DIY ECU controls Honda Perception’s Kubota diesel engine

The Honda Perception was the primary hybrid automobile launched in North America and Honda put critical effort into making it as environment friendly as was sensible on the time. That meant aerodynamic streamlining, which is why the first-generation Perception had very distinct covers over the rear wheels. It even had particular tires with very low rolling resistance. These elements made the Honda Perception the right platform for Robotic Cantina’s Kubota diesel engine swap with a do-it-yourself Arduino ECU.

Engine swaps are frequent within the automobile fanatic neighborhood, however that is an uncommon one. As an alternative of making an attempt to make the Honda Perception extra highly effective, Robotic Cantina went in the wrong way. Their undertaking replaces the unique engine with a 700cc Kubota diesel engine. That’s the form of energy plant you’ll sometimes discover in industrial machines and autos. For reference, that engine has much less displacement than any bike at the moment provided by Harley-Davidson. 

To assist this Kubota diesel engine run effectively and cleanly within the Honda Perception, Robotic Cantina wanted to assemble a customized engine management unit (ECU). They used an Arduino UNO Rev3 for the job. It bodily adjusts the increase valve and gasoline rack limiter utilizing stepper motors by way of stepper driver modules. It additionally screens the throttle place sensor (TPS) to find out how a lot the motive force is pushing the accelerator. For testing and refinement, an LCD display screen reveals the present positions and potentiometer knobs let the motive force manually set the values.

However whereas the motive force can set increase and rack manually, the objective is to develop a formulation to mechanically alter these two values in response to the TPS worth. Like a manufacturing automobile’s ECU, this may let the engine run at most effectivity with out direct driver involvement. It should additionally cut back seen smog, which is a vital issue for a diesel Honda Perception that the motive force doesn’t need to drawing consideration.