motor runs while charger is connected, but won't draw from battery

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mikeserv
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Last seen: 12 years 10 months ago
Joined: Saturday, June 4, 2011 - 15:57
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motor runs while charger is connected, but won't draw from battery

So it's not a custom build - it's an ev warrior - but i didn't see any place in here for that specific model so I thought I'd post here.

This thing just quit working correctly Wednesday. I'd taken it all over town before, and then the power started stuttering - like there was a short somewhere. I thought it was the brake lever kill-switch at first (there are little switches that open when the brake lever is pulled and kill the power) but that doesn't appear to be the case.

In case you're not familiar with the EV Warrior it runs 2 friction motors on the back wheel powered by 2 12 volt batteries in series. It uses a Curtis controller and the standard 24-volt scooter charger.

What's weird for me now is i 'm not getting intermittent anything - it just doesn't work. There's no power coming from the batteries at all. I've checked both batts with a multimeter and they're both putting out 12 volts. What's weirder is that when I connect the charger I DO get power - the front panel lights up and I can even spin the motor with the throttle (albeit, only 1.5a worth of spin). I'm now hoping there's some scooter genius out there that can tell me where my problem likely is. This thing cost me $400 and I love it - I don't want it to go kaput. Oh, and when I connect the charger the light stays green (it goes red while charging) until I open the throttle ( and there's actually a draw) then it goes red until I release the throttle.

Anybody? Any ideas?

jthmi
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Last seen: 8 years 2 months ago
Joined: Friday, February 12, 2010 - 14:27
Points: 38
Re: motor runs while charger is connected, but won't draw ...

This might be easier than you think: check your batteries individually with a load tester (not a volt meter) at three times their AH rating. Test a 12 AH battery at 36, for example. Your local battery shop should do this for free-if they fail just buy em from the guy who just did you a solid-even if they are a little more than mail order. By the time you add in shipping, local will almost always be cheaper anyway. If you're anywhere near Detroit, contact us. I've got two EV Warriors in now and I just with I had your problem instead of the bizarro behavior I'm experiencing. Good luck.

JTH/Amp Brothers Electric Cycles/MI

marylandbob
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Joined: Monday, June 22, 2009 - 12:24
Points: 524
Re: motor runs while charger is connected, but won't draw ...

It seems likely that your batteries a BAD, or have a bad connection! 12 volts is way TOO LOW for a good, fully charged "12 volt" battery!--The ACTUAL voltage, when fully charged, should be above 13 volts, typically it is near 14 volts immediately after fully charging. (26 to 28 volts for 2 batteries in series)-Bob Curry

Robert M. Curry

lbz5mc12
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Last seen: 12 years 6 months ago
Joined: Sunday, July 17, 2011 - 16:06
Points: 23
Re: motor runs while charger is connected, but won't draw ...

Could have anything to do with the polarity?

Sergei
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Last seen: 12 years 2 months ago
Joined: Thursday, August 18, 2011 - 12:42
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Re: motor runs while charger is connected, but won't draw ...

If a battery is wrong connected, then you risk that the battery explodes if the battery is not protected to wrong connections.
If the motor runs while charging the battery: be sure that the master switch is off so that the motor controller does not receive any voltage.
If the controller receives power due to louzy electrical connections, sure it will start the motor as soon when it has enough power for both controller as motor.

Do check the battery fuse. They sometimes can heat up and destroy themselves if the chosen fuse capacity is rather low.
If a motor runs fine and then starts to act weird, sure it's a electrical problem.
If your battery loader is active and the motor running, your batteries wil never reach maximum capacity within the normal load time.

Check the connections,at battery, at battery fuse, the battery fuse itself, the master switch located near the battery .

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