Can the later 15kw OEM Lithium CR-Z pack fit in, and work in, an earlier 10kw Nimh Car?
I've started this new thread to document the testing and research into this idea.
My other threads are getting larger every day so this really needs a new one to keep it manageable.
Let's start with a few basic facts.
2013-2016 CR-Z. The 144V Lithium pack/assembly weighs 40kg. 144V x 5ah = 720 wh approx theoretical capacity.
2010-2012 CR-Z. The 100V Nimh pack/assembly weighs 36.5kg. 100V x 6ah = 600 wh approx theoretical capacity.
Usable capacity would be quite a bit less than the theoretical 100% SOC capacity.
+/- 0.5kg or so weight accuracy of my bathroom scales.
A cursory visual examination shows.
The battery mounting space, mounting holes, and the main motor power cable connections appear identical.
So the packs should fit and bolt into the same place in either car. The foam boot inserts etc might be a bit different but that's a minor issue.
The 12V+ power lead looks slightly longer in the Lithium car, but it can be extended in the Nimh cars to compensate and reach the DC-DC connector.
The main IPU harness connector is identical and either pack will plug into either car.
IPU Harness connector detailed look.
Having studied the wiring diagrams and connector pinouts for both cars they appear to have almost identical pinouts and connections.
There are a couple of minor wire colour difference which may be due to UK/US car changes but the functionality appears identical.
There is an extra GND wire shown on Pin 16 in the 2013 Lithium car diagram that is not present in the diagram for the 2011 Nimh car.
Note the wire is actually present in my Nimh car so we can likely ignore this or just add a GND wire if needed.
It certainly looks like you can plug the Lithium pack into a Nimh car and vice versa without them fusing circuits.
Things that might trip us up.
Of course we have a multitude of other things that will conspire against us to prevent this being a simple 1hr swap.
The main thing being CAN comms between the ECM & MCM modules in the front and rear of the car.
If the messages are different/missing etc then it will be very tricky to make it work.
I found the 4 x BMS modules on the Lithium car are connected to the IMACAN bus and not the FCAN.
So there will be four extra ID's at least on the IMACAN bus.
I suspect the BMS modules are exchanging voltage/balancing information with the MCM module in the IMA pack and not the ECM at the front.
This means our old Nimh ECM at the front will likely simply ignore this extra chatter on the IMACAN bus
Anyway attached are the IMA harness connector pinouts for both cars and the wiring diagrams..
I've started this new thread to document the testing and research into this idea.
My other threads are getting larger every day so this really needs a new one to keep it manageable.
Let's start with a few basic facts.
2013-2016 CR-Z. The 144V Lithium pack/assembly weighs 40kg. 144V x 5ah = 720 wh approx theoretical capacity.
2010-2012 CR-Z. The 100V Nimh pack/assembly weighs 36.5kg. 100V x 6ah = 600 wh approx theoretical capacity.
Usable capacity would be quite a bit less than the theoretical 100% SOC capacity.
+/- 0.5kg or so weight accuracy of my bathroom scales.
A cursory visual examination shows.
The battery mounting space, mounting holes, and the main motor power cable connections appear identical.
So the packs should fit and bolt into the same place in either car. The foam boot inserts etc might be a bit different but that's a minor issue.
The 12V+ power lead looks slightly longer in the Lithium car, but it can be extended in the Nimh cars to compensate and reach the DC-DC connector.
The main IPU harness connector is identical and either pack will plug into either car.
IPU Harness connector detailed look.
Having studied the wiring diagrams and connector pinouts for both cars they appear to have almost identical pinouts and connections.
There are a couple of minor wire colour difference which may be due to UK/US car changes but the functionality appears identical.
There is an extra GND wire shown on Pin 16 in the 2013 Lithium car diagram that is not present in the diagram for the 2011 Nimh car.
Note the wire is actually present in my Nimh car so we can likely ignore this or just add a GND wire if needed.
It certainly looks like you can plug the Lithium pack into a Nimh car and vice versa without them fusing circuits.
Things that might trip us up.
Of course we have a multitude of other things that will conspire against us to prevent this being a simple 1hr swap.
The main thing being CAN comms between the ECM & MCM modules in the front and rear of the car.
If the messages are different/missing etc then it will be very tricky to make it work.
I found the 4 x BMS modules on the Lithium car are connected to the IMACAN bus and not the FCAN.
So there will be four extra ID's at least on the IMACAN bus.
I suspect the BMS modules are exchanging voltage/balancing information with the MCM module in the IMA pack and not the ECM at the front.
This means our old Nimh ECM at the front will likely simply ignore this extra chatter on the IMACAN bus
Anyway attached are the IMA harness connector pinouts for both cars and the wiring diagrams..