[Driving] Freelander EV With Gen1 Leaf electrics and EVBMW VCU

[Alibro]

I'm still having issues with the car cutting out randomly so spent a bit more time trying to sort it.
Initially I had thought all the issues were related to the brake boost vac pump but several times it happened were on straight bits of road where I hadn't touched the brakes, also on one occasion it cut out when I flashed the headlights.
That made me think something else was going on then the other day while working on one of the leccy windows I heard the contactors in the boot trigger off and on. It made me think maybe there is an issue with the ground which connects directly to the chassis or the live which is fed through the inertia safety switch. I decided to run cables directly from the LV connection box to the boot and bypass the inertia switch.
This all happened on Christmas Day while the wimmin were watching Strictly so I still have to try it and see if it makes any difference.

[Alibro]

Yesterday I loaded the boot for the dump trip of SHAME!

And before you ask, NO! they are not all mine, nor were they all emptied since Christmas Eve.
Only most of them.

[Alibro]

Big change happening.

The power steering solution I had come up with is not cutting the mustard so is currently being removed. It's a pity after all the work I put into it but when parking it wasn't giving enough assistance and lacked the torque needed when the end stop was reached so sometimes just cut out.
It was OK when first installed but a couple of months ago after completing the build I was charging the main battery and stupidly left the power steering turned on, low so it wasn't spinning but still on. I never figured out why but for some reason the DC motor controller that should have been feeding 7V to the rotor decided instead to pass through the full 40ish Volts. I had no idea this had happened until I noticed a funny smell and after several minutes trying to figure out where the smell was coming from saw smoke coming from under the bonnet.
As you can imagine there was some degree of panic before I figured out what the issue was but by then I think the alty motor had been irreparably damaged and hasn't been quite 100% since and might even be getting worse so now is being replaced.

It's a Volvo electric hydraulic power steering pump that can be controlled by CAN but works fine with only 12V.
I've tested it and it seems to be great so I'm going ahead and doing the swap.

[Alibro]

After a ball ache of a job involving spanner, grinder, dremel, crow bar, cold chisel, 4 pounder and engine hoist the altymotor is finally out and the old mount is cut down enough to get the Volvo pump in.

This is it as I almost finished winding out one side. Doing this released one corner but I basically smashed it out of the other three.


This is the Volvo pump in.situ, it fits well so shouldn't be too hard to secure and after a brief test drive is quiet enough it can only be heard when stationary but gives enough assistance for parking etc.

[midway]

I also first tried to run the electric hydraulic booster on Mercedes W168, but then I installed an electric booster from KIA CEED. Energy consumption is much less, there is no noise at all, and it is controlled via the canbus perfectly.

[Alibro]

I also first tried to run the electric hydraulic booster on Mercedes W168, but then I installed an electric booster from KIA CEED. Energy consumption is much less, there is no noise at all, and it is controlled via the canbus perfectly.

That's an interesting choice using a pump from a Kia, I believe the Volvo pump is CAN controlled but for now I just have 12V directly from the battery on the high current connections and 12V pos from the ignition switch to power it up.
Have you thread or link to the CAN solution for your Kia pump?

[midway]

The electric amplifier communicates with the dashboard all the time.
Message to the dashboard:
5E4 3 00 02 00
If the ESD is activated in the dashboard, then this message turns off the indicator. The sending frequency is approximately 200ms. For EUR from KIA Cerato 3 There is a different message ID. Once I check it, I'll write another entry.

In turn, the dashboard sends a message in the format:
4F1 8 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
To request and change the operating mode of the electric power steering (who knows, when you first press to change the operating mode, the current mode is first displayed and subsequent presses change it), the dashboard changes the message to
4F1 8 00 00 00 01 00 01 00 00
In response to this message, the EUR changes the message to
5E4 3 00 10 00 - Comfort mode
5E4 3 00 08 00 - Normal mode
5E4 3 00 09 00 - Sport mode
5E4 3 00 02 00
If the ESD is activated in the dashboard, then this message turns off the indicator. The sending frequency is approximately 200ms. For EUR from KIA Cerato 3 There is a different message ID. Once I check it, I'll write another entry.


void eps()
{
msg.id = 0x4F1;
msg.len = 8;
msg.buf[0] = 0x0;
msg.buf[1] = 0x0;
msg.buf[2] = 0x0;
msg.buf[3] = 0x0;
msg.buf[4] = 0x0;
msg.buf[5] = 0x0;
msg.buf[6] = 0x0;
msg.buf[7] = 0x0;
Can3.write(msg);

msg.id = 0x316;
msg.len = 8;
msg.buf[0] = 0x0;
msg.buf[1] = 0x0;
msg.buf[2] = lowByte(800); //RPM
msg.buf[3] = highByte(800); //RPM
msg.buf[4] = 0x0;
msg.buf[5] = 0x0;
msg.buf[6] = (motorRPM*60.29);//Speed
msg.buf[7] = 0x0;
Can3.write(msg);
}

[Alibro]

New vid

[Alibro]

I mentioned a while ago I was having problems with the car cutting out as I drove. I have to admit it was getting me down as I didn't really know where to look but as sometimes happens fate lent me a hand.
The last couple of times I tried to charge the HV battery it stopped charging after around 30 minutes and I had to restart the charge. This was particularly annoying as I still don't have a way to stop the charging automatically when the battery is full so I need to set a timer to remind me to check it, so had to keep extending the timer.
On Sunday after a charging session I took the car out for a drive and it cut out three times in 2 miles.
I kinda figured the two problems may be connected so I posted about the charging issue in Openinverter.org and after looking at the CAN logs I posted a couple of guys came back with some very helpful solutions.
Long story short after a couple of days chasing it I discovered the timer module I use as a fail safe to control the positive contactor had too many other devices attached to the same power lead and it was glitching. I was able to make the fault occur just by flashing the head lights, not every time but almost and I think it also happened when the brake boost pump kicks in which it does periodically.
Anyway I have driven the car several times since sorting this issue and charged it and it hasn't cut out yet so I'm daring to hope I may have sorted both faults. I plan to make a change so that the timer module triggers a latching relay and take the power for the relay directly from the ignition switch. This way I'll have a decent quality relay controlling the positive contactor instead of a $2 timer module.

