I own a 48v scooterteq, chalenger "electric bike" which I enjoy (did enjoy). After replacing the batteries (4 x 12v 18ah) the bike was moving only at 3/4 speed. It then stopped moving altogether. I discovered that one of the new batteries had leaked and I was essentially running on 36 volts. The US distributer says its the controller, probably the diodes. They are unable to get replacement controllers. They say I can get a new motor and matching controller...$500.00!!! I have a great bike that has 4 new batteries which I cannot ride. Any ideas? Is there anyone who can diagnose and rebuild a controller, or can I replace the controller, or bypass it. It is a brushless hub motor. I am somewhat handy but electronics is not my strong suit. The wheel turns in the air but just shudders once its on the ground and has to overcome any resistance. HELP PLEASE!
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First off, get that leaky battery taken care of, or the new controller will do you no good. Secondly, you could go third party and put in a different controller from maybe Kelly Controls, or, you could check with other dealers for that bike... cant find Scooterteq? Try Veloteq, same home address listed for both companies, and google maps reveals that is a "home address" , nice residential home, so your best bet is find a gung ho Veloteq dealer that really wants to help, or maybe some scooter parts warehouse that handles many brands. I must add, it is possible that even though Scooterteq and Veloteq both have a "challenger" model, it is possible that the wiring may not be the same on the respective brands.
Is it a brushless hub motor with Hall sensors on that bike??
I would get a generic Sensorless Brushelss controller (about $150) then you dont have to worry about the hall sensor connections
Try: http://www.electricscooterparts.com/ for a throttle, but I think it's your bad battery causing your problem. Replace it first before buying anything else. Batteries are only as good as their weakest cell, so if your one 12VDC battery goes dead, your whole set goes dead, not down to 36VDC. Good luck.
TFaust
Thanks all for your comments. I DID replace the battery. No help except it now runs at full speed in the air, not 3/4 speed. But still no torque. I do think it is a brushless motor but 3 phase. (Electric Motor: 750W/48V Brushless DC PWM 3-phase) I found some hall efffect throttles at electricscooterparts but they only have 2 leads to the motor. Mine has 3 heavy gauge wires (green, yellow, blue) plus 5 thin ones. I am guessing because it is 3 phase not 2??? Would I be able to jerry rig either the sensorless generic controller or the 2 wire one? COLIN 9876: Any leads on where to find the generic one which eliminates the hall sensors/effect (whatever that is)? There is a link to a similar bike and the specs here: http://gulfcoastveloteq.com/ebike_challenger_rsv.htm
um, just a note of clarification before you buy anything.... the throttle, and controller are two different peices. The "controller" is a metal box, usually under the back half of the bike... if that is what is broken, the throttle may not help. Here is an exploded view parts diagram for the veloteq, subject to change depending on web updates of course...
http://www.veloteq.com/service_manuals/challenger_parts&vus_catalog_series-a.pdf
Sorry for any confusion. It is apparently the controller that is bad. Pg F14 part #2. Great diagram btw...thanks for that. I have not verified that its bad but the North American Distributer seems to think that's the problem. My particular bike has a controller which the Chinese manufacturer does not make any longer and this seems to be a common problem. My controller looks very similar to the one in the diagram except that it has FIVE heavy wires (not three) going into the controller. two go to the battery pack, three go to the motor, together with 6 wiring harnesses. 1 seems unused, 2 others connect to eo (speed inhibitor...WHY???)One of th others is for the alarm. the other two are used, one goes to the motor with 5 wires and the last to the main wiring harness (I think to the brake cut off, throttle etc) with 6. So that being said...what do I do now to make it go?
Ah, the annoying part of these things, obsolete a few parts so you have to buy a new one.... great game, unless you are the end user. Since it sounds like there might be differences in the controllers of the two "challengers", things may get interesting. The nice thing about the way Veloteq appears to be set up is there may be dealers out there with parts on hand for old stock, and the distributor may not be aware of what parts are out there in the dealerships...provided "Scooterteq" was run the same way as Veloteq.... might take a bit of digging to find one, but a direct match would be best as far as wiring goes. Now the fun starts, figuring out what you really need....
Battery Pack, sounds like you already have that fixed, fully charged, should be showing 48-56 volts on your voltmeter.
Controller, um, we'll come back to that...
Throttle, less expensive, and fairly easy to test. Some other current threads on here are landing on this exact subject
Motor, Not as easy as the throttle to test, but easier than the controller. This thread covers testing a motor pretty good...
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/8560-blue-spider-scooter
Ok, if Battery, Throttle, Motor, and wiring are all intact, and working, that brings us back to controller. From what I've seen count on about $150 for one. Easiest option, find direct replacement part, but may take some digging to find a dealer with one on hand. If you have to replace with a non-exact replacement, it may pay to contact Veloteq directly and see what they recommend short of buying a new scooter. Barring that, make a fully detailed wiring diagram of what you have before taking it all apart. The better documentation you have, the easier wiring a new controller will be. Ideally you can find one with identical connectors and wont have to make a custom harness for it. One of the guys here did a pretty well documented build using a Kelly Controller
http://bergerweb.net/electricbike/programming.shtml
Where ever you buy, make sure the thing comes with wiring diagram, or its a headache.
Hi all, Just a quick thanks for all the help. I have managed to ID a controller from Kelly with their help via email($80.00 - what a deal!)I will need the USB-2-RS232 cable. $30.00 with shipping. It comes with software. I can also buy one elsewhere for $10.00 with no software. Does anyone know if I need to buy the Kelly one for 3 xs the price? No longer able to get help from kelly?? I'll keep you posted!
You may be able to get a controller for that Scooterteq model from Valuride Distributors, 250-545-6668, sales [at] valuride.com . They are in Vancouver but can ship via ordinary UPS. They have been selling the Scooterteq/Veloteq brands for about six years and have always maintained a substantial parts inventory.
All the truth that fits.