Weird things happening with the VX-1 today...
I had a little range anxiety so I decided to take the VX-1 for a real world test.
Everything went great for the first part of the trip (with the exception that the sportsbike like feel of the bike made my right hand a little aggressive :)
Admittedly I was pretty hard on the regen braking. I used a lot of it, barely using the mechanical brakes at all. Right around 10 miles, I heard what I believed to be a grinding sound coming from the back wheel. It went away so I dismissed it as just an oddity. Perhaps I caught a pebble or something. About a mile or so later, the grinding sound returned and my bike didn't ride smoothly. It kind of lurched forward, slowed... lurches forward and slowed again. Periodically it would regain normal function.
About a half a mile from my destination the overheat marker came on. I pulled over immediately, and by the time I pulled over to the side of the road, it was gone.
I started inching up the road slowly, and the grinding noise came back. Half way up the hill it was worthless. I ended up pushing it up a really fierce hill (by the way, recently coming off of leg surgery... this move wasn't smart).
So I got to my parent's place and charged it up for about 5 minutes. I took it down the road aways and I didn't have ANY problem. Problem gone TOTALLY. Another 5 minute charge and I was good to go the 13 mile back home without incident.
Good news? It looks like my VX-1 can handle a round trip. (YES!!!)
Bad news? What the hell just happened?
My guess is that either something overheated because I was too aggressive on the regen braking, or that I experienced something of a software crash. My symptoms look a lot like what would happen if the controller didn't understand the input from the hall sensors and it would explain why a quick charge (which I assume would reboot the controller) fixed everything.
Any opinions all?
By the way, (not that this has anything to do with it) SERIOUSLY low tire pressure. 15/32 front and 25/40 rear. NOT GOOD.
I filled up the tires on the way home :)
I remember seeing some threads here on "grinding motor" issues on the Vx-1. It seems the motor uses encoders that need periodic cleaning. If the encoders are dirty, they don't provide the controller with the proper motor positioning and that seems to produce motor issues. Just an idea.
Motorcycles: 2011 ZEV Trail 7100, 84V, 60AH, 60+mph, Cycle Analyst, TNC throttle, modified charger. 2013 Kymco GT300i
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Bi
Did you happen to note down the battery temperature during your ride or charging? Did you try to completely switch off and on the bike (reboot) before pushing it?
It could also be a loose connection on the motor controller.
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
I think that it was this here:
http://www.vectrixowner.com/members/vectrix/comm/READ/00000319/Worth-the-money.html
One of the guys said that using the regen and left brake at the same time can lock up the back wheel.
That would have been good to know...
I get that all the time
Its the its your IGBT module overheating internally, causing the internal circuit board to drive all gates off regardless of what the MC control board is commanding
In my case, happens because my IGBT module is not properly mounted to the heatsink (I really should fix that)
In your case, it is likely the heat sink had become too hot to properly cool the IGBT module at full power
You must have been riding really hard for that to happen?
I did it first when I was filtering, which naturally requires hard acceleration/hard regen all the time (no cruising)
I find if it starts doing it, backing of the throttle slows the heat buildup in the IGBT, which prevents the cut outs
Matt
Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km
First of all Matt, you are an elite Vectrix problem solving ninja. Thanks for the wisdom, I've been reading up on your posts.
Secondly, I am about 270lbs, so I am sure that's not easy on the bike even though I tend to cruise at 50mph. I was however really hard on the regen which I used constantly and really aggressively for quick stops. The combination of the two probably didn't do good things...
Causing the IGBT to cut out does wear it in theory, but no real damage is done
cruising at 50mph is fine, its the stopping and starting that causes the real heating
Have you encountered the issue again?
or was it just a one off?
Matt
Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km
It only happened during that one ride. Everything seems to be fine now.
Cool. Because I love this bike :)