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Calais variotronic steering modifications
OK, this might have been covered before but searching I cannot find anything.
What I want to do is similar to this
http://www.autospeed.co.nz/cms/A_110778/article.html
which is being able to set the steering weight instead of my car adjusting it. can it be done with the commodore? similar setup to the lexus in the article?
Also gonna need a variotronic wiring diagram to get started with so I can make sure I get all the right components, with a little help I should be able to sort this and make a write up about it.
I think it would be fantastic to be able to adjust the weight of your steering.
For external use only
Sounds fascinatingI have no idea how the variable-rate steering in early commodores works... I'm going to stick around and find out ^_^
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The 1972 HQ Kingswood
The 1989 VN Turbo Rally Project
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//There Ain't No Rest For The Wicked...
Sounds interesting, would love to stiffen up the VQ's steering.Originally Posted by Morton
Sounds fascinating
Cheers
MaT
For external use only
You and me both
__________________________________________________
The 1972 HQ Kingswood
The 1989 VN Turbo Rally Project
__________________________________________________
I'll have a look through my tech. stuff tonight but I think that in the Holden system the solenoid is normally closed and bleeds pressure off (to the reservoir) reducing assistance when desired, rather than applies a balancing pressure feed with a normally open solenoid as in the Lexus system. If that is the case, reducing the current to the control solenoid should lighten the steering weight (up to the point where the solenoid remains closed continuously) rather than increase it.
It's more expensive than a (few) resistors but I think a Silicon Chip Digital Pulse Adjuster will work instead - it's designed for just this type of application.
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Sweet ok, so other people want this too, ok ill read up on it a bit too. see what I can come up with.You and me both
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Step one: undo the control for the steering to see weather the solinoid stays open or closed.
TURN MY HEADPHONES UP
tried a reco pump? i fitted one and it made my steering twice as hard. personally i like it easy, so i'm watching this thread too!
It should stay open i.e. my earlier post is wrong in that respectso the resistor method may work. The solenoid does bleed pressure off to the reservoir but will be closed with power applied and open without.
I found a representative plot of the solenoid supply current which starts at ~630mA and maintains that until 20 km/h then ramps down linearly to zero at 80km/h. Not sure of the voltage but if you measure that with the car idling/at low speed and the solenoid coil resistance that will allow a first guess at the resistor needed.
The solenoid current (PWM) is applied from the BCM (power is switched to it as distinct from an earth from it if that makes a difference). The power wire is BCM terminal C12 (brown/white trace) and the earth is terminal C15 (brown/grey trace). The connector is the lowest and rightmost one on the BCM (which is above the fuse cover inside the car). The two wires are opposite and either side of the connector retaining pin.
Maybe it was a standard type pump? The pump for the variable steering has a different valve on the pressure side that allows greater flow than the standard pump. (The pumps are actually the same and the valves can be swapped).
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hard to explain, but this is gonna make it light to heavy, not heavy to light won't work in that respect.
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bump, getting no where my knowledge is lacking in this area.
Mate get yourself a copy of the genuine Holden service manual for the vp calais power steering system etc. It explains how it all works etc etc
wtb: rockford fosgate sub rfp 3412
How much more info. do you need?
If you have one, perhaps you could post up any relevant extra information?
Could be kind of an open source Variotronic weight tweaking thread.
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I like your idea cheap6, anyone with any diagrams or just any info at all, would be great to be had.
Almost not here!
I've got the VQ suppliment - it may have something in that - will have a squizz tonight.
White 05 V6 VZ Executive - Thrashed Ex Telstra car
and 3 Dangerous non ABS VN's
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Hey Shane, do you wanna fire me that diagram through to my email if you have it.
Almost not here!
In the Statesman book it just has the exploded pic of all the bits and how the pump is bolted to the bracket.
I'll go dig up the VN book........
Nothng in that either - just says that it is a variable ratio rack. It maybe in the VP update.
Last edited by 88GreenVN; 31-10-2008 at 09:54 AM.
White 05 V6 VZ Executive - Thrashed Ex Telstra car
and 3 Dangerous non ABS VN's
Mate I would but there is an entire chapter of info on the variotronic setup, it would take me a month of sundays to scan or type, plus another entire chapter devoted to the power steering itself
In the Statesman book it just has the exploded pic of all the bits and how the pump is bolted to the bracket.
I'll go dig up the VN book........
Nothng in that either - just says that it is a variable ratio rack. It maybe in the VP update.
Yeah all commodore racks are variable ratio, Variotronic started at VQ series II, were standard on VP Calais and I assume VR Calais and VS Calais also got them. Pretty sure they got ditched after that.
Variotronics have a solenoid on the top of the rack, easiest way to identify them, they are also different to normal racks and cannot be interchanged. I believe the power steer pumps are different also and cannot be interchanged.
wtb: rockford fosgate sub rfp 3412
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The pumps can interchange but the valves in the pumps are different for more flow I think, but they can also be interchanged between normal pumps. Yea I know about the solenoid trying to track down more electrical sides of things, I know how the mechanical part of it works, just want to be able to fool it into thinking im doing 100kms when im actually just idling etc.Mate I would but there is an entire chapter of info on the variotronic setup, it would take me a month of sundays to scan or type, plus another entire chapter devoted to the power steering itself
Yeah all commodore racks are variable ratio, Variotronic started at VQ series II, were standard on VP Calais and I assume VR Calais and VS Calais also got them. Pretty sure they got ditched after that.
