Prodeco Battery/Charger Troubleshooting

[Gfunk76]

Hey everyone, first post... Ever! I assure you, I'm not a Prodeco rep either. I just bought this bike, and took it for a spin without the battery (after getting the brakes and deraileur tuned up) and I'm actually very impressed. It doesn't ride as easily as my specialized expedition, but that might be because I'm not used to the extra weight yet, but it does ride rather easily, like a regular bike.

I have a couple gripes though... Part of the reason I decided to buy the bike was because I liked the floating battery rack design, but when I got the bike, it had a full frame rack. Did anyone/everyone who purchased this bike on the forum get the full rack or the floating one? Also, I've been charging this battery for what seems like forever, at least 12 hours, and the damn charger light is not turning green... Any ideas why this is happening? I sent an email to Prodeco and have not received any responses just yet.

Do any of you carry it around folded? I was thinking of buying a shoulder strap to help with some of the weight when I take it up to my office. How do you guys do it?

(Moderator edit: moved your post out of someone else's review, into Ebike Technical since you are asking for troubleshooting help. Posting a help request in the middle of someone else's thread is likely to be missed and you might not get any assistance that way. )

 

[dogman dan]

12 hours is a lot of charging. Several things could be the problem, but you need a voltmeter to even begin.

I'd take the battery off the charger now, and sit tight till you have a voltmeter in hand. Don't try to ride the bike using the battery yet either.

At least we can rule out one of the most common problems, the charger never got connected to the battery. If the plug was broken, the charger would stay green light. Green means either it's charged or disconnected. But one test is easy, does the charger light turn green when it it powered up, but not connected to the battery? If it stays red, then it means the charger has a problem, and possibly was overcharging and trying to ruin your battery. If the battery is working right, the bms should be trying to prevent overcharging.

Assuming this bike has a 36v battery, you hopefully are not seeing voltage much above 44v when you check the battery with a voltmeter, Much higher than that would be bad. 50 v would be very bad. One dim possibilty is that somehow prodeco got sent some chargers that are actually set to 48v. We'll see about that when you get a voltmeter and check your charger.

The other possibility, and the one I'm betting is the case, is that your charger is not putting out the full 42-44v it should be, if it's a 36v lifepo4 battery. Perhaps the thing is just trying it's best to charge the battery, but is only putting out 24v or whatever, and therefore the red light will never turn green.

All these voltages I've been talking about are for 12 s "36v" lifepo4 battery. You need to find out ASAP, what prodeco says your charger should be outputting and what the fully charged actual voltage should be. "36v" is a nominal voltage, like 2x4 is a nominal lumber size. Find out what actual voltages should be, for the charger and the battery fully charged. You may have lifepo4, or limn, or something else. I am not familiar with what type battery prodeco supplies.

As for a floating rack, that's not a familiar term to me in the USA. Do you mean a seatpost rack? Those often bend or break seatposts when carrying a heavy battery.

 

[dnmun]

what is the battery voltage and what is the battery made of?

why not post up pictures so people know what you are asking about?

did you ride around on the battery until it quit and then start charging it the first time you got it?

 

[dogman dan]

He rode it without the battery is his story, and I don't blame him for sticking to it.

Even if he did drain the battery, a functional bms should have stopped it from overdischarging before he did any harm to the battery. I really suspect he's just got a charger that doesn't put out enough voltage to ever reach the voltage it would take to turn the light green.

My very first ebike motor kit came like that, the charger put out 18v to charge a 36v battery. Appeared to function, but never could charge the battery. Next day, I bought a voltmeter and the problem was quite obvious.

 

[Gfunk76]

Thanks for the replies and the recommendations. I spoke to Prodeco and they said that if you plug the battery to the bike, and the throttle lights go up to green, it probably a bad charger. They're sending me a new charger no questions asked! That's impressive.

Oh yes, and by floating rack, I meant seat post rack. I'd take pics but my camera sucks, but it is a 36v 9ah lifepo4.

Thanks again!

 

[dnmun]

do you have a voltmeter? can you measure the voltage on the output of the charger?

 

[dogman dan]

My guess agrees with thiers then. Likely the charger is not putting out full voltage. Get a voltmeter though, you need one, even if the new charger solves the problem.

Without a voltmeter, all anybody can do is guess.

A voltmeter is going to be the only way to tell what is going on if you have any other problems later. It's about as essential for an ebiker to have a voltmeter, as it is to have air in the tires.

Thanks for taking the time to let us know how it went. We get tired of investing our interest, and maybe taking a guess, then never hear from the guy again.