Bought a new controller. Can't get it to work. -SOLVED

[Pinesal]

Is your battery fully charged ? What is it voltage ? Please just use a little throttle. Don't twrist the throttle al the way to help it if it doesn't work. Don't see if you plugged it in wrong it would work at all. But maybe someone could chime in for you.

Yeah the battery is pretty much fully charged, it was fully charged the day I got my controller about two days ago and I've only used it to test the bike and toubleshoot. It's a SLA batery if that makes any difference. I did twist the throttle all the way a couple of times when I thought it was working but it cut out after 3 or 4 seconds.

 

[999zip999]

Charge voltage should be 54.6v or close. What is battery voltage ? And you testing with the wheel in the air ?

 

[Pinesal]

Charge voltage should be 54.6v or close. What is battery voltage ? And you testing with the wheel in the air ?

Battery reads 52.3v

Wheel is off the ground.

 

[wesnewell]

52.3 is ok for a 48V sla pack. If you're trying to find the proper phase and hall wire connections, follow this chart.

 

[d8veh]

Your battery and throttle are working properly. Your problem is between the controller and the motor. If you have a connector near the motor, make sure it's fully home.

 

[Pinesal]

Your battery and throttle are working properly. Your problem is between the controller and the motor. If you have a connector near the motor, make sure it's fully home.

"fully home"? I don't know what that means...

 

[999zip999]

Firmly plugged in. slang. Just english as spoken . Different countries different slang.

 

[d8veh]

Those nine-pin connectors have a mark to show if it's in far enough.

 

[Pinesal]

I'm beginning to think I need the lcd to set this up.

 

[Pinesal]

OK I found a combination that give me reasonably smooth rotation. It's the one setting that was WAY smoother than all the others so it must be correct right?

Well anyway, the throttle still cuts out after about 4 seconds. How can I trouble shoot that problem? I tested the throttle connection to the controller, the voltage doesn't suddenly drop or anything, it stays at where the throttle stops at.

What scares me is that I search this problem and have found threads with people having the same issue but so far the only solution seems to be to swap out the controller.

 

[wesnewell]

You're saying the motor stops after 4 seconds with the wheel off the ground? And there's not a drop in battery voltage at all when this happens?

 

[Pinesal]

You're saying the motor stops after 4 seconds with the wheel off the ground? And there's not a drop in battery voltage at all when this happens?

Yes, I was measuring the black and green wire on the throttle.

 

[wesnewell]

That will never change. You need to measure the battery voltage and see what it drops to.

 

[Rodney64]

Which combinations have you changed. Both Hall and Phase. Or only phase.

This thread explains in more detail about swapping phase, hall combinations.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w8mTX5H5K8VJ8s12ECVcKFJLNEsTCLT4hHwfXD44y-s/edit?pli=1

 

[d8veh]

Your throttle could be set to 6km/h or a 25km/h speed limit. Does the motor start up again when it slows back down. You need the LCD to get to the settings. I never heard of anybody successfully running a LCD controller without one. It's different for the LED panel ones (4 wires on the connector).

 

[Pinesal]

Your throttle could be set to 6km/h or a 25km/h speed limit. Does the motor start up again when it slows back down. You need the LCD to get to the settings. I never heard of anybody successfully running a LCD controller without one. It's different for the LED panel ones (4 wires on the connector).

The ad says it can use an led or lcd. It struck backup again only after I fully release the throttle.

Which combinations have you changed. Both Hall and Phase. Or only phase.

This thread explains in more detail about swapping phase, hall combinations.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w8mTX5H5K8VJ8s12ECVcKFJLNEsTCLT4hHwfXD44y-s/edit?pli=1

Yeah I was switching both hall and phase wires around.

How do I test for current? What tool do I use and where do I probe? I have a multimeter. What is considered "low current?"

 

[Pinesal]

OK I tested the voltage on the battery as I turned the throttle and it starts at just above 52v and doesn't drop below 51v and then the motor shuts down.

I connected a Watt meter between the battery and the controller. I don't completely understand all the numbers but then I turn the throttle, it appears to daw just under 6 amps before falling to 0

 

[d8veh]

You need to measure the continuous no-load current, but you can't because it doesn't run continuously.

Try holding the brake on a bit with the wheel off the ground to give the motor a bit of load to reduce the speed, then give it a little bit of throttle. Does it then run continuously?

 

[wesnewell]

Be sure and disconnect the ebrake wires first. Otherwise the motor will not turn at all.

 

[d8veh]

Be sure and disconnect the ebrake wires first. Otherwise the motor will not turn at all.

Good point, well presented.

 

[Pinesal]

You need to measure the continuous no-load current, but you can't because it doesn't run continuously.

Try holding the brake on a bit with the wheel off the ground to give the motor a bit of load to reduce the speed, then give it a little bit of throttle. Does it then run continuously?

I disconnected the ebrake and tried this. No change, motion stops after a few seconds.

 

[dnmun]

this is a new controller so you really do not know from previous experience if it ever worked below 51V. that would be an unusually high LVC and would mean the controller was developed for 60V SLA. or was adjusted for that.

so that needs tested. discharge the battery below 50V and see if it will even start up.

 

[d8veh]

I think you need the LCD to know what's going on. They often show error codes to give a clue what's wrong. Also, if it's working on 60v, it'll show it in the battery meter display as empty.

 

[dnmun]

this controller doesn't have the resistor divider bridge for setting the LVC? i even wondered if the ground to his throttle is not a good ground and creaps up from charge building up on the ground somewhere while in operation.

 

[Pinesal]

this is a new controller so you really do not know from previous experience if it ever worked below 51V. that would be an unusually high LVC and would mean the controller was developed for 60V SLA. or was adjusted for that.

so that needs tested. discharge the battery below 50V and see if it will even start up.

According to the ad, it has a 40V low-voltage cut-off.

this controller doesn't have the resistor divider bridge for setting the LVC? i even wondered if the ground to his throttle is not a good ground and creaps up from charge building up on the ground somewhere while in operation.

I am unfamiliar with a resistor divider bridge is that something on the controller's board? Is is something I can easily change?

I think you need the LCD to know what's going on. They often show error codes to give a clue what's wrong. Also, if it's working on 60v, it'll show it in the battery meter display as empty.

Possibly, I ordered the cheaper LED, hopefully it will help solve this. Perhaps we should continue this discussion after it arrives and I've tried it. It should be here Saturday.