FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Hybrid Assistant

Does Hybrid Assistant work with my car?

Check the supported cars list on this page following this link.

I can't connect to the Bluetooth of my car

It doesn't work this way...
Please read the OBD page.

When I stop and restart the car, some data is missing or corrupted

Hybrid Assistant should not be kept running while the car is powered off and on again.
Close the app when you turn off the car: the Autoclose option may help you.

Is my phone or tablet supported?

Any Android phone will probably work with no issues.
Be aware that low cost phone may have a low quality Bluetooth interface: disconnections and application errors have been observed with cheap units.
The following models have been tested with success:
  • Asus Zenphone, Android 4
  • Asus Zenphone3 Asus_Z012D 6.0.1
  • Cubot Note S, Android 5.1
  • Elephone P6000, Android 4.4.4
  • Google Nexus 7 2013, Android 6.0.1
  • Google Nexus 7 2013 Cyanogenmod 14.1
  • Google Nexus 5
  • HTC One M8, Android 6
  • Nokia 3.1, Android 8.1
  • OnePlus X
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Android 6.0.1
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Android 4.4.2
  • Samsung Galaxy S6
  • Samsung Galaxy Trend, Android 4.2.2
  • Sony Xperia Z1c, Android 5.1.1
  • Sony Xperia Z3, Android 5.1
  • Sone Xperia XZ2

We received bad feedback about the Bluetooth connection of these models, try to avoid them:
  • Blackview A5
  • Huawei Honor 8
  • Meizu m3s

Is my Android Head Unit supported?

Head Units are Android-based devices that can be installed in the car dashboard, usually in place of the car builtin infotainment module.
Since many of them use custom Android versions or custom Bluetooth modules, we do not support them.
Anyway, some users are reporting success stories, so you can look at them, and see if they fits your device, by following this link.

Can I run it on Android Auto?

Apps need to be certified by Google to run on Android Auto and design guidelines don't allow Hybrid Assistant to run on it.

I get a "Bad OBD" message on screen

Given the special protocol used by HSD4-based cars, only the OBDLink adapter can provide full data.
If you're using a low quality adapter, only basic data can be shown by Hybrid Assistant.

Which OBD adapter should I buy?

Check the OBD page

Where can I buy and OBD adapter?

We don't sell any OBD adapter.
A simple query on Google may give you some ideas.

What is the best configuration for using Hybrid Assistant to its full potential?

The most important equipment item is the OBD adapter: go for OBDLink LX and you won't regret it.
Use a dedicated phone/tablet: no SIM, no data connection, no WiFi active while driving.
Phone model is not really important as long as it's running only Hybrid Assistant.
A single core, 1 GHz Samsung Galaxy Trend with 512 MB RAM performs exactly the same as a Sony Xperia Z1c with 4 cores at 2.2 GHz with 2 GB.
An old, dismissed phone will do just fine.

The product page of OBDLink LX says: "Note: This product is not compatible with hybrid or electric vehicles". I'm not sure this is the right adapter.

That warning doesn't refer to the car models supported by Hybrid Assistant.
If your car is listed in the support list of Hybrid Assistant, you can be sure the OBDLink LX will work on your car.

My adapter works with Torque, why doesn't it work with Hybrid Assistant?

Hybrid Assistant is a free app, developed in our spare time.
Supporting all adapters is a massive task we can't afford.
And beside that, some of them are really unsupportable: check the OBD Quality page
If your adapter works fine with Torque, then feel free to continue using Torque which, by the way, is a wonderful app we also use.

Why some features of Hybrid Assistant do not work with all OBD adapters?


The 12V battery check reports a low voltage: should I be worried?

12V battery voltage reading is performed by the OBD adapter.
Use an high quality one to have a reliable value.
We had reported cases of low voltage due to clone/low cost adapter: using a digital multimeter or a good adapter proved the battery to be healthy

What do all the indicators mean?

Check the Dashboard page.

