What have you done to your Freelander today

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Was yesterday evening. Sold the mother in law's V6, to a woman who'd never driven an automatic before, so had to explain how to use the gearbox, as well as the other LR specific stuff.
 
All of which got me thinking about gear changes! There is a direct link to the box input shaft so what happens when you want to change gear while moving? The gearbox will be pushed around by motion of vehicle even if the motor is switched off.
Or is it select and leave it, changes when stationary only? Bit like my Ford Pop with no synchro....
 
andyfreelandy said:
All of which got me thinking about gear changes! There is a direct link to the box input shaft so what happens when you want to change gear while moving? The gearbox will be pushed around by motion of vehicle even if the motor is switched off.
Or is it select and leave it, changes when stationary only? Bit like my Ford Pop with no synchro....
Click to expand...

I've been changing gear without the clutch for years so I'm not too concerned. I started doing it about 10 years ago when my knees began to get very sore due to statins (Don't ask if you don't want a long boring rant about the side effects of statins) If you get the rpm and speed just right it's as smooth a change as any done with a clutch. If you can believe what is said on the Internet it is a bit easier with a motor so hopefully it will be OK. In Damien's videos on Youtube He has no trouble.
The issue with this is regen. If I have regen as soon as I lift my foot off the accelerator then I won't be able to change gear so I will need a way to kill regen while changing gear. I haven't decided how to do this yet but a button on the floor or gearstick would work.
 
Alibro said:
I've been changing gear without the clutch for years so I'm not too concerned. I started doing it about 10 years ago when my knees began to get very sore due to statins (Don't ask if you don't want a long boring rant about the side effects of statins) If you get the rpm and speed just right it's as smooth a change as any done with a clutch. If you can believe what is said on the Internet it is a bit easier with a motor so hopefully it will be OK. In Damien's videos on Youtube He has no trouble.
The issue with this is regen. If I have regen as soon as I lift my foot off the accelerator then I won't be able to change gear so I will need a way to kill regen while changing gear. I haven't decided how to do this yet but a button on the floor or gearstick would work.
Click to expand...
I'm sure the Arduino boys would route the throttle through an Arduino so when you want to change gear it would set the motor to the right speed and do what ever to disable regen - maybe with a touch sensor on the gearstick.
 
GrumpyGel said:
I'm sure the Arduino boys would route the throttle through an Arduino so when you want to change gear it would set the motor to the right speed and do what ever to disable regen - maybe with a touch sensor on the gearstick.
Click to expand...
The VCU I bought from Damien Maguire is basically an Arduino processor chip in a bespoke circuit board but I don't think the other guys try to set an RPM. I think they just turn off regen so you can figure out the RPM with your right foot or lift off completely.
 
Alibro said:
The VCU I bought from Damien Maguire is basically an Arduino processor chip in a bespoke circuit board but I don't think the other guys try to set an RPM. I think they just turn off regen so you can figure out the RPM with your right foot or lift off completely.
Click to expand...
For a minute there I thought you had an electronic VCU, but its a VCU how silly of me :oops:
 
andyfreelandy said:
All of which got me thinking about gear changes! There is a direct link to the box input shaft so what happens when you want to change gear while moving? The gearbox will be pushed around by motion of vehicle even if the motor is switched off.
Or is it select and leave it, changes when stationary only?
Click to expand...

It will be possible to change gear without a clutch, because the motor rotor has almost zero inertia compared to the diesel engine. This will mean the synchro rings should be able to bring both gear hubs into synchronization pretty easily, especially if a slow gear change is being done.

There shouldn't be much need for too many gear changes anyway, as the electric motor will have more than enough torque to start the vehicle moving, even with the box in 3rd or possibly 4th gear.
I envisioned that 1st or 2nd would only be required in off road situations, 3rd and 4th would be gears for normal driving, and 5th just for motorway type stuff.

The Nissan Leaf fixed reduction gear, is about the same as the TD4's 3rd, so it should be just fine if left in that gear for normal driving.

