Etek motor slows down under load

[rumleyfips]

The Etek motor on my converted riding mower has been working well but lately slows down while mowing up a steep hill. batteries read 39 start to 36 recharge. Cables, fuse and contactor show low resistance. The brushes are OK and it turns ( stiffly ) by hand. Everything looks good and it mows great on flat ground but it slows down going uphill. I have to stop and let the speed turn back up before it will mow again.

Any ideas ?

 

[amberwolf]

Doesn't sound like a motor problem.

Sounds like an aging-battery problem.

What does the voltage read when the motor slows? Is the voltage sag greater than it used to be when it didn't slow down under load?

BTW, I recommend editing your first post in the thread to give a title descriptive of your issue that you need help with. Just "Etek" isn't likely to attract attention. If I didn't open every new post / thread to check for spam and the like, I wouldn't have read it to know that you needed help.

 

[rumleyfips]

Thanks Amberwolf . I changed the title.

The batteries read OK using a load test meter, but they are old. Voltage reads 39 resting fully charged, 35 mowing ( 45 amps ) 32 when I take it back to the chatger and 35 after I shut it off to begin charging. I charge to 45 volts and it reads 39 after I shut the charger off.

If we don't have a thunderstorm I'll work on it today.

 

[rumleyfips]

I put it back together and mowed for an hour with no problems. I have replacement batteries on charge just in case.

 

[amberwolf]

I put it back together and mowed for an hour with no problems.

Sounds like it might've been a connection fault; oxidized or loose, that was corrected by the unplugging/pluging of things, if it stays fixed.

 

[amberwolf]

The batteries read OK using a load test meter,

Does the device put the same load on them that you see during the problem event? If not, you should just put a voltmeter on the mower and note the readings you get just before and during the event, and compare with it's normal-working-operation loaded state.

If the voltage drops far enough, the controller will hit LVC and shutdown motor operation.

 

[rumleyfips]

Thanks for the help Amberwolf. It's mowing well. You are probably right about corroded terminals. I filed and sanded all of them shiny and bright.