Where do I go?

[Blownfuse]

I did a search for items or part description of an atv electric quad.
But...
Since I have no idea what I need to look for. Is there a location that explains what is needed for an electric vehicle?
I think battery and a motor is required but what else?
Thank you

 

[Chalo]

Back up a few steps. What are you trying to do? Do you want to service an existing electric quad, or do you want to convert a stinker to electric? In either case, which quad? And how much are you willing to spend getting the job done?

 

[Blownfuse]

I'm trying to repair an existing electric quad...
But building a 15 inch rail truck.
The previous owner said that they couldn't find a vin number nor know who manufacturer it.
They said they installed new batteries and they couldn't get it to move.
A piece has been removed and I don't know what it is nor unknown what is required to make an electric vehicle to move.

 

[Chalo]

You're going to need to supply some pictures. Especially the motor, the cables going into it, and whatever is on the other end of them. If there's a battery, show us that too.

 

[Blownfuse]

When my friend was trying to figure out how to fix it, he was basically flying blind so to say as well. He didn't know of the brand nor serial number.

So when I seen it, I have been trying to figure out what kind of power source for my galloping goose railcar build. This quad is electric. It has new batteries and if I can get it moving, forward and reverse is taken care of.

A galloping goose is a rail car that the Colorado southern railroad built to help with cost to deliver the mail and passenger service. It's a 1929 Pontiac with a flat bed.

I'm a docent (conductor) at Hillcrest and watoke railroad in Reedley California.

 

[Chalo]

Well there's not much help we can give until we know basics like does it have a brushed or brushless motor, is the speed controller present and if so, what are its voltage limits, and what kind of battery does it have?

Battery feeds power to a speed controller, which uses a throttle or other signal source to tell it how much juice to feed the motor. If you're missing any one of those four items (battery, motor, controller, speed signal), then you don't have enough to make it work. If it has all these things but won't run, and you know the battery is good, then it's most likely a problem with a cable or plug.

A brushed, two-wire motor can be used without a speed controller, only turning it on and off with a switch or a relay, but that doesn't work well unless the motor is very low powered. It's probably not what your buddy has.

The speed controller is a smallish box, usually aluminum with cooling fins, that has various wires coming out of it. Often it will have a label that says what its voltage and current ratings are.

 

[Blownfuse]

Today I will get detailed picture of the items on the atv.
Thank you for your assistance

 

[RunForTheHills]

At a basic level, you need at least a motor, motor controller, battery, and a throttle. These components can be designed to work with different battery voltage and motor phase current, so you can't just buy any motor controller and expect it to work with your battery and motor.

 

[Blownfuse]

 

[Blownfuse]

 

[Chalo]

That's a can of worms. Not an impossible project, but impossible from where you stand now. The question for you is, how much do you want to step up your game before you can even start making headway on this thing?

 

[calab]

You are in over your head, good luck to you sir.

 

[Blownfuse]

Ok can someone tell me what those items are?

 

[amberwolf]

What specific things are you referring to by "those items"?

 

[CONSIDERABLE SHOUTING]

Ok can someone tell me what those items are?

I don't mean to be a jerk, but a lot of these images are pretty bad. I'll do my best.

Controller?

Yes, and it's in bad shape. The VGA plug you would use for it to communicate with a computer for settings is visibly rusted and corroded- it can be fixed easily, but every plug needs to be detached, cleaned, and tested at a minimum.

Yellow box

I Believe that's a charger- lead acid specific, 48 volts. It says "inpower" in the next shot, look that up.

What is it?

It's a crappy picture so it's hard to tell. I can see a standard automotive blade fuse on top, no idea what's behind it. Mounted on a shoddy plate.

Motor

With computer fan on it too; shroud is visibly damaged, probably has been bashed around quite a bit. Notice how it's also clipped to the enclosure- could easily be a custom job.

Something is missing?

Pictures bad, I can't tell.

 

[Blownfuse]

Thank you for helping me consider.
I have a tremor in my hands all my life. It's been a royal pain in my @ss.

