# Full Tesla model S swap to Mercedes-Benz G-class w463



## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

Have done quite alot cleaning on the body electronics. Cut out pretty much everything I will not use. Desided to take parking aid out, it had massive amout of wiring, not worth it. Abs I am trying to keep. In picture there is still wiring I already cleaned later, but you can see that there is not so many wiring going to the rear. Next week I will clean wiring that is in the front of the firewall. Then it is time to take out the battery, motor etc.
Car still fully running.


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## Electric Land Cruiser (Dec 30, 2020)

Very ambitious but awesome! G-Wagen is dream vehicle with Tesla dream EV swap. Doesn't get any better than this! Unfortunately I don't have any advice for you really but it may be easier to use aftermarket controllers for the motor/inverter and BMSand charger instead of transplanting every single thing from Tesla into the Mercedes.


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

Thanks! I am also really excited of this project.

Yes, I am sure it would be ALOT easier to use aftermarket parts with this. But on the other hand, I do have the best BMS there is, I do have the best chargers there is. So if I get it done, I should have really good system.

Also if I would use aftermarket systems, I would not really learn anything about Tesla. I do run decent size car service here in Finland, we dont get much info about Teslas anywhere. So I see this as an great opportunity to learn from Tesla systems. Already found really nice service manuals for it, have spent quite alot time reading those. 

I have not found this kind of swap done anywhere. Meaning when using Tesla electronics to also run the motor. Have someone else encountered similar?


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

Got the project abit forward this week. Took battery and motor out from donor model S. Removing battery was really really easy task. Took 20min when doing first time. Motor was abit more work. Rear subframe out and then back with out motor about 2 hours. HV cabels were really stuck on motor, that took abit work to get out. had to be carefull not to damage cables of motor case.

Now I put some plywood on battery and started to assembling electronics on top of the battery. I will make it a "running car" on top of the battery. Then I will do some cleaning on wiring. Alot connectors that could be changed to smaller ones. Multiple 40pin connectors that only have 5-10 cables going through.

After this is ready and running I can say that I got the Tesla electronics out from the car. Pretty sure it is the case.
Then it would be time to start the design the battery layout. Motor mounting should be straight forward job. Probably will lift the body out from the G wagen chassis. Then it would be easier to mount the motor and batteries.


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## 57Chevy (Jan 31, 2020)

Keen project! You will likely end up unable to use all the Tesla gear/functionality because just a few changes will cause issues, as you have highlighted. I'm doing a similar project with a 57 Chevy and it is very difficult to utilise any of the Tesla gear as-is, a problem the aftermarket are slowly getting on to solving. The LDU can now be run separately via aftermarket hardware and I'm going this route to eliminate any chance of the main functionality getting compromised. Drivability is a second issue, you'll end up stuck with the OEM torque profile which may not suit the new application.

Separately I'm looking to use the ABS/ESP and iBooster (2017 P100D) modules which require wheel speeds so that means using OEM hubs and sensors. The steering rack is on the 'private can network' along with ABS and iBooster plus yaw sensor and I don't know how they will work with the rack missing as I can't use the rack. The ESP system is hopefully separate enough from the ABS that one can operate fully with the other in fault state.

If you have a can sniffer, I'd be very interested in a log of the OEM private can network with all parts connected. The private network is the yellow twisted pair that runs from the IVD (yaw rate sensor) in the middle of the cabin to the ABS module at the front.


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## IconAM (Nov 19, 2021)

So, I just joined this forum simply to follow this build. What year is your G? Please reach out if you need any help. I retrofit MB with aftermarket and OEM options. 👏👏👏


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

57Chevy said:


> If you have a can sniffer, I'd be very interested in a log of the OEM private can network with all parts connected. The private network is the yellow twisted pair that runs from the IVD (yaw rate sensor) in the middle of the cabin to the ABS module at the front.


Hi! I do have a can sniffer, I just need to get familiar with it. Havent even tried it yet. I do have the sensor you pointed out in place and also abs unit. What would you need from that? Message when it has zero acceleration?


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

One look at the logs the car continuously sends, or at the cameras, and Tesla can brick your car - the joy of OTA updates.

Bad idea.


