Live in FL where heat is a problem. Want to find a solution that will consistently reduce the heat buildup on the controller. Noticed there are two round areas inside the controller cover. Seems like a great place where some PVC pipe can be securely connected to ensure a dry connection. Is it safe to pipe in some forced dry air through the controller to remove the heat buildup?
Is your controller throwing a -41 overheat code?
It is far better to keep your controller sealed and cool it by sinking the heat away through the base.
Depending on your car, there was a finned unit with a fan that mounts on the bottom of the controller for the REAL heavy footed consumers of the little amperes.
A creative fabricator could easily make up something and stick it under there.
They have “cool air kits”
You use a Elevated Heet sink and some thermal paste and a small fan that blows Air there the heat sink and keeps the controller cool
Here is a picture of a car I did. Also notice the plastic Air ducts that re direct air into the motor and controller aera
I live in south FL and have built many high performance Gem’s. Controllers cool themselves on the bottom Stainless plate. If you pull the controller you will see the areas it contacts the frame, around the perimeter and in an X pattern through the center. Get a High quality thermal paste and put it everywhere in contacts the Frame. This will transfer heat to the metal frame that will act as a radiator. do not put it in areas that are not in contact with frame. this will be sufficient in most cases. Second choice is to put an aluminum heat sink on the bottom of controller as pictured above, this will help even more.
Car is fast (52mph). Lithium batteries. I get the controller over heat on long drives. Not a novice here. Can’t find any of the heatsink products for sale so was trying to avoid trial and error on purchasing a heatsink.
Dude, everything about 52mph is skunkworks/test pilot/trial and error.
Did you check to see if your controller had the thermal paste under it?
How much of a fabricator are you? Depending on your skill set I bet you can come up with something that would be enough to get rid of some of that heat soak.
If you are not able to come up with a finned cooler I have been toying with the idea of cutting several lengths of square tubing and sticking them under the controller and have a fan blow air through them.
If you aren’t handy like this, maybe I’ll even throw something together for you to play with.
Alternate Possibility- Something to check?
This is a T5? Check this: I recently pulled a T5 apart for another issue, but noticed that one of the standoff tubes for the A terminals seemed to have some water intrusion and corrosion around the base of it (down inside the controller).
This was the tube that the cable lug/terminal rests on and the long bolt goes down through and into the aluminum block inside the controller. The tube was corroded as was the base it was resting on. I remember looking at it and thinking that there was no way this was a good electrical contact and how power transfer was ONLY going through the bolt holding it on.
I also noted that there was a temp sensor mounted right next to this post and was amazed that it was not triggering a false temp issue. This controller is a low speed shuttle in a parking lot, so not a very high/steady current consuming car. In this case it was not an issue.
I made a mental note to keep an eye out for this to show up elsewhere in the future. Maybe yours is one?
Great article from the archives.
I did the same on a 2005 e4 with a T3 that started throwing 41 error code after upgrading motor and power except without the fan and have had no trouble since.
or put a few heat pipes under the controller.
dougl
or put a few heat pipes under the controller.
??? What witchcraft is this?
As a stand alone video, this guy does not do a very good job at explaining what this is all about. A few clicks later I see that this is also going to need
an array of other components that I doubt can be sourced at Home D.
I guess this is the nature of falling down the y-tube rabbit holes. I still don’t understand the need for lead free solder. I hate that stuff!!!
I get the concept, but not sure where one can easily adapt this tech to improve controller cooling. It might be kinda fun (in a Doc Brown/Mad Scientist kinda way) to have a gem car running around with a bunch of pipes sticking up out of the hood like an old school hot rod.
I gotta admit tho, I have been itching at finding an alternate use for the heat transfer solutions one can find in the PC world. They have quite a selection of neat mini hot plates, coolant filled loops, multi colored and UV lighting, and remote mounted fan cooled radiators with digital monitors and electronic speed controls.
Here is one from Mouser. About 7.5 x 12 in. Only $373
Go crazy!
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When I was having over heat issues on my T4.
I put the Fan for the controller on a switch so you could turn the fan on and off. The fan provided the 1-2 degrees difference that made the car Not overheate
The idea is to remove the heat from under the controller and blow that heat off of the other end(hot end).
So by making a dozen or so of those heat pipes(but shorter) and crushing them to increase surface area with the controller then outside air or a fan can be blown over the pipes to remove the heat. Or any heatsink could be mounted/clamped to the hot ends of the pipes and a few small fans attached to that heatsink.
My experience with heat pipes has been in the PC world too, mostly in laptops so too small to use for our large controllers. Hence the DIY approach.
I have flat plate heat exchangers from new Ford Lightning. Free for shipping and tips.
Too big for this app.
I thought that was Doug…
That was me tuning my V10 carb showing one of the neighbor kids. LOL
Thought that was your grandson?
David, did you get a F Lightning battery pack already? Pics if you did please.
Yes, 9 pieces 12kwh 10s 36v encosed modules.
I sourced the plugs. $1200 ie. $100/kwh
Only 5" thick. May stack in Classic Gem or Think for 120mi range.
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Where do you get those wonderful toys?
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