MyT problem: cannot Start Charging

[TonyFR]

I did not have this problem until a few weeks ago:

My RAV4 PHEV will happily communicate fom the car to me, with details of my last trip, current Battery status etc. But it will not let me Start Charging from MyT on those occasions when I don't want to wait for the scheduled charging and need to charge it now. It invariably times out after a while and won't start charging. Normally it charges according to a daily schedule I set up, and that works just fine. If I go to Connected Services on MyT it says they are activated. The app even allows me to send an itinerary to the car.

I should add that neither can I start the AC system remotely.

I don't know how Myt and the car communicate. But my wifi is good and strong. I have a VPN, but whether I leave it on or off, it makes no difference.

Any help would be appreciated!

[nlee]

I don't see an option to start charging in the app, but I don't set a schedule via the car or app (my schedule is set on the charge point), so that may be why.

The way I understand it, your app/phone communicates with the Toyota servers via the internet over WiFi or you mobile data. The server then communicates with your car via mobile network to a mobile data module/SIM in the car. If your car is in poor mobile data coverage, the message cannot get through. Could that be an issue in your case? It should be easy enough to try by trying to communicate with the car in another area.

I've no idea which network it uses (or if it is a roaming SIM that can switch between multiple networks, or whether it uses 2G, 3G or 4G.

I think there is also a way of telling if the car has mobile network coverage by the indicator light in the SOS button above the rear view mirror. Someone else may be able to advise.

[ernieb]

2 hours ago, TonyFR said:

I did not have this problem until a few weeks ago:

My RAV4 PHEV will happily communicate fom the car to me, with details of my last trip, current battery status etc. But it will not let me Start Charging from MyT on those occasions when I don't want to wait for the scheduled charging and need to charge it now. It invariably times out after a while and won't start charging. Normally it charges according to a daily schedule I set up, and that works just fine. If I go to Connected Services on MyT it says they are activated. The app even allows me to send an itinerary to the car.

I should add that neither can I start the AC system remotely.

I don't know how Myt and the car communicate. But my wifi is good and strong. I have a VPN, but whether I leave it on or off, it makes no difference.

Any help would be appreciated!

Have you updated the app to the most recent version? If you have, is your car still correctly displayed as a PHEV?

You might try to close the app, flush the memory and restart your phone, a complete reboot. Then open the app and see if it connects now.

[philip42h]

4 hours ago, TonyFR said:

I don't know how MyT and the car communicate. But my wifi is good and strong.

My understanding is that the MyT app doesn't communicate with the car (directly). All communication is mediated via the Toyota servers:

• MyT communicates with the Toyota servers using Wi-Fi or mobile data.
• My Toyota communicates with the Toyota servers using whatever Internet connection is available.
• The car downloads locations (Send to car) and map updates etc. from the Toyota servers via Wi-Fi (potentially using a smartphone as a hotspot and mobile data from the smartphone) - and does so only when Wi-Fi is available.
• The car uploads trip information to the Toyota servers via the eCall SIM - and can do so irrespective of whether Wi-Fi is available.
• PHEVs receive commands to start charging or precondition the car from the Toyota servers via the eCall SIM - and can do so irrespective of whether Wi-Fi is available.

So it would appear that the car can communicate the Toyota via the eCall SIM but that Toyota is unable to communicate with the car using the same mechanism ... ? 

(All of which is essentially the same as what Nigel is saying above ... 😉 )