controller died !!!

[onelessthan3wheels]

Hello , I could really do with some help , my controller got water in it and it died, the bike is a self build (not by me ) it has a 48v hub(mxus) and my battery pack is reading 91.6 volts on my multimeter . I think the controller is a KH318-fs-1 it is housed in a typical aluminium case but have removed it to try and fix (see image attached) . im not sure what other info is needed to spec a new controller? Im not sure how to find out what the watage is but the bike can get up to speeds of 45mph so I assume its high. maybe I should over spec the controller?

hopefully this is enough to kick off a conversation

thanks up front

 

[E-HP]

You might want to be a little more careful with how you handle those big lipos. Not sure letting them hang from their leads is a good idea, and if they fall on the floor, that wouldn't be good news.

 

[amberwolf]

I think the controller is a KH318-fs-1 it is housed in a typical aluminium case but have removed it to try and fix (see image attached) . im not sure what other info is needed to spec a new controller?

There should be a label on the case that has it's current limit, voltage max, voltage low cutoff, etc. If not, it could at least have the brand and model on it. Sometimes this is engraved into the surface, sometimes it is is a paper sticker label (which can come off from weathering)

Also helpful to list all of the connections you ahve from it to any other device on the bike (literally, every single wire). (You'll want to draw that up for yourself anyway, since any new controller you get is unlikely to have the same wire colors or connectors.) This will help you know what connections, at a minimum, the new controller must have, and what functions it must have to operate like the old one.

Without knowing the current limit, etc., and what connections you need (what devices it has to work with), it's tough to recommend a specific controller replacement. Guesses can be made, but couldn't say if it will work with your system the way the original did, or be easy to hook up.


FWIW, the "KH318-fs-1" comes up here:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=65233
as a kit for a controller that you would build yourself, from Keywin. Dont' know if that's the only controller using that nomenclature / model number.

 

[onelessthan3wheels]

ive compiled this document with photos of the wires coming from the controller (at the top) and the wires from the bike (at the bottom) .

there's very little info on the controller itself , the biggest clue is a sticker that says 0.74 m ohms , there is stuff written on the citrcuitboard itself .

im confessed how my hub is clearly 48volt but my battery is reading 92volts .

dose this info help ? I know I haven't answered the controller spec but there is no more info , I did find reference to a 92v controller on another feed ( 24s lipo, 96V 60A controller) https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=74562

thanks

Will

 

[E-HP]

ive compiled this document with photos of the wires coming from the controller (at the top) and the wires from the bike (at the bottom) .

there's very little info on the controller itself , the biggest clue is a sticker that says 0.74 m ohms , there is stuff written on the citrcuitboard itself .

im confessed how my hub is clearly 48volt but my battery is reading 92volts .

dose this info help ? I know I haven't answered the controller spec but there is no more info , I did find reference to a 92v controller on another feed ( 24s lipo, 96V 60A controller) https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=74562

thanks

Will

The bike has a cycle analyst. The plug marked screen is a CA connector. The 0.74mohms is the shunt resistance value that you would enter in the CA's custom shunt settings.

Board looks a lot like the 18FET version of this Keywin kit controller:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=65233

 

[onelessthan3wheels]

from digging around on the internet it looks like you can't buy Keywin kit controllers anymore.

so 0.74mohms is my shunt that's good to know

what might my options be

Repair the controller, its shorting . one symptom is my phases are touching , I know this because there is resistance in my wheel even when the battery is disconnected , my feeling is it could be a faulty resistors (the really small ones that look impossibly tiny to repair). however there is zero sign of life so could be much more terminal. the battery seems fine, no sign of over heating there .

my problem is identifying my parts, it is very difficult as the spec is not given on the hub or the controller
I believe the hub might be the (3000w) MXUS, but this is a guess based on the speed the bike achieves 45mph (is other clues written on the hub say XF40 45H 15050010 but have no clues as to what this meens) and the battery pack of Lion Lipo batteries reading 92volts with my multimeter ?

one of my biggest confusions is how my MXUS hub is 48volts and my battery pack is reading 91.6volts??? this is most puzzling to me, I understand you can push the voltage a bit to increase performance but this seems a very extreme difference .

sorry for so many questions but this job is all consuming at the moment, I"m learning alot. thanks for your help so far , I really appreciate it .

 

[amberwolf]

Repair the controller, its shorting . one symptom is my phases are touching , I know this because there is resistance in my wheel even when the battery is disconnected

If it does that only when connected to the controller, then you have blown FETS in the controller. See ebikes.ca troubleshooting - learn documentation on testing those.

 

[onelessthan3wheels]

I suspect the controller has multiple faults given the water damage, its completely non responsive so im looking to replace it . I don't wish to program the new controller and won't worry me if its not as fast, so if anyone can advise what and where to buy a compatible controller it would be a great help

I know now it is a
Keywin 18fet board (no longer sold)
I can't find its current limit but do know my battery pack provide 92V .

the rest of the spec is in the feed above.

 

[amberwolf]

If you just want to replace it, you could see if Grin http://ebikes.ca has any controllers in; they're generally pretty good (I use a 48v version on my trike's left wheel). They're not programmable so no worries about setting it up--it just connects and works like it works.


Hmmm. I just checked to see the voltage range, and it looks like they've retired them and only have the programming-required Frankenrunner, Baserunner and Phaserunners now. (which don't support the 100v+ you need)
https://ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/controllers.html
https://ebikes.ca/product-info/retired/grinfineon.html
Shame; the grinfineons were a nice simple option. I guess you could ask them if htey will be getting anything similar in eventually.

If not, then there's basically just the generic scooter stuff (more likely to be 100V+ than generic ebike stuff) out there on ebay, amazon, aliexpress, etc., or the various other ebike-specific shops. I don't know which ones would be good; Luna in california has been good for various members here, and maybe California E-bike, and Ebike-kit.com, etc. (not sure if the last one has 100v+ controllers though)

 

[onelessthan3wheels]

Thanks Amberwolf, The way you talk about it makes it sound like compatibility is fairly likely ? and your suggestions are based on 100v (im guessing this is a standard) and should work with my 92volt reading ? should I be looking for 3000w max ? as I can't ascertain what my max wattage needs to be ?

 

[amberwolf]

The "100v" is a typical max rating for FETs and caps, so it's a common voltage listing for controllers designed to handle up to that voltage. If you want greatest reliablility over time, get a controller that is rated for significantly higher than the max voltage (or current) you will use it with. Voltage close to the limits of the parts inside degrades them faster than otherwise, and spikes that go over those limits can occur in systems, which sometimes cause random-seeming sudden failures.


If you get a controller capable of much higher current than you need or want, and it has a setup program, or display with settings for it, you can just lower the current limit to what you need. If it doesn't have a limit but has multiple internal current shunts (often fat pieces of "bare wire" near the main negative battery wire on the board near the FETs), removing one of those will lower the limit by the proportion of it vs how many there are. Removing one of four will reduce by 25% (1/4), etc.

WHatever your present ocntroller's continuous current limit is, consider that the system limit.

Wattage ratings on things are not always useful. As long as you get a controller than can do the voltage and current you need, continously, it will provide the power you need. Then just make sure it has any of the other features you need, and does not have features you don't want it to have.