Builds The Guzzler - 2009 LX570

[grinchy]

Finished installing the CarPlay screen. Got a shorter usbc cord with right angle to replace the stock adapter. Was using 5v 3a out from the dumb cig plug supplied, but they didn’t implement any high amp usbc inside the CarPlay screen, so it wouldn’t power up on the PD port as it wasn’t negotiating the high amp protocol. I got a usbc dongle off of Amazon to implement the high amp mode. It powered right up on 5v setting.

Drill out a couple more holes on the mount to match the non standard bracket connection on the screen, mounted up the 20mm ball, and it’s a solid hard mount without the tablet adapter arms.

I did have the screen pop out last time I was off road, so this update to the mount was necessary.

Here’s a pic of the plate setup.

 

[grinchy]

Deployed ‘moon roof’ mode for my vinyled over sunroof.

 

[grinchy]

Following the 'roadtop' thread saw a carplay screen with dual bluetooth. This connects the screen to a BT output, which my DSP has. So I tried the 10.26" hikity (nope, not a function), but it is in the 7" hikity screen. I have to go back to the tablet mount as the new screen uses the four hook mount on a clip. I'll look at procuring an adapter if seems to be an issue.

Screen is smaller, convenience is higher.

 

[grinchy]

Didn't get around the R&R on the 4lo actuator this summer, it was colder last night, and i got the yellow Christmas tree today with flashing 4lo.

Normally this goes away after driving for a bit and a restart. Not so this time . . . which is interesting at least. Several shorter trips but enough to get the heater warm, still persisting.

In other news the 35AH LIFEPO4 finally made the transit from NY to WA and I just need to do a couple mounting holes and I can try that out with the IOXUS ultracap. All that easy power might even fix the 4lo actuator. Probably wishful thinking.

 

[linuxgod]

Didn't get around the R&R on the 4lo actuator this summer, it was colder last night, and i got the yellow Christmas tree today with flashing 4lo.

Normally this goes away after driving for a bit and a restart. Not so this time . . . which is interesting at least. Several shorter trips but enough to get the heater warm, still persisting.

In other news the 35AH LIFEPO4 finally made the transit from NY to WA and I just need to do a couple mounting holes and I can try that out with the IOXUS ultracap. All that easy power might even fix the 4lo actuator. Probably wishful thinking.

The consistent and repeated light is what finally encouraged me to dismantle mine and attempt to R&R. Hopefully if you do yours it goes better than mine did.

 

[grinchy]

The consistent and repeated light is what finally encouraged me to dismantle mine and attempt to R&R. Hopefully if you do yours it goes better than mine did.

Yeah, it didn’t reset after a 45 minute drive today. Actuator only has 60k miles on it.

Im going to get the code reader hooked up just in case it’s something else.

 

[grinchy]

A nice tutorial for removing the actuator, inspecting it, and putting it back on.

Looks like I should have been doing some more actuating of that actuator. So I only have myself to blame.

 

[linuxgod]

A nice tutorial for removing the actuator, inspecting it, and putting it back on.

Looks like I should have been doing some more actuating of that actuator. So I only have myself to blame.

We'll see what your issue turns out to be, but I found that while actuating it probably does help keep the contacts "polished" and greased, ultimately as soon as it would get into the 40s I would have the light flash on me again, no matter how much I had been using it.

If you R&R, that yellow Toyota grease is like $50 an ounce. I suspect regular silicone dielectric grease would work fine but who knows. Cleaning up the contacts and running some CRC through the little motor is a good idea. I suggest again dismantling the tiny microswitch in the CDL actuator to clean those contacts though - there are 2 wires under the tiny switch which are barely thicker than a hair and the switch has a particular way it snaps back together, otherwise they bend and cause all sorts of problems. A flat blade putty knife is needed to get the upper (CDL) motor back into the housing and still keep the gears clocked into the right position while dropping it down.

