Hello everyone- I was the proud new owner of a 2007 Zapino until about a week or so ago, when the back wheel locked up and now will not move! The bike was running fine, and then one day after charging it, I found the back wheel completely locked and unable to move. I thought at first it may be a brake malfunction, but I removed the brake, and it is definately the motor. All the lights come on and work with the key, and the diagnostic code that flashes says there is a problem with the motor and it "needs to be released". Does anyone know what this means, or what is going on with my poor bike? Any help or advice would be very appreciated!!
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It is very possible that a MAGNET came loose inside the motor. Many Chinese motor manufacturers use poor grade epoxy to secure the motor magnets, and after exposure to heat/cooling and vibration stresses, they come loose and jam the motor. Careful disassembly and repair is needed. Continued attempts to operate such a jammed motor often will destroy the controller, and/or burn windins inside the motor. Seek professional assistance if you are not absolutely CERTAIN how to proceed, as the magnets all need to be secure, and ALSO must be positioned and installed with proper POLARITY! The motor should then easily and quietly rotate.--Bob Curry
Robert M. Curry
Is it too late to return the scooter to where you bought it?
If you peruse this website, you'll see that it's full of people who are experiencing early failures of their electric scooters. It's not that they can't make a reliable electric scooter - it's that small manufacturers can't make a reliable electric scooter at a price that people are willing to pay. When you can buy an 85 mpg gasoline scooter for $2500, it makes it tough for a consumer to justify paying 2-3 times more than that for a reliable electric scooter. I owned 2 electric scooters before I got sick of the frequent breakdowns, and having no local shop to fix them. I now own a 125cc gasoline scooter, I get 85 to 90 MPG, and there are 2 local shops that can do maintenance on it.
David
Hi Bob,
Hmm... That sounds possible, but so strange as it was just sitting there, rolling at one point, and then completely frozen- I would have though there would be a bit of give if something had gone loose inside... I should mention that at one point I did an exceptionally dumb thing and managed to plug the zapino directly into the wall without the charging unit (headsman)! The plug ends looked the same, so for a few seconds, the bike was getting juice straight from the wall. I thought I rode it after this, but on reflection I think I just tried to turn it on, and when it lit up as usual, I assumed it was alright. Now I'm thinking I probably fried it somehow... Still, strange It would turn on and all the fuses seem intact (at least the ones with the DC-DC controller.. Could this be the problem? Blown MOSFETS on the controller perhaps? Should I try resetting it, and if so, how? Thanks for your help, and any thoughts are much appreciated!!!
I have heard of some cases where if you had a bad electric problem, say.. controller blowout, if you disconnect the motor completely, then the wheel should turn freely. If its a physically damaged motor, then there would be no change. Only other possibility i could think of is if the motor has a security lockout, but, i dont know Zap about zapinos
Contact Kman Scooters online, Chris sells and maintains these bikes and will help you out. Good luck.
yount
So why are you posting at an EV site? Do you think we don't know that gas scooters are more widely available and thus cheaper in some respects? We do.
If you connected 120 volts A.C. to the low voltage, D.C. charging connector, even for 1/2 second, it is almost CERTAIN to have damaged your vehicle! Such voltage and current can destroy the controller, blow fuses, and perhaps, heat the motor windings enough to damage them, and/or destroy the glue bond holding the magnets. You very likely have a serious problem.--Sorry for the bad news, but it is worthwhile trying to totally disconnect the rear wheel motor wires, and see if free rotation is restored-not too likely, but if it is, replacement of the controller MIGHT restore operation. If the wheel still does NOT turn normally with leads disconnected, it is likely that the motor AND controller will require replacement/repair.--Bob Curry
Robert M. Curry