Sigi_H

I saw, there is a JTAG. Do I need the JTAG Interface for programming it? I think the way to proram it should be very easy. For the Arduino everybody already has all the stuff. So the arguments in favour of the ESP32 are the price and greater computing capacity?

I am not familiar with ESP32. Are there enough I/O? Do not forget all (future) interior switches. For me it is a personal decision not to use CAN but RS485. CAN is not really easy and if you want to organize a project with and for people who never heard about microcontrollers ... its better not to use it. I know there are way better solutions than Arduino and RS485 but for me, this is a goal " if you want to organize a project with and for people who never heard about microcontrollers" The more spezialiced you get, the less people you will reach. The questions for me are: Can it do all I need? Yes, Arduiono, RS485 and ordinary relays can. Is it easy to learn? Yes, everybody can work with Arduino, because it is designed for that. Can I afford it? Yes, the price should be lower than a new harness. The plan is to enable everybody to do the work himself. It should be way less, than installing a new harness. There should be (almost) no cost for additional work. Will it be a lot of work? Yes and no. We have to seperate the work in a part, made outside the car and a part inside the car. The part outside is to do programming and preparing work with Arduino and the small harnesses we need. This can be made in the living room (in winter time 🙂) The part inside the car is hard to predict. Will be less than having a new harness installed, but enough for two weekends i quess, Maybe the biggest benefit will be, that everybody knows, what is working there. So everybody will be able to fix it and add new functions to it.

Since I couldn´t find the correct cable while I restored it, I made a new one from the ignition switch. The car was converted from a V8 to a 200 Tdi. Works perfectly. The feed for the ignition switch seems to be right 😉

did the autodebugger replace bar with psi ? 😁 but anyway ... correct would be pascal, which nobody uses.

Don´t worry about the amount of weight per wheel. Worry about loosing them. The more peaces there are, the bigger is the chance so lose some offroad.

Just point it to different places. You will be absolutely sure, as long even the block and the head is slightly below 100°C In my experience these temps always stay below 100°C, when everything is ok. I only had a problem with overheating, when the belt of the water pump snaped. But a 200 Tdi even can take this for a longer time. Thats why I changed my beltdrives completely. https://www-explorermagazin-de.translate.goog/bauberi/keilum21.htm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp The more you check in different conditions, the quicker you will learn 😉

The earth conn of the temp sensor is its own thread. That means to complete the circuit, the engine block itsself has to have a good earth. If you changed battery, check the earth strap from the batt to the chassis. This is where the engine got its earth from with a strap from the chassis to the block. If you want to be save regarding temeratures, buy a cheap IR Thermometer. Then it is easy to even temp test the wheel bearings and gear boxes.

PDMs are nice, but hard to get in Kazachstan 😄 All of the parts I`d like to use are cheap to hold as spare part and the kind of used relays are interchangeable On the other hand PDMs are again a black box, where nobody knows, whats hapens inside. https://www.shopasmotorsports.com/pdms

You miss nothing. I hope to find some kind of breakout board which provides screwing terminals for the IO Pins of the arduino, which is pluged on it. I know, that all controller boards dont need booting. The PI is a complete Linux Computer. This is why I will not use it, even though it is a lot more capable. I`m allways open to better boards. The Arduino seemed to me to be the best solution to be bought everywhere and as well to learn and operate quickly for people who are not so much in electronics and programming. The entire concept is exactly made for that. Even beginners will have success soon.

Yes, but without PCB, without sockets,power supply, without Quarz and everything. Wrong comparison. I want to avoid building a own PCB. Reliability can ofcourse be achieved with cables, but not really with the autospark harnesses. The copper lines inside the insulation are less than original. These cables are very cheap. I bought the harness for the trailer socket. Please dont missunderstand. I dont want to convince anybody. For me this is a nice project with benefits and I hoped it will be for others as well. One big advantage of the arduino is, that it needs no time for booting. Put power on it and its ready.

Then maybe the buzzing sound comes from the starter solenoid? Are you lokalizing it correctly? in this case there can be a greater resistance or oxidation at a connection in the line from battery to the starter. Maybe on the starter itself.