Honestly if you're having issues I've said this in another thread but Aisin makes a replacement that is <$600. Assuming the housing is identical (unconfirmed) I'd buy one of those and swap the motors from it into your existing actuator. It's one thing if you get the occasional flashing light on startup, but quite another if you have a light which won't go out. Also if there's a lot of corrosion (i.e. from a loose breather element, since the breather attaches to the CDL motor housing) it's TBD how long cleaning it up will work.

 

[grinchy]

Oh good point on the breather. That hose has been shot for a couple years. I just never got around to it. Even got a breather kit to install. . . I’m likely going to throw a new actuator at it.

 

[grinchy]

4lo warning went away. I think I got some water on the right side in a heavy rain recently. Still need to fix the breather and now take a look at the cowl and connectors over there.

Working on the 36ah battery hole. It only weights 10 lb, going to start with steel zip ties as hold downs.

 

[grinchy]

Finished the initial wire up on the 36aH LIFEPO4 battery and the Ioxus ULTRA-CAP.

Starting: the ultra cap spins over the rig better than any battery. It is something to behold. No concerns with starting.

Audio: Bass is a little bit better. Could be placebo, but it seems less distorted and more clear. But I didn’t think it was distorted or muddy before, so maybe it’s the mind. I cranked it up higher than I could before, and there was less cabinet rattling and more boom. All good things.

Accessory power: I did some looking around and found a discharge test for a group 31 sla. They got just over 40% on it at a low to mid load, a bit less for a high load. So I found a battery with around 35% OEM capacity (lifepo4 can be run to zero percent) and am trying that. I have a separate camping power pack that runs the fridge. And due to all the aftermarket amps don’t ever sit in ACC mode anyway. My concern is low, but I’ll watch it for a bit. A heated 100aH lifepo4 would be better, but since I have the charcoal canister under hood I could only fit 36aH.

Charging: will need to put the capacitor mod back in the alt-s circuit. 0.5v basis more would be perfect. I’m not too fussed if the lifepo4 sits around 80%. It’s only real purpose is to run the lights for a minute after ignition off and keep the ultra capacitor from discharging over very long period of not driving (I estimate it’ll last 90 days).

Initial verdict:
better: at starting, gains for audio, 20 lbs lighter.
Worse: not an OEM install

I use it over the winter and post up how it does linger term

 

[grinchy]

Diode hack on alt-s deployed. This diode is an overachiever.
Stock (cold) 13.6, diode 14.5. It’s actually a bit more bias than I was after, oh well. Should run around 13.9 when warm.

 

[clrussell]

Info on said diode hack?

 

[linuxgod]

For an LFP you can charge up to 14.6V (3.65V per cell). So 14.52 is great.

 

[grinchy]

Seems to have settled in warm at 13.6v.
This seems perfect to me. Lots of cycles on the LFP at 85-90% charge

 

[grinchy]

Info on said diode hack?

You use an add a fuse and throw a diode on one leg. If you need more delta v, put two diodes in series (i think).

don’t forget to break the link on the donor fuse.

 

[linuxgod]

Seems to have settled in warm at 13.6v.
This seems perfect to me. Lots of cycles on the LFP at 85-90% charge

Keep an eye on SOC. Every LFP is a bit different, but this is the SOC graph for charging a 271Ah CATL battery at 0.2C (54A). In this case 13.6V (3.4V per cell x 4) will only get you to about 60% capacity; and even that will be tough as you need high voltage to push enough amps into the battery otherwise it will just trickle in at a couple Ah.

FYI in my trailer I typically leave my Victron setup on 13.6V and only 1 minute of float when the battery is mostly charged and I'm away. That keeps it at ~90-95% since the trailer parasites only drain a few amps each day. If I drain the battery overnight though (say to 50-60%) but leave the charge rate at 13.6V even in full sun I'll only get maybe a 2A charge rate. However if I flip the target voltage to 14.5V it will kick up to 20A+.

If your LFP doesn't get much drain then the alternator starting off at 14.5V and dropping to 13.6V may be fine. But if you do drain it you might find it's hard to get it back to 80-90% SOC. I don't know that there's a good answer to that except having a solar panel available.

