I'm no expert on this problem, because the motors are 12v or 24v and DC they are not earthed, to change the direction just reverse the polarity on the 2 wires coming from the motors.
KZJ78 95 Flashing Hub lock light (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Lomoski
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Any chance you know either the amps or wattage of those hub motors? Or if you can test one of the scrap (but working) motors you've removed?
I'm thinking my way through that video since the guy that made it isn't around to answer. He used a 10 watt 50 ohm resistor to basically replace the hub motor. I don't know if that guy knew what he was doing or had tested a bunch of stuff or just tried what he had on hand. That said, I think what is happening is the resistor is tricking the ECU into thinking the motor is still connected. The ECU sends it's 9v (or 12v... haven't tested it yet) to what it thinks are the motors for it's prescribed time slot (4 sec?) and the resistor's power usage mimics the hub motors, so the ECU thinks all is normal and changes the indicator light from flashing to on or off. So what I don't know is why 10 watts and / or why 50 ohms... And how hot does the resister get?
I'm asking these questions for a couple reasons aside just from scratching an itch. Those resisters are a little large, like maybe the size of a pack of gum, and not readily available. I'd like to figure out what works best as well as what range of solutions will work to make finding supplies easiest. And as for temperature, if the resistor stays quite cool, the ideal solution would be to locate those hub motor wires under the dash and tuck the resistors. The tinier I can make those resistors (physically, not in ohms) and the cooler I can keep them when in use, the easier it will be to hide them. I think the motors are more like 8-12 ohms, but the lower the ohms, the more power the resister will use and therefore the hotter the resister will get. I would have expected a 10 ohm resister would better mimic the hub motor, but maybe that would create too much heat so the guy figured out a 50 ohm resistor worked better.... or maybe he had now idea what he was doing and happened to have a 50 ohm resistor left over from something.
Anyone with more electrical experience than myself have a thought here?
Still struggling with this flashing hub light indicator, so I tried this guy's youtube post solution to see if it works (just the hub light indicator issue - not his version of the manual hub lock conversion). It worked!
His youtube solution had no explanation, so I have no idea if this was well researched or not. I purchased a pair of aluminum 10 watt / 50 ohm resistors. For a temporary experiment, I soldered short wires on either side plus a short length of paperclip to make a probe, then unplugged the hub lock connector at the wheel and inserted the resistor into the vehicle side plug such that the resistor was imitating the hub lock motor. I started the car and the hub lock indicator light stayed off like it was supposed to. I pushed the hub lock button and the light turned solid, pushed it again and the light went off. After cycling the button several times, I felt the resistor and it was just barely warm at all suggesting I can locate the resistor anywhere without worrying about it overheating and catching something on fire. That means if I can find the hub lock wiring under the dash, I could splice in the resistor there where it is less exposed to engine heat, water, etc.
Here's the resistor in place to test whether it worked. I'll obviously unplug this and figure out a permanent solution for where to mount this resistor after I've completed the hub conversion. The solution in the youtube video was to cut the wires from the hub and use that wheel side of the connector to mount the resistor, but I might try to find a place under the dash to mount the resistors instead of in the engine bay.
I just got the manual hub lock conversion stuff in the mail the other day, so my next step is to physically convert the hubs to manual and then figure out where to locate the resistor so I don't have that annoying flashing hub lock warning.
Longer term, I might explore different resistor options. I'm not sure why the recommendation was 10 watts and 50 ohms. When I tested the hub motors, they were closer to around 12 ohms, so I would have thought a 10 or 20 ohm resistor was a better imitation of the hub motors. My instinct would have told me to go for a 20 ohm resistor but boost the wattage higher than 10 watts as I would think a higher wattage resistor would dissipate heat better. Maybe the theory was to use the highest resistance that would trick the ECU so the current stayed low and less heat was generated.
The short story is the 10 W / 50 ohm resistor worked to trick the ECU, if anyone else is having that annoying hub lock indicator blinking problem.
Lights are working on mine but hubs aren’t locking at all. Get free spin of the wheels when vehicle is up on stands. I’m not hearing the hub motors or even a relay activating when I have the electrics on and push the hub lock switch so it could be a relay or the contacts in the hubs. The switch and indicator lights are working. I’ve always preferred manual hubs so will just head in that direction. I’m doing my brakes soon and will just tackle it all at once. Can I get the Aisin part# for the hubs that you used? Are they direct bolt on with no modifications? I thought I read somewhere that the axles have to be replaced in order to fit the hubs.
As far as I know Aisin don't make a straight bolt on freewheel hub conversion, but AVM 463 will bolt on without a 14mm spacer ring.
Check out Radd Cruises in Canada. They sell the Aisin hub plus a kit with the spacers, gaskets, etc needed to use the Aisin hub without having to convert the whole spindle / hub setup. If the idea of the spacers bugs you, there’s a thread here somewhere about converting the whole axle / hub setup.
Thanks you guys. Super helpful info. Appreciate it.
Hi guys,
So today I got into looking more closely at my electric hubs. I popped the covers off and pulled the motors. I hooked the motors up to the battery with alligator clips and both are running as they should. Next, with the hub switch activated, I checked the voltage both at the contact rings of the hubs as well as at the contacts of the electrical connector behind the rock shield…No power at either. Again, when the hub lock switch is depressed the hub lock light on the dash illuminates and I can hear the relay clicking. Light turns off and relay clicks again when I press the switch into the off position. I checked the fuse panel but couldn’t locate any fuse specific for the hubs. Am I correct in assuming that the fuse would be fine anyways given that the dash light turns on and the relay clicks? I would like to pull the relay to bench test it, but have no idea where it would be located. Would anyone know where it is? Has anyone else encountered this issue. Any ideas what else could be the problem if it is not a faulty relay? My electric hubs appear to still be in excellent condition, so I have decided to try to get them operable as opposed to spending $$$ for the Aisins and spacer kit. Thanks In Advance.
If you look under and behind the speedo, level and beside the steering column there is a ECU Box for the hub system, approx. 70mm square
This it? Do I need to pull it and check the capacitors?
It's a zinc colored metal box about 70x70x25mm
Thank you. Done for the day. I’ll see if I can find it tomorrow.
So I pulled the ECU a few days ago, packed it up, and sent it in for diagnosis and repair. Afterwards I realized that I probably should have checked the continuity of the wiring from the ECU to the hub motors beforehand. I’m finding the schematic that you posted a bit confusing. My only electronics background is from the course I took in high school 45 years ago. The tabs on the ECU connector that correspond to the wiring to the hubs would be the ones numbered 2 and 3 correct?
Looks like M1-M2 are correct.
Probably the brush inside.
