For Chevy Bolt EV enthusiasts and owners who love to dive deep into their vehicle’s performance and health, the world of OBD2 PIDs (Parameter IDs) is a treasure trove of information. As your dedicated expert at techcarusa.com, I’m thrilled to announce a significant update that dramatically expands the data you can access from your Bolt EV through OBD2.
Previously, the available PIDs for the Bolt EV were limited to around 60 parameters. However, a recent comprehensive update has more than quadrupled this, bringing the total to approximately 240 PIDs – and that excludes dedicated cell voltage readings and duplicated Fahrenheit units for broader compatibility. This massive expansion opens up a new realm of diagnostic and monitoring possibilities for your electric vehicle.
To ensure clarity and ease of use with this substantially larger dataset, a thorough harmonization of PID names has been implemented. While this organizational improvement is a major step forward, it does require a small but crucial action from your side: clearing your existing PID list before importing the new one. Failing to do so will result in a messy mix of old and new PIDs, leading to duplicates and “Missing PID” errors on your custom dashboards. Therefore, please take screenshots of your current dashboards so you can easily recreate them after importing the updated list. I understand this might cause a slight inconvenience, but the vastly improved and expanded PID list is well worth the temporary dashboard reconfiguration. In fact, I encourage you to share your newly designed dashboards with the community!
With this significant increase in available data points, you’ll discover a wealth of new and fascinating insights into your Bolt EV’s operation. These new PIDs are thoughtfully grouped into categories, making navigation much more intuitive than before. Highlights of the expanded list include:
- Detailed DCFC (DC Fast Charging) Information: Access requested current and other parameters related to fast charging sessions.
- Comprehensive HVAC System Data: Monitor every aspect of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.
- Pump Performance Metrics: Keep tabs on the performance of various pumps within your vehicle.
- Enhanced Cooling Fan Details: Get precise data on your Bolt’s cooling fan operation.
- Extensive Battery Pack and Cell Information: Delve into granular battery data, including State of Charge (SoC) variation, battery resistance, and individual cell voltage highs and lows.
- High-Resolution Current and Voltage Readings: Obtain more precise measurements for critical electrical parameters.
- Expanded Charging-Related PIDs: Monitor even more aspects of your Bolt EV’s charging processes.
- A Plethora of Temperature Sensors: Access readings from a wider range of temperature sensors throughout the vehicle.
- Transmission Data Including Torque (Preliminary): Explore transmission-related PIDs, including torque readings – note that these are currently undergoing validation and some may be inaccurate initially. Validation and refinement of these torque PIDs are a priority for the coming week.
To further enhance the usability of this extensive list, prefixes have been introduced to categorize PIDs based on their relevance and validation status. PIDs marked with a “-” prefix are those considered less crucial or interesting, although their function is understood. A notable example here is the Phase U, V, W currents. While initially intriguing, these readings fluctuate wildly and rapidly, rendering them largely impractical for meaningful analysis. Interestingly, there are also sensors that detect pressure applied to the shifter in X and Y directions, along with buttons for the side shift feature, providing voltage readouts for each. While perhaps not essential for everyday monitoring, these PIDs offer a glimpse into the intricate sensor network within your Bolt EV – even revealing data points like the history of one-pedal driving deactivation or contactor events.
The “?” prefix now encompasses a broader range of PIDs. These are parameters whose function is generally understood, but may have issues with data accuracy or require further formula verification. The accompanying Google Spreadsheet (accessible via the “about this project” section at the bottom of techcarusa.com) contains detailed notes on each PID, particularly highlighting observations and insights regarding the less understood parameters. Collaboration within the Bolt EV community to decipher these “unknown” PIDs is highly encouraged! It’s worth noting that some PIDs might be inherently problematic, even displaying incorrect data in professional diagnostic tools like GDS2.
Acknowledging the current PID naming convention, many of the “short names” are admittedly still quite lengthy. Efforts are underway to develop truly concise abbreviations, but the priority was to release the expanded list to the community without further delay.
Future updates are already in the pipeline for later this month, promising even more refinements and additions to the Bolt Obd2 PID landscape.
Stay tuned to techcarusa.com for further announcements and resources as we continue to unlock the full potential of Chevy Bolt EV data!
