Nissan Leaf Knowledge

For those interested in getting a gen1 or gen2 nissan leaf motor/inverter hacked into your vehicle of choice, there are a few things to know.

The motor controller can be used with this CAN based controller from Thunderstruck EV.

https://www.thunderstruck-ev.com/dilithium-vcu.html

This CAN based controller from Damien Maguire

https://github.com/damienmaguire/Nissan-Leaf-Inverter-Controller

And there is one controller by Johannes Hübner that I can't find. The Paul and Sabrina leaf module replaces the logic board in the inverter with their own design. The features look imoressive!

https://www.pandspowerelectronics.com/product-page/nissan-leaf-2013-2017-replacement-control-board

Looking into the max power out from the inverter, it is set by the power side. 72S is needed for full output power, still unsure of max voltage. Inverter uses 1A at 12V to operate, not terrible.

http://productions.8dromeda.net/c55-leaf-inverter-protocol.html

The DC/DC converter located on top of the motor controller or part of the PDM (Power Distribution Module) can be reused. According to the below, 10V PWM signal running at about 9 HZ on pin 1 and pin 3 goes to +12V to enable. Changing the frequency changes the voltage out, no clue on the relationship there (just don't do 470VDC).

https://insideevs.com/news/324591/nissan-leaf-dc-dc-converter-decoded-video/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJq6gt5YG_E

Leaf motor curve https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-characteristic-curve-of-electric-motor-parameters-for-a-Nissan-Leaf-vehicle-20_fig1_311439823/amp

https://www.pecj.co.jp/en/fuse/ev/ev.html
This is the fuse that came with the Nissan Leaf battery disconnect. It is the 225A one. Looking at the current vs time chart, it looks like it can handle 450A without ever blowing, at 500A it takes 30 seconds, and at 650A it would take 8 seconds.

Shaft spline adapter matches Suzuki Samurai https://youtu.be/232q0KxjMWw

e30

I've had the pleasure of owning a 1984 325e for nearly 9 years. I've had several random ideas to improve the car.

Breakout Box I added a DIY breakout box to the factory ECU as there is no troubleshooting or diagnostic ports to speak of. This allows me to probe with a multimeter to observe the voltages running into and out of the ECU, letting me easily troubleshoot any faulty sensors or outputs.

Under Dash Lights I've added a 5V regulator and USB LEDs to the underside of the dash and seats to add nice ambient lighting when the door is open. As the overhead lights are blocked by my head, this offers some much needed light. Plus it looks really nice!

Digital PWM fan controller My cabin fan resistor popped recently. Instead of replacing the unit, this device allows individual speed settings to replace the factory default ones. This also uses PWM to efficiently change the fan speed to what the user wants.