Simplifying the Bench Kona

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2024-10-27 06:00:02

Oops, just like that and six months goes by! Still, there has been steady progress on simplifying the "Bench Kona" project down to something that could be transplanted into a car.

A couple of posts ago I wrote about having to wire up my wrecked Hyundai Kona Electric's Smart Key Module in order to get the motor to turn on the bench:

It adds up: modules connected only to keep the Smart Key Module happy are a substantial portion of the total mess on the bench:

Internally, the Smart Key Module also contains two radio systems: a close range RFID-like system which tracks whether a key is present in the vehicle, and a long range 433MHz receiver that receives the signal to remotely lock and unlock the doors when a button is pressed.

Ideally, if we're adapting the Kona's electric powertrain into another car then we want to remove the Smart Key Module entirely. Dozens of wires run into the module, but we only need one: the IMMO wire.

"IMMO" is the immobiliser signal, used to coordinate between the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) and the Smart Key Module. The VCU sends a challenge over this wire, and if the Smart Key Module doesn't provide a valid response then the motor won't turn. Most auto manufacturers implement some version of this. I believe Hyundai's name for the system in the Kona is SMARTRA 4.