Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Racelogic Traction Control Install

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Racelogic Traction Control Install

    Racelogic Traction Control Install
    I've had Racelogic Traction Contol fitted for about a year now and found that it is a useful driver "aid" in that it offers some protection in slippery conditions but also allows for varied settings of slip to offer some movement or "off" altogether. It works by measuring and comparing the front wheel speeds vs the rear wheel speeds but also caters for the differing wheelspeeds when cornering (ie outer wheels travel faster than the inside when cornering).


    Install
    Essentially the kit comes with an ECU, wiring loom and a controller that sits in the cabin. I fitted the kit over the course of a weekend aiming to have the system fitted so that it's not immediately noticeable either under the bonnet or inside the car.


    The ECU
    The Racelogic ECU (wiring connectors facing towards the bulkhead in the ECU box) does squeeze into the ECU box but it is a very tight squeeze. I had to trim a bit off the mounting bracket/case off the ECU for it to sit low enough down; there is a taper at the bottom front end of the ECU box so the Racelogic ecu wouldn't sit flat at first ; I cut the opposite side to the silver tamper label just incase I caught that by sawing too far). This will make more sense when you try fitting the ECU in the box!



    Wiring
    It was quite easy to work on getting the cables through the bulkhead really. The tightest bit is cramming the extra wiring in the ECU box and feeding it through the grommet/rubber boot coming of the ecu box so it didn't look out of place/sealed properly. There is a large white plastic cap/grommet visible when you remove the lower panel covering the pedals (under the steering column) and pull the carpet back a bit. It has a phillips cross head on it but it just pushes outwards into the engine bay (just under the brake servo). I drilled two holes in this for the control unit and the diagnostic loom. You could also drill a third hole for the ABS loom so all the wiring goes into the cabin through here (I'd already fitted the ABS loom by this point via the passenger side bulkhead).

    ABS
    The ABS control unit is under the glove box. I routed the ABS loom following the factory harness around and over the bulkhead over the engine and down past the coolant expansion tank; if you remove the lower cover under the glovebox (the glovebox doesn't need removing!) and peel the carpet back you'll see a spare black grommet about 1" diameter; this is where I fed the ABS loom through but laterly realised it might have been easier/neater to send it with the control and diagnostic loom through the white grommet on the drivers side and across the back of the centre console, but either way it's quite neat and tidy (the ABS wire lead is quite tough and braided too so will be fine across the bulkhead).

    Twisted Pairs - Connect Onto
    Yellow/Brown > Yellow/Black
    Brown > Yellow
    Blue > Blue
    Brown > Brown/Red

    Injectors
    My kit didn't come with the connectors for the injector wiring (I bought it off a friend) so I bought some PC hard disc conenctors from Maplin; the injector wiring isn't heavy gauge so this will be fine IMO and they fit together tightly so won't come undone. Essentially what you are doing is splicing the Racelogic injector wires inbetween the factory injector wires so that the injector signals pass through the racelogic box. As the connectors I bought are only 4-pole I had to use 2 sets for each side of the connection. I fitted them male to female so that without the racelogic loom "inbetween" the loom can be connected back together and returned to standard. There are, I found, a couple of extra wires with the same colouring as the injector wires but they are a thinner gauge so it's easy to identify the injector wires as there are only 6 wires of the same thickness and right colours. The injector wires are in the right hand loom out of the ECU box (relay side).

    Injector - Pin - Colour

    1 - 3 - Brown/White
    2 - 5 - Brown/Red
    3 - 4 - Brown/Yellow
    4 - 33 - Brown/Blue
    5 - 31 - Brown/Green
    6 - 32 - Brown/Purple


    Other Wires
    Switched power positive is the thicker red/white wire from the ECU (54 Red/White)

    The earth leads can be tacked on to the thick brown earth lead (which goes to the suspension turret) - I tacked it on inside the box so you can't see the extra wiring.

    The RPM signal is a very thin plain black wire coming from the ECU (Pin 47, main ECU "left" loom); there are three plain black wires in the loom; two thicker gauge and one very thin - it's the thinner gauge wire you want to tack on to. This is better/neater than wiring up to the pin 1 off the BMW diagnostic plug (the wire from the ECU leads to this pin anyway)

    The ABS wiring was the hardest to do as the loom for the ABS unit isn't very long when it's unplugged so it's a case of soldering part upside down to very thin wires! You have to be carefull to be quick with the soldering here, otherwise you will start to melt the outer! I was tempted to use scotchlocks but as the wiring is so thin I didn't want to risk a bad connection. The wiring is also twisted pairs which makes it even more difficult as it's hard to unwind then as they're fix in the plug.

    The Controller



    The controller is a small box around 80mmx60mmx25mm (it fits perfectly in the centre console storage space BTW). I didn't want this fitted in the car like this so carefully took it apart so that the adjuster dial sits on the steering column and the button and status LED is in a switch blank under the centre console gauges.

    The steering column has one screw on the top and pretty much unclips apart and needs a bit if jiggling to get around and over the steering wheel. I had to be careful with this as it's quite brittle plastic to drill a small hole for the dial to screw on to. The dial is plain black and there is no calibration on the steering column but you don't really need it as you can feel which setting you're on and can use the LED a reference for which way to turn it.



    I used the blank switch cover to house the LED and launch button. I had t o extend some cabling to get this to reach and use the PC connectors again so that everything can be removed easily without having to strip out the whole lot.