Thats one of the goals. Exchangement of all components is very easy and cheap. In most cases you dont even to have to go home for that. Power boxes front and rear are identical. A dead Arduino is the biggest problem, but can it be purchased from the beginning for 80€. One can allways have a spare part, but experience shows ... its only for calming. But as I said, I can understand the fear of people who are not into that. It doesnt help to explain, why it can be a lot harder to find cable problems in a harness. Once I had a motorbike which sporadicaly stopped in left hand corners. It took me weeks to find broken copper inside the insulation of a cable close to the steering head of the chassis. Micromovements has been the reason. They opened and closed a circuit.

May be, but aren´t electrics simply more cables than electronics? The benefit of using the Arduino and power boxes is minimizing cableing and connectors with easy to learn programming. The overall system is indeed easier than bunches of cables. The arduino is no rocket sience. In every ECU is more calculating power and most of us rely on it without thinking. Lots of people underestimate themselfes. But as I said, I can understand the fear 🫣 Lets see, what develops from the idea and thanks for the wishes.

As I can see, enthusiasm is limited 😁 I can understand that, as electrics are not everyone's cup of tea. In any case, I will stick to my concept. I will describe the progress and invite everyone to add their two cents. The project will certainly take some time, because everything is working so far. However, I have often seen cable insulation crumble and the copper strands inside have oxidised black over long distances. That's why you can't even cut off a piece of cable and crimp a new connector

I agree. Charge or renew. As soon as the relay puts load on the battery, the voltage drops and make the relay release. Now the voltage recovers and make the relay to work again. The game repeats.

I have to say, I was inspired by the german company Joost, who made something like that, but with completely self developed components and proprietary software. He stoped the project, because he is more into motorcycle electrics now, but he was kind enough to leave me a lot of documents. He also used RS485 for the project. https://www.elektronikbox.de/shop/index.php?main_page=index&language=en Main differences are: The power modules are completely electronic, no mechanical relays and components. No fuses, because self protecting highside switches. The dashboard module is a self developed Microcontroller board, no Arduino. Why Arduino and relays The Arduino is a cheap and well testet microcontroller, which can be changed easily Highside switches have a lot smaller volume and are more reliable and self protecting , but they are not interchangeable in foreign countries. Relays with fuses are. My concept with RS485 receivers in a relay box is identical for front and rear, but the adress-switch, which separates the adresses tells the box, if it is front or rear.

Something about 4-gear ... I put a 1.1 ratio LT230 in my 200 Tdi. Transmission is so long, that 5th gear is only usable from 80 km/h. That means the car is running like a 4-gear in the countryside. Only on motorways 5th can be used. But then I achive 110-120 km/h permanentely travel speed in a really silent car. And that was the reason to do it. I never regret that, because 4 usable gears in the countryside is by far ok. The gearbox is a normal LT77. It is not recommendable for people who have to tow. Then the 1st is to long. But not for travel weight around 2.8 tons without towing. Just for your interest.

It is and therefore I am not affraid about a max 4 m long RS485 Put the Arduino in a metal case, coils on all inputs and most of the problems are solved. RS485 is shielded anyway

Example. I built some electronic ignitions for gasoline engines and never had problems. Have a look at the megasquirt project and find out, everything is easy to handle

The mayor problem in automotive electronics is glitches from the sparks in the ignition system. No problem with Diesel and not really from neighbor cars on the road. Spec of RS485 is way enough and experience tells the same.

I thought about CAN, but I couldnt find a spec to program it. My experience from industry is: RS485 is way good enough !! Look at the spec. ... and a lot easier to handle. Especially for people who are not at home in electronics

To be honest, this doesn´t scare me at all, because I am always free to hardwire things, which are important for me. Electronics only scare me, when the software is proprietary and I have no clue, what it really does. For example phoning "home" 😉

Look for Modbus RTU in the Internet. Many of the chinese RS485 Cards work with Modbus RTU

Another option could be a really good anti-theft method. The Arduino can easily be expanded with GPS and even GSM, That means, it can send coordinates via mobile net. It can ask for a special code to start or activate the electrics. It can stop after a time, when there was the wrong code. No limitations. Want to have a special sequence of switches to start? Everything is possible and individual. For example: Activate the Ignition key. Then activate indicator left (no signal is turned on), then indicator right, then push the horn button (without horn signal) to start and voila' ... brrrrrrrrrr ... 😁

I even would connect the front wings without connectors. Better to have a tiny loop in the cableing in order to cut it easy and the cables still remain long enough to solder them. On the other hand, you still can attach connectors in that case, if you find them necessary