ZE1 location uploads work, but GatewayAPI refresh remains pending with no EV data #44
Description
### Vehicle/setup
- 2018 Nissan Leaf ZE1 40 kWh (Netherlands)
- Ficosa 2016–2019 TCU, firmware `TCU033`
- Lebara NL prepaid SIM
- OpenCARWINGS public instance
- GatewayAPI.com binary SMS provider
- TCU Configurator v1.0.11
### Configuration
- APN data connection works
- OBS/TSP: `http://biz-tcu.viaaq.eu:80`
- TCU activation enabled
- VIN, TCU ID and SIM ID are accepted by OpenCARWINGS
### Problem
The car connects successfully and its location updates. OpenCARWINGS shows a green status and a recent “Last Connection”, so the TCU → server connection works.
However:
- “Refresh data” remains pending/spinning
- SOC, range, odometer and other EV values remain zero or blank
- GatewayAPI accepts the binary SMS requests, but every message remains `ENROUTE`
- The exported messages are one 74-byte segment and share the header `820300320402010002202030`
- Starting the car produces data usage and server connections, but no complete EV-status update
Re-adding the car did not change the result.
### Question
Does this indicate that the binary wake SMS is not reaching the TCU, or could OpenCARWINGS be receiving only a location/navigation report and failing to request or process the full ZE1 status packet?
It would also be useful if the GatewayAPI integration exposed the final delivery status instead of treating the initial HTTP 200 response as successful.
Activity
drrcastro commentedon Aug 16, 2026
I'm having the exact problem. Location updates, nothing else. Requests Timed out. On gatewayapi side it shows as inroute.
I'm using a Portuguese prepaid SIM
developerfromjokela commentedon Aug 16, 2026
Hey.
I encountered this same issue with some other users.
Although SMSes not getting delivered by gatewayapi is concerning, try doing service provisioning. Under TCU Configuration tab, try flipping all services as Active and send the command.
In some rare instances, it appears Nissan has shut down all or close to all services remotely. Maybe it's a mistake? Who knows. But we tried flipping all services to active, and everything started working.
drrcastro commentedon Aug 16, 2026
Messages were being delivered until 11/08/2026. after that, all stay "ENROUTE"
drrcastro commentedon Aug 21, 2026
Any updates on this?
I've running in circles trying to find where the problem is.
on "Recent Alerts" tab only the Vehicle Health Reports are working, showing Recieved new data.
The navigation doesn't connect, the commands time out.
Changed SIMs from 3 diferent providers, SDcard, rewrote TCU using ODB2, problem precists.
I don't have a USB modem. I tried to change the SMS android app to send PDU messages using SmsMessage.createFromPdu funtion, but that also didn't work
developerfromjokela commentedon Aug 21, 2026
Unfortunately android won't work. It sends the binary sms in incompatible format. Try getting a modem and send sms with that. And the modem doesn't have to be huawei or anything expensive. Simcom modems are rather cheap on aliexpress and so on.
drrcastro commentedon Aug 21, 2026
but gatewayapi.com is also a no-go solution?
I bought a hologram SIM, only to find out they don't work on ZE1 TCUs after it was shipped.
Bought a local sim, tested with gatewayapi.com, everything was working, paid for more credits and now isn't working
I don't mind buying a modem and another sim card. I just don't want to be wasted.
if gatewayapi.EU worked I could try to transfer the funds.
in any other case, I'll just wait for https://mobile.viaaq.eu/ to be online and runing
developerfromjokela commentedon Aug 21, 2026
Gatewayapi should work, but it could be the case that your local provider is just blocking the sms messages. As you said, it did work for some time.
Please contact me via email info@developerfromjokela.com. I can help you with the mobile.viaaq.eu. Let's try get it working first :)
drrcastro commentedon Aug 21, 2026
I just find odd that it also didn't work with 2 other local providers
drrcastro commentedon Aug 22, 2026
it looks like Portuguese SIM providers block PDU messages from other places. Maybe gatewayapi.EU could work, just a guess
pepoo82 commentedon Sep 20, 2026
Hitting the same issue - my setup rules out a couple more variables, might help narrow this down.
Setup: 2019 LEAF ZE1, EU spec, TCU with soldered physical SIM slot (eSIM removed per the community mod). 4ka (Slovakia) and O2 prepaid SIMs, tested with two different physical cards. OpenCARWINGS public instance, server config confirmed correct via TCU Configurator readback. SMS provider: Manual (sending NISSAN_EVIT_TELEMATICS_CENTER myself from a personal phone, not an API).
Same symptoms as OP: location/heartbeat connectivity works fine (green status, regular MSN check-ins), but "Refresh data" reliably times out after 5 minutes - every attempt, since day one.
What was tried/ruled out:
Useful data point: full EV-status updates (correct SOC, SOH, GIDs, cabin temp) have come through automatically on charge-stop events - reproduced successfully 3 times now. However, in one charging session where charging was stopped, restarted, then stopped again, the first charge-stop event delivered full data, but the second charge-stop (~2 hours later, same session) did not produce any update at all.
So the full status request/response logic clearly works on this unit for at least the charge-stop trigger, but not reliably even there, and never for the SMS-triggered on-demand refresh. Might point to something intermittent in how/when the TCU decides to actually complete the full status handshake, separate from just receiving a wake trigger. Happy to provide logs or test anything else.
wargaelanor commentedon Sep 22, 2026
Hi. For ZE1, you need to send binary SMS messages. The mobile phone cannot do this. Use a USB modem and a JAVA application.