BionX 36V/9.6 Ah Li-Mn Repair

joseph.c.williams said:

After a blotched attempt at looking inside the battery case, the Smart Connect 5.1 chip was broken, as in an actual piece of the chip was broken off as photographed.

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The picture appears to show only a capacitor broken off the board. If the pads and traces on the board are not damaged, and the capacitor still has it's pad-leads, then it can simply be soldered back on. If not, a new one could be purchased of the same size and type to solder back on.

However, if that cap is just a "decoupling" or filtering cap, which is likely, then it probably won't fix the problem.

Unfortunately, the new battery will not start the system.

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Depending on the BionX system version, it might require someone with the BionX dealer hardware and software to "reset" the BMS, as it may have shut itself down due to the previous battery problem, and until a flag is reset in the system it might not be able to turn back on.

Some of them require the original BionX BMS to run the battery, or the system will not power on (lack of proper communication signals). Some may operate without this, by shorting specific pins in the battery connector during operation (I don't know which pins; I am sure there is a thread about it here somewhere, but I didnt' run across it in a minute's search--i'll post a link if I find it later), but there may be limitations to the system (may not display all info, or may not operate in all modes, may not have regen, etc).

I know that someone here was at one time working on intercepting the communications from working BionX systems to create an emulator for missing parts of the system, so that the remaining parts would still work normally, but I don't remember who and can't find the thread right now. If I run across them I'll come back and post a link.

2) Is my only option to go the route of opening the motor and removing the BionX electronics then installing a new controller/bms using the original battery case.

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It's probably not your *only* option, but it's one of the most common ones those that wish to continue using the same motor/wheel end up pursuing, usually out of frustration at being unable to locate parts (or programmers).

Thank you so much for your kind reply!

It is the post on this forum by member Syonyk (who I have read blog posts about replacing these batteries) to which I am referring to:

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=75785




On information on restarting the "BMS" chip here, I found this website:

https://erowbike.com/bionx

So can I just hook the voltage to the main power delivery pins and discard the chip? Or must I have the chip remade or find one on the second hand market?

I hope that as many people as possible will chime in to offer any possible advice.

Thank you all or reading and considering possible suggestions!


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A question for amberwolf and all:

Please tell me how I can determine which version of the BionX system I have, and the requirements to start that system (or how to locate such information).

I only know that my System "Prod Lot" number is: 100014381

The Motor No: SN 2288-A09278007
Console No: SN 2332-S09260020
Battery No: 2300-A0974008

The instruction manual is for models: P-250, PL-250, P-350, and PL-350.

There is a French side of the instruction manual which lists the systems as: 700c, 28, 26, 24, and 20 --however, there is no check mark indicating which system I have other than the "Prod Lot" number indicated above.

Can anyone recommend how they would proceed in such a case?

Also, I have not yet paid the shop the $500 for the new battery, and I feel guilty about this but at the same time I do not want to pay for a battery which does not work with my bike--before building the new battery the shop workers said that my old battery was not in fact completely dead, but had some other problem and was charged
--so I think they should have asked to test my bike for other trouble before rebuilding the battery (as the shop claimed that the BMS/PCB is not in fact broken).

My opinion is that the moral thing to do in this situation is to offer to pay more money for them to fix other parts of the bike. So I have offered the shop more money to fix the system.

Ideally, I would like the bike to work as intended. So it seems like the computer system must be reset somehow? Is this at all practical?

What about removing all of the BionX proprietary chips and using an external controller and so on, then I could use the new battery which the shop made.

If that is my only option, what are the recommended components needed for such a project?--and what would be a fair price to offer the shop (in addition to the $500 for the new battery) to install such compnenets and do this work for me? I would try myself but I have no tools or experience doing this.


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Unfortunately I don't know how to tell which version is which.

I can recommend trying to reach those that have posted in the various BionX threads with this type of information, especially those that have said they have the dealer equipment to talk to the systems, as they probably know the most about this sort of thing.

