Ranger Mods

I've entered the Alternator Current Output PID exactly as shown in the Custom PID Calculator and checked numerous times to make sure it is correct but the gauge only displays 0.00 and never changes.

Battery Current In/Out and Battery State of Charge work fine.

Any thoughts as to why it's not working? Has anyone had success with the Alternator Current Output.

TDATA TCTRL RCTRL RPOS MTCH X / + OUT AVE L/R UNITS
07E022D1130000 93 31 2010 62D113 0001 0014 0000 00 00 31 Ampere

Try changing D113 to 0551 and the maths

TDATA TCTRL RCTRL RPOS MTCH X / + OUT AVE L/R UNITS
07E02205510000 93 31 2010 620551 0001 0064 0000 00 00 31 Ampere

Max amp reading is 511 amps.

If this works then I will add it.

I have just done this change. I'm running Torque Pro and a cheap OBD reader from Jaycar (the MX+ is in the mail). Now it works. I have Battery volts, state of charge and amps discharge/charge all working and all appear to be accurate, or at least, responding correctly to electrical load changes.

Thanks for that guys!

Thanks, will update PID calc with this when I have a min.

Sorry for the delayed reply. We've been away for 6 weeks and have just got back. Can also confirm that the alternator current output gauge now works with the changes made. Thanks Stewart.

I found my wife's old Samsung S9. I set Torque Pro up on it and paired it with the MX+ dongle. Most PIDs that were working with the cheap Nokia 3.2 ($120 in Officeworks) are working on the Samsung except for this one, the alternator output.

I've tried the old settings and the new ones. No difference.

Any ideas?

As for the phone itself, much better. Pairs quicker than the other one and will often resume where left off (turn the car off, leave it, go back to it, phone and app still running, start up, re-pairs/syncs and operates.). The Nokia wouldn't. I had to quit the app and restart it each time. So, this is why I'd like to get this alternator output data point going. I use it when towing the van to monitor the electrical system's performance when running the fridge in the van.

Without seeing a picture of the PID you have entered, I have no answer.

Hi Stewart
I had a typo. All good now.
Sorry for that.

I have alternator output working once more. However, there are two calcs in that database. One has the /20 and an alternative, /200 at the end of it.

I've tried both. One reads very high, up around 90 amps or so. Change the equation and it reads say, 9 amps instead (battery charge at the time was a lot higher).

What readings are people seeing for alternator output?

Thanks

mjt57 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 1:58 pm I have alternator output working once more. However, there are two calcs in that database. One has the /20 and an alternative, /200 at the end of it.

I've tried both. One reads very high, up around 90 amps or so. Change the equation and it reads say, 9 amps instead (battery charge at the time was a lot higher).

What readings are people seeing for alternator output?

Thanks

Depends on what you are doing?

Car in on position and not running and which one reads between 0 and 10? On startup you will easily see 90 plus amps.

It should be /20 , I have just tested it.

Thanks Stewart. The amps that I've been seeing are after starting then driving, no headlights, etc..

It's been a while since I've used the app in the Ranger. Haven't been towing the van, so no need. I'll have a play later and see what it's doing.

Thanks again.
Martin

Yesterday I went back to work after a break. This meant that the Ranger wasn't run for nearly 3 weeks. Guess what? The battery was flat.

OK, fair enough. Put it on the charger, then started it.

I remembered the Torque app on the phone so I grabbed it and hooked it up.

Below are pics of what it was doing just after I started it (it was slow to crank) and after going for a drive for around half an hour.

They also show the PID settings for alternator output. Seems darned high, if you can check the shots and the settings.

And dunno how accurate the ammeter one is either. It didn't show much charging, yet the alternator was pumping out a ton of amps. And the battery SoC one???

Your maths are not correct for 0551

((A*256)+B)/100

You are using maths for PID D113

saeb wrote: ↑Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:25 am Your maths are not correct for 0551

((A*256)+B)/100

You are using maths for PID D113

Oh, OK. I'll change it and see how it goes.

Cheers
Martin

I changed that calc as you said. Now, instead of reading around 90a after starting it sits around 25a.

