500C Display - Battery Meter never changes?

[SHagler]

I am brand new to Bafang and E-biking after I converted a Trek Verve 3 to Mid-Drive Bafang unit (BBS02). This unit was set up for 52v and I have a 14 AH 52V 40-Amp Super Shark battery as power source. After putting about 100 miles on this conversion, I have yet to see the battery meter change at all. I have read enough to know that these meters should not be used, that it is better to simply use the Volt readout to determine remaining capacity. For what it is worth, that appears to be working fine. My question is whether there is anything that can/should be done to at least have the battery meter show anything. Even a very rough estimate would be good. I have gone into the settings of the 500C and set it to 52v.

Anything else I should be doing/considering?

Thanks

 

[il Munduato]

I am brand new to Bafang and E-biking after I converted a Trek Verve 3 to Mid-Drive Bafang unit (BBS02). This unit was set up for 52v and I have a 14 AH 52V 40-Amp Super Shark battery as power source. After putting about 100 miles on this conversion, I have yet to see the battery meter change at all. I have read enough to know that these meters should not be used, that it is better to simply use the Volt readout to determine remaining capacity. For what it is worth, that appears to be working fine. My question is whether there is anything that can/should be done to at least have the battery meter show anything. Even a very rough estimate would be good. I have gone into the settings of the 500C and set it to 52v.

Anything else I should be doing/considering?

Thanks

Most of them show 100% until the battery drops at least 5v from full.
There's nothing to do... But how far have you drained down the battery in volts?
That said you answered your own question... Just forget about the % and familiarize yourself with using the Voltage reading.

 

[SHagler]

Here is photo after 31.5 mile ride...53.2 Volts and no change to the meter.

It's a lot of screen "real estate" for a meter that is completely worthless....just trying to make sure that I am not missing something in settings, etc.

 

[il Munduato]

Welcome to Bafang.
Supposedly they are functional when used with a Bafang battery..
Continue to ride down to 48v and see what happens, but at that point it's useless in my opinion.
And are you sure it is set up for a 52v battery in the display settings... if it even has that feature as there could be different firmware versions.

_

There is no other solution.

 

[SHagler]

"....And are you sure it is set up for a 52v battery in the display settings".

Yes, here is photo of screen...definitely an option and has been set to 52v since I installed.

Sounds like one of those things that isn't really ever going to work...too bad.

 

[il Munduato]

"....And are you sure it is set up for a 52v battery in the display settings".

Yes, here is photo of screen...definitely an option and has been set to 52v since I installed.

Sounds like one of those things that isn't really ever going to work...too bad.

View attachment 186512

Well you did all that's doable.
Using voltage becomes second nature after a few weeks

 

[juggernaut]

FYI I have those displays on two e-bikes. The battery meter works perfectly with non Bafang 48v batteries that came with the bikes. I would email GBK and see if they can assist.

 

[il Munduato]

FYI I have those displays on two e-bikes. The battery meter works perfectly with non Bafang 48v batteries that came with the bikes. I would email GBK and see if they can assist.

Well you're a unicorn.
When you say it works... Is it that it does eventually show a lower percentage?
This is the first I'm hearing that anyone finds them accurate or useful.
There is no calibration for them other than setting the correct nominal voltage.

 

[juggernaut]

Yes you can see the percentage drop during the course of the ride. You can also see the battery sag when using higher levels of assistance and ride at the higher speeds. I took a ride today and the percentage reduced from 90% to 50% over the journey. Some of that was at 47 klms/h though.

However, the motor is not a Bafang, it is a 48v Ananda m100.

 

[il Munduato]

In my conversation with APT the manufacture of the 500c and the 860c that I'm fond of... The information is coming from the controller and the display is just that, only a display.
So Ananda may be doing a better job with the controller and 3rd party batteries since they don't manufacture batteries themselves.

 

[SHagler]

Speculating here, but..it seems as though the setting within the display to change voltages does not change the scale of the meter. To me, this is a software bug. Anyone know of any alternative firmware releases that work with this display? Or, any place where I can engage with Bafang (or, Luna as they use the same display)?

I’m definitely using the voltage readout to determine things, but I’m still going to poke at this issue.

 

[il Munduato]

Speculating here, but..it seems as though the setting within the display to change voltages does not change the scale of the meter. To me, this is a software bug. Anyone know of any alternative firmware releases that work with this display? Or, any place where I can engage with Bafang (or, Luna as they use the same display)?

I’m definitely using the voltage readout to determine things, but I’m still going to poke at this issue.

As per my previous post it's probably more of a Bafang motor controller (firmware) issue.
I know there are different firmware floating around but I didn't hear of any that addressed this problem. I never bothered to mess with firmware and prefer a voltage reading anywhoot.
Curious... is your BBS CANbus or UART?

 

[SHagler]

Pretty sure it is UART…going by round display connector.

Will look further into controller stuff as I continue to poke around.

 

[juggernaut]

In my conversation with APT the manufacture of the 500c and the 860c that I'm fond of... The information is coming from the controller and the display is just that, only a display.
So Ananda may be doing a better job with the controller and 3rd party batteries since they don't manufacture batteries themselves.

I also have a 500c display to suit a Bafang motor. The plug on the display for the Bafang is different to the plug on display for the Ananda in that the male/female connection is reversed. Presumably so you can’t plug a Bafang display into a Ananda motor and vice versa.