Hi all
So I'm half way through my Li conversion - 40ah CALB and one of Matt's kits. Reassembly going swimmingly until I get to fitting the rear interconnect on the bottom row of batteries ... then the temperature sensor board catches fire. I managed to flick the interconnect out of the way before anything too serious happened, and the microcontroller board wasn't connected to anything. But I fear the board is a goner. Looking at the sensors (and reading Manfred's concerns here I suspect I managed to short the thermistor wiring onto the battery terminal :(
This is a real pain in the 4rse as I was hoping to get the bike finished and back on the road in the next day or two. So, my questions:
- What will be the effect on the bike if I reassemble without the temp sensor board? Will the (ESD) charger still function, assuming I don't make the same mistake with the upper / rear sensor board?
- If I do need the board, do I actually need to be sensing temperature? Or can I (again as in Manfred's post above? just use 10ohm resistors to fool the microcontroller? That way I can actually finish most of the installation and plug the dummy controller board in right at the end.
- Anyone got a used board and / or set of sensors?
Some pics to show the damage ...
Hi James,
IIRC, you have a USB CAN adapter?
if so - don't bother with the temp sensors - I will email you some firmware that will work without them
Matt
Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km
Hi James,
IIRC, you have a USB CAN adapter?
if so - don't bother with the temp sensors - I will email you some firmware that will work without them
Matt
Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km
Hi James, Did you figure out how this happened? I see you took the trouble to tape up the sensor board...
I'm going to be doing my own conversion soon and would rather like to avoid that complication.
Regards, Martin.
Regards, Martin Winlow
Isle of Colonsay, Scotland
evalbum.com/2092
Hi Martin
I'm pretty sure I must have shorted the solder joints at the sensor end against the battery terminals. So when I installed the rear connector it completed the circuit and sent somewhere between 20 and 50 volts through the circuit board. If I were doing it again id take very careful note of how the sensors are mounted, and test for continuity (looking for there to be none!) between the battery terminal and sensor wire.
Thanks to some advice from Matt I should be up and running this evening if I have enough time.
Cheers!
James
Hi James,
So you taped up the main sensor PCB (the one in the photo) but not the individual sensors themselves?
Martin.
Regards, Martin Winlow
Isle of Colonsay, Scotland
evalbum.com/2092
Congratulations on the conversion, Jimmy! As stated to others earlier, I DO have some VECTRIX spare parts, including a complete NEW set of temperature sensors. I also have the programming cable/computer interface. I hope you get it going, and by the way, getting ANY vectrix charger to fully charge a bigger battery should NOT be a big problem, as a RELAY can be fitted to change the output from the HALL SENSOR, making the micro processor THINK that fewer ampere hours and amps, have been supplied. (When you cannot change the firmware/software, change the INPUT, so it sees what makes it happy! ( I would have the relay switch in the needed resistive divider network only when charging, otherwise it might allow excessive motor amperage during acceleration, and damage the motor controller, which has a 300 ampere maximum capability.) there is a meeting TONIGHT, 13 Nov. in the Silver Spring, Maryland library, of the DC Electric Vehicle club, around 7:30 PM.-Let us know how the operating RANGE changes with the new battery!
Robert M. Curry
Martin - I just taped up the micro controller pcb, not the sensors themselves. Perhaps that's where I went wrong ...
Bob - I'm actually in Austin for a few days at the mo. So while I know that the bike runs and charges I still need to tidy up the wiring, modify the fan cover and put it all back together. Once that's done I'll write up the conversion in a little more detail and try to give an indication of real world range. I'll give you a call when I'm back!
Cheers
Hi Matt!
Last week my VX-1 front temperature sensor died under a water splash....
I´ve already ordered a new one to vectrixparts.com but I´ve read your post about a firmware to by-pass it.
I'm interested on updating my controller to avoid the temp sensors, but I still need to purchase the CAN Bus adapter.
So two favors to ask you:
1) Can you please send me the firmware for the controller ( Don't even know my actual one )
2) Can you recomend me a good place to purchase the CAN BUS adapter? I´ve seen one on www.gridconnect.com but its about $225. It´s a good price or do you think I can get one cheapest?
I'm also considering a Lithium conversion using Nissan Leaf Cells, and think it would be necessary too to program the controller.
Thanks for your help!
Jesus
Hey ill buy the canbus adapter and cords from you my email is kurtmorganecolab [at] yahoo.com let me know and ill send you a payment asap
Kurt morgan