Battery Pin and Hole (Erosion)

[CalgaryBiker]

Hi All - I have 3,000km on my 2019 RadRover and it's been great but I fear my one winter season of riding in Calgary (salt and poor maintenance) may have done in one of the pins on the tray and matching female port on the battery.

Rad Bikes is suggesting I need a new battery and tray however am wondering if anyone else has had the same issue and found a better / cheaper solution? The bike will power on only for an instant and then power off. No error code or anything. Wasn't having any problems with my battery before.

You can see in the pictures: i) the 'gold' casing in the female port is gone on the battery, and ii) the matching pin on the tray has lost its 'gold' casing and eroded pretty materially.

Any suggestions would be very welcome - thank you all. I've checked the forums and not found a similar issue.

 

[Gionnirocket]

There's a few things that you can try.
Contact Cleaner along with some emery cloth or very fine sandpaper. Depending on how far gone it is, it may only be a temporary fix.
Or you should be to replace just the connection or the entire case but that will require someone electrical skills and you need to very careful in the process not to short circuit the battery.
Battery Terminal
Battery Case is an example.. You'd have to be sure it's compatible with the rest of the battery mount on your bike

 

[6zfshdb]

That terminal looks burned, not corroded. Did you blow a fuse or have a large current surge?

I've had good luck cleaning this type of terminal contact using a small wire brush attachment for my Dremel tool.

Dremel SS Brush, 1/8in. dia., 1-3/4in. L, PK2 532-02 | Zoro

Order Dremel SS Brush, 1/8in. dia., 1-3/4in. L, PK2, 532-02 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

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After cleaning the male and female contacts, you may have to build up the male pin with a bit of solder to get a good connection. I wouldn't try this unless you are proficient with a soldering iron. If you try this, BE VERY CAREFUL not to overheat any internal components!

 

[Gionnirocket]

That terminal looks burned, not corroded. Did you blow a fuse or have a large current surge?

I've had good luck cleaning this type of terminal contact using a small wire brush attachment for my Dremel tool.

View attachment 66950

Dremel SS Brush, 1/8in. dia., 1-3/4in. L, PK2 532-02 | Zoro

Order Dremel SS Brush, 1/8in. dia., 1-3/4in. L, PK2, 532-02 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

After cleaning the male and female contacts, you may have to build up the male pin with a bit of solder to get a good connection. I wouldn't try this unless you are proficient with a soldering iron. If you try this, BE VERY CAREFUL not to overheat any internal components!

Really not a good idea.... for the reasons you state and also solder is too soft for this application

 

[6zfshdb]

Really not a good idea.... for the reasons you state and also solder is too soft for this application

I've used this technique successfully in the past but it is admittedly a temporary fix. I think it would be a good idea to find out what caused the terminal to overheat before doing any repair.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I've used this technique successfully in the past but it is admittedly a temporary fix. I think it would be a good idea to find out what caused the terminal to overheat before doing any repair.

From the original post it seems there are some environmental issues at play. Periodic cleaning and some dielectric grease around the connection might be helpful. Also making sure that the battery is snug and maybe further supported from vibration by a bungee cord couldn't hurt.

 

[tomjasz]

Another place where ACF50 is a perfect product. Treating the connections twice a year will prevent salt and water damage. ebikes.ca has replacement contacts for some. greenbikekit.com does too.

 

[CalgaryBiker]

Thanks all - I have dielectric grease and a smaller dremel bit on the way. Will report back. I really do appreciate the community support here - thank you all. I'll make a $50 donation to a local trail building society now (https://www.braggcreektrails.org/donate-now/) and another $50 if any of the above does the trick!!

 

[CalgaryBiker]

Really not a good idea.... for the reasons you state and also solder is too soft for this application

I don't believe I had either of those but RadPower support did have me replace the fuse - which didn't seem to help (and where I couldn't see that the original fuse had blown). I suspect my poor maintenance through a long and salty winter killed it... and now I will need to pay for my laziness... we will see if these cleaning and lubing techniques work.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I don't believe I had either of those but RadPower support did have me replace the fuse - which didn't seem to help (and where I couldn't see that the original fuse had blown). I suspect my poor maintenance through a long and salty winter killed it... and now I will need to pay for my laziness... we will see if these cleaning and lubing techniques work.