 

[j bjork]

The "what is it" picture looks like an AN fuse with a contactor behind it.
It looks like the pins to turn on the contactor is not connected, without that you probably wont get power from the batteries to anything. There also looks to be a lot of unconnected wiring and busbars around it to figure out where they are supposed to go.

Try to find out what controller you have, find a wiring diagram for that and start figuring out what you have and dont have.
When you have voltage where it is supposed to be you can see if something happens.

When you have that figured out you can start figuring out the charger and other systems.

 

[RunForTheHills]

It might be easier to rip everything out and put new matched components in.

 

[Blownfuse]

The "what is it" picture looks like an AN fuse with a contactor behind it.
It looks like the pins to turn on the contactor is not connected, without that you probably wont get power from the batteries to anything. There also looks to be a lot of unconnected wiring and busbars around it to figure out where they are supposed to go.

Try to find out what controller you have, find a wiring diagram for that and start figuring out what you have and dont have.
When you have voltage where it is supposed to be you can see if something happens.

When you have that figured out you can start figuring out the charger and other systems.

I'm having my step grandson help me with this project. He also has a hand me down electric motorcycle.
Anyway we are removing everything off the frame so I can weld and work on it.
We are going to "bench tests everything".

It might be easier to rip everything out and put new matched components in.

Great idea .

 

[Blownfuse]

Thank you everyone for your help.

Are there certain electronic components that are better than others?

 

[CONSIDERABLE SHOUTING]

Thank you everyone for your help.

Are there certain electronic components that are better than others?

Genuinely too big and wide of a discussion question to respond to- I find that as a rule, I would think automotive OEM stuff would be a step above ATV things, outside of companies like Polaris who have 3-wheeled cars on the road. If you keep it 48v you'll have a wide access to cheap DC-DC converters from eBikes making the modification of automotive electronics easy. Also good to note, that hybrid cars in the junkyards can easily net you some SERIOUSLY high-quality wiring on the cheap; I have a set of 440v HV battery cables from a 2016 Ford Fusion I got for $15 total that are so well-made they could be used for welding cable, and it also included the 2, 2-4 gauge wires for the trunk-mounted lead acid. I think it's easily over $100 in wiring now! Thanks to Ebikes tho, you don't have to do any DC-DC stuff for lots of accessories; 48v native is VERY common for lights and accessories now. Obviously, any Alibaba / Amazon parts you find will have any quality level imaginable and I don't trust much of it.

If I can "impose" any ideas into you, I wouldn't yeet the current parts just yet. If I had the time and your ATV, I'd:

• Mark all wire connections with masking tape and different colored markers.

• Have your grandson take TONS of pictures of the vehicle. Your goal is so there's no question where anything goes and you have it as a resource.

• Find a big empty space on the floor, where the ATV can stay for a bit.

• Take the whole thing apart, and lay wiring and connections out where they were, approximately. Goal is to skeletonize.

• Power wash the ATV chassis and dry it completely. Look for cracks in the frame, janky welds, drilled holes in odd places... anything that says someone modified it. If you find some, be serious if you wanna bother with the project. Check for straightness.

• Watch youtube videos on classic/vintage computer restoring on how to clean the wires and connectors. I know you'll need steel wool, some brass brushes, nylon brushes (like carb cleaner ones) and CRC electronics cleaner. Go ham! Clean every connection.

• Finally, after all that, try testing it. Does the motor spin true? Controller turn on?

While Lead-acid batteries are on their way out for a DAMN good reason, fact is they're still stupid cheap and can be ROMPED on, provided you charge them within 2 hours of being drained to 50% or less. You still actually have one of the most expensive parts of a build- the charger- and if it works, doing much else to this vehicle will be an added cost that may detract from your enjoyment- and may also be too complex and out of your comfort zone.

I'd suggest- assuming everything can still be salvaged and can work- to keep it stock. Brushed DC controllers are CHEAP and so is that motor- I've gotten forklift motors for pennies before!- so I see no need to throw good money after bad, when you don't even know what it's like to mess around with. Besides, from these images it looks heavily modified so it's probably best to get a REAL good look and plan before spending dosh.

