Odd Ping Battery Pack behaviour

e-beach said:
As for your battery, since we didn't get any cell readings before you went for your ride we don't know if the 5th cell had a full charge before you rode.

The long charging time is to make sure the bms has time to balance your cells. The bleed resistors in the bms are small and work slowly.

:D
Click to expand...

I didn't do that, but the battery basically sat overnight. I can't see there being much change. I did notice though the BMS lights will blink back and forth quite some time. I will let it sit on charger till about 3pm Monday either way.

If I unplug the BMS cable while it's blinking, take a reading and plug it back in and let it continue the blinking back and forth, will that effect anything ?

Should it turn out that it is a weak cell, shoud I just replace the pack vs mixing new with old ?
 
Those lights show you the resistor to that cell thats bleeding down that cell. On a ping signalab it should blink at 3.65v and above. The number 5 cell ( 3 - 5ah cells)may be lowest at lvc. And would hit high hvc frist because a lower capacity. Less volume. This is only a guess because I don't have the Pack in my hands. So your pack is only good as your weakest l. After 3 years I would probably just use the pack as is. Plus fletcher has Theory when plugging in the BMS angle from the lowest voltage or the negative side first to the higher side.
Li Ping is a math wizard and he can look at either way you wrote down the cells and tell you the state of charge of the battery but what you want to know is the voltage of each cell
 
I agree, use it as is but plan for a new battery.

:D
 
e-beach said:
I agree, use it as is but plan for a new battery.

:D
Click to expand...

I'm going to get in touch with a company in my city called Total Battery and ask about a battery build, and use this battery as a spare. Can charge one battery, and use the other.
 
I let the battery stay on the charger for 23 hours roughly and then let it sit for a few hours. Then I took a reading and it's the same as before. All 16 cells are giving me equal readings of 3.60v. It's only when I start to use it, that the one cell is discharging faster than the others, it seems.
 
Then it seems to be the bad cell. You now have 3 options.

1. Run the battery as it is.
2. Get a new battery.
3. Purchase a used ping battery like yours and harvest the cell you need to implant it into your used battery and run it until more cells fail.

The best option really is getting a new battery.
Sorry you have to purchase a new battery but that is the best option.

Batteries are what they are, items with a finite life. However, in my book, never having to purchase gasoline is a sweet thing.

:D
 
There is a fourth option, you can contact Ping and so long as you pay for shipping they will rebuild the pack with replacement cells at the cost of the cells, this is an option I'm in the process of
 
Grautuefel said:
There is a fourth option, you can contact Ping and so long as you pay for shipping they will rebuild the pack with replacement cells at the cost of the cells, this is an option I'm in the process of
Click to expand...

Would take too long (Moving soon out of City), and Canada Post Shipping cost are beyond ridiculous. I might be able to have it rebuilt in the city. www.totalbattery.com seems to be the place to go, for this sort of thing.

I might see about getting Li-ion pack built and just replace it 1-2x years, so I always have a fresh/new battery pack. I have to get in touch with them and see what my options are, and what they will cost. Replacing the bad/weak cell, might buy me another year before more problems show up. At that point, then I would have no other option to replace the pack. Mixing in even more new cells, would cause more of a headace, than it's worth.
 
Grautuefel said:
There is a fourth option, you can contact Ping and so long as you pay for shipping they will rebuild the pack with replacement cells at the cost of the cells, this is an option I'm in the process of
Click to expand...

I tried this route, to see if I would get anywhere and Ping refused to answer my email. I orginally asked for the cell info, so that I may find the same cells online. No reply. I sent another, asking if he would sell me replacement cells. Again, no reply.

For me, this is a deal breaker and I will not buy a battery pack from Pingbattery again.
 
While I'm a little disappointed I've had cells fail with only a year of use (I think they were never good) Ping has always responded to my emails and his first offer was to sell replacement groups.

I don't think the cells are available elsewhere Signalab are the bms and cell manufacturer, from what I can see they're the same company or else very very close.
 
When replacing cells is best to replace cell group so 15ah is three cells of 5ah or four cells for 20ah ect. I think Ping sells them for 7.50 or 10.00 each so 22.50 plus shipping . You also could have them presolder to a board and use a cutoff wheel and cut the 5th cell in the middle of the pack out. E.S. Member Dmnun had a thread on how to do this.
 
999zip999 said:
When replacing cells is best to replace cell group so 15ah is three cells of 5ah or four cells for 20ah ect. I think Ping sells them for 7.50 or 10.00 each so 22.50 plus shipping . You also could have them presolder to a board and use a cutoff wheel and cut the 5th cell in the middle of the pack out. E.S. Member Dmnun had a thread on how to do this.
Click to expand...

