[superzar]

Just got my first OBD2 scan tool and am having some fun with the live data. It's a Bluetooth model "BlueDriver" (bluedriver.com) that is well reviewed on the net, and includes enhanced code support for Honda vehicles. It can be purchased on Amazon.

Got a brand new Honda, so no chance to check any fault codes yet (hopefully not for a long while!). However I'm having some fun with the live data! A few interesting things I've noticed so far... Assuming that the ECT1 is very close to the actual engine temperature, the operating temperature of this engine is between 80C to 85C (176F to 185F). This seems to be a bit lower than most other engines. Once it reaches operating temperature, its maintained no matter the driving conditions. Whether stop n' go, or even idling for 20 minutes. The gauge on the dash will just begin to register when the temperature hits about 55C (132F), and the temperature will be at about 75C (165F) when it hits the top. It seems that the thermostat only opens up when it reaches engine operating temperature because that's when the ECT2 (radiator coolant) temperature will begin to move up.

So far my fuel trims have never been positive, with the STFT has been averaging -5.5%, and my LTFT about -8%. I've been driving around with E0, and just filled up with E10 to see if it makes a 'positive' difference as noted by some here.

Below is a picture of the live display while driving. You'll also see two graphs. They're easily created with the output data. The first one is of all the live data I'm collecting, and the second one is of just the STFT-LTFT 'zoomed' in.

It will be interesting to see how the numbers change as winter approaches. I'm not only living in a (very) cold winter region, but am also on the edge of what Honda considers 'short distance' daily commuting.

 

[crv383]

Neat. What tranny fluid temps do you see?

Wanna have more fun?.......turn your a/c off, sit idling for a few minutes, you'll see both coolant temps well north of 185*.

 

[williamsji]

I just got mine about 10 days ago... but have not yet plugged it and and started using it.

Interesting that LTFT appears to somewhat correlate with vehicle speed. LTFT appears to move less negative at speed, and then as your speed eases up on your trip, it begins to creep more negative. It's probably more about rpm then actual vehicle speed. Could just be coincidence.. but I'll be looking at that more closely when I install mine.

From data I have seen so far.. which is limited... these modern DI engines all appear to run at negative fuel trims. UMRdyldo was seeing this also on his new Subaru.

 

[superzar]

Neat. What tranny fluid temps do you see?

Wanna have more fun?.......turn your a/c off, sit idling for a few minutes, you'll see both coolant temps well north of 185*.

Didn't occur to me to measure tranny temps. Will definitely give it a check! I'm surprised at your comment about idling and having the vehicle get super hot. Hasn't everyone been complaining about how the remote start on the CRV is useless cause idling doesn't warm it up?

 

[superzar]

I just got mine about 10 days ago... but have not yet plugged it and and started using it.

Interesting that LTFT appears to somewhat correlate with vehicle speed. LTFT appears to move less negative at speed, and then as your speed eases up on your trip, it begins to creep more negative. It's probably more about rpm then actual vehicle speed. Could just be coincidence.. but I'll be looking at that more closely when I install mine.

From data I have seen so far.. which is limited... these modern DI engines all appear to run at negative fuel trims. UMRdyldo was seeing this also on his new Subaru.

Is it a BlueDriver too? Don't hesitate as it really is Plug n' Play ... you'll be seeing data on your screen in no time at all!

I could visually see the STFT go more positive with acceleration/speed and be consistent, rather than all jumpy/noisy when dealing with traffic/intersections. It could very well be RPM related. Will have to correlate some more data to see!

So consistently running with 0 to -5% fuel trims (always slightly negative) might just be a normal thing? Good to know, but I'll still see about continuing to experiment to make the CRV as happy as possible

 

[sirwired]

Yep, the thermostat only opens when the engine is at the t-stat operating temp, and the opening varies depending on by how much the engine exceeds it.

It also makes sense that it will rise at idle with the A/C off, because there is reduced airflow over the engine due to being at a stop with only a single fan running. Don't worry about it; it's not considered to be in overheat until it hits 230-240 or so.

 

[crv383]

Didn't occur to me to measure tranny temps. Will definitely give it a check! I'm surprised at your comment about idling and having the vehicle get super hot. Hasn't everyone been complaining about how the remote start on the CRV is useless cause idling doesn't warm it up?

I don't know of any car, with a water cooled ICE, that warms up in cold ambient temps at the same rate as it does in hot ambient. The only way any ICE warms up is by running. Idling is the slowest, most wasteful, dirtiest way to warm up any car.....driving is the quickest, most efficient, cleanest way to warm up any car. I did not say the V will get super hot.......do not know what super hot is, other than very subjective. I said coolant temp will rise well north of 185* when idling, a/c off.

Yep, the thermostat only opens when the engine is at the t-stat operating temp, and the opening varies depending on by how much the engine exceeds it.

