Renault Clio III CANBUS research/improvement

dudu-lai

Matthieu614 With the OEM screen retained, the CANBUS box does not acquire the external temperature, which is viewed in the OEM screen

Matthieu614

Ok, but when I disconnect the OEM screen SWC won't work anymore and still no temp displayed.

Also, for my understanding, does the CAN bus box allow Dudu to read whatever he want or it only exposes a certain list of data to the host and can't be extended ?

dudu-lai

Matthieu614 The OEM screen is retained and the CANBUS Box does not obtain external temperature data over the CAN bus.
The DUDU can only access the data built into the CANBUS Box, not whatever the DUDU wants, the CANBUS Box will provide.

Matthieu614

Ok thanks for the clarification ! Do you know then what exactly for this specific canbus box what is provided to the host ? Also, can the missing data be obtained from an OBD dongle ?

dudu-lai

Matthieu614 The CANBUS bus box does not disclose its information.

Mikescotland

SWC and temperature are on the multimedia canbus in clio III. They aren't accessible from the normal canbus pins which adapters use. Reverse / lights on are available on both, normal canbus and multimedia canbus.
I have decoded a lot of canbus messages in my Clio III (including DPF soot, particle regeneration etc). They all work fine in Torque.
For SWC I have a workaround, small box from connects2 for clio III which is connected to multimedia canbus and has hot wire for illumination, hot wire for reverse and two wires for protocols for pioneer, alpine, etc that can be learnt by headunit.

Mikescotland

Mikescotland I was wrong about the temperature. I have successfully decoded using esp32 and connection to obd2:

state of all doors, lights, indicators and ignition position)
outside temperature
steering wheel angle and speed of rotation.
These are on main canbus.
SWC controls are on the multimedia canbus which is available on the obd2 port but different pins.
Canbus decoder would need to be double as must be decoding two can buses.
I'm now experimenting with commands to the headunit in Raise VW standard which seem to be working.
I'm not concerned about SWC as I have connects2 device from previous installation which Dudu learnt.
I will post code once finished for anyone interested. Hardware cost is around 10USD.

doozy

I have a phase 2 clio 3 (200) and for the canbus to work the top screenhad to come out as one of the harness leads was part of the new radio loom

I had to try a couple different harnesses, first one didn’t work at all with canbus, the second works without issue with doors and light sync, but no speed

None of them give internal temp

Mikescotland

doozy there were two options for clio III, one is with update radio and small screen. I've got tom Tom carminat which is slightly different with screen with navi from the factory.
Steering wheel stalks work slightly different for either model.

doozy

Mikescotland Ahh that makes things a bit more interesting, I just had the rs monitor top screen, the French don’t make things easy

Mikescotland

So just to update this thread.
Communication with Dudu is fine now and what's working:

door open / close
external temperature
vehicle data: RPM, speed, odometer, water temperature
steering wheel angles.
These are common for all clio III and will be compatible with for sure Nissan Quashquai J10, possibly with Megane II or / and III.
Now adding second canbus transceiver to be able to do all SWC not only a few that my connects2 adapter provides (in clio III you must retain either Tomtom navi screen and BIC module, both in the dash, in standard clio you must retain the original screen. I tucked mine somewhere in the dash so they aren't visible).
The whole project is on single esp32 dev board with two can transceivers.
There is no point of sending anything to the canbus because in my clio it's manual AC so only on / off via a button.
I decoded much more data (indicators, lights, parking brake) but there is no source to tell me what commands should be sent to the HU in Raise VWPQ protocol.
I am unable so far to decode fuel level but it must be somewhere in the can messages as instrument cluster shows it. Will keep trying.

picasso1850

Mikescotland for someone who said he doesnt have time to tinker, you sure do a lot of tinkering! 🫣

Mikescotland

picasso1850 it's electronics and microprocesors, it's what I do.
Debugging someone else's errors on a proprietary, undocumented system I have no idea how it works, with no real manual, considering I paid quite amount of money for, is completely different.

picasso1850

Mikescotland still waiting for you to return it and post those unsavoring videos. :p

Mikescotland

picasso1850 I'm still thinking about it. Have one more day before a month long trip. Phone calls are the biggest problem now.
I have no experience with 3.5 OS but 3.6 definitely wouldn't be taken by reviews so favourably as 3.5.

picasso1850

Mikescotland there is zero chance you get rid of it....zero. lol

Mikescotland

picasso1850 if I only had all documentation.

picasso1850

Mikescotland I agree with you that detailed documentation is lacking.

But I disagree that technical support or OS upgrades or bug fixes is lacking, or that this isn't the best product on the market relative to the rest of the comparable units. And we can't compare features or functions of a kenwood or sony unit to this product. Its not apples to apples.

I think my posts on this forum are balanced with respect when warranted and trolling when warranted. When folks post 'nothing works' or 'there's no support' or 'my dudu stinks' - I'm just trolling their troll. I own it 🙂

Mikescotland

picasso1850 I think I will keep it, with custom canbox is getting there.
So far the worst part of it is the phone application. Not synchronising, missing recents, god knows how to add favourites and in the UK operators follow strange incoming caller ID with 0xxx for calls and +44xxx for texts, WhatsApp gives 44xxx and I've got all contacts as +44xx which renders recognition useless. I wish there was another alternative to that app.

Matthieu614

Thanks all for your investigations 👏

@dudu-lai so could it implemented someway in the future ? Or through a OBD2 dongle communicating with the host ?

Mikescotland

Matthieu614 not thought obd2 dongle. I have built an esp32 canbus decoder, programmed to clio III can messages and mapped relevant commands to Dudu unit.
Cost of the hardware is around 10 USD. I'm happy to provide all documentation if anyone wants. This also works in Nissans from around 2011 (they used same ECUs as Renault).
I doubt any manufacturer would create canbox for clios (or meganes from this period) as we have two canbuses in the car and their priority is SWC buttons not engine data.