370z CAN Bus Data & Question?

[MotorvateDIY]

I apologize in advance if there is a better location for this, I did look but didn't see a logical spot for "CAN Bus", so I posted it in general.

I have been doing a lot of research and reverse engineering my G37's CAN bus.
AND I would like to understand what is the same and what is different on the 370z's CAN bus.

However, I don't have access to a 370z to capture the CAN bus data (they are too quick for my G37!)

By chance, does anyone have or can get CAN bus data from their 370z?
There isn't any personal information in the data, no location and not even a VIN.

-OR- if you are in the Toronto area, if I buy you a coffee could I record it while you drive around the block?

The main reason for doing this is to make engine swaps easier and have working factory gauges. Something like a plug and play black box.

Thanks in advance!

[JARblue]

There's a few people who have tried. Here's a couple of threads on the subject.

370Z CAN Bus Proprietary PID's
Can bus Hacking

[MotorvateDIY]

Originally Posted by JARblue

There's a few people who have tried. Here's a couple of threads on the subject.

370Z CAN Bus Proprietary PID's
Can bus Hacking

Thanks for taking the time to find and post those links.
I feel like I have searched every inch of the internet for Nissan CAN bus logs and have been up and down those threads many times

Most people that want to reverse engineer CAN bus like to do so on an electric car, as they want to know more about the battery state of charge.

However, there is a lot of interesting data on our own CAN bus that could be useful.
For example, here is the raw data from the steering wheel position sensor:





The steering wheel data is updated 100 times per second, and it contains the steering wheel angle,
rate of steering wheel turning (degrees/sec) and some other stuff I haven't figured out.

Just hoping to wet someone's appetite

[xyrtek]

Hi,

I must have a CAN bus adapter somewhere and can get an ODB2 connector.

Care to share more details on how you are grabbing the logs and save me the googling part?

Sort of interested on this as well.

[THE BULL]

Subbed!

[MotorvateDIY]

Originally Posted by xyrtek

Hi,
Care to share more details on how you are grabbing the logs and save me the googling part?

Absolutely!! That is what I LOVE to do... Learn and share

I designed, built and programmed a CAN bus to SD card recorder. It uses an $8 ESP32, a $2 CAN bus transceiver and a $2 SD card module.

I simply plug it into my car and go for a drive. It records all the CAN bus data to the SD card.

On a manual transmission G37, it records close to 1200 CAN bus messages per second and on an automatic G37 with AWD, that jumps up to 2200 CAN bus messages per second. (Thanks again Kevin & Andy!!)

Then I use SavvyCAN to visualize the data, reverse engineer it and build a "DBC" file that defines everything. (well not everything... some items are very difficult to figure out!)

The CAN bus data is saved in a "SavvyCan" format, so it makes it easy to open it in the FREE and EXCELLENT SavvyCAN program.

I am 90% done designing an easy to assemble kit that allow you to do this without any electronic or programming skills. I think everyone should be able to do this for under $50 an not spend $300+ for the commercial CAN to USB/SD kits.

[MotorvateDIY]

Small update:
I now have full control of the G37 instrument panel/gauges using the CAN bus!
When I get 370z CAN bus logs, I will get it to work on the G37. If needed I can make up "translation gateway" to resolve any non-functional gauges.

Down the road, I should be able to get the 350/370 gauges to work with any other engine/ECU (VR, LS, HR to VQ, etc)

The 370 gauges are a little simplier to use, as they connect directly to the CAN bus. On the G35/G37 the "Unified Meter & A/C Amp" connects to the CAN bus and uses a serial connection to control the gauges.

Here is a before and after picture:

[xyrtek]

I will try to get you some logs over the weekend.

Do you have a github repo with all the work you have done?

[MotorvateDIY]

Originally Posted by xyrtek

I will try to get you some logs over the weekend.
Do you have a github repo with all the work you have done?

Thank you for the getting the CAN logs for me!

No github yet, I have more reverse engineering to do and want to test/verify my assumptions.

[gbrettin]

I am very interested in this. I have a standalone ECU, MS3, and an LS swap on my car. I'm literally about to button up the engine in Aug. I'd LOVE to have all OE gauges work. If you have something to make my life easier for the CAN setup... My PayPal is ready to go.

[MotorvateDIY]

Mini Update:
This afternoon was fun...
By sending out CAN bus data, I can now fully control the instrument panel:


Tomorrow, I will re-verify today's work, just to make sure all is accurate.

[MotorvateDIY]

Originally Posted by gbrettin

I am very interested in this. I have a standalone ECU, MS3, and an LS swap on my car. I'm literally about to button up the engine in Aug. I'd LOVE to have all OE gauges work. If you have something to make my life easier for the CAN setup... My PayPal is ready to go.

What a nice project!!!
Later this evening, I will dig thought the MS3 documentation to understand their CAN bus system.

I don't think it will be too difficult... Once I know more, I'm sure I will have some questions.

[MotorvateDIY]

Originally Posted by gbrettin

I am very interested in this. I have a standalone ECU, MS3, and an LS swap on my car. I'm literally about to button up the engine in Aug. I'd LOVE to have all OE gauges work.

I did a quick review of the MS3 documentation and it all looks good.

• Do you know what firmware version you have?
• What is missing/unplugged in the car?

[gbrettin]

I sent a message to you on Facebook.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[MotorvateDIY]

Since my last post, I have an additional 30+ hours reverse engineering the gauges. I really don't know what is wrong with me, but I LOVE this type of work!!


On the CAN bus I have found:
Paddle shifters (up & down), outside temp, all of the LCD images (middle of the G37 gauges), all of the warning lights, driver & passenger seat belt buckle status,
and two very interesting ones:

• Amount of fuel consumed since engine start
• Raw data of the fuel level float. I had no idea how much those float arms move!!

To give you an idea of the scope of the task here is some simple math:
Each ID the gauges receive typically have a payload of 8 data bytes.
That 8 bytes can be 8 values for an analog sensor, or 64 bits used for switch (lights on) or system status (engine off, engine running)
-OR- any mix of the above.

Now that was for a single CAN ID, most modules receive data from multiple IDs and the only way to find out, is to send specific data to a specific ID and see what happens.

In the next few days I will have some CAN logs from a 370z and will feed it to my G37 gauges. I am 99% certain everything will work as I would think the encoding is the same.

By the way, while sending speedometer data to the gauge cluster to figure out the "fuel consumed" my odometer went up just over 320 KM / 199 miles while on my desk!