Broken ebike..how to fix?
- Thread starter marc123
- Start date
e-beach said:
I tested the three phase wires running out of the controller, and there's no connectivity between any of them. There's no connectivity with the axle or hub casing either. All three running out of the motor however do show connectivity, which I guess is normal?
I suspect the edges of the opening in the axle (where the motor cable enter the hub) cut through the insolation when the wheel spun out of the droupouts, and this shorted the controller. I wrapped electrical tape around the cables so that they can't touch the axle, and I'm thinking this should avoid any further problems.
e-beach said:
Two questions here..
1) When you say connect the power source to the hall sensor, you mean the black and red wired of the hall bundle running into the motor? I have a 5V 1.5A phone charger...should that be alright, or too many amps? After this, what I'm looking for is the oscillation between 0 and 5V when I turn the wheel, correct?
2) Could I possible just supply power to the throttle with this same 5V phone charger to see if, when it receives its needed 5V, it actually causes the wheel to spin?
markz
100 TW
These units are helpful to have....
https://em3ev.com/shop/ebike-tester/
https://em3ev.com/shop/ebike-tester/
e-beach
10 MW
The motor wires should not show connectivity. If you disconnected the motor wires from the controller completely, and they showed connectivity with each other then they are shorted together. (an example is if you completly disconnect the motor wires and probed the blue and the green connectors of the motor wires and have connectivity, then you have shorted phase wires.) What that also means you may have blown one or more fets in the controller.marc123 said:
Yes, the black and red wires of the hall bundle is where you hook the 5v source to. 1.5 amp is probably too much as the data sheet for the Honeywell SS41's call for 10 to 11 mA. It also states that it can take a 24v maximum meaning a 9v battery should be ok. Although you are working with unknown Chinese electronics.
This is the link to the Honeywell data sheet. https://sensing.honeywell.com/honey...ss41-l-t2-t3-s-sp-datasheet-32312814-b-en.pdf
And yes, you look for the 0 to 5v (or supplied voltage) that will oscillate (actually switch) when you slowly turn the wheel backward as the magnets flip the Halls on or off.
Don't test it that way. Disconnect the throttle completely and do this. With a depleted nine volt battery, (or 4 AAA cells wired in series would work on the throttle and wheel halls....now that I think about it...) attach the positive and negative leads from the depleted 9v or other small battery voltage to the red and black wires on the throttle. Then meter between the negative black wire (dark wire) on the throttle and the white return wire on the throttle. When you are connected this way, you should read just under 1v when the throttle is not being used, to just a little under the input voltage when the throttle is fully in use. If you move the throttle slowly, you should get voltages in between.
Do those tests and let us know.
e-beach
10 MW
marc123 said:
Sorry that was my mistake.
You should get an connectivity when testing the motor wire bullet plugs. What you should not get is cogging when spinning the wheel. (before posting, I tested a known good motor I have to verify my statement on the phase wire testing, as it turns out the meter I used has a bad ground probe..... 
Anyway I retested with a better DMM and you are correct.)Yes all the wires are coated. They are insulated until they reach the phase windings which are all coated. The connections between the solid core phase windings and the stranded motor cable are usually covered with fiberglass insulation tubing.
As far as the tangled mess, you have to spend the time to unwind it and make it straight. Put the end of the wire in a drill and slowly spin it backwards from the way it rapped up? Slowly unwinding the cable and pinching it at the motor end and drawing your hand away from the motor straightening the wires in the insulation?
So, if your motor wires are disconnected from the controller, and the motor spins without cogging, your phase wires should be ok. (to double check this, with your phase wires and your throttle connector disconnected from the controller, spin the wheel and see how it feels. Then touch any two of the phase wire bullet connectors together, spin the wheel and feel the cogging. If the cogging with the two bullet connectors touching together is the same as when they are not touching then you know you have a short.
Posting pictures would help with that answer. Just keep the file size under 512k so you can post them.
I still suspect you shorted your phase wires and that blew some fets in your controller and maybe more.
So how did the throttle and Hall sensor tests turn out?
e-beach
10 MW
Oh, and BTW, by what I am telling you to test is to make sure your motor is 100% OK to plug into any controller. If we can discern that you motor is OK, then we can move forward. If your motor has a problem, then we need to know that as well.
e-beach said:Sorry that was my mistake.
So how did the throttle and Hall sensor tests turn out?
The motor has no cogging when all the phase wire are disconnected. When I connect two and then three phase wires, the cogging happens (and worsens). So this motor should be 100% okay?
I'll have to test the throttle and hall on Monday evening since I'm away from home until then. In meantime I hope to hear back from my supplier in China about a new controller (at least). When I thought my motor was shorted I also quite angrily asked for a new motor..oh well.
e-beach
10 MW
If you have no cogging when all the phase wires are separated, then you have no phase wires shorts between phase wires. That is good. If you have no connectivity between your phase wires and axle, that is also good. If your halls test ok with a depleted 9v battery or 4 AAA cells in series, then you will know your motor is ok....... provided the tape that you used to tape up the cable works and doesn't cause a problem down the line. What was that tape for again?
Also for reference, self sealing silicone tape is available and might give better moisture protection.
Let us know about the halls.
Also for reference, self sealing silicone tape is available and might give better moisture protection.
Let us know about the halls.
docw009
1 MW
marc123 said:
I figured that if you knew what a 7806 was, then you knew how to use a voltmeter. Black pin on ground. Motor connections all open. Turn controller on and measure voltage coming in and voltage going out,
Sorry that you spun your motor, but that's your error, not the vendor's problem. Of course, some of those sellers lie and cheat so bad ....
e-beach
10 MW
A 9v battery will work for testing most halls. You could also cut off a spare USB cable and use a phone charger to get 5v.
For sure the controller sounds like it's toast.
For sure the controller sounds like it's toast.
docw009
1 MW
On many ebikes, the throttle only works after you have selected one of the available PAS levels. If your ebike powers up in PAS 1, then ignore this statement.
So now you put your meter on the throttle output wire and see if it starts at 1.0 V and goes up to around 4 or 5 volts when you turn the throttle. That's normal throttle behavior .
So now you put your meter on the throttle output wire and see if it starts at 1.0 V and goes up to around 4 or 5 volts when you turn the throttle. That's normal throttle behavior .
e-beach
10 MW
5v to the throttle is good. What is the return voltage from the throttle?marc123 said:
e-beach said:5v to the throttle is good. What is the return voltage from the throttle?
I have exactly 4.27V going in (measured at the red and black wires at various points), and 0V going out (measured at various points and at various throttle positions). Fried sensor in the throttle?
e-beach
10 MW
Sorry for your troubles. Probably a fried throttle, Hall sensor etc. Try a new throttle. If you have your meter set up so your black lead is on the black wire and the red lead on the return wire (white wire?) you should be getting varying voltage readings as you apply your throttle. The voltage reading should top out a little under what your controller is sending to the throttle when you go full throttle.
e-beach said:
I ended up using the potentiometer from the +/- volume wheel of an old clock radio to make myself a new throttle. Not the safest thing in the world, but it allows for cruise control haha. Everything works now! I just hope the torque arms do their job and prevent this from happening again!
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