Freelander 1 Freelander EV

Alibro said:

This means to use a micro controller like an Arduino should be fairly easy to implement if I can figure out how to tell the controller the speed of the car. In theory I should be able to read the CAN from the ABS sensor to tell how fast the car is travelling but my understanding of CAN and programming of Arduino will need a boost before that will happen

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There's no need for CAN injection or reading Ali. There is an analogue speed signal already processed by the CCU which is output to the audio system as a variable PWM. This is so the audio system can alter the speakers volume based on vehicle speed, higher speeds means more road and engine noise, so the louder the audio system becomes.
It shouldn't be too difficult to program an Arduino to interpret a PWM into a control signal for a transistor to provide a voltage derived from the PWM.

I'm thinking that a similar system could be used to drive the fuel gauge based on voltage instead of a PWM, which again controls a transistor to alter the resistance seen by the Ipack ECM.

Nodge68 said:

There's no need for CAN injection or reading Ali. There is an analogue speed signal already processed by the CCU which is output to the audio system as a variable PWM. This is so the audio system can alter the speakers volume based on vehicle speed, higher speeds means more road and engine noise, so the louder the audio system becomes.
It shouldn't be too difficult to program an Arduino to interpret a PWM into a control signal for a transistor to provide a voltage derived from the PWM.

I'm thinking that a similar system could be used to drive the fuel gauge based on voltage instead of a PWM, which again controls a transistor to alter the resistance seen by the Ipack ECM.

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Sounds great mate, I never knew such a volume control system existed. Usually when I pull up the racked is deafening.
Is it will a 12V signal? If so it will need a way to reduce the voltage for the Arduino to cope.

Alibro said:

Sounds great mate, I never knew such a volume control system existed. Usually when I pull up the racked is deafening.
Is it will a 12V signal? If so it will need a way to reduce the voltage for the Arduino to cope.

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It looks like the ABS module is responsible for outputting the PWM to the rest of the vehicle modules.
I've no idea of the voltage, but would guess that it's pulled to ground, like most inputs/outputs in a vehicle. Even if it was a positive voltage, a simple restistance divider could be made to deliver whatever voltage you needed with minimum fuss.

New video out last night.

While sorting a few bits today I connected the CAN from the EVBMW VCU to the dash and immediately the rev counter and temp gauge started working.
I knew the VCU had code to control parts of the BMW E46 dash so hoped it would work with my 04 Freelander and it seems to. It also has a WiFi signal which sends a web page to show RPM and Temp among other things and they seem to agree with each other.
I also managed to squeeze the code for controlling the power relays and the code for controlling the coolant pump onto a single Arduino so that will help to tidy up the electronics side a bit. It is very basic stuff for folk who can program but for me it was an achievement.

The issue I now have is I'm probably at the point where it would make sense to start transferring everything into the proper car. This means stripping everything out, cleaning and painting the frames and boxes then sealing them up but I'm not sure it is a good time of the year to do this, paint doesn't dry well in the cold and damp. Also I'd rather have the proper car stripped of everything ICE, cleaned up and MOT prepped before stripping the test mule car but I don't want to leave it outside in the winter as everything will get rusty so I'm in a bit of a quandary as to what to do.
Probably I'll just potter away with bits and pieces doing a little every week until my current contract finishes and I'll have more time to work at it.

Alibro said:

While sorting a few bits today I connected the CAN from the EVBMW VCU to the dash and immediately the rev counter and temp gauge started working.
I knew the VCU had code to control parts of the BMW E46 dash so hoped it would work with my 04 Freelander and it seems to.

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I was only thinking about using BMW 3 series CAN data on your EV project the other day Ali.
It's not like a rev counter is particularly useful in an EV, but it also might be useful to you if you're trying to get the most efficiency out of the motor.

Nodge68 said:

I was only thinking about using BMW 3 series CAN data on your EV project the other day Ali.
It's not like a rev counter is particularly useful in an EV, but it also might be useful to you if you're trying to get the most efficiency out of the motor.

