Improved performance

Yesterday I inverted my Potbox (the little device that controls acceleration from the 'gas' pedal) and immediately noticed I was able to get more out of my EV. The cable now travels in a straight line to the Potbox and my hill climbing is much better. Even better too is that I now have an ammeter to gauge how much I'm asking from the controller and motor, so I can see which gear draws higher amps and thus can down/up shift to save on the power I'm drawing. It would be nice to know the motor rpms (so I could know when in fact I should shift to avoid redlining it) as hill climbing - like a gas vehicle- is better in a lower gear.

The lamentations I expressed a few days ago are less, though I still think an extra battery would help things out. Simply (but pricey) solution...

Homemade A/C system

Saw this at a local EV meeting (MAEAA) and while I'm not too concerned right now about sweating like crazy as I drive in this heat, when I'm teaching I don't really dig pit-sweat...Great instructables on it here

Good range so far, but controller overheating

So I had my first drive today to/from my new workplace. Thankfully the trip (w/ a small 2-mile side trip for lunch) only took me down to just below 50% DOD (that's depth of discharge). After some research the past few days, it seems the following things are good for your batteries:

1. It is best to charge around the 50% point, even though one can safely discharge down to 80%.
2. One should avoid opportunity charging (charging whenever you stop) as that will 'cycle' the batteries too often and lead to a shorter battery pack lifespan.
3. One should charge just after driving to avoid sulfation on the battery plates. Not really sure what that means other than the lead plates loosing the power to transfer energy due to build up of material (sulfur) on their surface.
4. Disconnect the pack after charging to de-energize it (this I need to read more on, but it makes some logical sense - the energy is not lost in heat or doesn't flow through the whole pack but becomes isolated and stored w/in each battery).

So, since my roundtrip commute is about 17 miles, my test today shows that if I gain some range here after a few more charges, I'll have guessed right that my pack is good for my range purposes - commuting to/from work while still being able to make small trips to the store, library, etc. Then, I'll charge in the afternoon/evening.

With performance though, it is another, and more depressing, story. I think my pack may be too small for the hills on Wornall road past 75th as my controller almost burned out on the way home. I think the main issue was that my controller was in the afternoon sun today (which it was above 90F today w/o any clouds) and so on the way home I again heard the 'going thermal' high pitched whine as I climbed a few hills. Also, I may have had a lurch happen in the vehicle at one point, but I'm not sure as I was taking my foot off the pedal everytime I heard the whine and coasting a lot when I could.

Not to mention, I'm spending too much time floored to get up hills as the pack get below 20%-30% DOD. Going to work it is ok, a bit hard up steep hills, esp if I hit any red lights and have to start up from a stop going uphill, but overall I had a fine ride going there. Coming home was a different story.

I'm going to try a light, breathable cover to go over the control board so as to avoid afternoon sun. I thought about a curtain, but...that's way overdetermined - an orange VW w/ curtains!?

I'm leaning towards getting another T1275 to make this a 108V system, so as to increase my power and decrease the amps I draw when climbing hills. Hopefully that may address stressing the controller, but I'm not sure, I'll need to look into it.

Driving only w/ gauges would help a lot. They should be here tomorrow or Friday. What I've been doing is constantly checking the pack w/ my multi-meter before/after every drive, as the voltage climbs a few hours after a drive and is much lower just after you stop driving. Also, I've been shifting a lot to insure I'm not going to burn out the motor or overstress the controller - but of course, the latter seems to be happening. 1st gear up to 15mph, 2nd up to 30mph, 3rd up to 40mph, 4th no more than 50mph. What I need to read up on is what gear to be in when climbing between 25-30mph.

The short of it is this: this car may be a bit heavy for a 96V system on a Curtis 1221C controller and an 8" Advanced DC motor. Probably I should have spent more $$ and gone w/ 120V pack, 1231C Controller, and a 9" motor. But, I didn't. So, I need to shed some weight, drive more strategically and conservatively, keep the car components cool by installing another fan on the controller, and making sure it stays out of the hot sun.

