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.
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.
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.
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!