Votani x1 with Bafang Motor m330.250 issues

[paulfixuw]

I live in Hawaii and there is one problem there with e-bikes = the electronics: There is intense moisture, a high damp pressure and lots of salt in the air as mist, and therefore salt in the waterdamp, what comes within devices. It is very likely that this destroyed the E bike electronics in my battery and maybe in the controller. The bike is a Voltani x1 ( see picture 1) and has a m400 G330.250 bafang mid-motor. The bike is hardly used: maybe 1000 miles and looks great. NOTE: IT DOES NOT HAVE A BAFANG CONTROLLER (see pic 2, 3) Instead it comes with a Darfon controller. Something is wrong and I can not fix it myself: the whole system is dead: looks like its the battery electronics, while the battery itself is charged and gives of 39.5 volt . As possible solution to fix it I want to install a Bafang controller. To repair with the official Votani/ dragon parts i need to order a new battery and maybe it needs also a new controller : This all cost $750 for the Battery and for controller some $$$ and needs to be shipped in container: you cannot send batteries by airplane mail?? The battery is still charged and can possible be used.
I read in manual that this controller on this Votani x1 bike has UART protocol , The controller is directly connected to the battery and both are from Darfon (sold by BESV) The mid drive motor is Bafang M400 MM G330.250 36volt 14 amp serial number 1804040103. (made in 2018...?) see some pics attached...

So I look now at another option: I want to install the original Bafang controller on this bike and when needed a new display (from bafang, with the right plugs).
As i found out: it's all uart protocol but what is different:this bike does not have a gear sensor and a e-brake sensor.
Here are a few questions:
What kind of controller belongs to this Bafang m330.250 ?
What display would you recommend !?
Can I program this controller?
The speed sensor is from BIg Stone Speed and has two wires coming out..do i need to replace this?.
What cables to connect the monitor/display?
The battery I will use is the one that is on this bike but it will not have battery communication cables, only the two main + and - feed of the 36volt 14 amp battery ( the 2 wires). Is that possible, will this work: Does this Bafang controller need battery communication to function?
The bike also does not have hand-brake control....and a gear sensor....Do i need this, can this be dismissed or solved: Do i need to install this?
AND: Is it possible to program this controller 'at home' and what protocol / app / program do i use for this?
I sent some pics and the manual from this bike. Hope someone can help me: Mahalo and greetings Paul in Oahu,

 

[amberwolf]

Some thoughts noted below about the battery; I don't know the controller/motor/display system for this type well enough to answer those parts:

the whole system is dead:

Does it power on at all, turn on the display, but just not drive the motor? Or is there no power, no response, etc.? Or?

looks like its the battery electronics, while the battery itself is charged and gives of 39.5 volt .

A typical 36v battery is 42v fully charged; your charger shows that voltage as well. Do you know if he battery was full before the failure?

If it was, then now perhaps a cell group has failed (or at least, it's balance wire), dropping below the BMS LVC. This would shutdown the BMS output, and keep the system from turning on.

It may still output a voltage when nothing is connected to it in a case like this, but if there is a load on the battery (like it being plugged into the controller and trying to turn on the controller, or placing an incandescent 100W lightbulb, or a heating element (toaster, heater, etc) wired across the pack outputs) the voltage usually drops to nothing, or nearly so, when the BMS is either failed in certain ways or turned off to protect cells.

If there are cell problems, it is simpler to replace the battery with a new one than to fix, as you would have to test for and remove the failed cell groups, and then find matching replacements and connect those without damaging anything, which can require tools that cost enough to make a new battery more attractive, along with learning how to do this kind of repair safely.

If it is corrosion in the battery, it may be safer to replace the whole pack.

If it is just a failed BMS, they can be reasonably straightforward to replace, and relatively inexpensive (probably under $100).

 

[paulfixuw]

Hello. Thanks for your reply: the battery cost 750 excl sending...So to replace this is a bit expensive. Yes, it looks like it is the BMS that fails. However there is one thing with this battery design: it has a smart communication with controller (UART) and it can be switched of/ on with the HMI. So there is more needed then replacing the BMS: it needs to have UART communication. I looked into it; the company does not want to sell the electronics and I now look for a replacement smart BMS the would fit (36v 30 amps 10S with UART and switch). that would cost 60$. The battery has 6 out puts; 2 are for battery communication and 2 feeds the HMI and 2 are the power suppliers. The last one is dead. I bypassed all electronics in the battery to see what happens ( this means that the main fed has 39 volts and the feed to HMI is also working: RESULT: the HMI screen shows up, everything is activated and I get an fault indicator on HMI screen that there is battery communication has an error: the bike is not working. Tried a few things more and nothing changed. same error code. Or someone who is smart can fix electronic, or I will need to replace this BMS. Mahalo for looking into it. Paul

 

[E-HP]

I'm not familiar with the HMI acronym. Any more context?