The don't ask/don't tell policy

If they don't ask, is it deceptive not to tell? From reading forums, this seems to be the approach people take: if the insurance company does not ask if you've made modifications to the vehicle or what kind of motor you are running, don't confuse them by volunteering the information that you drive a self-converted electric vehicle.

Well, not sure if this is deception, rationalization, or just the ordinary way of dealing with bureaucracies, but a major insurance company (which we were already rejected by) insured my vehicle. So, I'm now almost legit - just a little more paperwork for registration. Inspection went w/o a glick, although the mechanic wanted to know what he should put for the emissions rating...

This morning I filled a few of the batteries w/ distilled water - after a full charge last night - and got about 15 miles on a charge while only 50% discharged. My first official test at range and discharge. Thankfully my pack is well balanced (only varied between 12.85V and 12.94V between the batteries after a full charge), though I am getting a bit nervous that the hills here are going to dramatically reduce my range and that I'll need an extra battery or two as a 96V system may not be enough over the winter.

Battle over EV insurance

We are currently trying to get this car insured, so it can be registered and inspected in the State of Missouri (aka street legal), and finding that insurance companies (Geico, Progressive [ironic], Liberty Mutual [doesn't that read 'together we are free?', State Farm, et al) are downright ignorant about insuring a vehicle that does not run on gasoline. I'm not speaking of the individual sales people (most were interested and delightfully shocked that this is possible), but the institutional rules they are constrained by.

I'll spare you the boring details, but I'm finding many suggest not telling the agent the car is electric-powered (and converted by me, not a certified mechanic), which I think is a bad idea as I don't want to get into an accident (esp. if it is my fault) and find out I'm paying for everything b/c the details weren't properly agreed to.

I can only imagine I'll find something but still, the what-if of not finding insurance makes me nervous.

A huge sigh of relief

I just climbed a relatively long incline and actually hit 45mph in 3rd gear doing so. Thanks to Tom and Bob at Vee Village (on 16th and Oak in KC) for all their knowledge and helpful work, I now not only have a re-built front braking system (complete w/ new calipers and hoses), but, to top it off, a stellar motor mount. Little did I know (another recurring theme here) that the torque of the motor was only being absorbed by the transaxles and the soft rubber 'mountpoint' of the transmission (not really load bearing or made to twist). Thus, I was not only loosing acceleration power due to my locked front calipers (creating serious wheel drag), but the full torque of the motor wasn't being utilized properly. Notice too Tom's great design in putting arms for strength from the back of the motor to the adapter plate mountpoint. These will double as a place to attach a water protection shield for the motor and control board. Needless to say, I now feel this car is roadworthy...well, almost - now I need to properly register it. Thanks again Vee Village!

Newsflash: Brake work improves range

So if I would have totally worked through a brake issue I ignored 4 years ago (b/c the pedal seemed stiff enough), and then re-ignored starting again in April, my initial range would have been dramatically different. Thankfully, I jacked up the front end and found out that they are rubbing quite a bit and slowing down the driving a lot. I'm breaking down and having someone look over the front brakes, calipers, and hoses since that is clearly where the problem is (from evidence of heating up wheels, noise, and severe brake pad wearing over 15-20 miles driven). I'm quite excited, as I think that what I took to be a battery/motor range issue is actually a mechanical issue.

This seems to be a pattern here - w/ my wiring issue, my range issue, my motor issue - simple solutions that I overlook in my haste to get this running....

