Range Test

37 Miles!
So the EMW is back on the road. It spent a couple of months down at the shop getting the fabbed pieces painted and replacing the plywood control board with butcher block (and a brace). I also rewired the MR2 Power Steering pump with official Toyota connectors. I put in VoltBlochers to protect the Odyssey AGMs from overcharging. I also installed the sensor wires for one of the two PakTrakr strings, but haven't run them up to the monitor yet.

However, the PowerSteering still isn't working, and somehow the clutch needs to be bled again. I'll have to keep an eye on the brake fluid reservoir level. It looks like the tap for the clutch is shamefully near the top of the tank-let.

However, in the eternal quest for a bright side, at least it gave me good exposure to clutchless driving. While it would probably workout fine over the long haul, I'll be glad when I have the option of clutching again. There were times when it just didn't want to go into gear.

So the 37 miles: I'd originally hoped for 30-40 miles (see initial posting, 1/12/09). I'm very pleased with the 37. I was running a 3 mile rectangle on the edge of Fayetteville. There were some hills; think of holding two diagonally opposite corners of a piece of paper up about an inch and then running around the edge. So, even though there was coasting, there was also pulling, so I'm calling it roughly similar to daily driving. Two stops per loop; pulled out in 2nd gear. Then a clutchless shift into 3rd for most of the next straight. Two rolling right angle turns; pulled both of those in 3rd. Average speed was probably 35-40mph.

The pack voltage started out around 155V (12x12V Odyssey PC2150 105AH). In general, when the drive is on, the pack voltage drops 10-15V. On that last lap, the open circuit voltage (one of the contactors opens when coasting) was around 135. When I stomped on the pedal coming out of one of the corners, the voltage sank rather than current spiking. If I was more gentle, it would hold up. It was definitely time to limp home.

So, now I know what the range can be, and I know how to recognize when its time to head home. I'll avoid getting so deep into the capacity for the most part. I don't have any budget for replacement batteries.


Here's my current punchlist:

• Bleed the Clutch
• Troubleshoot the PSteering some more
• Rain shield for DC/DC Converter and Commutator end of motor
• Connect PakTrakr monitor, 2nd battery string, and Pack current CT
• Finish and install electric heater core
• Reassemble Interior (dash, console, rear seat)
• Settle on some sort of Radio/GPS/MonitorDashboard device

By the way, I'm still trying to find the right nickname for the car. EMW doesn't really ring. e3 is okay. Then there's 'eemer'. If I left it to the kids, it would wind up with an "ey" on the end; something like "Shockey", "Chargey", or "Beemey". Any suggestions?