Please help something bad is happening to my vectrix!
The story:
There was 3 dead battery and bought 9 secondhand batteries and changed rather 9 of them cos I mesaured that those are not right.I had 12000km in the old batteries and what I bought 9 they were only at 6000km.
I tried to make them at the same level by voltage to mine ones and put it in.
It worked good but I knew it needs time for the newer batteries to equalize.
I have used it for 1000km and was ok but not 100%.
I was using it and a month ago put it away due to weather.
So I remember when finished using it there was 3 bars and 17km range dispayed.
Ok left it like that but knew I need to charge it to something like 80% to make shure batteries will be ok to store.
Went today and wanted to charge it but there is a big problem as it starts ok but now it shows 10 bars and 0km.
I plug the charger and is starting but for only like 15sec and switch itself off like it`s got enough power in the batteries.I left it on for few hours and the bars gone down to 4 but when I plug it on charge it goes up to 10 bars again in few sec and swithes off.
What`s happening few cells are dead again or is it just really unbalanced?
Did someone have the same experience?
sounds like you may have replaced bad batteries with worse ones. Testing the batteries voltage at rest is not going to really tell you the condition of the cells. Did you stress test them? They may have gone from a "static" good reading to a flat dead "loaded" voltage. Just a thought......
HI: You need to read the link here on the "v" that's titled (FLAT BATTERY-I THINK) it sounds like your battery has droped below the voltage that is required to make the CHARGER start. first can you check the voltage with a v-meter or do you have the up-dated software that"s lets you read it by haveing (SWITCH ON-FLIP KILL SWITCH TO OFF-AND SQUEZZE LEFT BRAK LEAVER) then the dash will show the temp-and voltage.you may be in need of a (150VOLT-0.3AMP)POWER SUPPLY) unless your good at electonics and making things with them. GOOD DAY COOPER
If the bars are going up and down,
it means the display is using the voltage reported by the MC to drive the guage.
The most likely reason is the Charger is no longer reporting anything to the CAN bus.
On several firmware revisions, the charger will start charging for 10 sec, then stop if it is not seeing any data reported from the temp sensors.
The most likely problems is either a fault in the CAN bus wiring, or the chargers own CAN bus communication board is stuffed....
If bars are showing, the battery is still likely to be ok.
Matt
This is not a faulty battery problem. It could be anything. For example: A mouse has eaten a cable somewhere. Or a software issue.
I suggest:
1) Pull off connectors to charger. Check by looking at them. Clean them. Put back on properly.
2) Do the same with connectors on motor controller.
3) Hard reset: Open the blue Andersons connector. Use "Inrush Current Limiter" to reconnect it.
I`m going to open it up as soon as have a little time and will clean all connection and mesaure
voltage.
Unfortunately I did not stress them when I put the other batteries in.
The the faulty connection may be in the temp sensor wiring, I have seen faulty temp sensors cause the charger to lose CAN bus connectivity before...
The voltage probably isn't the issue, but worth checking anyway
I did not use Inrush Current Limiter when opened it previously?
Why do I need it to reconnect the connectors
To prevent the MC's capacitors from charging up too quickly.
If you don't pre-charge them, theres a 1 in 10 chance they will explode
If you are lucky not all of them do and the MC is still usable.
If not, a replacement is US$1500, if you can get one.
You can use a normal light bulb for precharge, its cheap.
Hope the cleaning and the cut off will help to me.:)
If the voltage is too low I`m gonna jump start the 8 and the 9 cells just a little with the normal car battery charger like 5 mins and 4 mins charge each that should do the job.
If you are going to charge the pack, i suggest charging at no more than 2A, and I suggest doing it to the whole battery for 24 hrs.
That will balance out the cells.
If you only charge some and not others, it will cause problems with balance and will lead to early cell failure (overdischarge or overcharge of individual cells)
How to check sw version anyway?
I would like to know what is on mine.
If when you put the killswitch in off position, and pull left brake lever,
if you see battery voltage and temp, your software is new enough.
If your top speed is 115kmh, your software is the newest.
Matt
...
...
Why do I need it to reconnect the connectors?
...
...
Read this thread, it explains the ICL: http://visforvoltage.org/forum/7996-main-fuse-now-clarification-icl-inrush-current-limiter
There are other posts about it in the handbook, too.
I went out to change the resistor but before I would do took the temp sensor board out too cos it was very strange to me that a temp resistor 50ohms not like 10kohms as normal.
I was shocked.....
1 of the ics burnt out too.(the biggest one)made these pics http://www.mypicx.com/11142011/vectrix_temp_board/
Why did this happen?
How to get this fixed now?
How can this be happen when the bike was fully working before I put it away?