Driving around

I'm thankfully noticing that my range is improving and the climbing of hills out here a bit more possible. Not that I've been unable to climb some (I never thought Kansas City, MO had hills), but I did find out that the classic high-pitched sound you hear when just pressing the accelerator should not be heard past 0-3mph. I heard it and was told that is the controller 'going thermal' (meaning almost overheating). Not good, so I've got to either shed some weight or drive more conservatively. The car needs some brake work done, so that is next. And the ratchet strap that is acting as a motor mount needs to be replaced w/ something more permanent. But overall, wow, what a fun ride. You can barely see it, but I put an oval "EV" sticker on the back of the car for identification. Already I've had some hilarious encounters w/ people wondering why they don't hear the classic VW engine noise or 'what's all those wires in the back?'.

Whew, finally....

Around noon I lowered this from the jackstands and drove it off of the slab and around the block. What a relief. Humorously I thought I had no reverse gear (and needed a forward/reverse switch), but then remembered VW has the stick push/shift for reverse.

This sight is one I've been waiting for for a long time, to see it on its first charge. Now I just need to register it w/ the State of Missouri and get a motor mount (right now the motor is secured by a strong rachet strap). Quite relieved and excited, though that's a bit understated. I'll be now spending time fixing up some of the rust and other things I put off to get this thing roadside.

In short, it took me about 100 hours of actual physical labor time to get this far, though the mental labor time started somewhere in early April and is on-going. I was given this car by my closest friends, who are generous and supportive people. They didn't want to deal with the mechanical issues but wanted it 'in the family'. I didn't want to deal with used car issues either, so I converted it, thus eliminating most of the issues I hate working on w/ cars (e.g. fuel pumps, oil seals, head gaskets, radiators, water pumps, etc, etc).

As an homage to my voltmeter wire, I'll leave this as a reminder to myself to not stop thinking.

Square 3820.1113

Ok, so I got back to the place I was earlier today and just posted this on a few EV lists trying to get some help as tonight, after I cleaned up my major mistake (I'm still reeling from that, so scary), I tried to troubleshoot again and found myself still unsure why things aren't working properly. So, here's another place I'm posting in case anyone has answers who might possibly stumble onto this posting.

So I literally only have to solve this problem and then I'll have my '73 squareback roadside instead of on jackstands. So, I am pleading for help here as I am totally stumped. I'll try to best explain this problem.

Essentially, I am able to run the motor when I connect a cable from the KSI terminal directly to the secondary contactor (battery side), skipping over both the 12V/30A relay and the KLK fuse (I'm following the EVA wiring diagram). I tried a new relay and new KLK fuse to eliminate those issues, as well as tested the ohm readings on the potbox and adjusted it (1-3 ohms disengaged and maxs out around 4800, and reads under 100 before it 'clicks on'). I've even tried to adjust the microswitch on the potbox, but I'm not sure I did it right and also it didn't seem to have any effects. Unfortunately, the motor doesn't engage when I have it wired up from KSI to relay (30), relay (87) to KLK fuse, KLK fuse to secondary contactor. I even tried connecting up the two input wires together (that usually go to 'Com' and 'No' on the potbox) to close the secondary contactor w/ the ignition switch instead of the pedal and that didn't effect performance.

In case it helps, here are a few general points. I have a 1221c Curtis controller on a 96V system w/ two Curtis SW220 contactors. I have test the 8" DC motor w/ a 12V battery and it spins the wheels. I have tested the voltage on the battery side of both contactors and register 96.8V as well as from B+ to B- on the controller when the potbox lever is engaged. I register 90% of this from the KSI (positive probe) and the negative side of the first battery (negative probe).

If I need to include more information for troubleshooting, I'll be happy to add it.

I need to find out more about microswitch adjustment on the potbox, but the Curtis manual unfortunately is not much help there.

