Automatically actuated grill block - Mk3

[Ardent]

AEO UBEC is a device designed to provide switch mode voltage step down operation to power up the model on-board RC receiver and servo systems. It is capable to regulate an up-to 23V voltage source, down to a stable 6V voltage output. It can be used in small to medium size electric powered RC helicopter and aero-plane models, as well as gas powered model and robotic applications.

AEO 6V 3A UBEC
5V and 5V/6V models available too.

[Daox]

Originally Posted by Veen

This may be simpler than the OBDuino to get up and running with.

Freematics OBD-II UART Adapter V2 (for Arduino)

Also, I didn't see in your photos earlier if you were using a mosfet or a transistor to power the servo. If that servo is drawing 250mA, you'll eventually kill the arduino. It can only do about 50mA sustainably.

Just my two cents. Loving this project. I've been thinking about something similar for my FIT for a while. I was thinking of using a rotary pot mounted to the dash to control the servo position. It's a bit more manual approach but I suppose I just like fiddling with things as I drive.

That looks like a great alternative. Thanks for posting. I'll look into it further.

As far as powering the servo, it shouldn't be a problem. The power for the servo is coming off the voltage regulator on the arduino board, not off the atmega chip. The voltage regulator is said to be good for up to 800mA.

[Veen]

Originally Posted by Ardent

AEO 6V 3A UBEC
5V and 5V/6V models available too.

That's handy! So you just need to send the signal from the Arduino and make sure they're the Arduino and AEO are on a common ground (chassis ground)

Nice!

[Daox]

Just posting a quick update it because it'll be in this month's email update. Nothing new as of right now. I want to get a lower grill block made for the car so I can get it mounted. I also want to get a voltmeter on the coolant temp sensor wire so I can monitor things and hopefully finish up the v1.0 programming for the grill block.

I also busted a wire in my 3d printer. The bed that the printer prints on is heated by an electric element. One of the wires is broken on it and the bed isn't heating properly. I had this happen once before. I have to take it apart and splice a new wire into it. Not a big deal, but its a bit of a pain when you just want it to work.

[Phantom]

If you go with the Coolant temp sensor What I would do is go to a junk yard cut the wires off the coolant sensor and pull the sensor.

Then make your own pig tail by smashing the junk temp sensor only keeping its connector. After the connector you would connect the cut wires to the portion where the sensor used to be. This will allow you more space to add a second set of wires or room to splice in a wire to read from (possibly just add a wire to the pin) but allow you to return to stock if needed.

So a quick run down of how it would be connected.
Stock plug> modified sensor plug - extra wires - junkyard plug> Stock temp sensor.

If you do not mind modifying the stock wiring then just open the wire coating push the new wire between the center wrap around the stock wire solder the connection and then use liquid tape to seal it. You could always try removing the pin from the connector and adding a wire at that point or shoving a thin wire in and around the pin and connecting to the sensor but those two methods you might have a hard time getting it to fit.

[Planecrazy]

Very interesting project! I have a constructive (pun intended) comment.

If the louver is made up of three pieces, why would you need the slots and retaining clips in the frame? Couldn't you simply design a frame with two holes that fit the louver pins? Once each end was in place, you could simply connect the centerpiece of the louver to the two ends and you would have a much stronger (and simpler) solution.

Hope this helps, and I will watch for versions that fit my 2010 Hybrid Milan and 2006 Hybrid Highlander! ;-)

[RoadCyclist]

This thread is getting some newsletter attention i see... Well, my turn.

Are you interested in analog solutions to the coolant temperature input? There are lots of ways you could work around the sensor, including doing some work with the dashboard temperature indicator. That would save messing with the sensor, if you are still in the idea market.

[ChewChewTrain]

Very cool. Looking forward to your progress reports.

[toc]

Saw it in the newsletter but was following the previous renditions of it years ago.

The coolant temp can be metered as if it were a voltage signal, you won't be able to put a voltage divider across it or anything because it'll alter the resistance of the sensor / backfeed ECU..

Just monitoring it as if it were a voltage input is safe and won't alter the temperature reading.. The next step will be monitoring it with an arduino and laptop in the car to see what the voltage points for turn on and off are (approx).

Down here in Australia a grill block would only be useful to assist with warming up slightly faster, the investment of time and money into it would never be recouped in the slightly improved warm up times.

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by toc

Saw it in the newsletter but was following the previous renditions of it years ago.

The coolant temp can be metered as if it were a voltage signal, you won't be able to put a voltage divider across it or anything because it'll alter the resistance of the sensor / backfeed ECU..

Just monitoring it as if it were a voltage input is safe and won't alter the temperature reading.. The next step will be monitoring it with an arduino and laptop in the car to see what the voltage points for turn on and off are (approx).

Down here in Australia a grill block would only be useful to assist with warming up slightly faster, the investment of time and money into it would never be recouped in the slightly improved warm up times.

Has anyone done a radiator block? It'd be nice to know what difference was noticed in warm up time.