HV Range unexpected precipitous drop! :(

C

Carro con enchufe

Active Member
Hi all,

I've owned my Clarity for 5 months now and driven about 6500 miles. So long enough to know it and learn the quirks. My HV range update was fixed in July.

I filled up the tank recently since I was in the path of Hurricane Florence, though we just got a bit of rain. At the time of fill-up, I had a range of 348. It went down to 347 when the ICE kicked in after a full charge. I had 347 yesterday, and pretty sure I had 347 this morning.

Towards the end of my commute to work, done on all EV miles, I am 100% positive that the ICE did not turn on, I glanced down and noticed that HV had dropped to 320. The gas bars are still indicating a full tank. The reality is the 320 is probably a more realistic estimate, but still, it's weird that it dropped suddenly like that - it's never done that before.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it an OTA update? Related to Google Maps/Carplay (I just updated to IOS12 and viewed Google Maps on the display for the first time)? Any other theories?
 
HV range = EV range + ICE range. So your description is consistent with a commute of about 27miles on EV only. Is that correct or was the HV range change instantaneous?
 
redrey said:
HV range = EV range + ICE range. So your description is consistent with a commute of about 27miles on EV only. Is that correct or was the HV range change instantaneous?
Click to expand...
It was a HV Range change, not a total range change. I started the day with 347 HV and about 30 EV. I drove about 20 miles and the EV dropped to 9, as expected, but, with no ICE usage, the HV dropped to 320.
 
I wonder if the two are related and not completely independent? I observe that even with HV mode engaged on the freeway, it does use up the battery charge--in other words, it doesn't maintain the charge at the current level as you might expect (obviously the rate of drop in HV mode is much smaller than driving in the EV mode). So if EV range decreases, HV range must decrease as well to a smaller extent.
 
stanigu said:
I wonder if the two are related and not completely independent? I observe that even with HV mode engaged on the freeway, it does use up the battery charge--in other words, it doesn't maintain the charge at the current level as you might expect (obviously the rate of drop in HV mode is much smaller than driving in the EV mode). So if EV range decreases, HV range must decrease as well to a smaller extent.
Click to expand...

Yes, but I wasn’t in HV mode, and in 6500 miles this has never happened to me
 
Well if what I think is true, then you don't need to be in HV mode. If there is a dependency between the charge level and the HV range--since the HV mode still utilizes the battery--then it makes sense that HV mode will show a decrease as the battery is depleted. (I'm at 6638 miles now, but I'll have to admit I haven't paid much attention to the range. I do know from repeated observations that HV mode still depletes the battery).
 
Well, my car has been on 295 miles of HV range ever since I have gotten it almost 3 weeks ago.

I’ve used the car in HV mode a couple of times, and see that the fuel tank meter dropped - but not the HV range which I think is weird as well.
 
I conducted an "experiment" tonight...actually just an observation. I was driving using EV mode while monitoring the range for EV and HV. Predictably the EV range kept dropping, but so did the HV range--almost at the same rate! So almost mile for mile, the HV range dropped along with the EV range. So there must be a dependency between the two--at least in terms of calculation algorithm.
 
Carro con enchufe said:
Hi all,

I've owned my Clarity for 5 months now and driven about 6500 miles. So long enough to know it and learn the quirks. My HV range update was fixed in July.

I filled up the tank recently since I was in the path of Hurricane Florence, though we just got a bit of rain. At the time of fill-up, I had a range of 348. It went down to 347 when the ICE kicked in after a full charge. I had 347 yesterday, and pretty sure I had 347 this morning.

Towards the end of my commute to work, done on all EV miles, I am 100% positive that the ICE did not turn on, I glanced down and noticed that HV had dropped to 320. The gas bars are still indicating a full tank. The reality is the 320 is probably a more realistic estimate, but still, it's weird that it dropped suddenly like that - it's never done that before.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it an OTA update? Related to Google Maps/Carplay (I just updated to IOS12 and viewed Google Maps on the display for the first time)? Any other theories?
Click to expand...
I had a similar experience. Topped off the tank with about a gallon of fuel after roughly 1500 miles of driving since last top off. I noticed the HV range drop over time to about 380 miles without any ICE usage. I haven't taken mine in for the HV range fix but feel the 380 miles could be reasonable with easy driving and a charged battery for the hybrid to use. My thinking for the HV range dropping was also an OTA update.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Inside EVs mobile app
 
Like @Heino, our HV range hasn't changed in weeks of EV driving.

Could this problem be related to the HV Range update? I haven't obtained the HV Range update because I want to see how high the HV Range goes the first time I get gas.
 
Carro con enchufe said:
Hi all,

I've owned my Clarity for 5 months now and driven about 6500 miles. So long enough to know it and learn the quirks. My HV range update was fixed in July.

