Building an Electric Car - EV Parts - Reading Nissan Leaf BMS CANBUS. OBD2 and LeafSpy

[@alpaykasal2902]

hi Shane, great channel, I love the amount of detail and your steady pace. I learned more from you than days of going down the rabbithole. Question, I'd like to split a 360v Leaf battery into 2 180v parallel for use with a Hyper9hv motor (it's controller says it can take a max of 180v). i'd like to use the Leaf BMS with LeafSpy. Would you know expect the BMS would work as expected if I split the 360v in two? Since you were able to dynamically remove singular packs, i assume it'll still balance packs no matter what my configuration is. Thanks in advance.

[@PerformanceEV]

Thanks. It should be achievable, the system seems to split the cells into groups so as long as you get the wiring right, it should be okay. I didn't see anything in the wiring to the BMS that read full pack voltage, it seems to be a calculated value based on individual cells. Good luck with the project, I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

[@alpaykasal2902]

@@PerformanceEV Thanks for the insight! I'm pretty excited. I used to shoot and edit video in a past life, so I may document the process on youtube to potentially help others in the way your videos have helped me. I'll be sure to touch in with you as things progress. I'm picking up the vehicle today! Great fun.

[@kingofl337]

I would recommend you consider an Arduino Due as it is a lot faster, built-in CANBUS, and has more memory. You'd still need a CANBUS level shifter.

[@PerformanceEV]

Thanks, someone else mentioned the Due as well. I think I'll have to pick one up and give it a try.

[@greg778123]

Have you figured out how to reset the BMS SOH for when you replace a few cells?

[@Tom-evnut]

What year is your Porsche? The boxster 2002 I worked on (same canbus quite similar cluster) does the tach and temperature over canbus. The fuel gauge is a weird one due to the strange saddle bags and uses fuel level sensor and fuel consumption over can to work. Why not use the DUE onboard can? You just need to wire in 3.3V transceivers for it to work, alot more powerful then an SPI based can controller.

[@PerformanceEV]

1998, I think Porsche switched to a more Canbus based system in 01 or 02. The only things I have been able to find on mine seem to relate to the tiptronic transmission...which is now sitting in the corner of my garage:-) I hadn't picked up that the due had onboard can, may have to pick one up and have a play, thanks for the heads up

[@Retrospelaren]

Hello. Thanks for a informative video. I learned a lot. If I have half a Leaf battery (24packs) and I "trigger" the BMS with leaf spy, does the BMS release a relay when it's fully charged? Or do I have to monitor the CAN bus and cut off the power my self?

[@PerformanceEV]

Thanks. Leaf spy is just reading the values from the bms, rather than triggering anything. The BMS doesn't seem to trigger anything, but rather reports information back to the VCU via CAN which then instructs the other components to fire. The only active role the BMS seems to pay is the cell balancing within the pack.

[@pashko90]

Does it have reference to Damien?

[@willdatsun]

Is it possible to use a leaf pack in its entirity, not even opening it, and talk to it with an arduino or something to activate the contactors for charging , connect a charger to it, draw power from it and read battery state of charge etc?

[@PerformanceEV]

Let me take a look at the wiring, but I am pretty sure you could. The round connector has can bus connections for comms, 12v and ground for the BMS and then 12v and ground for the contactors. There are a few interconnects that provide continuity only when the battery disconnect and the external hv connections are in place, the BMS wants to see these in place.

[@richardwallinger1683]

durr my brain hurts .. you are one cool cookie.

[@conradroedern2514]

Is your Leaf-Porsche up and running by now? Sorry man, but your setup in this video looks kind of dangerous with all these bare battery connections and flying wires, considering that these cells produce tremendous short circuit currents.

[@PerformanceEV]

Not yet, it's been a quiet 6 months, back up working on it again now, with new videos out soon. The pack won't be going in exactly like that, the wires are now bundled together and routed between the terminals and I will be using a combination of the Nissan terminal covers and an additional layer of thick rubber to prevent any short circuits.

[@f.l9716]

Cuanto cuesta ese equipo

[@seanmoday]

Are you available for consulting work?

[@PerformanceEV]

Hi Sean, yes, I am. If you want to contact me directly, info at performance-ev.co.uk is the best email address to use.

[@ryanbasseri4209]

OBD = On Board Diagnostics ODB = Old Dirty Bastard That is all...

[@PerformanceEV]

Haha, thanks, I always seem to get order of letters in acronyms wrong.

[@DrLexus-iz5hy]

Как американцы много болтают....