Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

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electric_sheep
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Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

Post by electric_sheep »

My setup is Gen3 Prius inverter, vc1 board, Gen2 transaxle, running only MG2. Battery is a ~50V e-bike battery, and I made a precharge circuit with a 100W bulb (I also tried a 55W bulb).

I have been fiddling with the fslipspnt and ampnom values, initially low values, but also pushing the latter as high as 100% and varying the former.

When the values are low the motor makes a soft rattling noise. In Damien + Huebner's FOC tuning video, Damien's motor makes a similar noise initially, but he increases the ampnom and it begins turning. I increase the ampnom and it just rattles louder, and the bulb lights up quite bright. As you can see from the videos I enclose, it gets quite alarmingly loud, so I'm worried about damaging something. (Although the motor is sitting on a cart that's resting against a metal radiator, which is contributing to the clanging noise I think.)

It's also worth noting that when I initially plug in the battery I don't see the initial flash. I figured maybe because it's too dim, or my battery is too small perhaps. But maybe this is relevant to the problem. Also, my inverter doesn't seem to make the loud characteristic whining sound that I hear when Priuses drive past slowly, or in Damien's videos.

Params are included in the PDF

This is my first experience with electronics and EV stuff, so it's all pretty opaque to me.



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Huebner Inverter Management Console2.pdf
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ZooKeeper
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Re: Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

Post by ZooKeeper »

Your Encoder is set to "AB", should be "Resolver" -and- idle mode is set to "Always", turn that off and see if that helps.
Huebner VCU controlling a Gen2 Prius Inverter powering an MGR
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electric_sheep
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Re: Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

Post by electric_sheep »

OK, I tried both of those settings changes, no luck. I do not have the resolver connected yet. I am hoping to run it in open loop mode just to test that the parts are in good working order.

Is it possible that there's some mechanical obstruction, or does there exist any locking system to prevent it from moving? I am able to rotate the driveshaft outputs freely by hand, as well as the input shaft.
electric_sheep
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Re: Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

Post by electric_sheep »

Does anyone know to tell if the parking pawl is engaged, and if so how to disengage it?
Martin1775
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Re: Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

Post by Martin1775 »

Try to rotate both output shafts in the same direction, when the parking pawl is engaged it will not be possible, otherwise you rotate the motor with force. In different directions, the differential allows always the rotation.
To open the parking pawl you have to dismount the drive for it and rotate the shaft that originaly will be driven by the parking drive. It should be audible rest. In the park drive is a stepper motor, thus not so easily controllable.
As I know one of the srews is secured with an cap to protect the car from easy theft, so it can be tricky to dismount. I dont remember how it is exactly build.
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Re: Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

Post by MattsAwesomeStuff »

Damien put out a video tutorial on how to get things tuned up correctly.

But alternatively, isn't there a known-good Prius Gen 2 transaxle settings file uploaded to Open Inverter?
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ZooKeeper
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Re: Prius transaxle vibrates/rattles, but doesn't rotate

Post by ZooKeeper »

electric_sheep wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 4:21 pm Does anyone know to tell if the parking pawl is engaged, and if so how to disengage it?
There is and it is the same between Prius Gen1 and Gen2, the parking "gear" is part of the "counter driven gear", so yea if that is locked, no rotation of MG2 or the axles can occur.

See 1:30:00 to end
Huebner VCU controlling a Gen2 Prius Inverter powering an MGR
"Talent is equally distributed but opportunity is not." - Leila Janah
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