 

[Blownfuse]

Thank you everyone for your help.

Are there certain electronic components that are better than others?

Genuinely too big and wide of a discussion question to respond to- I find that as a rule, I would think automotive OEM stuff would be a step above ATV things, outside of companies like Polaris who have 3-wheeled cars on the road. If you keep it 48v you'll have a wide access to cheap DC-DC converters from eBikes making the modification of automotive electronics easy. Also good to note, that hybrid cars in the junkyards can easily net you some SERIOUSLY high-quality wiring on the cheap; I have a set of 440v HV battery cables from a 2016 Ford Fusion I got for $15 total that are so well-made they could be used for welding cable, and it also included the 2, 2-4 gauge wires for the trunk-mounted lead acid. I think it's easily over $100 in wiring now! Thanks to Ebikes tho, you don't have to do any DC-DC stuff for lots of accessories; 48v native is VERY common for lights and accessories now. Obviously, any Alibaba / Amazon parts you find will have any quality level imaginable and I don't trust much of it.

If I can "impose" any ideas into you, I wouldn't yeet the current parts just yet. If I had the time and your ATV, I'd:

• Mark all wire connections with masking tape and different colored markers.

• Have your grandson take TONS of pictures of the vehicle. Your goal is so there's no question where anything goes and you have it as a resource.

• Find a big empty space on the floor, where the ATV can stay for a bit.

• Take the whole thing apart, and lay wiring and connections out where they were, approximately. Goal is to skeletonize.

• Power wash the ATV chassis and dry it completely. Look for cracks in the frame, janky welds, drilled holes in odd places... anything that says someone modified it. If you find some, be serious if you wanna bother with the project. Check for straightness.

• Watch youtube videos on classic/vintage computer restoring on how to clean the wires and connectors. I know you'll need steel wool, some brass brushes, nylon brushes (like carb cleaner ones) and CRC electronics cleaner. Go ham! Clean every connection.

• Finally, after all that, try testing it. Does the motor spin true? Controller turn on?

While Lead-acid batteries are on their way out for a DAMN good reason, fact is they're still stupid cheap and can be ROMPED on, provided you charge them within 2 hours of being drained to 50% or less. You still actually have one of the most expensive parts of a build- the charger- and if it works, doing much else to this vehicle will be an added cost that may detract from your enjoyment- and may also be too complex and out of your comfort zone.

I'd suggest- assuming everything can still be salvaged and can work- to keep it stock. Brushed DC controllers are CHEAP and so is that motor- I've gotten forklift motors for pennies before!- so I see no need to throw good money after bad, when you don't even know what it's like to mess around with. Besides, from these images it looks heavily modified so it's probably best to get a REAL good look and plan before spending dosh.

Wow!
Thank you for this amazing write up and valuable information.
The junkyard is my jewelry store as my wife would say.
If you're in the need for cheap lumber, look in industrial areas for manufacturing. One could find shipping skids that are generally 4 ft by 10, 12, 14, 16 ft long or longer. 2x4s nailed together. 4x4 2x6 etc plywood.
I recycled pallets and other items.

 

[CONSIDERABLE SHOUTING]

Thank you for this amazing write up and valuable information.
The junkyard is my jewelry store as my wife would say.

No problem dude! Worst comes to worst, you probably have ~$50 in scrap metals and batteries to recycle to start a different project :lol: In case you don't know, the power electronics won't turn on with anything less than 40 volts, but that motor (if brushed) will spin with 12 volts no problem- so literally grab a car battery and some jumpers and see if it spins! Good plan to still yank it apart enough to check brushes and clean the commutator of filth- watch any tool restoration video with a brushed motor in it (like Hand Tool Rescue) and you'll see how, it's super simple.

Just in case you don't know- if it works and you get it running again, you'll want Golf cart lead acids for it to run on, not car batteries. Lead acids meant for UPS power (uninterruptible power supplies) could work too, but you need long-term power, not the cold crank amps that car batteries are built to do.

EDIT: Also, post build thread