Data no longer recording on app

[Flatcoat]

The MyT app stopped updating journey and location data on 2nd April when I mistakenly tried to update the satnav mapping. No bleeping clue how to resolve it. It’s almost more blasted hassle than it’s worth having all this gadgetry. And why do car manufacturers think it’s not ok to have the owner change a light bulb but expect the owner to be a computer geek to use the car?! Frustrating doesn’t get close. 

[Hayzee]

The app really is a mess as far as I'm concerned. Missing trips every day now, plus every location says vehicle in movement when it isn't. Reported it to the Toyota app developers and received a response 3 weeks later asking me to uninstall and reinstall the app plus deactivate and reactivate the service. Result no change. Told them 3 weeks ago and no response. I've pretty much given up on it to be honest. At least charging schedule still works as does climate schedule.

[Chriss27]

App no longer updates some things for me, fuel shows 0 and mileage way out . However does tell me if my car is locked 

[Strangely Brown]

39 minutes ago, Hayzee said:

The app really is a mess as far as I'm concerned. Missing trips every day now, plus every location says vehicle in movement when it isn't. Reported it to the Toyota app developers and received a response 3 weeks later asking me to uninstall and reinstall the app plus deactivate and reactivate the service. Result no change. Told them 3 weeks ago and no response. I've pretty much given up on it to be honest. At least charging schedule still works as does climate schedule.

Updating, re-installing or anything else on the app is not going to make any difference because the app is really just a browser in a skin. It sees exactly the same data as a web browser using the MyToyota website.

The problem with journey's missing or the car location not being updated is down to the car not sending the appropriate data back to the Toyota servers. Only once the data is there can the app see it and display to you.

I have had the same thing myself and my car is currently waiting on a replacement DCM. Hopefully these problems, among others, may be resolved once it is installed.

As far as the app is concerned my car is still at the dealer right before they bricked the DCM with a failed update.

[Centaur]

There was an update to the MyT app this morning.  Since then, it's not reporting any journeys, showing Battery charging / status and not allowing access to the remote climate controls.  Looks like it's bricked itself...

[Roy124]

I still show 15 Mar update. 

@Strangely Brownnot so sure about The problem with journey's missing or the car location not being updated is down to the car not sending the appropriate data back to the Toyota servers. Only once the data is there can the app see it and display to you.

I lost 2 consequecutive journeys 8 days apart and then a pair of journeys on Saturday.  In both cases all the other analytics, fuel, location, car condition were all updated. 

[Nick72]

I think it's just bad design all round. Half ubikd attempt. Clearly not the same level of SQEP as the hybrid system designers, which is superb.

Car does trip. Car stores trip data in non volatile memory. Car attempts to send queued trip data to Toyota servers until handshake received. Try a few times but then give up until user is on another trip and keep retrying until all queued trip data has been successfully uploaded to Toyota servers. Meanwhile, buffer all other trips into the non volatile storage, last in last out queue. Requires less than 16kB to cover dozens of trips and simple automated logic. Kind of thing I could knock together for them in under a day. 

Shocker.

[Derek.w]

Last week 50% of my jurnies are not recorded I put it down to a pending Apple update requiring installing but after installation its still nor recording.

Next step is to plug phone into usb socket and see if that starts to record trips once again.

[Hayzee]

18 hours ago, Strangely Brown said:

Updating, re-installing or anything else on the app is not going to make any difference because the app is really just a browser in a skin. It sees exactly the same data as a web browser using the MyToyota website.

The problem with journey's missing or the car location not being updated is down to the car not sending the appropriate data back to the Toyota servers. Only once the data is there can the app see it and display to you.

The location is correct usually, but it now always says vehicle in movement when it's not, so the car has updated the servers but for some reason it never stops moving 🤔

[Hayzee]

19 hours ago, Chriss27 said:

However does tell me if my car is locked 

Would like that on the RAV 4 , hopefully in the near future. Can you lock it remotely?

[Roy124]

9 minutes ago, Hayzee said:

Would like that on the RAV 4 , hopefully in the near future. Can you lock it remotely?

With Yaris Cross Smart Connect doors and windows can be locked remotely. Some features, such a dynamic reversing guides are not compatible with Smart Connect (yet) so those cars equipped with dynamic reversing guides and all round camera will have the older system.  (I think) 

[Centaur]

Yes, the 2023 model allows you to remotely close the windows and lock the doors.  It messages to say if anything isn't secured too, which can be useful.  It can also remotely unlock, although I haven't tried that yet.

[philip42h]

20 hours ago, Centaur said:

There was an update to the MyT app this morning.  

19 hours ago, Roy124 said:

I still show 15 Mar update. 

Seeing Mark's post and noting that there was an update available to me I updated last night ... to get to the 15 Mar 2023 versions which appears to be the latest available to me (Android). There are no noticeable changes so I suspect that I've already got all the functionality that is ever going to be available for my 2020 HEV. (And that's perfectly OK by me ... 😉 )

The system's ability to capture trip data seems to be getting worse over time - i.e. the percentage of missed trips was previously pretty low whereas it now seems to be missing 30%-40%. And there doesn't seem to be much logic, rhyme or reason to the pieces that get missed (accepting that it is designed the way it is without the sort of robustness that one might have hoped for).

As far as I am aware it uses the same 'SIM' as used for the eCall system - it wouldn't make much economic sense to install an entirely separate communications system. And, AFAIK, the European standard for eCall is based on 2G / 3G technologies ... I'm happy for someone to show that this is not the case. If this is the case, it is just possible that work to shutdown 3G in various parts of the country may be impacting the effectiveness of the data collection system. To date I have been unable to get a definitive answer of the technology used - the question has been asked before ...