Yes, it seems I have to replace the group of cells connected to the soldered square. However, without being sold them. I can't do that. i also don't have the means to reblance the pack, when I put the new cells in, should I somehow be able to get some.
 
I wasn't recommending that you replace the cells in a three-year-old pack I was just giving you a guesstimation of the price. Voltpheaks had a lifepo4 single cell charger that stop at 3.60 @ 2amps. I have 3 about 8yrs old. I don't know where to buy them. Ping might not have that style of cell and moved on to the V5 cell. If ping has them he will help you. Li Ping has sent me things and ask me to pay later. Trust.
 
999zip999 said:
I wasn't recommending that you replace the cells in a three-year-old pack I was just giving you a guesstimation of the price. Voltpheaks had a lifepo4 single cell charger that stop at 3.60 @ 2amps. I have 3 about 8yrs old. I don't know where to buy them. Ping might not have that style of cell and moved on to the V5 cell. If ping has them he will help you. Li Ping has sent me things and ask me to pay later. Trust.
Click to expand...

Ping finally got back to me. Somehow my email got sent to his spam. He did offer to sell me some cells, but looking at the pack. I don't see 3-4 cells in a series. I have 6 cells, but only 3-4 Soldering connections. I would have to replace that entire block, as I don't know which out of the block are weak.

As for the charger, I only ones that are meant for a car... "Battery Tender Jr."and "Charger for Voltphreaks 16V batteries".
I looked up single cell chargers, and it looks like they are meant for cylinder cells which have a postive and negative end. Unless I charge each single cell one by one, before soldering them to the connection board.
 
All cells must be balanced before hooking up bms. I would use a charger meant for a single cell a single cell charger for lifepo4 or 3.6 volts or 3.6 volts . Don't overcharge ever.
 
999zip999 said:
All cells must be balanced before hooking up bms. I would use a charger meant for a single cell a single cell charger for lifepo4 or 3.6 volts or 3.6 volts . Don't overcharge ever.
Click to expand...

Would this work ? http://onlybatterypacks.com/product/tenergy-intelligent-2a-charger-for-3-2v-single-cell-lifepo4-battery/

I'm not 100% sure what I need to look for.
 
999zip999 said:
Thats the one.
Click to expand...

The capacity of the cell doesn't matter ? It seems I can't get that charger anymore. I click on buy now, and it sends me to a different website and that site doesn't have the same one.
 
I have a friend who knows much more about batteries than I do, and he offered to make a 1 amp charger that would take 20 hours to charge a 15ah cell. He said a 1.5 amp one would reduce the time to 15 hours, but I would need a couple of fans to cool the voltage regulator.
 
adamsavage79 said:
He said a 1.5 amp one would reduce the time to 15 hours, but I would need a couple of fans to cool the voltage regulator.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of RC chargers that can charge single cells. Something like a iMax B6 can charge 1 to 6 cells to the voltages needed. You will also need a 2 to 3 amp wall wort to make it work fast.

As for your friends voltage regulator, a small fan will work. A heat sink and a small fan will work better. These kind of things can be easily salvaged from old computer power supplies and old and broken stereo receivers. Or just drill a small hole in a scrap piece of aluminum and use a small bolt to attach it to the voltage regulator to wick away the heat.

:D
 
Something like this ?

https://www.amazon.ca/Balance-Battery-Charger-Digital-Discharger/dp/B00OQ08UW0/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_21_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZZ3J8QH4SR33TG4QH0MS

Seems I would just need the power plug for it.
 
I finally got a invoice from Ping, and he is adding in a free 2 amp single cell charger for me. I asked he send it via air, as anything ship cargo these days, takes around 3 months. Air Shipping is 2-3 weeks. So hopefully they get here with in 2 weeks or less.
 
Good news. Sounds like you are on your way to getting healed for a while.

But, IMO, start considering a new battery none-the-less. What you have will last for a while, but not for ever.

:D
 
e-beach said:
Good news. Sounds like you are on your way to getting healed for a while.

But, IMO, start considering a new battery none-the-less. What you have will last for a while, but not for ever.

:D
Click to expand...

Yes for sure. I hope to get another year out of this pack. I may still get another pack, and use this current one as a spare. I could even toss it in backpack and bring it with me, and simply switch them out if needed to. Get that little extra range.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
72v LiPo Pack 0-volts
Replies
8
Views
554
E-HP
E-HP
E
  • Question
new built battery will not charge
Replies
9
Views
1,078
amberwolf
amberwolf
M
Help with first pack build
Replies
10
Views
487
mynameisjoe
M
G
New battery won't charge all the way
Replies
16
Views
1,269
greenno
G
F
Wate Lifepo chargers odd behaviour, low voltage?
Replies
9
Views
672
FSC
F
Back
Top