Being used for it's intended purpose.

Now I need to look at the drivers window regulator that is making some horrible noises and the rear NS that isn't dropping at all. :rolleyes:

[LRBen]

Now I need to look at the drivers window regulator that is making some horrible noises and the rear NS that isn't dropping at all. :rolleyes:

Still kept some classic Freelander features I see!

Glad to see you sorted out the bugs.

[Alibro]

So it ain't pretty but I happened to have a DPST (double pole single throw) relay with wires soldered to it so I connected it in tonight and tested what would happen if the timer module glitched.

The relay is bottom left if you click on the image or bottom right if you don't.

So far all seems good

This is the tangle of spaggetti I need to tidy up.

And this is where I plan to put the fuse blocks I bought to help with the tidy up.

[Alibro]

Look what just arrived in the post.

The important bit is
"The inspection report concluded that no radical changes had been made to the vehicle to accommodate the new electric system and that no further investigations are required."

This is the news I've been hoping for since starting out on this project so a wee dram to celebrate might be in order later.
It would be rude not to.

[nkiernan]

Well done

[Jacobsmess]

Congratulations

[tom91]

The important bit is
"The inspection report concluded that no radical changes had been made to the vehicle to accommodate the new electric system and that no further investigations are required."

You would be wrong there. They state they cannot change anything on your V5, so this is a bit of a pointless exercise unless this was required for you to insure it.

[Alibro]

I've driven over 70 miles since finding the issue mentioned above and no cutting out despite doing all the things that might have caused it before.
I've also charged a few times without issue and tonight even managed a short (20 minute) charge on a Pod Point charger which wouldn't work before.
This week is getting better and better.

[Alibro]

You would be wrong there. They state they cannot change anything on your V5, so this is a bit of a pointless exercise unless this was required for you to insure it.

If you look at your V5 document there is a portion that states " If you have made changes to your vehicle or if the information is incorrect" you must inform the DVLA .
I'm not a legal expert but I'd suggest failing to tell them would invalidate your insurance if you have an accident.
Having said that the information is still incorrect so was it a complete waste of time? Maybe but at least I have a letter saying it is OK.

[tom91]

If you look at your V5 document there is a portion that states " If you have made changes to your vehicle or if the information is incorrect" you must inform the DVLA

Okay but did they change your V5? add a note or anything regarding it being converted? If not it becomes an endless loop of incorrectness

I believe this mostly is handled via your insurance provider, you tell them what you changed and they note it on the policy.

[Alibro]

Okay but did they change your V5? add a note or anything regarding it being converted? If not it becomes an endless loop of incorrectness

I believe this mostly is handled via your insurance provider, you tell them what you changed and they note it on the policy.

Nope, that is what I meant by the information is still incorrect so you are correct. According to the V5 I should be informing them of the incorrectness in my new V5.

[rstevens81]

just wait till march when the bottom line will not apply as the tax exception for ev's will end (thank you mr sunak) and therefore can not be tied together ...i expect they will just keep sending the letter even after

[SciroccoEV]

Informing the DVLA of errors on the V5C can get you into an infinite loop of ever more errors.

Correcting a spelling mistake on my address once resulted in two more. Fixing that led to the vehicle model description getting corrupted.

[Alibro]

Informing the DVLA of errors on the V5C can get you into an infinite loop of ever more errors.

Correcting a spelling mistake on my address once resulted in two more. Fixing that led to the vehicle model description getting corrupted.

My moto is, "don't go looking for trouble. It will find you soon enough"
I ain't going back to them to stir up a hornets nest.

[Alibro]

I had to drive approx 28 miles to the far side of Belfast today to collect parts for work so figured it was a nice trip for my Freelander EV. When I started the pack was at 398V and when I got home it was around 356 but I had another short journey to do so when I got home this evening the pack was at 354V after driving 60 miles.
It seems that for the first 30 or 40 miles I get around 1 mile per volt, after that it is around 1.5 miles per volt down to around 340V. If I push it I can take the voltage down to 335V but any less and I'm asking for trouble. This gives a comfortable range of around 80 miles or a stressful range of 90V to 100V.
A lot of todays journey was motorway but I stayed under 65mph for most of it. When you're an auld fart like me that's OK, 25 year old me would not have been happy. I need to bare in mind the Freelander is not the most aerodynamic car so high speed would drain the battery much more quickly.

Best of all, since making the changes last week I've driven around 200 miles with no cutting out.

[rstevens81]

Now for DC FC so the young you wouldn't be embarrassed
Good to hear your over you early meeting problems (cutting out) but sounds like a very useable range.

[Alibro]

Now for DC FC so the young you wouldn't be embarrassed
Good to hear your over you early meeting problems (cutting out) but sounds like a very useable range.

DC FC? Wot that mean?

I'm delighted with the range but need to be careful when charging and driving near the bottom voltage as I still have no automatic charging stop or a BMS. The batteries have had very little use and were all well balanced when installed so I'm not overly concerned but would like to be able to monitor them. The BMS is on the list of things to do but might have to wait until the weather warms up a bit as I have a lot of soldering and tinkering to do in the boot. I have taps to every cell that is difficult to reach but not the ones in the boot.
The charging control may happen a bit sooner if I figure out how to do it.