# Leaf Park Actuator - work arounds?



## julwaech (Aug 25, 2016)

I have no solution, but i'm also interested in a workaround. Does somebody know what connector this is? I only have the actuator without the connector.


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

Photos of the 10 Pin connector (only 8 used). Sorry I don't know the model. It seems to be 4 power and 4 data (from possible 6).


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

@julwaech


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## dedlast (Aug 17, 2013)

Here (maybe) is the parking actuator section from the 2014 service manual. Maybe it will be of some help.

Bill


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## dedlast (Aug 17, 2013)

Also, I should mention that when I had my Leaf stuff scattered over the garage floor, I made a shaft that would fit into the parking actuator. It had a flat ground in the other end with a piece of angle steel bolted to it that would catch on a bolt threaded into one of the mounting holes. It was pretty hokey but it served to stop the rotation a bit short of a full revolution and fool the actuator into thinking it was working correctly.

Bill


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

Thanks Bill - @dedlast thanks for the service manual and also the details on the compact solution you used. Do you know if the actuator needs to stop at certain angles or just needs to stop?

I could easily take the original shaft (with a bolt through the shaft) and using the mounting bolts create 3 stops (3 mounting bolts). Two bolts could then be used to limit the shaft.

Do you know if there is a range of movement it needs? or does the shaft just need to be stopped from rotating?

ps - @julwaech did you have any luck?


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

pps. @Dala - just posted a link to EV conversion with Leaf parts (used) | Resolve-EV which looks like it will remove the need for the park actuator by using a different controller. Very very interesting.


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## julwaech (Aug 25, 2016)

matthew.stead said:


> ps - @julwaech did you have any luck?


I had no time to work on it yet, but the service manual is really helpful!
Also thank you for the pictures of the connector! Although it's still hard to find.


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## dedlast (Aug 17, 2013)

Mathew, 
My guesstimate is that it just needs to stop, maybe after a short rotation. I had about 120 degrees of rotation on my temporary fix and the OEM setup looks like a bit less than that.

B


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

dedlast said:


> Mathew,
> My guesstimate is that it just needs to stop, maybe after a short rotation. I had about 120 degrees of rotation on my temporary fix and the OEM setup looks like a bit less than that.
> 
> B


I had a look and it appears the standard rotation is around 30 degrees.


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## InductiveJon (Apr 27, 2021)

I am working on a design for this that uses a small waterproof linear actuator with internal limit switches. Basically you apply 12v in one polarity or the other to lock and unlock the parking pawl on the Leaf motor. It's a bolt on solution, but it does require re-use of the splined adapter from inside the original actuator.

Is this something anyone else would be interested in?


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

InductiveJon said:


> I am working on a design for this that uses a small waterproof linear actuator with internal limit switches. Basically you apply 12v in one polarity or the other to lock and unlock the parking pawl on the Leaf motor. It's a bolt on solution, but it does require re-use of the splined adapter from inside the original actuator.
> 
> Is this something anyone else would be interested in?


@InductiveJon - I have ended up using the Resolve Controller - which does not need the parking pawl - see EV conversion kit with Nissan Leaf parts (used) | Resolve-EV


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## AlexH (Oct 11, 2021)

InductiveJon said:


> I am working on a design for this that uses a small waterproof linear actuator with internal limit switches. Basically you apply 12v in one polarity or the other to lock and unlock the parking pawl on the Leaf motor. It's a bolt on solution, but it does require re-use of the splined adapter from inside the original actuator.
> 
> Is this something anyone else would be interested in?


@InductiveJon ... yes would be very interested in this as we are reusing the LEAF gearbox and are keen to use the whole P-brake system, but we don't have the LEAF VCM. The encoder in the actuator talks via the VCM so we need to bypass this. something like the linear actuator you descibe could work.


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## lordmundi (10 mo ago)

Wanted to revive this old thread. Has anyone managed to figure out the pinout for this gearbox park actuator / motor? I'd love to be able to drive it (even if manually at first) and understand if it is talking on the canbus or if it just wires indicating limit switches, etc. Anyone have any info on it? The part number we have 33251-3NF0A. Any help is appreciated!


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## lordmundi (10 mo ago)

lordmundi said:


> Wanted to revive this old thread. Has anyone managed to figure out the pinout for this gearbox park actuator / motor? I'd love to be able to drive it (even if manually at first) and understand if it is talking on the canbus or if it just wires indicating limit switches, etc. Anyone have any info on it? The part number we have 33251-3NF0A. Any help is appreciated!


well, reading that PDF posted above... it _*looks*_ like this is similar to a brushless motor where the sensors in the actuator are just sending pulses back to the nissan factor VCM and then it is controlling currents to individual coils to drive the motor to specific positions/speed. So unless someone has figured out a way to make a mini controller for this motor, it sounds like the only other alternative is something like @InductiveJon was proposing where you replace this motor with something simple that you can control from whatever logic controller you make to detect when people hit a "Park" button and also look at motor speed and whatnot to make sure it is safe to engage park or disengage it. That's just my current thoughts so far.


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

lordmundi said:


> well, reading that PDF posted above... it _*looks*_ like this is similar to a brushless motor where the sensors in the actuator are just sending pulses back to the nissan factor VCM and then it is controlling currents to individual coils to drive the motor to specific positions/speed. So unless someone has figured out a way to make a mini controller for this motor, it sounds like the only other alternative is something like @InductiveJon was proposing where you replace this motor with something simple that you can control from whatever logic controller you make to detect when people hit a "Park" button and also look at motor speed and whatnot to make sure it is safe to engage park or disengage it. That's just my current thoughts so far.