Is there a version for iPhone?

No

Is there a version for Windows Phone?

No

Is a port to other platforms in the works?

It's not planned 

Is it a political or business decision?

Hybrid Assistant is a free app, developed by enthusiasts only for fun. We just choose the platform we think is the most satisfying to develop on.

I have disconnections while using the app.

Disconnections and/or slow performance have been reported when there are other devices connected by Bluetooth. Try disconnecting speakerphones, music streaming, smartwatches or health bands.
On some occasions, rebooting the phone, unplugging and unpairing the OBD adapter has been reported as a fix for random disconnections.
A dedicated phone is always the best option.

Sometimes, when starting, the app doesn't connect to the OBD adapter.

Do not rotate the phone while connecting. Start Hybrid Assistant only when the phone is already secured onto its phone holder.

The battery fan is going on and off.

You may have a slow adapter: if you have a low number of requests per second (the number lower right), the fan will not be driven correctly.
Possible solutions are:
  • use a high quality ODB adapter
  • do not run anything on the background
  • disable data and Wi-Fi connections
  • use dedicated phone or tablet
Also, if you're using automatic fan management and the car cabin temperature is higher than the battery temperature, the fan will stop to prevent overheating.

Why isn't fan control available for some cars?

Fan control is available only on cars where it can be safely implemented.

After closing the app, I still have a "Service running" notification.

You must properly close the app by pressing the Android "back" button or by using the wrench menu.
If you just press the "home" button, it will keep running in the background.

I've selected the wrong bluetooth device by mistake.

Tap the bottom status line and you'll be allowed to select again the bluetooth device.

Can I select intermediate speed for the battery fan?

Battery fan control works only at full speed.
If you want intermediate speeds, just let the car manage it.
Forcing an intermediate speed at an inappropriate temperature may shorten your battery life, so we use full speed to be on safe side.

The fan seems to start at random

The Fan Assistant option, once enabled, tries to keep the HV battery temperature within the set upper and lower limits.
Battery cooling (and warming), is based upon the cabin temperature: if the battery is cold and the cabin temperature is higher, air from the inside can be used to heat up the battery.
Since the temperature sensor is located near the fan, it needs an air flow to get a correct reading. Hybrid Assistant, periodically, briefly spins the fan to update the temperature value.

How can I check my battery health?

The speed reported by Hybrid Assistant is wrong.

Car manufacturers are required by law, to make sure the car does not display a speed value lower than the actual speed.
To be on the safe side, the car will always show a speed value greater than the actual one.
Hybrid Assistant shows the real speed, as gathered from GPS and additional sensors, so it will show a value lower than the car indicator.

My cat gets identified with a different MY number: did the dealer sold me an outdated model?

No, MY number is just a reference used for internal purposes: do not bother with it.

The fuel economy shown by Hybrid Assistant is different from the one from the car. Shouldn't they be the same?

Hybrid Assistant calculates fuel economy using an different algorithm from the one used by the car.
If you compare actual fuel consumption at the fuel pump, you might notice that Hybrid Assistant provides a more accurate estimate.

The App says I need to upgrade my firmware, but my phone is already up to date

Some versions of the OBDLink firmware has a known bug that causes disconnections and corrupted data.
If Hybrid Assistant detects such a version, a message will be displayed.
You can update your OBDLink adapter by using the OBDLink app, as shown in this video.
As of this writing the current working firmware is version 4.3.3





I was asked to send logs: how can I do it?

Follow the instructions you find here: http://hybridassistant.blogspot.it/p/sending-debug-logs.html

My _hybridassistant directory is empty: where is the database?

Android 11 requires apps to store data only in their privare directory, so Hybrid Assistant datafiles were migrated from the previously accessible directory to a private one.
If you were accessing the database directly, for custom data processing, you can export it (on Google Drive for example) by accessing the Hybrid Reporter Database Maintenance page: you'll find a new "Export" button that perform exactly that.