    There is a datalogging facility which traces graphs of cornerning and speeds so it should theoretically be able to trace a lap of a circuit for example which can be done in realtime with a laptop or saved onto a memory chip in the ECU for downloading later. There is software that comes with the system that allows you to configure pretty much everything from individual tyre sizes through to the injector phasing. All of these features I've not used as the ECU self-calibrates on the first short journey in diagnostic mode (with a dongle plugged into the diagnostic loom).
    Last edited by c_w; 01-03-2008, 04:35 PM.

  • #2
    Great write up Chris!!

    It's stuff like this that makes this forum so cool
    Black S50

    Comment


    • #3
      Chris - that is brilliant - the bits of the device inside the car look really good. I didn't know:
      " There is a datalogging facility which traces graphs of cornering and speeds so it should theoretically be able to trace a lap of a circuit for example which can be done in realtime with a laptop or saved onto a memory chip in the ECU for downloading later. There is software that comes with the system that allows you to configure pretty much everything from individual tyre sizes through to the injector phasing. "

      This makes me even more annoyed with BMW who could have done this themselves instead of fitting 'all or nothing' traction without any gizmos.
      Anybody want to swap their S50 for an S54?
      Strongstrut CL front brace-Yellowstuff pads/Castrol SRF race brake fluid-Rogue top mounts/Rear support bushes-H&R ARBs-Whiteline droplinks-Bilstein Sport shockers-H&R Springs-Black Halo Angel Eye headlight units-Sachs lightweight flywheel/matching clutch-Supersprint exhaust/race catalysers-BBS RSGTs with Falkens-K&N High Flow Air Filter-Recaro Pole Position seats - Exdos mod - ACS flippers

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks for the comments!

        Coupefan; I can't see any reason why you can't fit it to an S54 - all that would mean is that you have two traction systems but you'd have to turn the BMW one off for the Racelogic one to work properly. But I would say it's a bit OTT and not worth it for an S54.

        The datalogging feature I might have a closer look at sometime - I did use the laptop to check communication with the ECU and computer when I first installed it all using the realtime graph to map out rpm speed.

        Comment


        • #5
          Great write up mate.

          Quick question for you, when you ran the cable for the control unit through the bulk head, did you run it through that little aperture near the throttle cable?

          Also, I have the unit still as one and didnt ever think to take it apart like you did. Clever idea, just didnt want to mess up the launch unit.

          Comment


          • #6
            Is the race logic purely traction control ? The DSC in the S54 is more in that it will try to sort you out if you lose control too so also has a stability function rather than just traction control.

            I don't find the DSC intrusive - you just have to adapt your driving slightly. During the first week or so the TC light was on pulling out of junctions or when doing a fast gear change but now it almost never comes on as I have adapted my driving style.

            The race logic kit looks good though - I wish I could change the 'slip' a bit.
            Ex 2001 S54
            New cars:
            Lotus Carlton
            350Z

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Rags View Post
              Great write up mate.

              Quick question for you, when you ran the cable for the control unit through the bulk head, did you run it through that little aperture near the throttle cable?

              Also, I have the unit still as one and didnt ever think to take it apart like you did. Clever idea, just didnt want to mess up the launch unit.
              Just got to be careful with the control unit but it is very simple inside the box, I effectively extended the LED and launch button wires and reconnected them to the dial which has a small PCB on the back half of it.

              The cable for the control unit goes through a large white grommet, I think it's more behind the brake/clutch pedal than the throttle pedal but can't remember for sure. With the pedal cover removed and carpet pulled back it's right there (about 50mm diameter).

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by MGR View Post
                Is the race logic purely traction control ? The DSC in the S54 is more in that it will try to sort you out if you lose control too so also has a stability function rather than just traction control.

                I don't find the DSC intrusive - you just have to adapt your driving slightly. During the first week or so the TC light was on pulling out of junctions or when doing a fast gear change but now it almost never comes on as I have adapted my driving style.

                The race logic kit looks good though - I wish I could change the 'slip' a bit.
                Yea it's just a traction control, I guess it works in a similar way to how Formula One used to where the injector cycle is altered to reduce power and produce a light misfire (there a varying levels of injector phasing that start from just one "miss" to a full on misfire to control slip); it's like a soft power cut that is difficult to feel.
                Last edited by c_w; 02-03-2008, 04:08 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Top post

                  I still reckon no traction control is better*





                  * read : more fun to drive.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Yep, that's what the off button is for!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      great write up prefer no traction control but have toyed with this for when mrs rage drives the car ... not too often

                      what does it cost?
                      [GROWING OLD IS COMPULSARY ---- GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        How does the launch control feature work?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by DavidC View Post
                          How does the launch control feature work?
                          All it really does is help with throttle and launch rev control.

                          It works by coming to a standstill and pressing the launch button, then press the throttle (can press the throttle to the floor) and it will rev up to a pre-set rev limit - say 3500rpm (rpm can be set to whatever rpm you choose) and hold it there producing a light misfire (bit like rally cars when they are on the line ready to set off). Release the clutch and it will hold this rpm until you have set off and won't exceed this rpm until it knows that full traction is available. I think it's very handy on a turbo car as it allows boost to build up from a standing start which is normally otherwise impossible without load. It's not a feature I've used much and of those times it felt a little bit unnatural because you don't feel in full control of the power delivery.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            If anyone wants a Racelogic kit I can offer 15% discount off one kit if ordered this weekend as I am in the process of ordering a few others on Monday morning. RRP for the kit with launch control is £628 inc VAT so if ordered by first thing Monday morning I can supply for £534 inc VAT.

                            If you need it fitted this can be arranged at our unit for £225 inc VAT.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Are there any group buys running on the RLTC at the moment? I'm more and more tempted to get one, but will wait until some sort of discount comes along.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X