Musings on being foolish enough to replace the fuse without removing the rear battery pack

Thank you! This should be added to the Vectrix Handbook.

Hi Oatnet,
I´m asking for permission to copy your post 1:1 from endless-sphere.com to the collaborative handbook in this forum (Source will be mentioned off course)

Greetings Mike

Hi Oatnet,
I´ll paste the link to the handbook, not more not less. ;-)
By the way, the user that posts in V is able to edit the post later on.

Greetings Mike

yes, the posts in the handbook can be permanetly edited by the owner

Hi,

I thought I'd share my foolhardy adventure with everyone because today I am celebrating -- after 8 long months, my authorized/unauthorized dealer today, listed as auhas FINALLY delivered title and tags, so I actually can prove I own and registered it. Before I posted work on the bike, I also wanted to verify that I did not get the 2 year warrantee I paid for - my dealer is STILL listed on the Vectrix website as an authorized dealer, but they wouldn't honor the warrantee so I couldn't get the CARB rebate.

I'm not sure you would get the rebate even with the warranty. In the Clean Vehicle Implementation Manual_updated9-27-10.pdf it states the following on the bottom of page 8:

CARB reserves the right to reduce or eliminate the rebate if the actual sales price would make the established rebate amount greater than half of the subsequent incremental cost versus an ICE equivalent vehicle.

One of the main reasons I decided not to purchase a new 2007 Vectrix for roughly $4,600 with a verified warranty is because at that price there is not a higher incremental cost versus an ICE and I couldn't get a commitment from the Energy Center (who is running the rebate program) that I'd get the rebate.

My Vectrix's fuse popped @3 months ago, at 870 miles. Being the foolhardy type, I changed it myself without removing the battery. For my own use, I documented the process of opening the battery box and changing the fuse with lots of pictures, just in case I ever had to do it again. I also have video of my high-tech ICL in action, and the bike coming back to life.

Congratulations on successfully swapping the fuse and thanks for the excellent documentation.

It seems to me pulling the pack would be easier and safer. All that's required is two correctly sized bolts, a couple of heavy washers per bolt, a short length of chain (run the bolts through the chain), a $20 Comealong (http://www.amazon.com/Torin-T32052-Ton-Comealong-Hooks/dp/B002E1AYYA) and an eyebolt for a garage joist or a simple frame if you don't have a garage. Setting it up would take less time than you spent digging for the sleeve so IMO the procedure would have been easier and much less chance of causing some kind of component damage.

I'd strongly consider some minor modifications to make future replacements easier like:

1. Maybe some way to make removal and reinstallation of the rubber passenger footpads easier. Maybe permanent bonding to a metal plate with nuts brazed on the back so it could easily be unbolted.
2. Maybe cutting the plenum into 2 or 3 pieces for easier removal. Bolt the the pieces together when they are in place with something like a nylon plate and nylon bolts and nuts.
3. Definitely either a removable flap over the fuse on the controller cover or a removable flap so that the cover could be removed with the power and phase wires in place.