Maintenance of Harvester gas engine range extender

[Macallan 18]

We don't know which VW engine will be used as the Harvester gas range extender yet, but I assume it will be a simpler and smaller engine.

I'm curious what maintenance we'll need to do on the Harvester -- will it be the typical oil change interval for that engine or something different.

Also, with its special placement it'll be interesting to see where to fill and drain the engine oil.

 

[ClayCollins]

It would be great to see a cutting edge ultra compact power plant like a Wankel or perhaps one like Liquid Piston is developing for drones: https://www.liquidpiston.com/

 

[TheVirtualTim]

A lot of cars now monitor engine usage and the car tells the driver when it is time to change the oil (rather than a pre-determined interval based on miles or months) based on usage patterns.

I have no special knowledge … but these systems are pretty common.

 

[soedesh]

A lot of cars now monitor engine usage and the car tells the driver when it is time to change the oil (rather than a pre-determined interval based on miles or months) based on usage patterns.

I have no special knowledge … but these systems are pretty common.

Chevy volt is kind of technically similar, and that’s how it works.

 

[RickS2R]

Chevy volt is kind of technically similar, and that’s how it works.

Actually, it seems like it is closer to the BMW i3 REX...the Volt could mechanically couple the engine to the drivetrains, sounds like this is a pure generator, like BMW did...they used a BMW scooter motor.

 

[Mousehunter]

I can only extrapolate from a lot of other gas engines. 100-200hr service intervals are the norm. When I look at engines with hour meters rather than odometers - it is the case. If I do quick math - it basically holds for odometer engines as well. Add to that, many engines have a minimum of 1 year service intervals - not sure if it because of age related oil break down or something else.

 

[underkuver]

Actually, it seems like it is closer to the BMW i3 REX...the Volt could mechanically couple the engine to the drivetrains, sounds like this is a pure generator, like BMW did...they used a BMW scooter motor.

Agree, this sounds much more akin to the i3 REX. We had one and loved it.

Couple interesting facts to note. CA CARB emissions forced BMW to limit the range the generator could go by software limiting the fuel tank size. Only US BMWs had this.

You could hack the car to allow more fuel in the tank and go further. Another amazing hack was the ability to force the generator on. That 600cc scooter engine made noise and it was much better hearing it at highway speeds than in your neighborhood/garage.

Hopefully Scout allows for push-button Harvesting!

P.S. BMW REX maintenance intervals were 5K miles or 12-months.

 

[Foobar]

I would plan to change oil on any ICE engine on at least an annual basis, even if the engine isn't getting much use. Oil breaks down over time and the generally accepted practice is to do it no less than once a year.

 

[soedesh]

My understanding is that my Gen 1 Volt mostly uses the engine to drive the generator and only direct couples the engine to the drivetrain above 50mph, presumably for efficiency. If you need to pass it decouples and uses pure electric.

My original point was that the engine/generator is capable of fully operating the vehicle and not just some kind of "booster". You can run the car indefinitely on gas and have full power. Also, the car keeps track of the engine hours and alerts the driver when an oil change is required, not based on miles.

 

[RickS2R]

Agree, this sounds much more akin to the i3 REX. We had one and loved it.

Couple interesting facts to note. CA CARB emissions forced BMW to limit the range the generator could go by software limiting the fuel tank size. Only US BMWs had this.

You could hack the car to allow more fuel in the tank and go further. Another amazing hack was the ability to force the generator on. That 600cc scooter engine made noise and it was much better hearing it at highway speeds than in your neighborhood/garage.

Hopefully Scout allows for push-button Harvesting!

P.S. BMW REX maintenance intervals were 5K miles or 12-months.

Yep, I bought that software that let me set the REX engagement point at any battery %, made the car infinitely more useful.

 

[mfreidberg]

It would be great to see a cutting edge ultra compact power plant like a Wankel or perhaps one like Liquid Piston is developing for drones: https://www.liquidpiston.com/

Mazda used a Wankel engine for their range-extended MX-30:
https://insideevs.com/reviews/712120/mazda-mx-30-range-extender/

I do wonder about the rotary engine used for this purpose - they're famously smooth, but also notoriously thirsty. If the whole point is efficiency, is a rotary engine going to use more or less gas than a traditional cylinder engine for the same energy output?

 

[Efthreeoh]

My understanding is that my Gen 1 Volt mostly uses the engine to drive the generator and only direct couples the engine to the drivetrain above 50mph, presumably for efficiency. If you need to pass it decouples and uses pure electric.

My original point was that the engine/generator is capable of fully operating the vehicle and not just some kind of "booster". You can run the car indefinitely on gas and have full power. Also, the car keeps track of the engine hours and alerts the driver when an oil change is required, not based on miles.

This is a myth that has been debunked. One such test:

 

[soedesh]

This is a myth that has been debunked.

Myth? Source?

 

[Efthreeoh]

Stabil keeps gasoline fresh for up to 24 months. I use it in all my equipment and motorcycle. I've never had any gumming issues.

 

[Efthreeoh]

Myth? Source?

Updated post. And my own practice.