 

[GOLIGHTLY]

Now have one hour of seat time on the new tires. All around town 30mph and less. 40psi.

There is a low white noise rumble, similar to my AT tires starting at 25mph. Haven’t been on a freeway yet, but they won’t be silent.
Grip in mixed ice/snow excellent.
Ride compliance is much improved. One of the main drivers for this tire was the D /121 load. This lower load is quite noticeable around town on rough sections. I’m excited to see if it similarly mutes off road. Previously running 129load and they were very touchy on air pressure to get the ride great.
I’ll be experimenting with air pressure (can go as low as 32psi) to see what works best.

Pardon my ignorance here: I guess I'd always assumed I needed an E rated tire for anything thats going to see offroad use... have you found any issue with durability/puncture protection with the D? Would love a more compliant ride for day-to-day stuff if these are still confidence inspiring.

 

[grinchy]

Keep an eye on SOC. Every LFP is a bit different, but this is the SOC graph for charging a 271Ah CATL battery at 0.2C (54A). In this case 13.6V (3.4V per cell x 4) will only get you to about 60% capacity; and even that will be tough as you need high voltage to push enough amps into the battery otherwise it will just trickle in at a couple Ah.

View attachment 3488604

FYI in my trailer I typically leave my Victron setup on 13.6V and only 1 minute of float when the battery is mostly charged and I'm away. That keeps it at ~90-95% since the trailer parasites only drain a few amps each day. If I drain the battery overnight though (say to 50-60%) but leave the charge rate at 13.6V even in full sun I'll only get maybe a 2A charge rate. However if I flip the target voltage to 14.5V it will kick up to 20A+.

If your LFP doesn't get much drain then the alternator starting off at 14.5V and dropping to 13.6V may be fine. But if you do drain it you might find it's hard to get it back to 80-90% SOC. I don't know that there's a good answer to that except having a solar panel available.

The LFP is parallel to a 2wH!!! Ultra cap, it’s primary ‘drain’ is minimal parasitic keeping that ultracap charged while the rig is off. If I drove everyday it’d essentially need no charging. After a week I think capacity would be down 5%. My worst case estimate is that it’ll run down the LFP on 90 to 120 days. For very long term storage I could put a small solar panel on it, same as one would do for an SLA.

I’m doing a rundown test on another setup that is homemade using jumpstart capacitor banks I harvested from a couple failed jumpstarters. That setup isn’t nearly as mature as the Ioxus ultracap, and it uses about 2% of a 20 AH LFP a day. It’s in the flat part of the discharge curve for the last week giving the same V reading everyday (13.33v). I figure it’ll be good for at least a month if not driven. The whole thing battery and homemade capacitor assembly is under 10lb.
Of course even at low charge rates 15 min of driving would fully recharge these LFP daily or weekly, which is a general driving assumption for most. Again a solar maintainer(even a tiny one doing 3W) will keep the cap and battery topped up forever.

It’s really cool stuff.

I can’t even describe how fast the starter turns over, which I think is really good for longevity on that hard to replace HW.

I did not use my SLA for house use, and don’t plan on the LFP being house either. I have a separate solution for that.

 

[grinchy]

Pardon my ignorance here: I guess I'd always assumed I needed an E rated tire for anything thats going to see offroad use... have you found any issue with durability/puncture protection with the D? Would love a more compliant ride for day-to-day stuff if these are still confidence inspiring.

Kenda Klever RT is still money
I’m not a tire expert, but I believe these designations C, D, E, F to be generally associated to legacy bias tire construction and load, and more importantly for us, stiffness in that construction in modern tires.
C = passenger
f= stiff, like for towing and high capacity
The Kenda 35x10.5r17 has the ‘triple threat‘ three belt/layer sidewall and is plenty tough.
It’s a ‘flotation’ tire and nice and soft . Good for grip and good for comfort, it won’t wear as well as some of the harder compound tiresZ