Hi all, I'm a new member. I have a 3 month old KBO Step Thru Breeze. I love it, but when riding with the display indicating battery level 2 to 3, the biked died. We put the battery on the charger. The charger showed solid green and battery did not light up. My son tested the charger, battery and display cable with his voltmeter. We think they are OK. With the voltmeter set on 20 for the display cable, it reads 26.6. The battery reads 5.0 with voltmeter set on 200. The charger reads 54.1 with voltmeter on 200. I've been in touch with KBO via email. Voice mail is always full. Emails come in the middle of the night, each time from a different person. Very slow going, very brief responses and very frustrating. Also, I bought the bike used and don't have the original paperwork. A man bought 2 of these and immediately sold his wife's to me because it was too large. She barely rode it. I rode it only 3 times before it stopped running. Can anyone help? Thanks,Gayle
almost new KBO step-thru Breeze won't start
- Thread starter GayleH
- Start date
tomjasz
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Minnesnowta
If the battery is at 26.6V it’s done for. I’m guessing it’s a 48V battery since the charger reads 54.1. It should read 54.6 but it may be a funky multimeter.
This is the problem with second hand bikes. We have no idea how the 1st owner treated the battery.
I’m sorry to say a new battery may be your only option.
How do you know it’s 3 months old? Without documents I doubt the maker will bother. Sadly there are less than honest sellers out there. Will he provide proof dated proof of purchase?
I’m afraid that’s your only hope with KBO.
harryS
Well-Known Member
I don't have anything positive to add. The perils of a used bike is usually no warranty support. Maybe the guy who sold you the bike will be gracious enough to let you try his battery on your bike,
Your battery isn't really at 5V. Its internal circuits (called BMS) have shut off the output because it detected an internal problem. A healthy 48V battery can only show voltage between about 40V and 54V, Anything above that is real and really bad/dangerous. Anything below is just residual charge, because the output is isolated.
The charger tests OK at 54.1V. That would be the battery voltage at full charge, I cannot explain the 26,5V, The display connector is one place to see the battery voltage, but it should be the same as what you measured at the battery terminals. Even so, it can't be 26,5V either.
Only battery experts should open batteries. I agree that the solution is a new battery, Perhaps a KBO owner will chime in if your battery has a accessible fuse. That is the only other lifeline,
Your battery isn't really at 5V. Its internal circuits (called BMS) have shut off the output because it detected an internal problem. A healthy 48V battery can only show voltage between about 40V and 54V, Anything above that is real and really bad/dangerous. Anything below is just residual charge, because the output is isolated.
The charger tests OK at 54.1V. That would be the battery voltage at full charge, I cannot explain the 26,5V, The display connector is one place to see the battery voltage, but it should be the same as what you measured at the battery terminals. Even so, it can't be 26,5V either.
Only battery experts should open batteries. I agree that the solution is a new battery, Perhaps a KBO owner will chime in if your battery has a accessible fuse. That is the only other lifeline,
Harry, I have a video of my son testing the display cable, battery and charger. It won't attach to this message because it is a .mov extension and I cannot convert it. Is there anyway I can send the video to you via email or private message so you could take a look before I buy a $500 battery? The original owner is 2 hours away and I have unfortunately lost his contact.
Thanks tomjasz. I feel awful for me too. My sons bought this for me so I could ride with them and their families. It opened up a new world for me and I love it. We are all so disappointed.
harryS
Well-Known Member
Here's a picture of a KBO. The display, throttle. and brakes should have round connectors. You can open the connector from the display. Then you can access the battery voltage.
I had to edit this post because I posted a picture of the wrong display connector. This is what my KT displays use. I checked my cable, and it agrees with what Curt Welch put here. Power can be checked on the right hand side. This pic is for a 36V bike, but it will work for a 48V bike too. providing it uses the same connector.
Take care when measuring. Do not short circuit any wires.
I had to edit this post because I posted a picture of the wrong display connector. This is what my KT displays use. I checked my cable, and it agrees with what Curt Welch put here. Power can be checked on the right hand side. This pic is for a 36V bike, but it will work for a 48V bike too. providing it uses the same connector.
Take care when measuring. Do not short circuit any wires.
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