As I already said about the BMS, it isn't a "chip" that's broken, at least not in any of the pictures you show, it's just a capacitor, which is easily replaced as long as the pads and traces on the board it came from are intact. Even without the capacitor it is likely that the board would operate relatively normally, if it is just a power bus filter capacitor (likely). If it is part of a switching power supply (possible, given the nearby inductor), then depending on which cap it is in that design, it could need to be replaced for that to operate as-designed. But they are generally easy to locate replacements for, and easy to install, for any electronics repair shop, as long as there is no other damage to the board.

If the "other problem" that the battery had was simply unbalanced cells, or low-capacity/old cells, that's also easy to fix by replacing them with new ones. I think that is what some of Syonik's posts deal with specifically. There are certain OEM BMS units that "brick" themselves if cells get too low, or if they are disconnected, to prevent a potential for fire with users unfamiliar with the potential problems. I do not know if the BionX you have is one of these, or if it is if it's one of the ones thats' permanent or resettable via the dealer equipment.



If it does come down to replacing the BionX electronics, keep in mind that there isn't anything out there that does exactly what those do. They won't detect the torque on your pedalling via the sensor built into the motor (on the axle), so control of the system will be a very different feel (even if you get another kind of torque sensor).

If I were to do it, I would actually replace the entire wheel, so that the original (which probably works fine) could be preserved (along with the display, etc) for later use with a working battery if one ever turned up. Or sold to someone that needed a working motor for this version of the system.

If torque-sensing pedal drive is a requirement, there are a number of ways to do this, some of which are available in systems / kits, and some of which would need to be pieced together based on your specific needs.

Grin Technologies http://ebikes.ca in Canada has some kits that do it, but whether they are suitable for your needs (or even legal in Japan) I don't know.

First, you'd need to specify your intended usage scenario for the bike, such as the speeds you want out of it (with or without significant pedal input) on the kind of terrain you'll ride on, under the kind of wind/weather conditions expected, and the rider/bike weight along with any other weight you'd be typically carrying. Then, how you would prefer to control the bike--do you want to (can you legally?) use a throttle, or does it need to be controlled by pedalling. If the latter, then do you want it to respond instantly/smoothly from a stop, or from the base of a hill going up, or do you mind if you have to pedal just a bit first before it engages? Any other details of how you want the system to work are helpful as well, such as if you want a display that shows you information (and what specific info do you want to see), or any other features you'd like to have.

Thank you so much for your detailed supplies and suggestions.

As I have indicated, I have already comissioned a shop to make a new battery pack for the bike.

However, now the most likely problem as you have described it to me is that the BMS has bricked itself.

I would want the bike to function just like it does with the current BionX system I had, I just wish the range had been longer so that I could do around a 60 km there-and-back daytrip.

I believe that the maximum speed of the BionX system as I used it was 32 kph as it was purchased in the US, which is actually a bit over the 28 kph assist limit where under Japanese law I would have to register it with a license plate as small motercycle. I have a throttle on my bike, but I really only used it when going up steep hills. But then again maybe my system had been set to the European limit of 25 kph when I was using it (I remember being able to petal faster than the system's limit using my feet). The Japanese authorities do not seem very strict about these e-bike laws (probably the throttle law is more aimed at the moped-style kind of electric bikes common in Chinese cities).

There are a lot of steep up and down hills in Tokyo, and it can get very windy some days. I wouldn't want to bike if a downpour was forcasted, but I wouldn't want the system to break if unexpectedly caught in the rain either.

I have two bags I can connect to the bike and would want to carry groceries on occassion but probably nothing too heavy.

So, I will first try to follow your suggestion and contact people who might be able to unbrick the BMS (which might by luck not be broken after all).


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I have found the BionX software mentioned online.

Must I use the BionX proprietary BIB-BionX interface box, or would it be somehow possible to use a cheap generic USB to Canbus interface, such as those sold on Aliexpress.


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I don't know. I poked around for a minute to see if I could quickly find an answer, but didn't see one. If I run across one later I'll post it back here (if I remember to look... ).

