Mariner Not Working

[josephny]

I have a Volt Biker Mariner from 2018 that stopped functioning.

The battery was charged and indicated full.

But, will not turn on.

So I opened the wiring and controller box (4 screws), disconnected the positive lead and confirmed 54 volts. The inside of the controller box was clean and dry.

When I plugged the lead back in, a large spark (indicating a large current draw) resulted.

So I thought maybe something was telling the controller to engage the motor.

I disconnected all the handlebar-area devices and tried it again with the same results.

So I thought maybe it was the little sensor about 1/2" from the front chain ring. I don't know what that sensor is (speed, rotation, ?). So I disconnected the sensor and connected the power lead again and again the spark happened.

Now the battery does not want to take a charge.

Does it make sense to start replacing parts (hopefully, following some more troubleshooting)?

Any guidance?

Thank you!

 

[PCeBiker]

When I plugged the lead back in, a large spark (indicating a large current draw) resulted.

That sounds like a dead short to me.
Your controller may be calling for power but probably not enough to cause a spark, especially if you just plugged the battery in. The motor shouldn't call for power when the battery if first plugged in.

Disconnect the power lead from the controller box and check if there is voltage at the connector going into the controller box. (Not the battery lead side.)
If there is no voltage, turn your multimeter to ohms and see if you read zero ohms or close to it.

If you read zero ohms, then there is a dead short in the controller box or perhaps one of the outputs.

It's possible that capacitors in the control box are asking for charge but I don't think that you should read too close to zero ohms, and your bike won't turn on as well suggesting a problem.

Now the battery does not want to take a charge.

You probably blew the fuse in the battery.
You can open the battery and replace the fuse if that's the case, BUT BE FRICKEN CAREFUL IN THERE !!!

There's a fuse for a reason.
Don't poke and prod around inside the battery with your multimeter or with anything metal. Just replace the fuse.

A blown fuse will tell you how much current that spark was delivering.
If it was enough to blow the fuse, then there is a dead short somewhere in the control box.
A motor should never call for enough power to blow the fuse.

This is a picture of the fuse in my battery,..

One of my batteries has a single fuse at the top of the battery and my other battery has two fuses, one on the BMS at the top of the battery, and another at the bottom where the charge port is.

 

[josephny]

Thank you so much!

There is indeed a dead short (0 ohms) at the battery connector on the bike (not the battery side).

I disconnected the leads to the controller one by one to see if I could find the short, but the only thing that changed the resistance was disconnecting one of the 3 leads that goes to the motor. I assume that does not tell us much useful information.

Can I simply replace the controller? I've seen mention of controllers needing to be programmed. Can I get one pre-programmed?

As for the battery, mine has 2 fuses with access via plastic phillips head caps from the outside of the battery. One was indeed blown. I replaced it and connected it to the charger (without it being in the bike).

These are pictures of the controller and the wiring.

Thank you.

 

[PCeBiker]

There is indeed a dead short (0 ohms) at the battery connector on the bike (not the battery side).

I disconnected the leads to the controller one by one to see if I could find the short, but the only thing that changed the resistance was disconnecting one of the 3 leads that goes to the motor. I assume that does not tell us much useful information.

Can I simply replace the controller?

It may not be the controller that is at fault. You may have a faulty motor?

There is a tester available to test the controller and motor,..

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mM1U3uG

I'm not familiar with your exact motor and controller, but I would investigate that one lead that goes to the motor that changed the resistance.

I don't think any output to the motor should be anywhere near zero ohms, especially if the bike isn't turned on.
The motor shouldn't draw power simply by turning on the bike. You should need to apply throttle or have your PAS sensor activated before any power gets to the motor.

That could be the fault of the controller, or possibly something shorted in the motor?

Perhaps post this question with pictures on the "Ask the community anything" forum.
You might get more input.

All motors, especially hub motors, have the same basic wires going to them.

 

[josephny]

I posted in Ask me Anything.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

 

[Voltbike]

It looks like this is older version Mariner probably 2018 or earlier model. We don't have this particular controller anymore since the industry moved to water proof connectors (Higo). However we have the new Mariner controller (with waterproof connectors) for which you will need to replace the cable harness and pedal assist sensor. I am proud to say that we now have most of the spare parts available on our website. You can see below parts you may need:

Controller for Mariner:

Controller (Internal)

Internal controller designed to fit inside the frame. This controller is designed for electric bikes with rear hub motor. Compatible with VoltBike Mariner, Mariner-Step-Thru and Urban Step-Thru.

www.voltbike.com

Cable Harness:

Cable Harness

Cable harness between LCD screen panel and controller unit. Using water proof (Julet) connectors. Compatible with all VoltBike models with rear hub motor 2018 or later (except Voltbike Nitro).

www.voltbike.com

Pedal Assist Sensor:

Pedal Assist Sensor

Cadence pedal assist sensor with 12 magnets. Compatible with all VoltBike models with rear hub drive.

www.voltbike.com

All other parts available here:

Replacement Parts for VoltBike

Replacement parts for electric bikes

www.voltbike.com

 

[josephny]

Do I need anything other than these 3 items:

Controller (internal): Will I need the long harness or regular?

Cable Harness: Regular or long harness?

Pedal Assist Sensor

And, considering the battery is now 5 years old, it would probably be smart to get a replacement.

Could you please identify exactly which battery would be a direct replacement?

Thank you.

 

[josephny]

4 months later still no response.

Lack of support is a good reason to not buy another Volt bike.

 

[PCeBiker]

Send an email directly to Voltbike through their website.

They would be making a sale not doing a warranty claim, so they will probably respond.