It also makes sense that it will rise at idle with the A/C off, because there is reduced airflow over the engine due to being at a stop with only a single fan running. Don't worry about it; it's not considered to be in overheat until it hits 230-240 or so.

The t-stat does one thing and one thing only.......determine the minimum coolant temp. The other cooling system components along with ambient temp and driving conditions determine maximum coolant temp. I've never noticed only one efan running.......both efans are either running at variable speeds or they are both off. It's all about air flow thru the radiator, not over the engine. The ECU will protect against overheat by turning on the efans. Again, I said coolant temp will rise well north of 185* when idling, a/c off (no airflow thru the radiator). I never used the words super hot or overheat.

 

[williamsji]

Is it a BlueDriver too? Don't hesitate as it really is Plug n' Play ... you'll be seeing data on your screen in no time at all!

I could visually see the STFT go more positive with acceleration/speed and be consistent, rather than all jumpy/noisy when dealing with traffic/intersections. It could very well be RPM related. Will have to correlate some more data to see!

So consistently running with 0 to -5% fuel trims (always slightly negative) might just be a normal thing? Good to know, but I'll still see about continuing to experiment to make the CRV as happy as possible

Yep... I bought a BlueDriver. After researching all the current choices on the market...BlueDriver looked like the clear winner to me, even though it is a bit more on the expensive side. They really do look to be the best of the best right now for the consumer driver.

One key for me was a unit that was app based, because that insures continuing firmware and data updates without having to jump through hoops to update firmware. And bluetooth was also a big plus.

And yeah.. I need to giddy up and unpack it and start using it. A great way to learn more of the nuances of how the CRV operates.

One thing I am not yet sure about..... does the unit power down when you turn off your vehicle, or does it present a parasitic draw on the CRV? I'd like to just leave it plugged in, but I don't want a notable parasitic draw as I drive a lot of short trips and it's a challenge to get the CRV to keep the battery above 95% charge state.

 

[williamsji]

I don't know of any car, with a water cooled ICE, that warms up in cold ambient temps at the same rate as it does in hot ambient. The only way any ICE warms up is by running. Idling is the slowest, most wasteful, dirtiest way to warm up any car.....driving is the quickest, most efficient, cleanest way to warm up any car. I did not say the V will get super hot.......do not know what super hot is, other than very subjective. I said coolant temp will rise well north of 185* when idling, a/c off.

The t-stat does one thing and one thing only.......determine the minimum coolant temp. The other cooling system components along with ambient temp and driving conditions determine maximum coolant temp. I've never noticed only one efan running.......both efans are either running at variable speeds or they are both off. It's all about air flow thru the radiator, not over the engine. The ECU will protect against overheat by turning on the efans. Again, I said coolant temp will rise well north of 185* when idling, a/c off (no airflow thru the radiator). I never used the words super hot or overheat.

Great analysis and assessment. Particularly about idling being the most inefficient and least clean way to warm a modern vehicle engine. That is precisely what Honda tells owners too (and has been for years) ... start your vehicle and drive your vehicle, no warm-up required.

I suppose it is possible a resident "old school" contrarian will drop by and try to lecture you that you have it all wrong though.

 

[superzar]

One thing I am not yet sure about..... does the unit power down when you turn off your vehicle, or does it present a parasitic draw on the CRV? I'd like to just leave it plugged in, but I don't want a notable parasitic draw as I drive a lot of short trips and it's a challenge to get the CRV to keep the battery above 95% charge state.

The blue led turns off. But I suppose the only way to know for sure is to measure current drain with a meter at the battery (a little tricky doing from OBD2 connector but it can be done). I've heard really good things about BlueDriver customer support, so it wouldn't hurt to just ask them.

However I'm almost sure the unit gets completely turned off when the engine is off. Reason being that I cannot connect to the unit unless the engine is on. This was actually a bit frustrating at first, because I wanted to get coolent temps before engine was on. BlueDriver cannot connect via Bluetooth to phone while CRV is even in accessory mode 1 nor 2. I can only assume it's because it's completely turned off and only turns on when engine is on.

 

[cruiser]

FYI I have a scan gauge and it shows tranny temps above 200*F normally. I have seen 240F when loaded pulling a long incline. Also quite warm outside.

 

[williamsji]

The blue led turns off. But I suppose the only way to know for sure is to measure current drain with a meter at the battery (a little tricky doing from OBD2 connector but it can be done). I've heard really good things about BlueDriver customer support, so it wouldn't hurt to just ask them.

However I'm almost sure the unit gets completely turned off when the engine is off. Reason being that I cannot connect to the unit unless the engine is on. This was is actually a bit frustrating at first, because I wanted to get coolent temps before engine was on. BlueDriver cannot connect via Bluetooth to phone while CRV is even in accessory mode 1 nor 2. I can only assume it's because it's completely turned off and only turns on when engine is on.

