How to turn on the fans with the 68 mph upgrade
... just switch off the bike with the kill switch off ! But I don't know how long they'll run, I hadn't test it yet. I just had the 68 mph upgrade today and discovered this tips. I'm probably the very first in Paris to have this upgrade, because the importer said this is only compatible with the very last release of the charger, which has been replaced also on my bike today, to solve my randomly stopping charges issue.
BTW, the center stand is now available for about ... 300 euros, and the VX-1 Li will be available in a 30 Ah and a 45 Ah release (and the NiMh will still be available).
Interesting!
I wonder how many more features are hidden in the software but are not made known to the owners?
The ability to turn or off both headlight filaments is a similar example, and also the encoder calibration procedure.
However, several people have commented that they installed the 110km/h upgrade without changing their charger.
I think they also did not change the charger firmware, but I'm not quite certain about this.
...
...
BTW, the center stand is now available for about ... 300 euros, ...
...
Would anyone be willing to sell overseas, to Australia?
Does anyone sell the center stand boxed, or only including installation?
Would anyone mail a center stand to within Europe?
I had the new software installed on a 2007 and 2008 bike with the original chargers. No chnage in the bahavior of the fans. I tried it on both bikes. Turning off the bike with the kill switch on does not turn the fans on. I suspect your battery was hot and the fans would have come on anyway.
Okay, HarryS, you were finally right about the temperature : I let the fans run, they stopped after a while, and now I cannot turn them on anymore. The batteries temperature was at 22C°, which should be exactly the temperature threshold in my cold garage (the temperature threshold depends on the ambiant temperature, as you surely know), and that justified the fact that the fans turned on sometimes, and sometimes not. So, sorry folks, there is no known way to turn on the fans with the 68 mph software (even the 2.1 diag software cannot do it anymore : the plenum fan test button is inoperative).
However, I still have the erratic tachometer during pre-cooling, and no equalization charge anymore ...
I'm probably the very first in Paris to have this upgrade, because the importer said this is only compatible with the very last release of the charger, which has been replaced also on my bike today, to solve my randomly stopping charges issue.
The latest charger revision is BCR3001.hex
thats from the oct 2008 release.
both the latest 68mph, 62mph, and probably the 50mph MC firmware revisions are MCR1017
From the bikes I have updated, to 68mph, most have already had BCR 3001.
Those that have not have usually had hardware replaced (and other issues due to incompatible firmware revisions).
Matt
Mine recently did an EQ charge. However I do remember that after the installation when the Vectrix tech forced 30Ah capacity, the bike actually did not EQ although it was showing as pending at the end of the programming. I actually had the first EQ 12h driving time after the software update.
MCR1017/BCR3001 is the latest and last rev of paired SW for bikes with the original chargers. The original charger is the aluminum colored, odd shaped charger. The new charger which is an anodized goldish color and about the size and shape of a shoe box, requires MC1019 or higher and charger R4000 or higher. The charger HW is significantly different and much improved. The fan algorithm with the new SW is much more aggressive than the older SW. It turns the fans on more often and for longer. It is driven mainly by the difference in ambient and battery temperature. To minimize noise levels, when the scoot is enabled, the fans turn off when the speed is below a threshold. When the scoot speeds up the fans come on (according to the ambient/batt difference). If the scoot is "on" but disabled the fans will be on (again ..ambient/batt). And finally if the fans are on when you power down they will stay on for at least 10 minutes.
I'm probably the very first in Paris to have this upgrade, because the importer said this is only compatible with the very last release of the charger, which has been replaced also on my bike today, to solve my randomly stopping charges issue.
The latest charger revision is BCR3001.hex
thats from the oct 2008 release.
both the latest 68mph, 62mph, and probably the 50mph MC firmware revisions are MCR1017
From the bikes I have updated, to 68mph, most have already had BCR 3001.
Those that have not have usually had hardware replaced (and other issues due to incompatible firmware revisions).
Matt
My charger was replaced on june, but that did not solved my randomly stopping charges. It was replaced again a few days ago by a new version that solved my charging issue. This one is different from the june version : the fan of the charger is more noisy, and the CP intensity is 10 % higher (it begins with 12 Ah, and ends around 10 Ah), so I think the hardware is not the same than the prior release.