 @lordmundi - I have a spare if you would like it


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## lordmundi (10 mo ago)

matthew.stead said:


> @lordmundi - I have a spare if you would like it


thanks. a spare of what exactly? I have a working park actuator motor (the original from the gearbox), just don't have any way to drive it. Did you wind up using a different mechanism?


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## paulheystee (11 mo ago)

Hi,
I am working on a controller for the Park motor. It will be plug and play. 
As soon as I have a working proto type I will post my findings.

I need it for my Saab 93 Cabrio conversion with the complete Leaf stack.








Runs great @ 145 W/km max 140 km/h
Still need to figure out how to convert from type 1 to type 2 socket.


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## Zieg (10 mo ago)

Has anyone replaced the motor with a lever and a push/pull cable? I haven't tried it yet but that was my plan.


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## paulheystee (11 mo ago)

Zieg said:


> Has anyone replaced the motor with a lever and a push/pull cable? I haven't tried it yet but that was my plan.


The Nissan E-NV200 has this construction with near identical gearbox, however, not interchangeable with the one from the Leaf.
But it is doable to make a lever and use a push/pull cable.


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## lordmundi (10 mo ago)

Zieg said:


> Has anyone replaced the motor with a lever and a push/pull cable? I haven't tried it yet but that was my plan.


This guy did. I think in another of his videos he shows the mechanical lever and cable with a little more detail:


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## matthew.stead (Jun 8, 2020)

lordmundi said:


> thanks. a spare of what exactly? I have a working park actuator motor (the original from the gearbox), just don't have any way to drive it. Did you wind up using a different mechanism?


I ended up using the Resolve Controller - EV conversion kit with Nissan Leaf parts (used) | Resolve-EV which deleted the non-essential components.


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## dddrewski (2 mo ago)

I have the park pawl working with the original motor. The following motor driver works for it:
Cloudray 3-Phase Stepper Motor Driver 3DM580S

I use a 12-24v supply as this drive doesn't work at 12v. The motor is a Y winding stepper with a center tap. I didn't wire up the center tap. Pinout of the motor is in the Nissan manual.
I'm controlling it with an Arduino nano. The motor has an encoder that is easy to read. Supply 5v and ground on the pins specified in the troubleshooting section for the circuit. The two remaining pins output 5v quadrature (electrically single ended).
One caution: disable the drive when it is idle or it will get pretty hot.
*

*


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## lordmundi (10 mo ago)

dddrewski said:


> I have the park pawl working with the original motor. The following motor driver works for it:
> Cloudray 3-Phase Stepper Motor Driver 3DM580S
> 
> I use a 12-24v supply as this drive doesn't work at 12v. The motor is a Y winding stepper with a center tap. I didn't wire up the center tap. Pinout of the motor is in the Nissan manual.
> ...


oh man... this is awesome!!! I would LOVE for you to make a video and show how you wired everything and how it wires into your arduino, the code you have in there, etc. This is really really great.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Is there a brake, solenoid, or over center mechanism where you can shut the stepper drive off?

Are you saying your stepper driver doesn't work at 12V or that the stepper motor needs a higher voltage?


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## dddrewski (2 mo ago)

remy_martian said:


> Is there a brake, solenoid, or over center mechanism where you can shut the stepper drive off?
> 
> Are you saying your stepper driver doesn't work at 12V or that the stepper motor needs a higher voltage?


Yes, the driver doesn't work at 12v (I didn't try it, I just went with the manufacturer specs). The park pawl mechanism seems to have an over center already built in, so I'm figuring the drive can stay off.


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## dddrewski (2 mo ago)

lordmundi said:


> oh man... this is awesome!!! I would LOVE for you to make a video and show how you wired everything and how it wires into your arduino, the code you have in there, etc. This is really really great.


No problem. I'm still working on some of the interlock signals (is ignition on, brake pressed, etc). I'll share the code and wiring diagram in a couple days.


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## dddrewski (2 mo ago)

Here's the wiring diagram as built, and the arduino nano program to run the transmission park pawl motor.
The first time it runs, the park indicator light flashes. You push the park button and it will do a homing routine to move to park, and remember the position.
The arduino stays powered all the time, so it remembers to state of the park pawl after that.

I there are a couple of voltage dividers in there that I didn't write down the resistor values. I don't remember, but they're probably in the 100k ohm range. They result in the nano only seeing 5V on inputs.

I also didn't write down the resistor value on the LED output. It was a 3V LED, so I just tried a few values until it read 3V across the LED.

The only thing I may change is to put the Resolve-EV controller into Neutral when park is activated. Right now, it will go into park while the Resolve-EV is in Drive or Reverse.


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## paulheystee (11 mo ago)

dddrewski said:


> I have the park pawl working with the original motor. The following motor driver works for it:
> Cloudray 3-Phase Stepper Motor Driver 3DM580S
> 
> I use a 12-24v supply as this drive doesn't work at 12v. The motor is a Y winding stepper with a center tap. I didn't wire up the center tap. Pinout of the motor is in the Nissan manual.
> ...


Question; why is the centre tap not connected to ground?


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## dddrewski (2 mo ago)

paulheystee said:


> Question; why is the centre tap not connected to ground?


From the Cloudray drive documentation, they don't show that configuration. They show a Y configuration with nothing attached to the center as being able to be controlled. The LEAF wiring diagram has this going to 12V, so they have some other type of drive circuit in the ECU. I'm really not familiar with 3-Phase stepper motors, as it's an odd ball.
Anyway, this is working great so far, so I'm not going to worry about the center tap.

I am going to change the "Park" button I'm using to also shift to neutral. I can't find a matching double pole button to what I'm using now (my button is double pole, but one NO and one NC. I need both to be NO), so I have to put in a double pole relay.
Unless someone out there knows of a lighted, stainless, 19mm, momentary, double pole, both NO button.


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