Odd motor failure

This morning I pulled my bike out to go to work and got no response to the throttle; it juddered once and stopped with an error code.

(Bike: HSR3540 motor 26” rim, PhaseRunner, Cycle Analyst V3, Lunacycle 54V battery)

I power cycled it and hoisted the rear wheel up. I gave it some throttle and the rear wheel spun. I stopped it with the regen brake, and then it wouldn’t start up again. Same error codes - 2-2 and 1-6 (phase overcurrent and Hall sensor failure)

The throttle input into the PhaseRunner is fine. Errors reported via the PhaseRunner app are:

Faults[9]: Instantaneous phase overcurrent
Warnings[7]: VdcLowFLDBK

I figured my next step was to check Hall sensor outputs and phase inductances (or at least resistances) but the motor phase-wire connector has welded itself together. I couldn’t get them apart even with two pairs of pliers. Will check Hall sensors tonight at least; I should be able to do that with everything powered up by spinning the wheel manually.

Not positive but it sounds like your regen braking is causing an over voltage issue when your battery is already full. Try adjusting it down a few volts in your settings or using a regular brake to test things until you deplete your battery a little bit first

but the motor phase-wire connector has welded itself together.
Is it dark and melted looking?
Could be a poor connection in there.

My guess would be that it the phase connectors have melted thru their housings.. that would explain the stuck together connector and the over current flag. Try it on the ground instead of in the air to see if it changes.

Icewrench said:

but the motor phase-wire connector has welded itself together.
Is it dark and melted looking?
Could be a poor connection in there.

Click to expand...

Ya that will def be the problem...fix them and check it out

Update!

I had to cut off the motor connector and re-crimp new Andersons on to everything.

Now the motor doesn't spin at all; it just judders in place. Phaserunner still gives Hall sensor failure.

Tested each Hall sensor line; each one toggles between .1 and 4.5 volts as the wheel is spun by hand.

Tested each coil; each leg gives me about 12 volts when the wheel is spun (fast) by hand.

Next step, I guess, is to get another motor and connect it to see if the Phaserunner is still working.

Yeah, I've had a couple of controllers survive shorted phase wires, and a couple of others that didn't...

You need to have the correct wiring combo if you just wired them color for color it may not be right. Try to copy the way it was connected before.

If your phase wires are too long they can create Heat at the connections.

Did you try the field test of shorting the motor windings one at a time? When disconnected from the controller, if you hold any two of the three phase wires together in turn, the motor should suddenly cogging and get hard to turn by hand, if it doesn't theres a shorted winding.

Another update:

Tried a second motor. (This was fun BTW; I held the spare motor in my hands by the shafts and had the 5 year old twist the throttle. "Just a little bit! Just a little!" wham, all the way on.) It worked. So the Phaserunner is OK.

So I started trying different combinations of wiring to see if that was it. And on the fourth combination it started working again.

So there you go. Still not sure what caused the problem in the first place; the welded-closed connector was a puzzle. Unless it got loose, started arcing and then eventually welded itself - but once welded you would think it would work.

Never mind... we were typing those at the same time...lol. Glad you're running again!