I’ve cobbled together some “pictorial diagrams” showing the wiring of the Speedster. These are a bit awkward. Rather than drawing schematics, I’ve kind of put together a bit of a wiring diagram using little pictures that might be more understandable to those unaccustomed to schematic diagrams, and probably annoying to those who are.
I’ve split these into three individual diagrams, that overlap a bit. The first is a high voltage distribution diagram. This depicts the basic distribution of your 120vdc battery pack voltage.
The second of these shows 12vdc power distribution. In the High Voltage diagram we applied pack voltage to a Chennic DC-DC converter. In this diagram, we route the output to the existing 12v distribution fuse block in the vehicle, and thence to the ignition switch and all the 12v items we’ve added to the car.
The Instrumentation and Control diagram shows the throttle, brake transducer, and other inputs INTO the Curtis 1238 controller to drive the car. It also depicts our added instruments to derive AH, SOC, voltage, etc from the system.
Finally, I’ve uploaded a Microsoft XCEL spreadsheet showing all our current Curtis 1238 configuration parameters. This spreadsheet ALSO shows all our Victron BMV600HS configuration parameters. You can download the spreadsheet here.
Nice.
Obviously, this is far more valuable a configuration than something just for a reproduction Speedster.
Jack & Co., its fair to say you have developed the latest “industry standard”*** AC VW conversion package. This would work not only for the millions of surviving VWs, but also for the plethora of cool old kit car bodies kicking around on sad pans waiting for attention. Case in point: an exquisitely rare and super interestingly proportioned Brubaker Box now on ebay: 170525717540. Yeah, its a little cut up, but you’ll probably never see another one.
Anyway, this really does open up possibilities for the many, many guys that can easily put an old kit car/VW package on the road, but can’t do the EV side of the planning. These things make such crappy cars with that stinky fuel tank up front and the loud, shaky, greasy motor in back, but all that changes with electric power! And now there’s a better, more complete solution than has been available so far to build a nice electric one.
It isn’t just the kit car guys, either. I think there are plenty of VW guys who would dive into this with their Beetles, Squarebacks and Karmann Ghias. Certainly, you have a primer for them.
The trick for you guys is to collect the documentation you now have, add maybe a little more on the sourcing side, and package it up nicely for dissemination in a video & data DVD pack. You could start a community around it in the EVTV Forums.
Then get Brian to work those old HotVW contacts and start shouting about it in the VW magazines. Better yet, buy a cherry or even unbuilt Bradley GT II (these are surprisingly easy to find) and publicly make an Ebay fund-raising giveaway car to benefit the families of the men killed on the oil rig in the Gulf. That would both show how easy it is, and why you are doing this. I actually love this idea. You might even be able to do it at the Vegas SEMA show- the way they used to build up T-Bucket roadsters right on the exhibition floor over the course of two days (at the Oakland Roadster Show and other events) 50+ years ago. That would be truly sensational…
OK, OK, I know you guys are busy and the “order the whole thing new” aspect of the Beck Speedster is your focus, but this package is really so much more than that. You’ve made a VW and kit car EV converter’s dream come true, and its truly worthy of a much wider audience.
Bravi.
*Alright, a word about “industry standard” as it applies to this frothy EV component business from my previous post.
I was waiting to hear something about your Masterflux experience because that is a cool new product and it would really beat a treadmill motor on a Sanden compressor for a conversion. I should’ve guessed it would be the usual course of EVTV development:
First, you buy something newly developed because it seems to be a (finally available) solution to a long-standing EV problem. The distributer seems to know it will work for you. It could be anything from a motor to instrumentation or an air conditioner. So you get it, and it doesn’t work right at all.
The next thing that happens is comically predictable: the distributor throws you under the bus. They have lots of ideas about how you ruined the product, installed it wrong, or otherwise made it your fault. When pressed, they always admit not only that they have no experience with the product for the purpose they sold it to you, but actually no one they know does, either. Thank god its you and not some guy who just can’t manage that crap, Jack, and I know you know how I mean that…
Then, you turn to the manufacturer. Those experiences have range from great to terrible, and usually you get that full range with the same manufacturer as they work the problem and you. Mostly, whether they are supportive or not doesn’t matter, because as a group they haven’t been able to fix a single one of the problems you’ve had with their various products. You’ve been largely on your own to make these “products” work, or discover why they can’t and how they need to be redesigned, and again, thank god for all of us that its been you in that breach and not someone whose project would die of this disease: Early Adopteritis. Oh, the pain and swelling…
Its fun to watch, though. I really, really feel for you pulling motors, blowing fuses, burning wiring, getting ripped off on batteries, smoking components, etc., but apparently someone has to do it to help us all get past this stage. Such is the state of the art in the EV component “industry.” It makes what you are doing a real double-edged sword- on the one hand, you’re helping to make it easier to do a proper EV conversion, and on the other you’re revealing why its still so damned difficult and expensive, especially on the supplier support side. Its such a mixed bag that sensible folk should still probably stay away from much of this new and promising stuff.
Anyway, know that your sustained effort is appreciated.
TomA
Thanks Tom. Yes, I think the layout would pretty well work on any VW transaxle based car. With those drawings and the configuration file anyone should be able to do it.
As to the air conditioner, I don’t know if you read the latest on the earlier post, but we fixed it today and I am pumped. Yes, it is very strange but Mark S suggested a diode and just happened to have just the thing laying on the workbench for about a year. I bolted it on in 10 minutes and it TOTALLY cured the A/C problem. I’ve already notified the distributor of the fix. So hopefully they will be INCLUDING such a diode in any future sales of this item to prevent someone else from going through 7 WEEKS OF BULL HOCKEY.
What you describe is true. But we are hardly unique in coming up with fixes. The difference is, we are publishing our adventures so others can learn with us. People are doing this all over the country. But they are of course a bit embarassed to report the failures. It’s kind of hard to embarass me at this stage. Again, all the learning is in the mistakes, not in the successes.
Its a two-way street, Jack.
Your publishing your problems puts centuries of experience on them, and gets them fixed. Your climate control problems are maybe the best example of this. It seems your issues have mostly been easy catches for guys who really know these systems.
The sad fact is those haven’t been the guys who sold you the equipment…
Hello Jack and Brian (sorry for my English)
This is a great idea, because i am one of those unaccustomed to schematic, and still have the dream of building an electric car… and the “putting all together” part, is very important. And of course, see all the videos…sometimes i have no idea what a hell are you talking about, but i got the picture.
Best regards,
Luís Costa / PORTUGAL (EUROPE)
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