My new prediction is that I'll either: sell this car, set it on fire, or watch it rust to nothingness while I continue to try to fix it. I've committed the ultimate newbie fallacy on this blog: predicted success rates and completion times when I don't even know what success and completion look like. I should have learned by now that it will be done when it is done, and I won't know when or how until well after that point looking backwards.

stopped thinking and livid

The microswitch on the potbox turned out not to be the problem as I bypassed the potbox (thus having the secondary contactor turn on w/ the ignition) and it still didn't work. So, back to the drawing board. I tried attaching the ksi to the secondary contactor via the line from the KLK to the secondary contactor, and didn't stop to think that the voltmeter cable was also in the connection (w/o the 2amp fuse, which is hard to find). I just fried my voltmeter cable by connecting it up wrong w/ the ksi to secondary contactor. Seeing smoke pour out after I turned on the ignition was not what I needed to see. I hesistated posting this, but hey, this is part of what happens when you get close to completion and stop thinking and backtracing connections to ensure safety, especially when bypassing. I'm so discouraged and embarrased, but it could have been much worse. I'm going to check all my input wiring now for melted insulation and this will hopefully solve my problem in the process, though doubtful...

Potbox Microswitch issue

I'm told (again by Bob at EVA) that the microswitch in my potbox needs adjusting as the ohm's being generated are greater than is acceptable for the high-pedal protection. This fine tuning is so hard to do when I don't know how hard to turn the screws. I could bypass this, connect the two positive wires together which are part of the ignition switch line and drive the vehicle, but I like the second contactor coming on w/ the pedal, not the ignition switch. Hopefully still today I'll be cruisin' down the street.

Not w/ a bang, but a whimper

Today was painfully ended by the darkness when I think I may actually be at the point that I can lower the car off the jackstands and drive it off this pad. It is a long (and probably boring) story of today's work, but I am hopeful that tomorrow will be the day...

Here's the short (or possibly medium) version. I thought I had a bad controller or that my motor-transmission connection was bad and thankfully, it was neither. I did the 12V battery test to the motor first thing this morning and was delighted to see the wheels turnover. Then, after some troubleshooting w/ Bob at EV America (who has been in this business at least 20 years was himself confused), he suggested to bypass the relay and the KLK fuse and go from the KSI terminal directly to the secondary contactor on the positive (battery) side. Did this w/ some spare jumper cables and viola, when I depressed the pedal the wheels turned over and I heard the high-pitched whirl I've read about.

So, this afternoon I worked all through trying to find out how to fix my input wiring issue. Thankfully, nothing in the 2/0 cable run is miswired. Everything checks out. To omit what is actually the long part to the explanation of this day's work, I think I had the negative side (going to the auxiliary battery, controller fan, and both contactors' negative spade terminals) miswired. This is what I am hoping is wrong, b/c everything else I've checked seems to be showing me that this is where the circuit from the potbox (when I depress the accelerator pedal) is incomplete and thus not sending the signal to the motor from the controller....

We'll see...

There, but....troubleshooting begins

Well, I finally have the cables cut, stripped, connectors crimped, connected, insulated, etc...Everything I can tell is now done, but when I press on the pedal, the motor doesn't turn over. I'm a bit perplexed and hope my motor isn't bad. I'm going to do some thinking tonight but I am hugely relieved to have the battery pack all hooked up and registering on my voltmeter at 96V+ (which is just what I thought via my testing on a few individual batteries). Now it is just figuring out if my controller is bad, my motor is bad, or if some of my more minor wiring is done wrong and impeding a full test. The one thing I'm worried about is that the transmission isn't engaging b/c the gearbox was misaligned w/ my ICE engine removal or that my mounting of motor was done incorrectly. The second doesn't seem to be anything too big to address as it is only four bolts to get the motor off. More later....

Almost there 2.0

This time around, as far as I can tell, I show be test driving the car this week. I just crimped and heat shrinked most of the 2/0 cable today and am only 3 cables shy of the 2/0 being fully done. I still have a few cuts and fuse insertions to do, as well as get the motor mounted and purchase a voltmeter and ammeter. Otherwise, I think that tomorrow I'll review things and possibly take the plunge and complete the circuit and push on the gas pedal...more postings tomorrow, I'm exhausted, but excited.