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

IconAM said:


> So, I just joined this forum simply to follow this build. What year is your G? Please reach out if you need any help. I retrofit MB with aftermarket and OEM options. 👏👏👏


Oh, nice to hear this project does get someones attention. 
My G is 1997 350td. I have made full restoration to it on 2019. Including full outer update to 2017 look and full interior job from gray to black/brown. Also quite alot of sheet metal work was done to fix all the rust. Frame luckily did not have much rust on it. It eventually had problem with cylinder head cracking last year, so that gave the boost to get this project going.

I havent had much done on this last 2 weeks. I did assembly all the electronics on top of the battery, still need to do some connections to test the motor there. I had to work few evenings with the donor Tesla frame. I promised to return it to the seller as complete car. Meaning that I needed to make it look like there is nothing wrong with it. I even made plexy glass instrument cluster and MCU. Why I needed to do this, is because seller will explode the tesla with high amout of explosives. Like really. He was so pissed to Tesla he wants to make a video of it when he explodes it. I will post the link when it comes out. The detonition is supposed to happen next week. It is a shame, I would loved to keep the frame and put an ethanol turbo motor on it. But I could not get a deal done, he really wants to explode it.


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

remy_martian said:


> One look at the logs the car continuously sends, or at the cameras, and Tesla can brick your car - the joy of OTA updates.
> 
> Bad idea.


Yes. That is a risk. I have disconnected all the antennas and took out the sim card from MCU. Is there some other thing needed so I could make sure remote connection/updates would not be possible?


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

My Model S donor-designee stopped charging after I disconnected the antennas...it decided, after a year without software updates, that the car needed "servicing"


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

So, I did return the donor Tesla to its owner. I took out everything I need in my project. He did wrap 30kg of TNT explosives to it and blew it up. Here is the video.





I would have made something else with it, but seller was more that determined to blow it.


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## 57Chevy (Jan 31, 2020)

Haapala said:


> Hi! I do have a can sniffer, I just need to get familiar with it. Havent even tried it yet. I do have the sensor you pointed out in place and also abs unit. What would you need from that? Message when it has zero acceleration?


Sorry I missed your message. If you are can sniffing, just a log file of what is on the yellow can network is fine. I'm missing bits and being able to compare your data to mine might give an indication of how it responds to missing pieces.

Also nice video. I sold mine to a guy who is putting a turbo rotary engine in it


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## Holden (Dec 30, 2021)

Wow this is super interesting project! Hope to hear more from this in the future.


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## autokirjoittaja (Jan 7, 2022)

A very interesting project @Haapala 
I'd like to cover the project for a finnish newspaper (puhumme myös suomea).

Can you send me a dm or email to: joonas.o.p.turunen (ät) gmail.com
or phone: zero four zero 568 5874


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## Mpress99 (12 mo ago)

Wow awsome project, i just searched the internet,only to see that if some had done a swap with Tesla engine
i did find a guy in England who had done it at more landrovers😀
i do have Gwagon and Will do the swap also
my wife has a model 3 performance, love this car also. But Will never sell my Gwagon 
now i Will hav the Best of two worlds😀😀


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

I got it live again! 

It does "spin the wheels" now that it is outside the car. Had one ground point missing (not connected) and looked for the problem for a while. Should have marked those better when taking electronics out of the car.

I got quite alot attention for the project when local newspaper wrote 4 pages on this project only! Also biggest news paper in Finland wrote another story about the Tesla explotion case and I got my story to that article also. Thanks to @autokirjoittaja for that!

I did post more photos with descriptions to my instagram. If you want to follow this project in "real time" please follow IG @jessehaapala.

I am also editing a video to be published in youtube. Same account name there, please subscribe now so you will know when it comes out. I will make a series of videos of this project. First one will go through the project from beginning to this point.

I will try to keep this thread alive also as the project goes forward. But I will post to instagram more offen for sure.


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## Haapala (Aug 15, 2021)

So here is the Part 1 of the project videos. Please Subscribe while you are at it. Thanks!

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## liteglow2000 (8 mo ago)

Haapala said:


> So here is the Part 1 of the project videos. Please Subscribe while you are at it. Thanks!
> 
> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="
> 
> ...


This is absolutely fantastic !!  

You have done a incredible job to make that run again  
Wish I would have seen this live, so much to learn from the electronics.

Btw, what was actually wrong with the battery ? 
Was there a bad module or cell ? 


Thanx for the video .. I love it


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