[Hayzee]

21 hours ago, Centaur said:

There was an update to the MyT app this morning.  Since then, it's not reporting any journeys, showing battery charging / status and not allowing access to the remote climate controls.  Looks like it's bricked itself...

Mark

If yours is Android what's the app version?

Edited May 24, 2023 by Hayzee

[Hayzee]

21 minutes ago, philip42h said:

Seeing Mark's post and noting that there was an update available to me I updated last night ... to get to the 15 Mar 2023 versions which appears to be the latest available to me (Android). There are no noticeable changes so I suspect that I've already got all the functionality that is ever going to be available for my 2020 HEV. (And that's perfectly OK by me ... 😉 

Philip

My current Android version is 4.17.0 and it looks like there's a further update available which I haven't loaded yet. I have asked Mark date what his app is at (if Android)

Edited May 24, 2023 by Hayzee
Corrected version number after seeing Philip's message

[philip42h]

4 minutes ago, Hayzee said:

Mark

If yours is Android what's the date of the app update?

The date on mine is yesterday - 19 May - since that is when I applied the update, The version is 4.17.0 (30181)

[Hayzee]

1 minute ago, philip42h said:

The date on mine is yesterday - 19 May - since that is when I applied the update, The version is 4.17.0 (30181)

Same as mine....thanks

[Strangely Brown]

8 minutes ago, philip42h said:

The system's ability to capture trip data seems to be getting worse over time - i.e. the percentage of missed trips was previously pretty low whereas it now seems to be missing 30%-40%. And there doesn't seem to be much logic, rhyme or reason to the pieces that get missed (accepting that it is designed the way it is without the sort of robustness that one might have hoped for).

As far as I am aware it uses the same 'SIM' as used for the eCall system - it wouldn't make much economic sense to install an entirely separate communications system. And, AFAIK, the European standard for eCall is based on 2G / 3G technologies ... I'm happy for someone to show that this is not the case. If this is the case, it is just possible that work to shutdown 3G in various parts of the country may be impacting the effectiveness of the data collection system. To date I have been unable to get a definitive answer of the technology used - the question has been asked before ...

I think you are correct: the system uses a 2G/3G SIM and is affected a great deal by network availability in some areas.

I have asked the question as to what happens when the 3G networks are shut down (as is already happening) and the people in the dealership looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. At some point you might have thought it would be nice for Toyota to give dealers a heads up by way of a TSB that customers may start to experience problems and may start asking questions.

This is just one of the problems that "connected" cars will experience as technology changes in the future. There will be worse to come as software updates fail to support older models and the more reliant the car is on a data connection the worse it will be.

[Hayzee]

If you take a look at user comments for the Android version when you display the app details from the Play Store you'll see the same issues we discuss and more being repeated constantly.

[Hayzee]

19 minutes ago, Strangely Brown said:

This is just one of the problems that "connected" cars will experience as technology changes in the future. There will be worse to come as software updates fail to support older models and the more reliant the car is on a data connection the worse it will be.

My last car a Volvo XC60 had more connected service functions and I have to say performed excellently and consistently. They clearly had put more professional effort into design and maintenance.

[Centaur]

3 hours ago, Hayzee said:

Mark

If yours is Android what's the app version?

Version 4.17.0

This now appears to be working normally?!?!

[Strangely Brown]

4 hours ago, Hayzee said:

My last car a Volvo XC60 had more connected service functions and I have to say performed excellently and consistently. They clearly had put more professional effort into design and maintenance.

That is all well and good... for now. I was talking about the future. Connected cars will simply become obsolete more quickly as connections and services stop working or move on. Much like a big version of your mobile phone on wheels.

[ernieb]

2G is universally the most avialable network, low capacity, great for texting, but has the ability to get to parts other networks can not. Used extensively by companies to monitor and control equipment, remotely reboot systems etc., but the phone companies are trying to shut this network down. Whilst I agree that networks can be an issue I think the better part of the problem lies with Toyota and the poor design of software, management of the server systems and low data storage within the cars DCM systems. How much more frustrating must it be if our cars were all EV and relied on the app for essentials such as selling you where the next charge was coming from.

The MyT app has been pants since I got the car any any short term positive upgrades have always been negated soon after. My car has always been in motion even when stationary.

Such a shame, brilliant car very poor app/software support.

[Strangely Brown]

The app itself is not the problem. It is just a client. It is, in effect a browser and, AFAICT, only looks at data that is "phoned home" by the car. To my knowledge it does not talk to the car directly so cannot know anything that has not already been sent back. If the car doesn't complete that at the end of a trip, for whatever reason, then the app cannot use that information. The problems are in the car, the Toyota back-end servers and the communication between the two.

That said, I see the MyT app stuff as icing rather than any part of the cake. I would rather have a reliable car with no "connected" features than one with lots of features that breaks down a lot.
 

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, ernieb said:

... Such a shame, brilliant car very poor app/software support.

49 minutes ago, Strangely Brown said:

... That said, I see the MyT app stuff as icing rather than any part of the cake. I would rather have a reliable car with no "connected" features than one with lots of features that breaks down a lot.

Agreed ... I liked the Hybrid Coaching when I first got the car, but now would only use it for the Trip History - if only it worked reliably (my car went out yesterday and still hasn't come home!). But it is still a brilliant car, does everything that I need it to and I just drive it like a car. 🙂 So if the MyT functionality were to be withdrawn entirely I wouldn't really care.

But that's for a HEV for which the app / DCM doesn't really promise much useful functionality. The case is a little different for the PHEV where the DCM is used for some "nice to have" features that owners would probably miss ...