So I purchased a rtr kit from grin with the phaserunner, CA 3.15 and g62 to install on my folding ebike that the controller and display got fried on. I'm using a battery discharge balancer (
Amazon.com ) to connect the battery in the frame and battery I bought for the rear rack and with the original controller and display I had no problems running this way but with the grin set I lose throttle because phaserunner gets a 2,5 fault Instantaneous Controller overvoltage. Does anyone know how to disable regen so that I can use batteries in this configuration as I need both batteries to get me to work, 1 battery just won't cut it and I can't easily disconnect the in frame battery half way through the ride while towing a trailer. I would have to disconnect trailer so that I can fold the bike and remove the battery pull off the connecting plate to access controller and plug in rear battery and reassemble. I've emailed grin a couple of times and still waiting on a response so I thought I'd ask here. Picture of my rig but I now have a different battery on the rack.
The reason the problem happens is because of the so-called balancer (it can't actually balance batteries, so it shouldn't be called that, but that's not your problem, that's the sellers'). We'll just call it a paralleler because all it really does is allow you to parallel multiple batteries of different voltages without current flowing from one at higher voltage back into another at lower voltage. It does this by blocking all reverse current flow in one of a number of ways.
With that in place, anytime the motor generates current, whether from regen or even just coasting, it cannot be fed back to the battery, and creates voltage spikes that build up inside the controller until the controller FETs and LVPS and any other parts connected to the battery voltage bus exceed their ratings, and are damaged or destroyed.
If your previous setup failed only after using the paralleler, it could've been the same issue--it just wasn't "smart" enough to shutdown during the event and blew up instead. (or in the event of coasting, like going downhill, none of the controllers would be able to prevent the problem, even if "turned off" it would still happen just because the current from the motor has nowhere to go. (this has happened to other people)
So, disabling regen will prevent the controller from deliberately generating reverse currents, but it won't stop them from being generated in coasting, downhill, etc.
Your safest route (as far as controller/etc is concerned) to fixing this problem is removing the paralleler and just using a straight up Y-cable to connect the battery packs. Once this is done, then to ensure safe paralleling (assuming same-full-voltage packs) all you must do is fully charge / balance each pack before connecting them, and disconnect them during charging (if they have separate charge/discharge (C-/P-) ports on the BMS; if they have common ports you don't have to disconnect during charge).
One "easy fix" is simply to disconnect the ebrake wires from the CA. That prevents any braking from being generated at the CA itself--but it doesn't stop the PR from using "slip regen" or "one pedal driving" type modes, if it is setup to do so.
FWIW, normally the G62, being a geared hubmotor, doesn't create regen.
Bafang G62 Standard Wind (8.0 RPM/V) Rear Hub Motor for 170-175mm Fat Bike Dropouts. Terminated with L10 Waterproof Motor Plug.
ebikes.ca
Should we assume you have this version of the RTR kit that includes the modified G62 (welded or locked clutch) that allows regen?
Ready to Ride Fat Bike G62 Kit with Locked Clutch for Regen. Includes V3 Cycle Analyst, Baserunner or Phaserunner Controller, Downtube battery, PAS/Torque sensor options.
ebikes.ca
That said, regen can be disabled. There are a few possible places you might need to do this, so first we need to know how your system is actually setup to generate regen, meaning what behaviors of the system are setup to do this.
Before you make any changes, please make a backup of the configuration, either by taking clear pictures of every screen in every menu of either the actual CA display or the setup program's download of the CA settings or saving that file (all three can be a good idea in case one version or the other gets corrupted or lost), and for the PR by saving the download of the settings in the setup program / taking pictures of the screens in every menu.
If you don't backup the settings, and end up having to reset the device(s) at any point to fix a problem, you will then have to figure out what all the settings were, by yourself, manually, by experimentation, which is not just zero fun, it's negative fun, and will probably take significant time while the entire system is unusable.
Next post will cover the settings you can try.