I filled up the tank recently since I was in the path of Hurricane Florence, though we just got a bit of rain. At the time of fill-up, I had a range of 348. It went down to 347 when the ICE kicked in after a full charge. I had 347 yesterday, and pretty sure I had 347 this morning.

Towards the end of my commute to work, done on all EV miles, I am 100% positive that the ICE did not turn on, I glanced down and noticed that HV had dropped to 320. The gas bars are still indicating a full tank. The reality is the 320 is probably a more realistic estimate, but still, it's weird that it dropped suddenly like that - it's never done that before.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it an OTA update? Related to Google Maps/Carplay (I just updated to IOS12 and viewed Google Maps on the display for the first time)? Any other theories?
Click to expand...

The exact same thing happened to me! My HV range just dropped out of the blue as I was driving in EV mode. Mine happened at about 4000 something kilometers (I'm in Canada). ICE did not come on and fuel gauge remained at full. I don't think it has anything to do with ios12 because mine happened about 3 weeks ago. It hasn't dropped again since then though but I'll be interested to see what my HV range will be after my next fill-up.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
insightman said:
Like @Heino, our HV range hasn't changed in weeks of EV driving.

Could this problem be related to the HV Range update? I haven't obtained the HV Range update because I want to see how high the HV Range goes the first time I get gas.
Click to expand...
You've been driving so long on EV I assume you'll get the magical 1000!

In my case, I don't see how this could be related to the HV range update since I've filled up 3-4 times since I updated.
 
stanigu said:
I conducted an "experiment" tonight...actually just an observation. I was driving using EV mode while monitoring the range for EV and HV. Predictably the EV range kept dropping, but so did the HV range--almost at the same rate! So almost mile for mile, the HV range dropped along with the EV range. So there must be a dependency between the two--at least in terms of calculation algorithm.
Click to expand...

But if this were the case, your HV range should go upo when you charge the battery - which it doesn't.
 
rickyrsx said:
The exact same thing happened to me! My HV range just dropped out of the blue as I was driving in EV mode. Mine happened at about 4000 something kilometers (I'm in Canada). ICE did not come on and fuel gauge remained at full. I don't think it has anything to do with ios12 because mine happened about 3 weeks ago. It hasn't dropped again since then though but I'll be interested to see what my HV range will be after my next fill-up.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Click to expand...

OK, I'm not crazy - this has happened to someone else!
 
You are correct. HV range did not change. Top is before charging (I know the car is quite "spent"). Bottom is in the morning after full charge.

I'm guessing they're giving us a pessimistic "range." However, I do maintain that there is a definite dependency between EV and HV range. After long drives (which I frequently do--I purchased my car in late July and now has 7000 miles), EV range does get depleted despite the car being in the HV mode, and vice versa (HV range most certainly declines, as you've observed, even when the car is in the EV mode). Honda is just giving us its best "guesstimate"--after all, how would they know what kind of elevation changes we'd encounter, or whether we'd be driving 80 mph or 55, or if we'll be in stop and go traffic or cruising down I-5 towards LA while enjoying the aroma of cattle manure (ask me how I know).


range_zpsn6pt3qlp.jpg
 
Carro con enchufe said:
OK, I'm not crazy - this has happened to someone else!
Click to expand...
@Carro con enchufe, you are not crazy. It just happened to me and I have an hour meter hooked up so I’m absolutely positive the ICE did NOT come on. I’ve had an HV Range estimate on the display of 371 miles for the last 8 days (since the ICE ran briefly for the no regen allowed, hard braking after a full charge scenario).
The high HV range estimate is due to only using HV on two trips where I got 48 mpg wirh no net battery usage. It has stayed rock solid otherwise except for when ICE has run.

I took a 16 mile round trip just now and when I got home the HV Range was down 28 miles to 343 miles. Checked under the hood and engine was cold and hour meter unchanged. So like you experienced, it just dropped with NO ICE operation.
I never noticed the power meter change to white or the HV symbol illuminate. Along with cold engine and especially the unchanged hour meter, it has to be caused by the software.

I’m at a loss to explain it, but I’m absolutely sure it’s a real phenomenon.
And since 343 miles div by 7 gal is 49 mpg or exactly what I got on my 2 HV trips then all is well. Just don’t know why it all of a sudden decided to change.
 
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I suspect the ranges are dependent on your recent kWh per mile efficiency rates. When I recently transitioned into colder weather with the heater running, my range reduced a bit because more power is used per mile. Seemed reasonable to me when it started happening.
 
Good theory @V8Power, but I am tracking every kW, gal, and mile (including driving conditions) and nothing has changed. I don’t think that’s it and besides the EV efficiency should not affect the HV range estimate. In 7 months of ownership, I have never seen the HV range estimate change without the ICE turning on or adding gas to the tank. Until now.
So three of us have seen this happen with no viable explanation yet.

The Clarity is the Rubiks Cube of reverse engineering!
 
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