Obviously unlike an ICE engine, the electric motor only spins when needed, so leaving it in one gear is absolutely fine.
 
Nodge68 said:
It will be possible to change gear without a clutch, because the motor rotor has almost zero inertia compared to the diesel engine. This will mean the synchro rings should be able to bring both gear hubs into synchronization pretty easily, especially if a slow gear change is being done.

There shouldn't be much need for too many gear changes anyway, as the electric motor will have more than enough torque to start the vehicle moving, even with the box in 3rd or possibly 4th gear.
I envisioned that 1st or 2nd would only be required in off road situations, 3rd and 4th would be gears for normal driving, and 5th just for motorway type stuff.

The Nissan Leaf fixed reduction gear, is about the same as the TD4's 3rd, so it should be just fine if left in that gear for normal driving.

Obviously unlike an ICE engine, the electric motor only spins when needed, so leaving it in one gear is absolutely fine.
Click to expand...
From what I've seen and heard everything Nodge said is correct, however until I get the car on the road I can't be 100% certain.
I guess you'll just have to watch this space for the qualified answer. ;)
 
Alibro said:
I've been changing gear without the clutch for years so I'm not too concerned. I started doing it about 10 years ago when my knees began to get very sore due to statins (Don't ask if you don't want a long boring rant about the side effects of statins) If you get the rpm and speed just right it's as smooth a change as any done with a clutch. If you can believe what is said on the Internet it is a bit easier with a motor so hopefully it will be OK. In Damien's videos on Youtube He has no trouble.
The issue with this is regen. If I have regen as soon as I lift my foot off the accelerator then I won't be able to change gear so I will need a way to kill regen while changing gear. I haven't decided how to do this yet but a button on the floor or gearstick would work.
Click to expand...

Nearly twenty years ago, when I was a relatively new driver, my work were frequently using hire vans, being (mistakenly) deemed most sensible of the young lads with a car license, but without an HGV license, I was first port of call for getting the hire vans, emboldened by the fact these vehicles weren't mine to repair, I taught myself clutchless changes using the hire vans. I pity the fool who went on to buy any of those vans though, as, erm, my youthful exuberance wouldn't have done those vehicles longetivity any favours. Those hire van gearboxes flagellations were not in vain though, as I later went onto become an HGV driver for a while, and did most of my truck gear changes clutchlessly, and in more recent times I used to drive our Discovery 300tdi clutchlessly.

For your EV, if you got an HDC switch from an automatic freelander, and wired it in, you could use the gearstick mounted button for HDC to put the throttle module into gearshift mode, and have the motor controller inhibit regen. With a bit more work an arduino based system could be made to rev match for you, or more likely your missus?
 
Alibro said:
The VCU I bought from Damien Maguire is basically an Arduino processor chip in a bespoke circuit board but I don't think the other guys try to set an RPM. I think they just turn off regen so you can figure out the RPM with your right foot or lift off completely.
Click to expand...
Any chance of sending us some high res pictures, I'd be keen to have a sniff about that module, see what's involved in it? Despite all my banter about angry pixies, I've two electronics guys in my team, and often I'm working with them, like today I was soldering up 1.0mm wire for 1.25mm JST-GH connectors, but that's a whole other story.
 
Jayridium said:
Any chance of sending us some high res pictures, I'd be keen to have a sniff about that module, see what's involved in it? Despite all my banter about angry pixies, I've two electronics guys in my team, and often I'm working with them, like today I was soldering up 1.0mm wire for 1.25mm JST-GH connectors, but that's a whole other story.
Click to expand...
I'll try to get some shots for you but in the mean time this is where I bought it.

https://www.evbmw.com/index.php/evb...nd-tested-boards/leaf-inverter-controller-kit

And this is the thread about it.
https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=179
 
I've been driving around for a few weeks without the parking sensors working. Today they miraculously repaired themselves. Most odd. It seems I've been visited by helpful pixies.
 
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