I plugged in the scoot the other day to begin a typical charge, and heard a loud grinding noise from the front as the charge began. The noise was similar to what you would hear if someone were to grind gears when shifting in a standard shift car; very scary! The noise ran for five seconds then stopped, and I unplugged the bike. After much trepidation I plugged in again. This time there was no grinding, but I did hear a click, similar to that of a relay - not sure if this click has always been present or not. I repeated this test a couple of times with similar results.
I figured that the noise was likely fan-related - what other mechanical parts are in use during a charge? Afraid that I had lost a fan, I didn't want to proceed with a full charge. I charged for a few minutes at a time and monitored temperature, which seemed normal. I was not sure if only one or both battery fans (er, impellers :) ) were working, but the temperature held at a steady 28C, typical for my charges (August in Maryland), so I suspected that they were OK.
Since the noise came from the front of the bike, I pulled the headlight to see if anything was obviously wrong. I could see both charger fans spinning during charging. If a very slight pressure was applied to the front fairings, pushing them slightly towards each other, the fan noise would change and deepen in pitch, as if something was rubbing against the fan blades. I suspect that I may have a screw loose (ha), and that it got stuck in the charger fan blades. Is there a way to access these fans for closer inspection?
I have since completed a few charges and riding cycles, and the bike seems to charge and ride normally. However, I would like to remove and restore any pieces that may be loose in there.
Any other ideas or suggestions would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks,
Doron
Hi Doron
I would say that you have or had something in the fan blades on the charger.
I have had this before with leaves and debris blown up under the fairing but it could also be a screww that dropped out of somewhere.
We have had the front subassembly bolts come loose on the 4 allen bolts that secure it to the headstock tube and this will give excess movement and vibration when riding causing loosening of screws.
the way to check for this is to try to lift the bike up and down underneath the headlamp.
If you get movement then the bolts will require attention.
If the noise has gone now i would think what ever was in the blads has now gone.
We have had fan failurs in the past but they usually break and dont work anymore ,these are available as a seperate item from the charger.
Steve Scott
Now were talking! Thank you very much!
This page has been added to the Collaborative Handbook, please stay on topic!
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/6737-vectrix-collaborative-handbook
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
Hi Steve,
Thanks very much for the advice! The bike seems solid, without movement, when lifting it underneath the headlamp. Still, the front end does seem to rattle a lot when riding. It seems worthwhile to look at the subassembly bolts in any case, since missing/loose subassembly bolts seems to be a common problem.
Thanks again!
Doron
The rattling you're hearing could be the windscreen if the fairing seems tight. What happens is the black trim panel below gives, especially in warm climates and warm sunshine so there is not enough pressure against the bottom of the sreen allowing it to move about slightly. A simple fix is to remove the screen (5mm allen key for the bolts) being careful not to drop the spacer washers underneath down inside the fairing. Take note of the metal plates as they are left and right and putting them on wrong will make matters worse. Once the screen is removed apply some 5mm thick dense foam tape above and below the mounting points on the trim piece then re-attach the screen.It will be nice and snug again with the rattle gone! Hope this helps.
Doug Townley
info.DTES [at] gmail.com
(Formerly Vectrix Europe Technical Supervisor)
One door closes, another door opens
I've just encountered the same problem this evening, although the noise didn't stop.
I managed to find the fans by looking up behind the front wheel. Sure enough I could see something vibrating which turned out to be a 2 sq in piece of masking tape which was fouling one of the fans. I was able to remove it with some long nose pliers and the bike is now charging happily. Not sure if the tape was factory fit and has come loose or if it was a foreign object? Seems an unlikely place for a foreign object.
Anyway thanks to this topic my Vectrix is sorted so thanks all!