Peter's E-914

New motor uses less power

peter — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:33:32 +0000

Neat. I calculated the power / mile, and got 290 Wh/mile. That’s less than with the smaller motor (about 300Wh/mile). Plus, there is no regen, so *IF* I can ever get that to work with this new motor, the power usage will be even better.

Lesson learned: larger motors can be more efficient than smaller ones.

Picture of the new rear trunk layout

peter — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:52:45 +0000

I realized when I posted the pictures of the new radiators and such that I neglected to include a picture of the new controller and wiring layout in the rear trunk. Hopefully this will satisfy those who are curious.

New controller

Noise, noise everywhere, but no data to be had

peter — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:02:11 +0000

Well, I tried two different CANBus sniffers, and there was too much noise on the line for either to work. I’m going to see if I can isolate the noise (one guess: the controller), but still not holding out much hope.

On the good news: I’m in touch with Paul of http://www.paulandsabrinasevstuff.com fame. They have a beta AC controller designed, and I think I will give it a shot. Certainly better than nothing.

Update and some Pictures

peter — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:27:31 +0000

Ok, car seems to be running ok now. I have a loose battery connection somewhere that I need to tighten, so that will be my task for the next few nights.

Got the embeded computer installed, and of course, the data coming from the motor is nonsense. Speed is reported from 0 (although it says 768 at rest) up to 55k RPM. Temp ranges from 16 to 32K. So it is obvious that the serial comm is not up to the task.

Since there was a request for a picture of the radiators, here is a picture:

Also a picture of the lousy connectors that I had to replace:

The connector that is circled was smashed during shipment, and the others had wires that would just pop out.

Update on the motor

peter — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:55:08 +0000

Ok, so I got the cooling working – had to reseat the pump, as the o-ring has come loose somehow.

So I still have problems with the controller. However, no way to know what is up without the RS232 hookup. Well, I spent about 5 hours on Sunday getting the comm to work. Sort of. First off, the wires out of the controller are backwards. Secondly, the controller itself keeps getting confused.

Example: turn on the controller, listen to the RS232, status is ok. Spin the motor a bit, and the motor thinks it is in overtemp. Spin it again, and the overtemp goes away.

Example: motor speed is a 16-bit value. This value NEVER goes below 762.

Example: voltage is a 16-bit value. This value ranges from 700 to 20,000. Never stable.

Next stop is CANBus to see if that is any better.

So far, this controller is rating a C (or maybe C-). Or for those of the digital persuasion: 4/10.

Oh – and still haven’t gotten regen to work – no clue why not.

Motor works!

peter — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:34:00 +0000

So I was right – it was the cracked/cheap/broken connectors to the motor controller. I replaced all of the connectors on the controller, and the motor now works VERY well. I really can’t use first gear anymore.

However, I discovered that I mounted the water pump in a bad position. According to some sites, I’m not supposed to put the inlet of the pump in a vertical position. Will keep you appraised of that.

Meanwhile, the new motor is just awesome. Once I get more comfortable with it, I just might burn rubber. O_O

Cheers!

Motor is running – sort of.

peter — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:47:49 +0000

I took the car for a brief drive up and down the block. Really sad performance – I need to find out what is wrong, as this is not how it should perform.

Will keep you posted.

More progress

peter — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:01:44 +0000

Ok, so the cooling system is all in place now – no leaks. I’ve got the pump hooked up to run whenever the key is on. Makes a small gurgle noise, so there is still some air in the system.

Hints: when installing new hoses, stretch the new hose where it will go over the barbs – makes life a LOT easier for the installer. Also, make sure the fittings are snug – otherwise, while the hose might be water-tight, the fitting could leak.

I was hoping to bring the car off the jackstands this weekend, but with the rain coming through, it is not very likely. Really don’t want to mix rain and electrical parts – especially since I haven’t re-installed the rear trunk lid.

I’ll post a picture of the radiators later.

Progress on Motor Adaptor!

peter — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:10:42 +0000

Ok, the adaptor is complete, and ready to install. We’ve made a few attempts to put it in, but had a problem with the spacing around the clutch. This has been resolved by allowing the pressure plate to move back 0.2″. During the wait, I’ve rewired the relays, added in a pump and resevoir, and a third brake light. Hope to have the motor and transmission installed on Sunday.

The brake light is a strip of weatherproof side-facing LEDs from www.superbrightleds.com. The wires are hidden behind the chrome.

Since both the motor and the controller use liquid cooling, I had to add in a pump and reservoir. I’ll be running coolant lines from the pump to the controller to the motor to the radiators and back.

The new motor is heavy – 98kg! (216lb). So we have to use this hoist to get the motor and transmission into the car.

Motor hanging on a chain

The new motor is significantly larger than the old one. The gap between the new motor and the battery rack is about 6mm (1/4″).

Still waiting for the adaptor

peter — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:24:35 +0000

I was told 3 weeks for a new adaptor, and its only been 2 weeks. I must be getting impatient. Meantime, I’ve updated my wiring diagram, and will start the rewiring this weekend (subject to the usual interruptions).

I’m also trying to find some software so I can talk to the motor controller, but that’s a very difficult proposition.