Maintaining your Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV’s battery health is crucial for optimal performance and longevity. Like all batteries, the PHEV battery’s capacity can appear to degrade over time, sometimes due to estimation inaccuracies rather than actual physical degradation. This is where a Think Car Obd Scan Tool becomes an invaluable asset for any car owner wanting to take control of their vehicle’s diagnostics and maintenance. As experts at carcodepro.com, we understand the importance of accurate battery readings, and in this guide, we’ll walk you through how to reset your Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV’s battery capacity estimation using a think car obd scan tool and a readily available Android application. This process can help ensure your car’s computer accurately reflects your battery’s true potential, potentially improving range estimations and overall driving experience.
Before you begin this procedure, it’s important to ensure your drive battery is as depleted as possible. Ideally, you should aim for the charge level to be at just one bar on your dashboard. Driving until the internal combustion engine (ICE) engages is generally sufficient to achieve this low state of charge. If you need to expedite the process, you can use the car’s air conditioning or heater with the windows open to further discharge the battery. Once the battery is sufficiently low, park your car near a charger, as it will need to be stationary for several hours. The reset process duration can vary, with older procedures suggesting up to 12 hours, while newer guidelines indicate it could take up to 72 hours. The actual time depends on factors like battery temperature and whether your vehicle is equipped with a battery heater.
Now, let’s get started with the reset procedure using your think car obd scan tool:
Step 1: Prepare Your Vehicle and OBD Scan Tool
Ensure the vehicle is parked and turned off. Do not connect the charger at this stage. Plug your think car obd scan tool into the OBDII port, typically located under the dashboard on the driver’s side. Turn your car to “Ready” mode (without starting the engine). If you have any charging timers set, disable them to prevent interference with the reset process.
Step 2: Launch the Diagnostic App and Connect to Your Car
Open the Android diagnostic application on your smartphone or tablet. Within the app, select the “ALL SYSTEMS DIAGNOSTIC” option.
Step 3: VIN Decoding
Initiate the VIN decoding process within the app. This allows the think car obd scan tool and the application to identify your specific car model. The app may prompt you to download the specific Mitsubishi software required for diagnostics.
Step 4: Navigate to Battery Maintenance Function
Once VIN decoding is complete, navigate through the system menus. Select “System Selection,” then “BMU” (Battery Management Unit), followed by “Special Function,” and finally, “Battery Maintenance Function.” These steps will lead you to the battery capacity reset options within the diagnostic software.
Step 5: Perform Battery Capacity and Control Information Reset
Within the “Battery Maintenance Function” menu, locate and select “BATT. Capa. Estimated Info. Reset.” Confirm your selection to initiate this reset. After the first reset is complete, select “Control Information Reset” and confirm this action as well. In some instances, you might notice the ICE starting after the last reset. If this occurs, simply turn the car off and then back on in ACC mode (Accessory mode).
Step 6: Verify Battery Capacity Reset
Return to the BMU screen and select “Read Data Stream.” From the data stream options, choose “Battery Current Capacity” and confirm. The display should now show the original factory battery capacity (e.g., 38Ah in some Outlander PHEV models). If the reading still reflects the old, potentially inaccurate capacity, repeat the reset procedure until the original value is displayed. It’s also useful to observe the “Battery Remaining Capacity” in the data stream, which indicates the current state of charge, ensuring it is at the low level you aimed for initially.
Step 7: Initiate Battery Auto Capacity Measurement
Turn off your car completely and connect the charger. You should observe the charging indicator illuminating on your dashboard, confirming that charging has commenced.
Go back into the “BMU” menu, navigate to “Special Function,” and select “Battery Auto Capacity Measured.” Initially, “Execution Status” should display “Not Run” (or “Complete” if a DBCam has been previously performed). Click the “Perform” button and confirm your selection. You should hear the car’s AC system and cooling fans activate, indicating the measurement process is underway. The “Execution Status” should change to “Executing,” and “Capa. Measured Discharge Current” should display “Ok,” signifying successful initiation of the battery auto capacity measurement.
By following these steps with your think car obd scan tool, you can effectively reset your Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV’s battery capacity estimation. This procedure helps ensure more accurate readings and optimizes your vehicle’s battery management system. For more advanced diagnostics and car repair solutions, always rely on trusted resources like carcodepro.com, your go-to destination for automotive expertise and tools.