METERS, METERS.....AND MORE METERS!

The 12 volt system Volt/Amp Meter was hooked up and was reading current and voltage just fine, so I decided to hook up the traction pack meter. The 12 volt system meter was hooked up to the isolated side of the 12 volt dc-dc isolation converter, so it was disconnected and hooked up to the un-isolated side. The meter came on and read voltage just fine but read zero amps. It seems that both meters will need to run off of an isolation 12 volt dc-dc converter, so another one was ordered from Light Object. I am afraid if I try to run both meters off of just 1 isolation converter, the high voltage will get back to 12 volts on the isolated side and blow the dc-dc converter. I know the traction pack side will work because that was the first meter that was hooked up before I found out that they were not isolated meters and smoked them when hooking up the low voltage side originally.

On to fastening down the loom in the engine compartment. The wiring runs were straightened out and fastened to the brackets and firewall. I will need to disconnect an inline fuse wire and the tachometer lead to reroute them but other that that, the wiring harness is done. 

WIRING RUNS COMPLETED

Then measurements were taken again and some figuring was done to determine if the battery pack will fit in the space between the motor/transaxle and front firewall. If the pack is placed to the passenger side of the engine compartment, it will fit. the rear passenger side of the car is sitting higher, so it appears that I need some additional weight on that side anyway. I am considering adding cells to both modules to increase the voltage anyway, so will make a smaller module that can go on the driver's side to balance the weight in the rear of the car. A cardboard template was made and it appears it is going to be quite a challenge to get the pack in that space without dissembling it.

I am still working on getting all of the Better Place module cells to hold  under 2.7 volts so I can try charging up to get them all to the same voltage level. The module had been discharged until the lowest cell is 2.5 volts several times but some of the cells have still drifted back to above 2.7 volts.

The speedometer wires from the VSS were connected to the wiring harness in the cabin so once the USB cable is finished, the center console can be installed.

SPEEDOMETER WIRES CONNECTED

To finish the interior, the door panels need removed to be painted and to install new outside window seals, so this was as good of a day as any to start.

DOOR PANEL AND ARM REST REMOVED

The temperature in Ohio has been getting close to 90 deg by afternoon, so it has been quite miserable working on the car, even though a lot of little things have been getting finished. We are going to dinner with my Son and his Fiance, so had to knock off a little early but will continue tomorrow.

Randy

WIRING COMPLETION IS LOOMING AHEAD!

Saturday the MC4 Cable Connectors arrived, so the connection was made through the fuse to the positive side of the battery pack for the heater. The diodes for 12 volt positive power, that I had originally thought were needed, arrived also but upon closer inspection of the correct schematic, found that there is a relay that puts power to the fan switch when the heater button is in any position but off. This circuit will make sure the fan is always running when the heater is turned on.

HEATER SCHEMATIC

After the MC4 connectors were made up and the fuse installed in the circuit, the final connection to the traction pack was made.  Then work moved to the inside of the car to make up the control wiring to 12 volts. All of the circuit is completed and ready to connect to the heater control unit when the center console goes back in.

FUSE INSTALLED HEATER CONNECTED

12 VOLT HEATER CONTROL CONNECTIONS

Earlier Saturday morning, I made a trip to Jo Ann fabric and picked up some grained vinyl to cover the top plate on the center console, where the Dell Venue 8 will be mounted. The vinyl was cut and adhesive was used to attach it to the wooden top cover plate. Part of the vinyl was clamped in place and while the adhisive was drying, work was done on other projects. Getting the vinyl attached was a little bit of a challenge, but it ended up working out nicely.

CENTER CONSOLE TOP COVER CLAMPED

TOP COVER AND VENUE 8 MOUNTED

CONSOLE COVER BACK VIEW

Then to the motor compartment, where the wiring was run around the firewall, to determine how much wire will remain inside the car. The project was started on Saturday, so Sunday Morning, I continued by getting out my box of loom and installing it over the new wiring harness run. After the loom was installed, I made up the speedometer plug and started fastening the loom to the firewall. The run from the controller and pot box have not been fastened down yet, so now that all of the wiring is complete, can be attached.

WIRING HARNESS LOOMED

SPEEDOMETER CONNECTION 

The Better Place module was connected to a 40 watt light bulb and readings were taken on each cell to determine the lowest one. As expected, the voltages went down as measurements were taken from the first cells bottom balanced to the last ones. The first few cells were back up to over 2.9 volts and tapered down to the 2.7 range on the other end of the module. The JLD404 is connected to the lowest cell and will be drained down until it reaches 2.5 volts, which is actually around 2.595 volts when measured with the volt meter. Then the pack be allowed to sit for a week or so and try and the low cells will be charged back up to 2.7 volts with the Powerlab 6. I am not sure this will work but it is worth a try, as trying to bottom balance all of them to 2.7 volts through discharging is not working.   

BOTTOM BALANCING CONTINUES

I needed to get a piece of aluminum bar, more loom clamps, and some screws to mount the clamps, so it was time to make a run to Millersport Hardware. Do It Best Hardware seems to be a bit less expensive than the Ace Hardware in Baltimore, OH but the Ace has a better selection of stainless steel fasteners. When I left the hardware store is was just about Beer:30, so I stopped at Valero and picked up a 6 pack of Sam Adams  Rebel IPA. After enjoying a couple if them, it was time for a little NAPcar along with the EVTV Weekley Show. It was getting rather warm outside, so thought it was a good time to take a break before continuing work on the Fiero this evening.

So entertained and refreshed, I went back out and made brackets for the wiring harness runs, while continuing to monitor the Better Place battery module discharge. When I came in around dark, the lowest cell was at 2.58 volts and the highest cell was around 2.75. I am hoping to bring the pack down enough that the highest cell is around 2.7 volts. I have a small night light hooked up and I am hoping that by discharging at a low amp level, the cells will not drift back up as much.

Anyway, that's it for this week, 

Randy