Thanks!

Yeah.. it will boil down to whether the CRV feeds power to the OBDII connector when it is off, or if the BlueDriver has a power down mode when it detects the vehicle is turned off. Your results suggest that it is... and that would be consistent with other voltage ports in the CRV being turned off when the vehicle is turned off.

So I will do some testing and research on power state with the vehicle off. If I find a concern.... I can always go with one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Tonsiki-Fema...691&s=gateway&sprefix=obdii+ex,aps,194&sr=8-7

 

[crv383]

................I suppose it is possible a resident "old school" contrarian will drop by and try to lecture you that you have it all wrong though.

Now who do you suppose that would be? LOL

FYI I have a scan gauge and it shows tranny temps above 200*F normally. I have seen 240F when loaded pulling a long incline. Also quite warm outside.

I use a ScanGauge II as well.....and have observed 229*F tranny fluid temp, not towing, flat ground, 75 mph, in late November.

 

[mnestrud]

Thanks!

Yeah.. it will boil down to whether the CRV feeds power to the OBDII connector when it is off, or if the BlueDriver has a power down mode when it detects the vehicle is turned off. Your results suggest that it is... and that would be consistent with other voltage ports in the CRV being turned off when the vehicle is turned off.

So I will do some testing and research on power state with the vehicle off. If I find a concern.... I can always go with one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Tonsiki-Fema...691&s=gateway&sprefix=obdii+ex,aps,194&sr=8-7

The CRV does feed power to the obd2 port, and unless there is a physical switch on the device it will have a small power draw while it is waiting to wake up. Think like an amp power on signal wire wakes up an amp from low power mode. Amps can still drain batteries.

If it's well designed it should have a very well programmed low power mode.

A day or a few is probably fine, but if you plan on leaving it in the driveway for a 2 week global tour you should unplug it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[UMRdyldo]

A quality reader will turn itself off and draw almost nothing. Now I do own a WIFI version that will drain your battery in 2 days. Don't buy cheap and read reviews before buying.

 

[williamsji]

The CRV does feed power to the obd2 port, and unless there is a physical switch on the device it will have a small power draw while it is waiting to wake up. Think like an amp power on signal wire wakes up an amp from low power mode. Amps can still drain batteries.

Thanks. Good to know, one less thing to verify.

If it's well designed it should have a very well programmed low power mode.

I agree, and Lemur claims they have such a mode in the BlueDriver. I just need to spend a bit of time to verify it is true.. and what level of low power parasitic it actually is. Anything under 10ma should be fine.

I agree that if you leave your car for a couple weeks, best to unplug the module. Then again.. I generally put mine on a smart trickle charger if I leave it untouched for a week or more.

 

[williamsji]

The blue led turns off. But I suppose the only way to know for sure is to measure current drain with a meter at the battery (a little tricky doing from OBD2 connector but it can be done). I've heard really good things about BlueDriver customer support, so it wouldn't hurt to just ask them.

However I'm almost sure the unit gets completely turned off when the engine is off. Reason being that I cannot connect to the unit unless the engine is on. This was is actually a bit frustrating at first, because I wanted to get coolent temps before engine was on. BlueDriver cannot connect via Bluetooth to phone while CRV is even in accessory mode 1 nor 2. I can only assume it's because it's completely turned off and only turns on when engine is on.

I think BlueDriver goes into low power mode if it cannot communicate with the CRV across the internal bus... because the computer(s) in the CRV are in a low power state and do not communicate. Since this is one of the more premium of OBDII bluetooth readers... hopefully they did a good job with powerup/powerdown software and that it is not glitchy in any way. Since it's been out for a number of years now, and has received numerous firmware updates.. I do expect it to be relatively bug free now days.

 

[superzar]

Anything under 10ma should be fine.

In another forum someone mentioned 6.5ma, but not sure where they got the info. I've sent BlueDriver a request for specs on this. Hopefully they'll respond...

 

[robbyg]

I have had a BlueDriver for about a year plus and it works great. I once left it plugged in for two months and had no issues with battery drain. Unlike some of the other ODBII readers I have owned, this one connects and never gives any problems such as dropping out the connection. Also the error code reset option works great.

Rob

 

[superzar]

Rep from BlueDriver responded to my inquiry:

" Ten minutes after your engine shuts off the device will go in to a low powered ‘sleep mode’ to prevent premature battery depletion. While in standby there is a small power draw (<10ma), so we suggest removing your BlueDriver if you won’t be starting the engine for several weeks.

The only exception is if you have a new model Mazda SUV in which case the vehicle’s computer may fail to go to sleep with a scan tool plugged in "