Heating timer in the MG iSmart app

[baader]

Hi, is it possible to set a timer in the MG iSmart app for when the vehicle should be heated? Or do I have to do it manually in the app each time?

 

[siteguru]

You can schedule battery heating but not cabin heating (as far as I can see).

 

[Ayoull]

If you mess about with MQTT and Home Assistant you can schedule cabin heating but that isn't via ismart

 

[baader]

Home Assistant I have. Can you please give me instructions on how to integrate the controls? Thank you

 

[Ayoull]

Home Assistant I have. Can you please give me instructions on how to integrate the controls? Thank you

It will log you out of ismart as it pretends to be ismart.

I'm not at my computer at the mo I'll post how to setup when I'm on it.

Do you know how to use docker?

 

[baader]

I'm not sure what docker means. I use this version of HA on a Raspberry Pi.

 

[Ayoull]

on your RaspberryPI, log into the command line and do the following:

install docker via the shell:

sudo apt install docker

install MQTT into Docker:

sudo docker run -it -d --name mosquitto --network host -p 1883:1883 -p 9001:9001 -v /mosquitto/mosquitto.conf:/usr/mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf eclipse-mosquitto

configure MQTT on docker:

sudo docker ps

Copy the Docker ID of the container

docker exec -it [CONTAINER ID HERE] sh

inside the docker shell (Replace [MQTT USERNAME] with your chosen username):

mosquitto_passwd -c /mosquitto/config/passwordfile.txt [MQTT USERNAME]

On the next prompt enter your MQTT Password, and confirm it on the 2nd prompt.
Exit Docker Shell:

Exit

Populate MQTT Config:

sudo nano /mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf

Crtl + A all the text, and delete, paste the following:

allow_anonymous false
listener 1883
listener 9001
password_file /mosquitto/config/passwordfile.txt

Ctrl + X, then press Y and enter

This is MQTT Configured, now to load in the MQTT-SAIC Gateway which interfaces with the SAIC Servers and your car.

in the shell (Replacing [MG iSmart... ], [MQTT... ] & [IP ADDRESS... ] with your values make sure you remove the [ ] also):

sudo docker run -ti \
    -e "-u [MG iSmart USERNAME]" \
    -e "-p [MG iSmart PASSWORD]" \
    -e "--mqtt-user [MQTT USERNAME]" \
    -e "--mqtt-password [MQTT PASSWORD]" \
    -e "--mqtt_uri tcp://[IP ADDRESS OF MQTT SERVER]:1883" \
    saicismartapi/saic-python-mqtt-gateway

(NOTE: iSMART Will now log you out ofyour phone as it believes you have logged into another phone)

then in Home Assistant go to add integration, and add MQTT, and enter your MQTT server details, namely Server IP Address, Username and Password, and it will auto discover and setup all the known parts of the API that have been reverse engineered.

Once MQTT has discovered all of the API points exposed by the reverse engineered API, you can see them in settings >> integrations >> MQTT on Home Assitant.

Go to settings >> automations and scenes

Select create automation >> create new automation

Add Tigger >> Time (Enter your chosen time)

(It takes 2 API calls to run remote heating)

Add Actions >> Device (Enter the car name I renamed mine in MQTT to "MG4 SE SR")

Action "Change HVAC mode on Remote Air-Con"
HVAC MODE >> Select "AUTO"

Add Actions >>
Device (Enter the car name I renamed mine in MQTT to "MG4 SE SR")

Action "Change preset on Remote Air-Con"
PRESET MODE >> Select "On"

and then save.

this will at your preset time run the HVAC system to preheat the cabin, you can add other criteria to the automation such as temp ranges etc, but this is a basic over view of how to do it, and the HVAC will only run for 10Mins like when prompted via iSmart as it is using the official API calls just in a non-official way.