Progressing well there Tom nice to see it moving under its own steam.
Z3(00S) - EV project
- Thread starter Tom Cheesewright
- Start date
-
- Tags
- electric car
Brilliant work.....
Two of my favourite films! And role models
So, the time has come when I must let a professional examine my work and tell me what a mess I’ve made of it. I know this professional. His name is Jimmy, and I have been taking our cars to him for about the last 9 years. He is as honest and forthright as any mechanic I’ve met. But also prone to taking the p*** out of me. So this could be interesting.
A good vignette of my relationship with Jimmy goes something like this, when I took my wife’s car in for some work:
Me, knowing it is a pig of a job: “Jimmy could you take a look at the blower, it has stopped working.”
Jimmy: “Big job that. The dash will have to come out.”
Me: “I know”
Next day, me, looking at the receipt: “Did you look at the blower?”
Jimmy: “No! Pig of a job that. I told you, you’d have to take the dash out. I don’t want to touch it! Anyway, are you telling me you can build an electric car and you can’t fix a blower?”
Reader, I ended up fixing the blower. Though at least thanks to YouTube, I found a way to do it without taking the dash out.
Ongoing snagging
Anyway, it’s going to be an interesting morning. Between now and then I need to bleed the brakes for a third time, as they are still spongy, and turn off a couple of warning lights.
This can be done in one of two ways. The right way is to hook into the car’s CANBus network and send the relevant modules (dashboard and active stability control) the right information to tell them there is a motor there after all and that it is all working fine.
The wrong way is to take the bulbs out. This isn’t really an issue for the engine management light. After all, there is no engine so I don’t feel bad about that. But I’d like the ASC warning to work properly for obvious reasons, even if the error it’s showing doesn’t actually mean the system isn’t working.
I’ve borrowed some code from Damien Maguire that should send the appropriate CANBus signals and have that loaded up on a spare microcontroller with a CANBus interface so in theory I just need to drop that in place. In theory…
I also noticed a vacuum leak that won’t be helping the braking system so that will need addressing. A 3D printed part combined with some RTV should do it I think.
I should probably give the car a bit of a clean too, to make a better impression. The kids can help with that.
Fully charged
In preparation for the trip to the MOT station I’ve been charging the car. This sadly remains a very manual process at the moment. As In, I have to sit by the car and control and monitor the charging with my laptop by sending/reading CANBus commands/data.
My Spaceballs/SIMP BMS (battery management system) board is in and communicating with the batteries absolutely fine. And I’ve sorted out the signal line that tells the system to go into charge mode. But when it does, it doesn’t yet send out the appropriate commands to the charger to connect to the charge point and begin pulling down electrons. This seems to be an issue with the CANBus communication, but I haven’t yet done any testing to work out what the issue is. It’s not going to stop me getting my MOT and that’s the focus now.
Other than that, there’s just a couple of lights causing problems. One side light, and the reverse lights. Hoping they prove relatively simple…
[UPDATE]: Fixed the CANBus issue with the BMS last night. Just some wrong SPI parameters.
A good vignette of my relationship with Jimmy goes something like this, when I took my wife’s car in for some work:
Me, knowing it is a pig of a job: “Jimmy could you take a look at the blower, it has stopped working.”
Jimmy: “Big job that. The dash will have to come out.”
Me: “I know”
Next day, me, looking at the receipt: “Did you look at the blower?”
Jimmy: “No! Pig of a job that. I told you, you’d have to take the dash out. I don’t want to touch it! Anyway, are you telling me you can build an electric car and you can’t fix a blower?”
Reader, I ended up fixing the blower. Though at least thanks to YouTube, I found a way to do it without taking the dash out.
Ongoing snagging
Anyway, it’s going to be an interesting morning. Between now and then I need to bleed the brakes for a third time, as they are still spongy, and turn off a couple of warning lights.
This can be done in one of two ways. The right way is to hook into the car’s CANBus network and send the relevant modules (dashboard and active stability control) the right information to tell them there is a motor there after all and that it is all working fine.
The wrong way is to take the bulbs out. This isn’t really an issue for the engine management light. After all, there is no engine so I don’t feel bad about that. But I’d like the ASC warning to work properly for obvious reasons, even if the error it’s showing doesn’t actually mean the system isn’t working.
I’ve borrowed some code from Damien Maguire that should send the appropriate CANBus signals and have that loaded up on a spare microcontroller with a CANBus interface so in theory I just need to drop that in place. In theory…
I also noticed a vacuum leak that won’t be helping the braking system so that will need addressing. A 3D printed part combined with some RTV should do it I think.
I should probably give the car a bit of a clean too, to make a better impression. The kids can help with that.
Fully charged
In preparation for the trip to the MOT station I’ve been charging the car. This sadly remains a very manual process at the moment. As In, I have to sit by the car and control and monitor the charging with my laptop by sending/reading CANBus commands/data.
My Spaceballs/SIMP BMS (battery management system) board is in and communicating with the batteries absolutely fine. And I’ve sorted out the signal line that tells the system to go into charge mode. But when it does, it doesn’t yet send out the appropriate commands to the charger to connect to the charge point and begin pulling down electrons. This seems to be an issue with the CANBus communication, but I haven’t yet done any testing to work out what the issue is. It’s not going to stop me getting my MOT and that’s the focus now.
Other than that, there’s just a couple of lights causing problems. One side light, and the reverse lights. Hoping they prove relatively simple…
[UPDATE]: Fixed the CANBus issue with the BMS last night. Just some wrong SPI parameters.
HELP! It appears I have deleted the part of the loom that connects up the reverse switch. I know where the switch is but does anyone know where the hell it connects to? I know it ends up at Fuse 26 in the front power distribution box, but I haven't cut anything away from there.
