I left my Vectrix NiMH at the station for three nights with about four bars left on the battery and returned to find it completely discharged and showing zero volts. So it wouldn't even think about starting or functioning in any way. I couldn't even turn it off again.
I had The Laird's software installed about three weeks ago (I doubt this affected the above) so the battery bars are more accurate than standard.
First charge with the Lairds software showed full bars and 147 volts. Subsequent charges showed fewer bars each time, the latest charge only achieved half full.
Can anyone help me with why it might have discharged in this way?
Thank you
Hubcap
Vectrix discharged itself
Sun, 12/01/2013 - 00:30
#1
Vectrix discharged itself
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Support V is for Voltage
Should have added: Of course I can't charge it now either.
Keep it shiny side up!
Maybe the battery cooling impellers kept running until the battery was empty?
Even if discharged to zero bars, the voltage should not fall to zero within days.
Some current drain must be occurring.
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I have had that happen about 18 months ago when the bike fans stayed on. I'd ridden in to a new workplace 15km - left the bike humming to itself with probably 130v, 12hrs later came back and found the fans still running and the bike had dropped in voltage. (i can't remember how much but significantly scarily low)
3-4 days - yep it'll be flat as !
Its never happened before or since.
Software i guess just sometimes has a spaz attack and things go wrong.
Sorry to hear - only option will be a freddy charger i guess
Hi Hubcap,
Sorry to hear of your woes.
It does sound like the fans had a glitch. Never understood why V thought it a good idea to use them when not plugged in to the mains.
Hopefully, leaving it for a while (now should be long enough) and try charging again in the hope that the battery pack has 'self-recovered' its voltage sufficiently enough for the charger to acknowledge its presence and start charging normally.
Otherwise, you must find a way of 'boosting' or trickle charging the pack by some means to bring its voltage back up so, again, the standard charger will take over.
If you do a search on this forum you will find several threads that explain how to do it.
If all else fails, I'm afraid its a job for David at EFS (for some reason I gather you are in the UK? - nothing on your profile about your location). The good news is that NiMH cells appear to be quite resilient to this sort of abuse, as long as it doesn't go on too long.
I'd give David (or whoever) a call anyway.
Hope it goes well for you. MW
Regards, Martin Winlow
Isle of Colonsay, Scotland
evalbum.com/2092
Hubcup, do not try charging the bike before you recover the battery pack up to at least 100 volts. Otherwise you risk burning you charger. We've had few similar cases and it was always caused by motorcontroller which drained enormous current out of the battery. Don't remember which particular part of controller is responsible for such a power-drain but for sure you should examine it deeply. If you're not familiar with it I would advice to replace the MC.
Hubcup, do not try charging the bike before you recover the battery pack up to at least 100 volts. Otherwise you risk burning you charger. We've had few similar cases and it was always caused by motorcontroller which drained enormous current out of the battery. Don't remember which particular part of controller is responsible for such a power-drain but for sure you should examine it deeply. If you're not familiar with it I would advice to replace the MC.
Hubcup, do not try charging the bike before you recover the battery pack up to at least 100 volts. Otherwise you risk burning you charger. We've had few similar cases and it was always caused by motorcontroller which drained enormous current out of the battery. Don't remember which particular part of controller is responsible for such a power-drain but for sure you should examine it deeply. If you're not familiar with it I would advice to replace the MC.
Well I've solved the problem even though I'm not sure of the cause.
With the Laird's software, the range reading in the left hand dial is replaced by a voltage reading. This was reading zero and there were no battery bars showing and the Vectrix would not charge. Prior to calling out an expert to look at it, I tried disconnecting the charger and the ICM (Integrated Control Module) then reconnecting them. Lo and behold, the voltage reading then changed to 117 volts but the battery bars were still on zero. I then tried connecting the charger and have successfully charged to full battery bars and 146 volts.
So the cause is a mystery and I hope a one-off. Having said that, I'd welcome any expert insight into what the cause might have been.
Thanks
Jim
Keep it shiny side up!
Good result and well done. The one fear I have with ownership of this scooter is having zero clue about anything that makes it work. Also, we'd be in a world of pain without The Laird.
I've seen the software lockup 3 or more times in the last 3 years. Sometimes its fixable by pulling the charger plugs under fairing. Sometimes a (quick) anderson plug reset has been required.
I have no idea what causes it although i suspect cycling the power too fast (ie turning the key on and off more than once in quick succession) may have something to do with it, and now i carry a 10mm socket and philips screwdriver everywhere as it is a 10 min job to fix if i ever got stuck anywhere.
Often the bike display will just sit there and nothing will operate. Plus the bikes display will remain on regardless of position of the key (off or on).
I now realise that your first post may have been confusing as you said the bike was flat and i guess we all assumed it was dead (no display or anything) rather than the bike would power up but the voltage would say zero.
Still its really good to hear you found the fix and you are back on the road.
Congratulations