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I was thinking it would be good to know I wasn't revving the gearbox too fast. Not sure it would be an issue but JIC.

So I've spent quite a few hours going through the wiring under the bonnet trying to tidy things up, shorten some wires, lengthen others and move the VCU from under the bonnet to the glove box area inside the car. At the same time I tried to make it as simple as possible to move everything when the time comes.



As you can see from the battery voltage the car is turned on and ready to go.
When I turn the ignition key the contactors all kick into life, the coolant pump starts, the 12V charger turns on and the throttle works.
Obviously there are a lot of bits still to tidy up and I need to connect up the power steering pump and install the brake boost pump, reservoir and control board so they will be next but once all that is done the car will be fully operational. I also now have a manual HV disconnect as well as the contactors in the boot so when that is installed it should meet relevant safety standards.

Looking good Ali. There's no room for a frunk or froot in there though.

Nodge68 said:

Looking good Ali. There's no room for a frunk or froot in there though.

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LOL, I'm thinking of putting the eBike controller for the PS pump in the boot for that reason.

Alibro said:

LOL, I'm thinking of putting the eBike controller for the PS pump in the boot for that reason.

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Can you not squeeze that in the front somewhere?

Nodge68 said:

Can you not squeeze that in the front somewhere?

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Possibly but I need to squeeze in a 48V battery too and the only space available is low down where it will get a lot of road spray. I think it's just easier to keep it inside the car.

The underbonnet area is starting to look very professional

rob_bell said:

The underbonnet area is starting to look very professional

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Thanks mate.
I need to tidy up the HV connection you can see at the bulkhead and the old ECU wiring but I'm thinking of starting the move to the good car soon so there isn't any point in spending much more time on this car. The power steering and brake boost would be easier to sort while the engine bay is empty and other than those there isn't much more to do on the electrics to get it ready for the road. (plenty of things to tweak things of course ).
That means parking this one outside for a few weeks while the good car is de-iced and tidied up but I'll probably wait a couple of weeks until I've finished the contract I'm working on. That way I'll be able to work on it most days.

One big decision I have come to is I will have to figure out a way to get the car on the road without the lower rear battery box (under the car anyway) and find a way to secure the front battery/power steering cradle without drilling holes in the chassis legs. The more I have read about issues with DVLA and what they consider "Radical Alterations" the less I want to give them an excuse to fail the car. A single hole drilled anywhere that they consider "chassis" could cause them to fail it and in a monocoque chassis car that is pretty much every panel.
Both things are totally do-able so I'm not concerned it will cause issues and I might even retro fit the lower battery box after the conversion is approved but will decide on that later. In reality the car will still drive even without it and the 6 modules it holds however the BMS will not be happy.

This is looking so good! Dont forget to do the OWUT once in a while though

kernowsvenski said:

This is looking so good! Dont forget to do the OWUT once in a while though

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OWUT????? Is that some new boy band or reality TV show?

Alibro said:

OWUT????? Is that some new boy band or reality TV show?

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In all seriousness, have you any thoughts on how the increased power/torque will affect things like the IRD, VCU, diff and the various UJs?

kernowsvenski said:

In all seriousness, have you any thoughts on how the increased power/torque will affect things like the IRD, VCU, diff and the various UJs?

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There may be a bit more torque but the Leaf inverter is only 80kW or around 107hp so I'm not overly concerned about the transmission.
Most of the wheel spin is probably due to a lighter front end which will stop when the prop shaft is back on.

Alibro said:

Most of the wheel spin is probably due to a lighter front end which will stop when the prop shaft is back on.

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It'd be interesting to get it on a weigh bridge to see what the actual weight is.
I'm thinking it'll be a bit lighter at the front, and a bit heavier at the rear. If you're lucky, it'll give a nice 50/50 balance.