EVG Controller replacement for 36V Iacocca eBike

[MikeS]

Could anyone advise me what I could use to replace the damaged EVG controller in my 36V eBike? I can do basic wiring, but need specific instructions since I'm no electrician, and don't possess advanced knowledge of bike electronics. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all,
Mike

 

[Icewrench]

The best replacement is another controller made for that bike.
All the accessories plug into the factory controller.
What looks to be wrong with the controller you have?

Welcome to the sphere.

 

[MikeS]

Smoke came out of the compartment. The original stock controller is no longer commercially available as the company went out of business some years ago. Occasionally the controllers come up for sale here or on eBay, but it's getting less and less common. I've read postings here about people who have replaced the stock controller with another, so was hoping to find out how I might do that.

 

[Icewrench]

There are generic brushed motor controllers for sale on the web.
Likely would require another throttle and a generic controller will have no provision for any of the evg accessories.

Can you track down what was the source of the smoke or do some voltage testing to find the problem?

 

[dnmun]

i agree with the wrench. it is sometimes easier just to fix the broken part than hassle with finding a replacement EVG controller, which may be dead too.

the only pictures we have seen showed a pretty simple, really archaic design.

if you can open it up and show us the pictures we can help guess.

 

[MikeS]

Thanks for weighing in. Here's my situation: I have two eBikes, both 36v. The original batteries finally gave out last fall, so I purchased two others, and kept them charged over the winter (I live in NY, and don't ride in the winter). Neither battery performed well when I started using them this spring. On both bikes, they would suddenly go from a Full charge to an Empty charge after riding less than a couple of miles. Several times we got caught too far from home to ride them up the steep hills where we live by purely peddling, so we turned the switches on and off trying to get enough juice to get us home, as this would give us a temporary charge before suddenly going dead again. I later read in the manual that doing this could have damage the controller.

A couple of weeks ago I purchased two of the three-battery workarounds sold by NYCEWheels, designed specifically as EVG substitutes. (I can't say enough good things about the guys there - they were really helpful.) I charged one of the workarounds, wired it up, and hooked it up to one of the bikes. It worked great. So I took it off that bike and moved it to the other bike. When I plugged in the third battery with the Anderson connector wires, it sparked and melted the two Anderson plugs together. I immediately called NYCEwheels and asked them if they knew why this happened on one bike, but not the other. One of the possible reasons they mentioned was that the controller on the "bad" bike might be damaged, but it might also have been that I hovered the two Anderson connectors over each other, taking too long to plug them in - may have arced or something. So I took a chance, and took the Anderson plug wires from the other workaround kit I hadn't charged up yet, swapped out the wires with the melted ones, and tried plugging the battery into the questionable bike a second time. When I did that, a loud spark sounded inside the bike and smoke came pouring out of the center cavity where the controller sits.

I'm hoping to find an original, working controller so that I replace the bad one, and keep all the control switches, bells and whistles working as designed. Plus, although I'm comfortable doing basic wiring - even soldering - I'm not knowledgeable of bike electronics, and didn't want to get in over my head with having to modify a controller that wasn't manufactured for this bike.

Thanks again for all advice and assistance - much appreciated. This is my first time on this forum, and so far everyone's been cool.

Mike

 

[MikeS]

I removed the side panel, removed the wires from the controller, and unscrewed the controller mounting plate to take out the controller. In the photo I've attached, you can see what appears to be a scorch mark on the plate, but it doesn't rub off like soot would. I removed the controller from the plate and looked all around it, but there are no melted areas. It's sealed, so it can't be opened.

 

[MikeS]

And here's a close-up of the wires on what I guess is a circuit board, before I unplugged them.

 

[tcharney88]

since this thread is active i figured this would be a good place to ask. i have a 36 v lee iacocca bike as well with the EVG controller. my batteries are fully charged, but when i put the battery in and turn the bike on, it says there is no power at all, that the battery is dead, and does the beeping. from what i can tell, there is no damage to the controller and nothing from what i can tell with the battery. anyone have any ideas? i will post pictures of what i can in the morning if that will help. thanks guys!