Just to be sure you understand me despite my poor english : I'm talking about two hardware replacements of my charger.
MCR1017/BCR3001 is the latest and last rev of paired SW for bikes with the original chargers. The original charger is the aluminum colored, odd shaped charger. The new charger which is an anodized goldish color and about the size and shape of a shoe box, requires MC1019 or higher and charger R4000 or higher. The charger HW is significantly different and much improved. The fan algorithm with the new SW is much more aggressive than the older SW. It turns the fans on more often and for longer. It is driven mainly by the difference in ambient and battery temperature. To minimize noise levels, when the scoot is enabled, the fans turn off when the speed is below a threshold. When the scoot speeds up the fans come on (according to the ambient/batt difference). If the scoot is "on" but disabled the fans will be on (again ..ambient/batt). And finally if the fans are on when you power down they will stay on for at least 10 minutes.
I understand now why I could hear the fans stopping when I'm slowing down to full stop. The main difference I did noticed between the new and the prior release is that the fans can start when I switch off the scoot, which has never happened before. Thank you (once more ...) for your explanations !
BTW, do you have an idea about the erratic speedometer needle during pre-cooling, when the scoot is on ?
Mine recently did an EQ charge. However I do remember that after the installation when the Vectrix tech forced 30Ah capacity, the bike actually did not EQ although it was showing as pending at the end of the programming. I actually had the first EQ 12h driving time after the software update.
So I think the forcing EQ feature is not available anymore, like the fans test. Fortunately, the EQ charge is still there ! Thanks for your answer. The last unexplained change now is the speedometer needle ...
requires MC1019 or higher and charger R4000 or higher.
Is there any major change to how the MC behaves with revision MC1019?
I no longer use a charger connected to the CAN bus, so in theory I could use either.
thanks,
Matt
antiscab
Do you have the stock charger connected at least? The way faults are displayed with MC1019/4000 is much different. If you use 1019 and no charger, you will not see any faults displayed.
LCM
The dancing needle in pre-cool was a bug (you dont quite have the newest SW). The charger and the MC are duking it out to drive the speedo. If you flick the kill switch off it should stop.
On the charger topic:
Is there a difference in power consumption of the new charger in the idle state?
My Vectrix consumes 0,5 Amp in idle state when connected to the grid. This means a waste of 110 Watt (@ 220V) if the bike is plugged in but not charging or cooling. In warmer climates this is even causes heating of the charger.
I would hope that this is corrected in the new charger.
Can someone try this with a power meter connected?
Thanks
Yes, there is a significant difference!
Yes, there is a significant difference!
X-vectrix, do you recommend upgrading the old bikes with the new charger? Why?
antiscab
Do you have the stock charger connected at least? The way faults are displayed with MC1019/4000 is much different. If you use 1019 and no charger, you will not see any faults displayed.
nope, I sold it some time ago.
by faults, I presume you mean all the MC and ICM faults (blown lights, Cap Hot, Cap Cur, etc?)
or just the charger related ones (batt hot, etc)?
cheers,
Matt
I had the new software installed on a 2007 and 2008 bike with the original chargers. No chnage in the bahavior of the fans. I tried it on both bikes. Turning off the bike with the kill switch on does not turn the fans on. I suspect your battery was hot and the fans would have come on anyway.
You are absolutly right, my yesterday tests were not long enough to be significative. I just spent part of this afternoon in my garage, trying to find a cause and effect between any manipulation and the fans to turn on after the bike is switch off, and I didn't find any. I suspect now some kind of software glitch : sometimes the fans turn on when I switch off the bike, and sometimes they do not. Of course, during all my tests, the batteries temperature was far below any threshold that could justify the fans to turn on (it was below 20C°).
Another strange behavior is the tachometer needle that goes erratically between 0 and 90 when I switch on the bike during a pre-cooling stage, with 'de 153' displayed on the odometer.
Also, I don't have any equalization charge anymore, despite the fact that I sent a 'restart battery capacity measurement' order, supposed to trigger an equalization charge.
In fact, I'm wondering if all these strange behaviours are due to the new software, or due to the new charger ?
HarryS, did you notice any of these changes with the new software ?
April 2010 Vectrix VX-1, 2004 Prius (feeded with E85), Giant Suede (electric bicycle)