This is a follow-up to my previous post.

I ended up re-posting this same topic with lots of photographs on the German Pedelec-Forum.

After receiving much support there, I discovered that my actual problem all along was that the replaced BionX battery was not plugging into the D-Sub connector at the bottom of the down-tube battery rail--in this case the shop which replaced the battery had somehow put the rail at the bottom of the battery on backwards and set the rail of the battery too high at the same time.

Unfortunately now, when I finally discovered this and attached the battery, I ended up presumably shorting the wires leading to the motor and unwittingly caused electrical damage to my motor.

The situation now is that I can turn on the controller/display of the bike and the battery works just fine, but entering the "3772" diagnostic code to the battery I am getting the errors "55" and "40" which indicate that there is no communication between the motor and the rest of the system. I had a technician check the Hirose communication cable and the two pin electrical supply cables leading from the battery to the motor, and it was determined that it is very unlikely that this issue is caused by damage to these cables.

It seems like my options now are to: A) Replace the entire motor and or motor/wheel (28 inches), which would presumably require sourcing these parts from somewhere abroad as they were never sold in Japan; B) Open the motor and replace the PCB assembly inside of it, as I am still able (luckily for now) to source a new chip from BionXLegacy.com; C) Open the motor and attempt to repair the current PCB board if possible by replacing one or more of the transient-voltage-suppression diodes and/or other components; D) Liberating the BionX motor from the proprietary system by removing the BionX electronics and replacing them with something else.

My questions are:

Which of these options above (or possible other options which I have not considered) seems to be the most sensible?

AND

Does anyone have recommendations of where I might be able to best purchase the components I will need to fix my bike?

Thank you to everyone who might be able to provide advice, I really appreciate your consideration!

joseph.c.williams said:

It seems like my options now are to: A) Replace the entire motor and or motor/wheel (28 inches), which would presumably require sourcing these parts from somewhere abroad as they were never sold in Japan; B) Open the motor and replace the PCB assembly inside of it, as I am still able (luckily for now) to source a new chip from BionXLegacy.com; C) Open the motor and attempt to repair the current PCB board if possible by replacing one or more of the transient-voltage-suppression diodes and/or other components; D) Liberating the BionX motor from the proprietary system by removing the BionX electronics and replacing them with something else.

My questions are:

Which of these options above (or possible other options which I have not considered) seems to be the most sensible?

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Grüße aus St. Paul!

(I was a German citizen from 1948-1970)

"Sensible" is of course a very subjective measurement, and I'm not sure it does us much good here in evaluating your options. It might have meant that the moment your dad's BionX bike had its first major problem, you would have converted that bike to a more "sensible" ebike that was maintainable in the world you now find yourself living in. You wouldn't have spent the time and money you've already spent. But then again, I don't know that you have better things to do with your time and money, so what you've done so far may well be "sensible" after all.

Apparently you've previously looked at some of the BionX stuff I dumped on my website over the years (erowbike.com), so you know that I feel your pain. My path forward -- not yet concluded -- is selecting your your "Option D" above. I'm still getting around to converting my strain gage amplifier PC board from the current through-hole parts version to a much smaller SMD version. This is being done because it will be more useful to have this board be smaller and lighter for other projects I'm working on, not just to replace the circuit board in the BionX motor.

You could of course just rip out the internal circuit board in your BionX motor and bring out the phase and Hall wires, converting your motor into a conventional direct drive rear hub motor. You'd give up the motor's native torque sensing ability, but maybe that's not important to you. Justin at Grin has documented that, so you could just follow his instructions for that.

It's too bad that you're not local to my location here. I'd be perfectly willing to help you with your project, and I'd make available to you whatever BionX parts I still have in my collection. Shipping this stuff just isn't worth it, IMHO, but it will still have some value for the right user. Is there a US trip in you and your bike's future?