If anyone can point me to where the wires from the switch go after that I will be eternally grateful, especially if it is in time for me to fix it by 9am tomorrow!
If anyone can point me to where the wires from the switch go after that I will be eternally grateful, especially if it is in time for me to fix it by 9am tomorrow!
This is from Bentley, looks like to fuse box and rear lights but not good at reading these things. Blue and yellow wire. Looks like pin 2 goes to fuse box, pin 1 goes to pin three in connector X6021 (not sure where that is) via 1mm2 wire and then that connects to X1169which ultimately connects to Pin 5 on left reverse light X319 connector
Last edited:
Thanks. I have a version of that from someone here on the forums. I think I've found the original connector with two wires on it: blue and yellow, and green and white. Question now is where to connect it to! Can't see matching sure colours on any of the connectors on the loom.
Is really weird. I thought I only removed stuff from the ECU side of the loom.
Definitely says BL/GE which is the blue and yellow for the wire all the way to the connector for the lights. Green and white must be to the fuse box I assume. Frustrating! I should be paying attention in a work meeting but now studying Bentley diagrams!
Found this on the web "
On the NA cars X6021 connector is in the E-box where the DME (computer) is. Splice X1169 is on the drivers side for the M's and on the passenger side for the non-M's.
On the Euro cars (using '00 data) it shows the splice X1169 being on the drivers side for both, just like NA. Maybe you could take off the E-box cover and check out the 4 pin black connector X6021 pin 3 and see which direction the wire runs. "
as X6021 is the first connector in the chain I'd go looking for that
Found this on the web "
On the NA cars X6021 connector is in the E-box where the DME (computer) is. Splice X1169 is on the drivers side for the M's and on the passenger side for the non-M's.
On the Euro cars (using '00 data) it shows the splice X1169 being on the drivers side for both, just like NA. Maybe you could take off the E-box cover and check out the 4 pin black connector X6021 pin 3 and see which direction the wire runs. "
as X6021 is the first connector in the chain I'd go looking for that
Last edited:
You're a genius! That makes a lot of sense actually. Let me dig in to that.
Thank you so much @demig!
So, turns out a year ago when I first started this project I was testing around the loom and found out that there was a green and white wire that was switched live. I largely built the electrics for all the EV side around that and totally forgot about the blue and yellow wire next to it that I couldn't work out what it did...
Anyway, I now have reversing lights again!
So, turns out a year ago when I first started this project I was testing around the loom and found out that there was a green and white wire that was switched live. I largely built the electrics for all the EV side around that and totally forgot about the blue and yellow wire next to it that I couldn't work out what it did...
Anyway, I now have reversing lights again!
@Tom Cheesewright I am delighted to see this! Glad my ramblings helped. Been following your project with great interest, really hoping you get though the MOT!
I have very low expectations. I'll be happy to avoid a dangerous rating on anything!
Reversing lights working in the image below (pre-boot tidy) and under bonnet shot (post-tidy).
Attachments
The under bonnet picture looks very tidy Tom. Hope the test goes well.
Tony.
Tony.
Cheers Tony. Looking forward to doing some proper cosmetic work on it all. It's going to be one clean machine when I'm done!
So, as predicted, it failed. But not on what I was expecting. Or rather, the stuff I was most worried about (the conversion, my welding) absolutely sailed through. In fact, Jimmy the mechanic called the conversion "impressive". The smile hasn't left my face since.
Big issues:
- Tracking is massively out (not surprising since I don't have the tools for alignment) and you could tell this on the drive over there
- Brake servo isn't working. Clearly my fix of the vacuum leak didn't hold.
Little stuff: bit of sharp-edged rust on the body (soon to be replaced) needs covering up. Need a new sidelight bulb. Couple of nuts need nipping up. and I need to reset the airbag light (forgot about that - plugged the battery in with the seat removed). Oh, and my oil cooling loop for the motor is *still* leaking.
Will try to get all that fixed over the weekend and get it in for a retest next week.
Absolutely buzzing about the drive over there still. So much fun.
Few issues to sort with tuning though. Car stalled a couple of times with over current events and wouldn't get off the rolling road without a shove. I suspect there are just some simple setting tweaks to sort this though.
Onwards!
Big issues:
- Tracking is massively out (not surprising since I don't have the tools for alignment) and you could tell this on the drive over there
- Brake servo isn't working. Clearly my fix of the vacuum leak didn't hold.
Little stuff: bit of sharp-edged rust on the body (soon to be replaced) needs covering up. Need a new sidelight bulb. Couple of nuts need nipping up. and I need to reset the airbag light (forgot about that - plugged the battery in with the seat removed). Oh, and my oil cooling loop for the motor is *still* leaking.
Will try to get all that fixed over the weekend and get it in for a retest next week.
Absolutely buzzing about the drive over there still. So much fun.
Few issues to sort with tuning though. Car stalled a couple of times with over current events and wouldn't get off the rolling road without a shove. I suspect there are just some simple setting tweaks to sort this though.
Onwards!
Been waiting for your post! Not bad list to sort, passed on emissions then
Ha! Yes. And there wasn't even much p***-taking!Been waiting for your post! Not bad list to sort, passed on emissions then
Not too shabby at all Tom. Easy fixes in the main.
Tony.
Tony.
Yep! Already sorted the airbag light and the loose seat mounts. And found a spare bulb that should fit the side lights. Tomorrow I'll diagnose the issue with the servo and try again to stop the oil leak.
Have found a garage that is willing to tackle the tracking - usual place said they won't do anything that isn't OEM! Aiming to get the car back in for testing Wednesday or Thursday.
Oh, and my little group of fellow EV converters has come up with lots of tuning suggestions for performance. Looking forward to testing the car again with some of those implemented.