level affects the pedal position needed to enter a glide, once we find the rage of "Glidable" positions, we need to see if they have a common minimum level, or at least had an overlap that would consistently put you into a glide.

2nd once we find out how the SOC to Glide relationship works, we need to figure out if it is possible to send a voltage down the throttle wire to trick the computer into thinking that we are just holding our foot REALLY carefully at the correct position.

I am very interested in finding out 1 and 2. I think this could be a very good tool for maximizing efficiency for EVERYONE and not just those of us who have good coordination/foot control.

It would also make it easier for newcomers to get involved in the PnG techniques.

The game isnt about being one with your car, its about max MPG, saving the environment, and everything else the prius stands for. So I think we should give this idea an honest shot before going back to the muscle-controlled way.

 

Maybe I am missing something from the discussions above, but if it was just possible that the 10KW generator did not engage when you take your foot off the gas pedal, wouldnt P&G be much easier then? The way Prius is designed this should not be more than a software reprogramming effort, but it would probably take a Toyota engineer to hack that!

 

Lemme ask y'all this: in the grand Prius-forum tradition of pix of
products that don't exist, if you could install a little unit like

that not only told you when the engine was running, but also whether
was in its efficiency "sweet spot" in the green region or falling
off either high or low, and could sit right up on the dash just
below the windshield for minimal eye movement away from the road,
how much money would you throw at it?
.
_H*

 

If it was 100% accurate. I would throw 150$ at it... Otherwise I would find other ways to deal with getting hypermiles....

now, would anywhere in the green zone = most efficient, or is dead center+green better than off-left+green/off-right+green?

I think it might be a bit more comprehendable if the LEDs were in an arc shape, that way it sort of has that "gauge" look.

just a slight arc... and perhaps in the middle you could have a special looking LED, or maybe a stacked LED so that its easiest to see when you are at peak efficiency... maybe an Orange LED in the middle of all of the Green ones.. or in addition to the center green LED... or something.

what will you be using to decide efficiency? a combo of RPM and Vac?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Aug 16 2006, 10:06 PM) [snapback]304427[/snapback]</div>

Nice. It makes me think that I really should order the ScanGauge II. Or at least an analog tachometer.

I'd definitely buy this for $10. I probably wouldn't pay more than $50. Could a parallel series of LED's show battery amps, similar to Honda's IMA display?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Aug 17 2006, 11:06 AM) [snapback]304427[/snapback]</div>

- What is the functional specifications of it?
- What kind of algorithm do you use?
- What knid of values do these LED's have?
- How accurate they are?

We can't value it unless we know those...

Ken@Japan