I have seen a similar board. I took apart a bionx battery on a smart bike just to take a look. I think it is more than just a BMS. It is also a charger. Important that they built your new pack to the same spec. I don't think it is coded to the controller in the rear as you could swap between different batteries. So worst case scenario is try to get another 5.1 board because you know the new batteries are good if they were built identically.
Also, did you check to see if there is an onboard fuse that might be blown? On my one the input voltage is 26V at 3.4A so check your charger is doing the job correctly. That coil or capacitor that fell off might or might not effect the main functionality, best to have it soldered by a pro with a hot air station just to be sure.
I think you can buy the 5.1 boards somewhere.
I have 3x bionx motors and the two others i will be removing the controller. It's a real mission to split the motor but i did the one on the smart bike which is a mission as it also has a 3 gear internal sram hub. i was replacing the hub!
But on the others i will over volt to 84V max in 20S with Samsung 40T 21700 cells. up to 4p for now and up to 8p for larger machines and portable power units.
If you do swap out the 5.1 board then you need to be aware that it could be tricky. you need to be a good solderer with good tools because with the balance cables etc there might be quite a few connections that need to be bomber.
If you can't find surface mounted fuses then also check the shunts, they look a bit like surface mounted fuses anyway, not like your regular shunts! they are large smd shunts from what i can remember, but they are for the charger as the esc is in the rear. The bike has regen so i guess it needs a way to dump excess energy that is too much for the charger. or they are used in the balance circuit, not sure exactly.

I just read some more of your post but it seems like it might be a bit late now.
If you don't want to pay them the 500 you should try to give it back but make sure you get the old battery as they said it wasn't dead. But you said that range had decreased yet not it just won't work art all.
Seems like a new issue has cropped up since they worked on the battery or it became damaged while removing it.
There always seem to be motor controller boards on ebay so you might ask some of those sellers about a 5.1 or contact bionx.

Did you get anywhere with your boinx system?
Someone is selling the entire system here in france for €100. Now sure how old the batteries are.
Recently i blew the charger board on my bionx battery, it is a newer 48V battery. It charges from a 26V supply but i wanted to see if it would still charge at 25V. This must have pushed the current high and it blew 2 small but powerful transistors on the charging board that is built in with the battery.
I'm currently attempting repair (when the parts arrive). You can see my recent posts for info.
I also just repaired my Chinese bike. I built a 25Ah lipo pack for it 50V max. It is capable of delivering 12500W and i only have a 250W motor. lol Range should be amazing! Was testing it out a bit the last few days.

If they didn't rebuild your battery with the exact spec it could have damaged the built in charging board.
Also i heard the older charging boards were not so well made so it may have deteriorated or become physically damaged.
You can do away with some of the bionx electronics if you modify the motor.
There are some posts on how to do this but it is time consuming. You need to take the wheel to pieces, then seperate the motor into two halves by pulling it with a puller (i managed to do it by other means). Then remove the speed controller from the motor and bring 3 wires out through the axle for the motor to connect to a new speed controller, choose one that suits your needs.
Take note, there are some sense wires, if you run the motor wires and sense wires our of the axle there is not much room, some controllers can run a motor without using the sense wires. It's important the wires don;t become worn and short around the axle where they exit the motor.
I am considering using shorter lengths of heat proof wire such as that found in electric ovens and then once clear of the axle step up to thicker wire being careful to insulate and protect very well.
These asian speed controller come with various displays / control panels. Lots of inexpensive stuff available.
Bionx is can bus technology and not easy to hack or swap about.

I noticed you pulled one of the capacitors off. This is what i was saying about the earlier models not being made so well. I have a rev 6.3. It is made well but it is still sensitive to and issues / mods / experimentation.
Easy to resolder that cap with some flux, good quality solder and a small tip on an iron set within a good temp range.
To make it easier you can straighten the legs then remove the rubber foot by pulling it off over the legs. This gives a little more space to get the soldering iron in. Take care not to dislodge tiny components while soldering in this area, without magnification and skill you can easily mess up the rest. And make sure the polarity is correct. the cap needs to be the correct way around.