[DRIVING] - Z3(00)

[bobby_come_lately]

Bloody ages since my last update. Not long after the last one my landlord told me he wanted the garage back. So instead of finishing the car I spent two months moving everything into storage. I haven't been able to find another garage so eventually (after being very grump for a month or two) I decided to wait until I can buy one, and finish the car back on the drive where it started.

It's been home for a couple of weeks and since then, lots of progress.

• Headlight buckets are in
• Grille and front number plate mount are on
• Original loom has been stripped back and modified for new lights
• EV loom has been largely redone, with just battery management and heater wires to go
• Brake booster arrangement has been redesigned and refitted

Got a little more to do at the front end (fit the headlights, finish wiring, new gas shocks, fix the power steering, fit and wire in the heater - if only to get it out of the house), then the plan is the flip the car around and start on the back end (rear light buckets, number plate surround, charge ports, door shuts - currently too tight).

Back to doing two videos a week on the YouTube channel (where work/family permits). Goal is MOT in July, then in for paint/wrap. Might be optimistic - not least as to whether my budget will support that/any paint shop will take it on with the amount of prep required, but we'll see.

Slightly jumbled photos but you get the idea.

[rstevens81]

With the cover on the (blue) z3, it looks like the car is going to the executioner (quote from Mr bigpie )

[Alibro]

With the cover on the (blue) z3, it looks like the car is going to the executioner (quote from Mr bigpie )

Making great progress at last.
Two vids a week is very ambitious, it takes me anything up to 10 hours to edit a video.

[bobby_come_lately]

With the cover on the (blue) z3, it looks like the car is going to the executioner (quote from Mr bigpie )

[bobby_come_lately]

Making great progress at last.
Two vids a week is very ambitious, it takes me anything up to 10 hours to edit a video.

The best lesson I've learned from watching other people make videos professionally is 'only shoot what you can use'. I'd love to have more footage that I could do timelapses of and capture more of the actual work, but that's what adds the editing time for me. It probably makes for better videos but since I know I'm short on time, I'm just trying to capture what I can use.

[bobby_come_lately]

MOT passed!

Took flippin' ages because of parts delays and a medical emergency at the garage, but got there in the end yesterday.

Just done the first serious run to take one of the kids to a class. Little bit of whine from the coupler but otherwise good. Some tuning to do but performance feels good.

[Alibro]

Congratulations mate, well done for sticking at it.

[rstevens81]

Your making me jelous
Everything always seems to take 10x longer than we think.. I would of just taken bulbs out for the mot
Anyone know what is required to work on the dash for an MOT? Do we need rev counter? Etc do we actual need an EML if we don't have a VCU?

[Ev8]

Fairly sure the only requirements are working indicator and high beam tell tales no engine warning light illuminated and if abs and airbags are present these lights must illuminate and then go out.

[janosch]

Congrats for the MOT pass bobby come lately!

Your making me jelous
Everything always seems to take 10x longer than we think.. I would of just taken bulbs out for the mot
Anyone know what is required to work on the dash for an MOT? Do we need rev counter? Etc do we actual need an EML if we don't have a VCU?

Print the official list in your workshop and tick off things as you go along:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... t-vt29.pdf


No rev counter needed, just speedo. As a matter of fact Mercedes W123 does not have a rev counter as standard for example.

[bobby_come_lately]

Fairly sure the only requirements are working indicator and high beam tell tales no engine warning light illuminated and if abs and airbags are present these lights must illuminate and then go out.

Even EML is not a fail on an EV-swapped car. Nor is ASC/stability control light staying illuminated.

[bobby_come_lately]

Thought I'd do a quick update with some pics on where I'm up to. Still a long way to go but I'm really happy with how it's looking.

New wheels are on (17in BBS split rims with 235x55 Nexen rubber, all done by Evolution Coatings in Irlam), new seats are repaired and installed (from BMW Spares Scotland - these will be retrimmed at some point), as are repaired/upgraded subwoofer and amp, and roll hoops - need to make a bunch of trim though.

Lots of work still to do on the body when it's dry again. But it's coming along.

[bobby_come_lately]

Minor update: finally got around to instituting proper charging with the Spaceballs/Simp BMS.