Is it something I can buy?
Full board or ic?
Will I need a sensor too?
Please anyone can help contact me on lacitibi@vipmail.hu
Thnx
Interesting! I have never seen this before. Well spotted!
Many temperature sensors fail in the VX-1, maybe this is due to the IC burning out?
I would see if the bike charges with one of the temp sensors disconnected.
some firmware versions allow it, others don't
So, I would disconnect that temp sensor from the CAN bus, and find out.
Matt
Interesting! I have never seen this before. Well spotted!
Many temperature sensors fail in the VX-1, maybe this is due to the IC burning out?
I`ve seen ur other posts that u are quiet familiar with these things.
May u have the content of temp board (pic 16f677) can u please let me know.
Do u think is it possible to fix this or should I leave it and try to find another board?
Also would like to know (just an idea) is it possible to wire it only to one board and work with it like 2 boards giving the same signal?
The temp sensors in my "Vectux" have only recently started to play up - and I don't care any more! The measurements are wrong (about 6degC too high) and the battery symbol often keeps flashing away - so what? I don't even know if it is due to a software malfunction or a temp sensor malfunction (or a fried IC).
Contrary to the appearance that my posts might convey to a casual observer, I am not really familiar with much of this. I have only "dug in" to some issues because they needed fixing in the one VX-1 that I own. That's all. If it's not broken on the Vectux, then I don't know much at all about it...and IC programming is really way beyond my current capabilities.
However, I think I have posted some photos of the temp sensor boards before, but cannot find them right now. They should be in the "Handbook" somewhere.
I`ve seen ur other posts that u are quiet familiar with these things.
May u have the content of temp board (pic 16f677) can u please let me know.
Do u think is it possible to fix this or should I leave it and try to find another board?
I can't say I've tried to fix a temp sensor board before
In every Vectrix I have seen, at least one temperature reading is wrong
I will have a good temp sensor board in a couple of weeks if you are interested.
Btw - if the charger won't run without temp sensor feedback, than you will need both boards
Matt
"the charger won't run without temp sensor feedback"
Unless you use the older charger and motor contoller firmware code of course as found on my vx-1 when the temp sensors were faulty.
(not recommended though as not knowing the temps is not a clever thing to do)
...
Yeah I know that to use it without knowing the temp is not clever.
What I decided if downgrade the software then I`m going to make a simple temp board just to see what the temp is of the batteries.
Better than nothing.
Good idea - and when I wrote above that I don't care any more about the malfunctioning temp sensors, I forgot to point out that I can be somewhat relaxed about it because I have 6 additional temp sensors that still work (part of the manual BMS I concocted into the Vectux).
It's pot luck if a failing cell is located close enough to a stock temp sensor.
My additional sensors are located in the air intake, under the front battery, one on top of each battery and 2 are silicon-glued to 2 different inter-module connectors. The sensors on the inter-module connectors give the most accurate readings of battery temperature, the others measure the air temperature around the battery and can be quite off when the impellers are running.
What do u mean about "if the charger won't run without temp sensor feedback, than you will need both boards"
The front board is ok hopefully and the back one gone.
Do u mean maybe the content of micro controller won`t match to each other?
Or why would I need 2 boards?
The charger software looks for the data from both boards,
if one is missing it won't charge.
Having said that,
If you load the lairds firmware revision, than you can run with just one board
The temp sensor boards seem to be a common failure point, I have yet to see a Vectrix with temp sensors that don't report odd temperatures....
Matt
I wonder if it's worth it buying a new/used temp sensor board. Would it not be very likely to also fail soon?
If you do not have access to a reliable service centre, then the CAN to USB adapter is an important tool if you want a good chance to keep the VX-1 running well.
Do u know how much the lowest price be for a canbus adapter?
What does it do exactly?
Is it only an adapter between the vectrix`s serial port and a usb port or it`s got something special data too?
This is the only one that I know works:
http://www.gridconnect.com/usbcanin.html
some of the drivers this USB-CAN adapter uses are necessary for the diagnostic software
Everyone that I know of who has tried to use any other type of adapter has not been successful (so far)
If loading The Lairds new firmware, I wouldn't bother with replacing the temp sensors...
Matt
great!
I`m going to open it up as soon as have a little time and will clean all connection and mesaure voltage.
Unfortunately I did not stress them when I put the other batteries in.
I did not use Inrush Current Limiter when opened it previously?
Why do I need it to reconnect the connectors?
Hope the cleaning and the cut off will help to me.:)
If the voltage is too low I`m gonna jump start the 8 and the 9 cells just a little with the normal car battery charger like 5 mins and 4 mins charge each that should do the job.
How to check sw version anyway?
I would like to know what is on mine.