Electric Vehicle Forums - AWD and other indicators

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AWD and other indicators

Hi All,

I'm a happy 1 month owner of a FEH2008 with AWD and most bells & whistles. I have a couple of questions that I hope the experienced FEH owners can help with.

Is there any indication that I'm in AWD mode? I was going up to Lake Tahoe in the snow and the only thing indicating that I was a AWD vehicle to the chain inspectors was me holding up 4 fingers. There's no AWD sign. Other than looking under the back of the car... there's nothing. Also, when driving in the snow, how do I know AWD is in action? My old guzzler (93 Chevy Surburban) had lights and I had to shift the sucker. I was hoping that the hybrid energy display would have added a bar showing power to the rear wheels!
Is there supposed to be a little light in the heated mirrors? It has an etched symbol that looks like it should light up when they are defrosting.
What's the grid/vent type thing just below and to the right of the steering wheel on the dash? It looks like there's some electronics in there.
Anybody have a preferred bluetooth car phone kit? I'm thinking of the Helium Digital HDBT-110 or perhaps the Jabra SP5050. I need to be able to pair with 5 cell phones. I really wish they had this integrated!

That's all for now!

Rich

Re: AWD and other indicators

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichB (Post 160096)

Hi All,

I'm a happy 1 month owner of a FEH2008 with AWD and most bells & whistles. I have a couple of questions that I hope the experienced FEH owners can help with.

Is there any indication that I'm in AWD mode? I was going up to Lake Tahoe in the snow and the only thing indicating that I was a AWD vehicle to the chain inspectors was me holding up 4 fingers. There's no AWD sign. Other than looking under the back of the car... there's nothing. Also, when driving in the snow, how do I know AWD is in action? My old guzzler (93 Chevy Surburban) had lights and I had to shift the sucker. I was hoping that the hybrid energy display would have added a bar showing power to the rear wheels!
Is there supposed to be a little light in the heated mirrors? It has an etched symbol that looks like it should light up when they are defrosting.
What's the grid/vent type thing just below and to the right of the steering wheel on the dash? It looks like there's some electronics in there.
Anybody have a preferred bluetooth car phone kit? I'm thinking of the Helium Digital HDBT-110 or perhaps the Jabra SP5050. I need to be able to pair with 5 cell phones. I really wish they had this integrated!

That's all for now!

Rich

1) There isn't in the '06. It just engages when necessary. You can see if it passes all internal tests in the '06 by running the diagnostic in the Information Center

2) I have heated mirrors in the 06. The etch is just to let you know the mirrors are heated but there is no indication other than the defrost light on your dash... the rear window defogger button activates them

3) Probably the temperature sensor for the auto climate control. The description and location sound right.

Re: AWD and other indicators

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichB (Post 160096)

Anybody have a preferred bluetooth car phone kit? I'm thinking of the Helium Digital HDBT-110 or perhaps the Jabra SP5050. I need to be able to pair with 5 cell phones. I really wish they had this integrated!

The Parrot 3000 works very well for me. I am not using the factory stereo (I have an Eclipse NAV/DVD etc) unit & my Parrot is an Eclipse proprietary unit, but they make the same unit for factory stereos.

~John

Re: AWD and other indicators

I'll second the Parrot recomendation....they are my go-to product when a client wants blue tooth... I prefer the 3100, I like the display and being able to scroll through contacts etc...I even like it over the more expensive 3200 with color screen, seems to pair better with more phones etc.

Re: AWD and other indicators

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichB (Post 160096)

Hi All,

I'm a happy 1 month owner of a FEH2008 with AWD and most bells & whistles. I have a couple of questions that I hope the experienced FEH owners can help with.

Is there any indication that I'm in AWD mode? I was going up to Lake Tahoe in the snow and the only thing indicating that I was a AWD vehicle to the chain inspectors was me holding up 4 fingers. There's no AWD sign. Other than looking under the back of the car... there's nothing. Also, when driving in the snow, how do I know AWD is in action? My old guzzler (93 Chevy Surburban) had lights and I had to shift the sucker. I was hoping that the hybrid energy display would have added a bar showing power to the rear wheels!
Is there supposed to be a little light in the heated mirrors? It has an etched symbol that looks like it should light up when they are defrosting.
What's the grid/vent type thing just below and to the right of the steering wheel on the dash? It looks like there's some electronics in there.
Anybody have a preferred bluetooth car phone kit? I'm thinking of the Helium Digital HDBT-110 or perhaps the Jabra SP5050. I need to be able to pair with 5 cell phones. I really wish they had this integrated!

That's all for now!

Rich

Rich, For sure #3, the grid/vent to the right of the steering wheel is the internal temperature sensor used to provide input to the circuitry that controls the cabin temp when you have it set to 'Auto' mode for cabin temp.

For #1, there is no indication for AWD. If you meander around this website very long, you'll see many references to the Scangauge II manufactured by Linear Logic, which has an extended gauge feature that can be programmed for the FEH/MMH to show AWD. I can't vouch for this feature being useful, because I've never programmed it in. My AWD has never seen snow/slick roads yet here in Louisville. I brought it home Oct 21, 2007, so she is still a new baby :) AWD is by design, meant to be seemless.

Re: AWD and other indicators

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenE (Post 160470)

For #1, there is no indication for AWD. If you meander around this website very long, you'll see many references to the Scangauge II manufactured by Linear Logic, which has an extended gauge feature that can be programmed for the FEH/MMH to show AWD. I can't vouch for this feature being useful, because I've never programmed it in.

I did, but it doesn't work (it's not just me, nobody else has been able to get it to work either).

~John

Re: AWD and other indicators

Is that small air vent in the dash really for the auto climate control? My 2000 Ford Ranger also has it....and has no auto controls, all user controlled knobs.....

Re: AWD and other indicators

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmorton10 (Post 160471)

I did, but it doesn't work (it's not just me, nobody else has been able to get it to work either).

~John

John, I have heard the same from other posters, that the AWD x-gauge doesn't work. I haven't had a slick road surface since we owned this vehicle last Oct, so I can't tell.

My 08 FEH has never registered a reading for BTM (batt temp), but other folks have shown pictures with BTM numbers on previous model years???

However, one poster did report a reading on his SGII-xg for AWD when in fact he knows it was engaged. But I don't remember who, or his FEH model year? Goes to show that some SGII-xg features work on some vehicles, and not others.

Re: AWD and other indicators

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slick (Post 160474)

Is that small air vent in the dash really for the auto climate control? My 2000 Ford Ranger also has it....and has no auto controls, all user controlled knobs.....

No, on the 2000 Ranger, that's the spy camera. Ha! Seriously, I suspect it's blank behind the perforated dash. I drive a 2002 Ranger, my controls are manual like yours, and I’ll check this afternoon to see if I have it. Ashamed to say I never noticed. FYI, my 02 Ranger is the 3.0L V6, 5-sp manual tranny.

Re: AWD and other indicators

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenE (Post 160537)

John, I have heard the same from other posters, that the AWD x-gauge doesn't work. I haven't had a slick road surface since we owned this vehicle last Oct, so I can't tell.

However, one poster did report a reading on his SGII-xg for AWD when in fact he knows it was engaged. .

I may be wrong, but I don't think anybody has actually gotten the 4WD gauge to work.

I thought it was working at first, but it always says off. We had 8" of snow a week later so I really got to try it & even though the 4WD was definitely engaged it said off the whole time.

~John