- Plug in charge cable
- @JamieJones' PP detect circuit turns on main power and signals BMS to go into charge mode
- BMS sends start signal to inverter (12v high - my OI/EVBMW board in there still refusing to speak CAN bus)
- Sense line on main contactor triggers relay that (among other things) enables DC-DC on Outlander charger
- BMS checks whether contactors are closed by looking for DC-DC enabled signal on canbus (could also have run a line to another digital input but this avoided redoing wiring)
- BMS sends canbus commands to charger to begin charging (and - thankfully - stops charging as well)

Next is cabin heater. All wired in and just adding some code to my dash display to show status, target temp etc. Photo showing old controls and modified ones with a pot in place of the temp dial.

[Alibro]

Minor update: finally got around to instituting proper charging with the Spaceballs/Simp BMS.

- Plug in charge cable
- @JamieJones' PP detect circuit turns on main power and signals BMS to go into charge mode
- BMS sends start signal to inverter (12v high - my OI/EVBMW board in there still refusing to speak CAN bus)
- Sense line on main contactor triggers relay that (among other things) enables DC-DC on Outlander charger
- BMS checks whether contactors are closed by looking for DC-DC enabled signal on canbus (could also have run a line to another digital input but this avoided redoing wiring)
- BMS sends canbus commands to charger to begin charging (and - thankfully - stops charging as well)

Next is cabin heater. All wired in and just adding some code to my dash display to show status, target temp etc. Photo showing old controls and modified ones with a pot in place of the temp dial.

PXL_20240114_095644917.jpg

I mentioned in the Outlander charger thread I recently started having issues with the charger cutting out after thirty minutes or so. Do you mind sharing how you are controlling yours?
Also I forget what heater you're using.

[bobby_come_lately]

The BMS now controls mine, just pinging out the relevant canbus messages when it's all plugged in. Is yours overheating maybe?

Outlander heater too. Had a horrible thought when I spotted the snow: when I put some fluids in to test the loop, months ago, did I put in anti-freeze or just water? Can't remember I may have a wrecked heater/matrix at worst... eek. Nothing so permanent as temporary...

[Alibro]

The BMS now controls mine, just pinging out the relevant canbus messages when it's all plugged in. Is yours overheating maybe?

Outlander heater too. Had a horrible thought when I spotted the snow: when I put some fluids in to test the loop, months ago, did I put in anti-freeze or just water? Can't remember I may have a wrecked heater/matrix at worst... eek. Nothing so permanent as temporary...

It might be overheating, I have a horrible feeling I will have to start stripping stuff out again.

Good luck with your heater and please document the process when you get it working..

[arber333]

It might be overheating, I have a horrible feeling I will have to start stripping stuff out again.

Good luck with your heater and please document the process when you get it working..

Huh, heater is a fickle thing. It needs to have at least 30ms heartbeat 0x285 and 100ms command 0x188.
Then there could be a problem with pump and fluid if the plumming is not properly bled. My system was very simple but it still kept a lot of air in the heater matrix under the liquid level.
I recommend to get a piece of heating copper tubing and solder a bleed valve to it as a T piece. Then put this tube on the top-most hose in the system.
You can simply open the bleed valve to let the liquid come in from the header tank and the air out at the top.

What i did next was a solution for me... i opened the bleed valve and pushed a 10mm silicon(plastic) tube on it and clamped it tight so there was no leak. Then i lifted the tube up into the air and literally sucked some air out via that tube while pump was running.
Alternatively i blowed air in the tube and watched the header tank if pressure caused bubbles to come out.
After bleeding is complete the coolant surface in tube should rise under the pump pressure, but when pump is off fluid level should drop to the header level.

[bobby_come_lately]

Been ages again... But if you follow the YouTube channel you'll be up to date.

In short:
- upgrade to 96s/six module gen 2 BMW PHEV pack
- redid motor mounts
- fixed gear linkage
- serviced flex disc and centre shaft bearing

But...heater still not working (haven't spent any time on it), broke my display (has always been flaky), and charging not working (think this might just be a canbus wiring issue)

Anyway, reason for post: I did some new 3D printed parts for the Outlander Charger. I know someone has already done some but these are designed to take up less space and not require separate grommets. Look quite tidy in bright orange.

https://github.com/bookofthefuture/OutlanderCharger3DP