Variotronics have a solenoid on the top of the rack, easiest way to identify them, they are also different to normal racks and cannot be interchanged. I believe the power steer pumps are different also and cannot be interchanged.
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I'll keep hunting from my corner of the woods see what I can find, possibly gonna ring a couple auto sparky's see what they have to say (usually f**k all)In the Statesman book it just has the exploded pic of all the bits and how the pump is bolted to the bracket.
I'll go dig up the VN book........
Nothng in that either - just says that it is a variable ratio rack. It maybe in the VP update.
Yeah variotronic affects the steering in a linear fashion to 80km/h from memory. it may be as simple as cutting a wire to the solenoid so that it wont open to allow more flow
wtb: rockford fosgate sub rfp 3412
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Yea thats right, but I want it adjustable, so some sort of variable resistor might work the treat, not only do I want 80kms at idle but I also want the option of turning a knob to make it idle and idle, and also somewhere in between (in the sense)
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and just to throw it in there, variable ratio steering rack simply means that the teeth on the rack have different spacings the further from the centre (straight wheels) whereas Variable Effort Steering has a solenoid that controls the pressure of fluid coming into the rack.
two completely different things, Most cars have variable ratio rack. Only writing about it cause I didn't know this.
Perhaps just the relevant information then, not necessarily scanned but summarised instead? Useful would be solenoid coil resistance, current flow to solenoid (it will be a range), confirm (or refute) wire colours and terminal positions for the solenoid control at the BCM.Mate I would but there is an entire chapter of info on the variotronic setup, it would take me a month of sundays to scan or type, plus another entire chapter devoted to the power steering itself
Yeah all commodore racks are variable ratio, Variotronic started at VQ series II, were standard on VP Calais and I assume VR Calais and VS Calais also got them. Pretty sure they got ditched after that.
Variotronic was (is?) available on later models so perhaps what we come up with here will apply to those too.
Maybe try the Autospeed (JE) approach first and drop the voltage/current flow through the solenoid directly, out of the BCM. If you disconnect the lower right BCM connector I mentioned in post #9 and remove from it the brown white wire connected to BCM terminal C12, you will be then able to temporarily wire in (a) resistor(s) in series between the terminal at the end of the wire and the BCM terminal pin.
The terminal should be held in by a retaining tab, so push on that, perhaps with a pin, to release it, then plug the connector back in and connect another length of wire between the BCM terminal pin (push the bared end of the wire into the empty socket to contact the pin) and the resistor. Connect the other end of the resistor to the extracted BCM terminal (wire). Twist and tape will work for testing.
You could just cut the solenoid wire near the BCM and wire in between the ends but that's a permanent change if it doesn't work or you don't like the results. You will have to try different resistor values like JE in the article.
If you measure the solenoid resistance, across the terminals at the steering rack tower or, more easily, at the BCM connector, then you can make a guess at the value of the resistor based on how much assistance you want to remove. Maybe try a 1/4-1/2 of that value to begin with, although the resistor used in the Autospeed article is about equal.
That resistor was rated at 2W (with a heat sink) and 22 Ohms but the resistance used was only 10 Ohms i.e. in the middle of the adjustable pot's range. 10 Ohms is about equal to the solenoid resistance of 6-11 Ohms so dropping the solenoid current to about half. So two approaches (as described in the Autospeed article):
1) guess the resistor value and buy a few 10W resistors; around the same resistance as the solenoid coil, 1/4 and 1/2. These are about $1.50 each.
If you can't find a single resistor that is rated as low as 10 Ohms, 10W you can use resistors with a higher rating twisted together in parallel (like in the article - see the pics). The formula for working out what the new (total) resistance will be is:
1/new R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + etc. (That's in any basic physics or electrical fundamentals text if anyone needs a better explanation. Apologies if you know that already).
If the resistors are wired in series (one after the other in the wire), just add the values.
2) buy an adjustable potentiometer with a maximum value of about twice the solenoid coil resistance and at least the 2W rating used in the article. Expect to also have to use a heat sink with this if the current/Voltage is similar to that in the Lexus. These are about $20.
Edit: (Note) if the current +/or voltage used in the Holden system is lower than that in the Lexus system, the power rating of the resistors can be lower also.
Just though of this too: one of the 10A motor speed controllers that are built from a kit and sold through Jaycar/DS/Altronics might work instead of the resistor, if the pulse width modulation for the solenoid is much slower than the PWM for the motor speed controller. (The motor speed controller is switched @ 2kHz, automotive solenoids are more like 10's or 100's of Hz - 10's would be better). That idea might be a bit too advanced if we are struggling with getting a resistor to work, but it would give 100% adjustment at around the price of the variable pot. If it worked.
Last edited by Cheap6; 31-10-2008 at 06:50 PM. Reason: Added bit about power rating of resistors and motor speed controller..
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going to get stuck into this in the next couple of weeks sorry about the delay
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