Layman4ever
🧲 New user
Hey folks. I bought a cargo bike a couple of years ago. Then I suddenly had the brilliant idea of moving the battery into the cargo box instead of keeping it behind the saddle (let’s skip all the reasons why). I did what any “tinker-with-everything” amateur would do.
I labeled all the cables with numbers. Then I cut them and extended them to where I wanted the battery. I didn’t take the original cable thickness into account, but all the extensions I used were of the same or thicker gauge.
Once everything was extended, I powered up the bike. Everything turned on just fine – great. I can select the assist level. I can switch the lights on and off.
BUT – the motor won’t run. I’ve measured that
1) there’s continuity across all the connections I extended, and
2) there’s power flowing through the cable that’s supposed to provide a steady ~5v.
ChatGPT, who tends to guess a bit too much for my liking, suggested that the extensions themselves might be causing a weakened signal and that the motor cables are very sensitive to this. I don’t remember exactly what it said, but something along the lines of one cable carrying a constant 5v, and another needing to rise in voltage once I start pedaling for the motor to kick in? (I can’t recall exactly.)
Someone on a Swedish forum didn't understand that I have moved the entire controller, where the battery connects to. So, just clarifying that here.
Question:Can someone who actually knows what they’re talking about – unlike me – point me in the right direction?
Sincerely,
The eternal amateur.
I labeled all the cables with numbers. Then I cut them and extended them to where I wanted the battery. I didn’t take the original cable thickness into account, but all the extensions I used were of the same or thicker gauge.
Once everything was extended, I powered up the bike. Everything turned on just fine – great. I can select the assist level. I can switch the lights on and off.
BUT – the motor won’t run. I’ve measured that
1) there’s continuity across all the connections I extended, and
2) there’s power flowing through the cable that’s supposed to provide a steady ~5v.
ChatGPT, who tends to guess a bit too much for my liking, suggested that the extensions themselves might be causing a weakened signal and that the motor cables are very sensitive to this. I don’t remember exactly what it said, but something along the lines of one cable carrying a constant 5v, and another needing to rise in voltage once I start pedaling for the motor to kick in? (I can’t recall exactly.)
Someone on a Swedish forum didn't understand that I have moved the entire controller, where the battery connects to. So, just clarifying that here.
Question:Can someone who actually knows what they’re talking about – unlike me – point me in the right direction?
Sincerely,
The eternal amateur.