I have no idea as to the output of these alternators. Does that sound right?

mjt57 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:27 pm I changed that calc as you said. Now, instead of reading around 90a after starting it sits around 25a.

I have no idea as to the output of these alternators. Does that sound right?

I think you are probably right now.

Mine has a 25A BCDC with Aux battery on the ute so it depends on the SOC of that battery but around 25A just the car running, A/C, stereo etc all on.

Headlights on low beam adds another 15a.

My caravan BDDC40 running at full obviously another 40A.

Just after start up with headlights on and all chargers on I did see 110A so I manage it a bit to prevent that.

They are generally 220amp alternators.

If batteries have a reasonable high SOC then you are not going to see a high current draw.

25amp on start would be fair from a cold start overnight, again it is going to depend on the SOC of the batteries. If batteries are at a high SOC then radio, lights etc. are going to be running off the battery so you would not see high current output from the alternator.

Either way if you have entered the maths correctly then it will be correct.

Thanks guys.

Now, can someone explain to me how State of Charge works, please? I'd have thought that 100 percent means that it's fully charged, but it usually sits on around 30-50 percent most times.

mjt57 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:28 pm Thanks guys.

Now, can someone explain to me how State of Charge works, please? I'd have thought that 100 percent means that it's fully charged, but it usually sits on around 30-50 percent most times.

I have a fairly new battery and I reset the system using the manual method, not forscan. I dont know if that changed what I had set for SOC.

Mine has a DCDC charger to an Aux battery. For a period after start up it will charge at 14.2V and will drop down over time. If I do not have headlights or park lights on it will go to full variable voltage. If I turn even parkers on it will after time drop only to 13.2v. 13.2v will fully charge my battery if I drive long enough. A short trip for me in generally 35+ km most at highway speed.

Have a read through this

https://www.saeb.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=456

mjt57 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:28 pm Thanks guys.

Now, can someone explain to me how State of Charge works, please? I'd have thought that 100 percent means that it's fully charged, but it usually sits on around 30-50 percent most times.

If it is sitting at 35 to 40% then you have battery issues or your calculations are wrong.

saeb wrote: ↑Sat Jun 12, 2021 10:41 am

mjt57 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:28 pm Thanks guys.

Now, can someone explain to me how State of Charge works, please? I'd have thought that 100 percent means that it's fully charged, but it usually sits on around 30-50 percent most times.

If it is sitting at 35 to 40% then you have battery issues or your calculations are wrong.

PID: 224028
Equation: A
OBD Header: 726

I think that I got this from here. Will double check.

Went away in the caravan this past week.

The van's fridge was running on DC (typical load is around 15a according to Dometic). I had my Waeco fridge running off the power outlet in the tub. Dunno how many amps it draws.

At no time did the alternator output go over around 12.5a, even just after starting and the relay supplying the van kicked in.

Shot of the details in the attached image.

All the gauges (Torque Pro Android version connected to MX+ dongle) are from the PID database.

At one point more amps were going into the battery than what the alternator was putting out.

Update:
I had the settings for the 2.0l engine not my 3.2l engine. I changed the display back to the 3.2l engine based on the database. Now it doesn't respond at all. Sits on Zero.
Torque Pro app running under Android.

Update the Last:

I rechecked all settings. Changed the Alternator output to the 3.2 config as per the database. I then added the 2.0l alternator display to Torque Pro.
I exited and restarted the app.

Then back out to the car. First I turned it on (no foot on brake), fired up the app and let it connect. Battery showing -24 a, as expected with all the stuff that runs.

Then started the engine. Alternator readings for both the 3.2 and the 2.0l engines responded. Maxxed out at around 30a then settled down. Both gauges display the same amps to the decimal point.

Just wondering why there are two different PIDs for them.

Anyway, I'm happy.

Thanks again to everyone, including Stewart, of course for this.

Mine hits 80 Amps on startup. Slowly drops as battery charges up. Will be at about 15 Amps towards end of drive.

Mine is a PX2 2.2 with no BMS.