Recent content by odonnse

Wow, you have really dove in! I appreciate the initiative and good luck on your goal, let me know if I can help. Not sure about your system, but on the newer the motors themselves also communicate over CAN. Really the only thing that does not communicate over CAN is the PDM, brake switch, TPS...

The motors are most likely DC motors. The motor controllers will drive a square wave to alternate per phase of the motor based on the speed input provided. Obviously the blade motors will be driven at a constant speed and the drive motor will be variable. I guess your model version has some more...

I would be reluctant to do that, easy way to cause a catastrophic failure of your batteries and start a fire if you are not careful. Does your VCM turn on at all? It is odd that you are getting an error code on one thing but not the other.

I believe that is the PDM (Power Distribution Module). Your earlier system looks a bit different than mine, but I believe that is it. That is what houses the contactor that gives the "click" when the VCM (Vehicle Control Module) says everything is good. If you have error codes, most of the time...

The wiring diagram is just for the main harness. The motor controller power comes from the PDM. And the CAN bus connector you see in the drawing is what connects to the CAN bus harness for the motor controllers. But the main harness connects directly to your BMS with a deutsch style connector.

I've attached the wiring diagram I have for the two-connector VCM, which I believe matches what your mower is using. When it comes to CAN bus analysis (CAN sniffing), it’s much more effective if you have a baseline of what the expected messages should look like. That way, you can compare data...

Ah, yes. I think this is the first version of this system. Not sure if craftsman ever updated it like Cub Cadet did, I would assume so as MTD just made them all. Anyway, do you have the wiring diagram for this main harness? If not, I can dig it up.

Jwax, Appreciate the feedback, it was an adventure! The battery system is the one thing I have yet to dive face first into on this system. First thing, did you check the battery inline fuse? Second, what is the code on the VCM? Third and final, do you have a two connector VCM (smaller display...

100%, effective troubleshooting is an art form. Usually helps to have some technical documentation from the manufacturer. This was very much a reverse engineering exercise with a bit of repair sprinkled in for good measure.

Here is the scanned version of the wiring diagram. Should be more clear, it was a scan of a printed copy.

So… turns out the wiring diagram I mentioned? Yeah, it’s basically useless. Way too blurry to be helpful. My scanner decided to join the LT42e in rebellion and refused to cooperate. I’m working on getting a proper scan uploaded soon—one that doesn’t look like it was faxed from the moon. Sit...

Return of the VCM: The LT42e Resurrection, Part 2 (Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Short Circuit) Hello again, fellow electric tractor tamers and backyard engineers. If you remember Part 1, I was locked in a dramatic standoff with my Cub Cadet LT42e. The VCM, that mysterious...

I totally get where you're coming from! Cutting-edge tech in the hands of a second or third-tier manufacturer can feel like giving a toddler a loaded Nerf gun—sure, it might hit the mark, but it’s more likely to end up with a shot to the foot and some serious regrets. As much as I appreciate the...

Don't get me wrong, when I develop a harness for a vehicle, I like to keep them as short as possible. But these harnesses are so tight it some areas, it feels like they are using it to hold the thing together!

Greetings, fellow yard warriors and electric tractor whisperers. Let me regale you with the epic saga of my Cub Cadet LT42e, a fine machine that decided it no longer wanted to participate in basic lawn maintenance and instead threw a tantrum in the form of error codes E108, E113, E115, and...