The cleaning will only work if the connection material is not too far deteriorated. I'd start looking into getting the replacement connectors as well as that will be the ultimate solution.

 

[EBJ]

FWIW, I have tried to get Rad to sell me a replacement battery tray (with socket, cable and connector) and they wont. I got some kind of gobbledygook answer about it being a "discretionary part" which apparently means thy could provide it, but wont. They suggested I check on social media for a used one.

So here I am, as close to social media as I care to get, and all I can say is what a chicken poop company. Any bike runs the risk being down for an extended period of time because of various real world parts availability issues (particularly at times like these), but if you buy a Rad, they can turn your purchase into pile parts with a very bleak future on a whim, and your only course of action is to buy stuff from other people to get their junk working again. I don't remember any of the interviews Radenbaugh has given during his ongoing media blitz mentioning this brilliant business strategy, but I will certainly remember it when I buy my next Ebike (as if he really cares).

 

[Stef Bord]

@CalgaryBiker , perhaps you can buy an empty case batteries on aliexpress and use the new connectors on your case battery...

66.98US $ |Hailong Case Batteries Housing Polly Max Load 80pcs/91pcs 18650 Cells Battery 48v/52v Electric Battery Box - Electric Bicycle Battery - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[EBJ]

@CalgaryBiker ...aliexpress...

Thanks but my experience with Ali on things like this is dismal, with more than 50% of orders being defective, grossly misrepresented, very late or never showing up at all. I try not to buy from them any more unless all else fails.

Rad makes a big deal about things like "Our bikes are balanced systems where each component is tuned by our engineers in Seattle to work in perfect concert with other parts of the system. For example, motors, speed controllers, and batteries all have dynamic tension with one another, which means one can’t be swapped out without negatively impacting the whole system. Each of these components is manufactured to our detailed specifications."

But when some of their magic parts go bad, they won't sell you replacements, and they have the unmitigated gall to tell you to buy used junk or put you in a position where you have to buy the very parts they put down as a reason for buying a bike from them to begin with.

They also say "When designing our bikes, we keep ease of maintenance and serviceability as a major priority."

Pure marketing BS or hollow (but cleverly evasive) words, if they won't sell you the parts to fix them.

I'm sure the engineers who designed their bikes didn't mean them to be throwaways, but the policies being implemented by the Rad "support" (or lack thereof) organization sure seems to be forcing them into that category if the wrong (or right?) part fails.

 

[ExPatBrit]

FWIW, I have tried to get Rad to sell me a replacement battery tray (with socket, cable and connector) and they wont. I got some kind of gobbledygook answer about it being a "discretionary part" which apparently means thy could provide it, but wont. They suggested I check on social media for a used one.

So here I am, as close to social media as I care to get, and all I can say is what a chicken poop company. Any bike runs the risk being down for an extended period of time because of various real world parts availability issues (particularly at times like these), but if you buy a Rad, they can turn your purchase into pile parts with a very bleak future on a whim, and your only course of action is to buy stuff from other people to get their junk working again. I don't remember any of the interviews Radenbaugh has given during his ongoing media blitz mentioning this brilliant business strategy, but I will certainly remember it when I buy my next Ebike (as if he really cares).

Are you the registered owner of the bike, they won't ship you parts if you aren't?

Stolen batteries with damaged cradles or bikes missing batteries + cradles are common

 

[tomjasz]

If someone can determine exactly which case this battery has I may have a couple of bare cases I will never use. Shark/Hailong.

Is it a Shanshan case? Which one? Although all of mine are the blade style connectors. These pin connectors were supposed to be an improvement.

Electric Vehicle Battery Box,Products,Shanshan Plastic,Kunshan Shanshan Plastic Technology Co.

Electric Vehicle Battery Box,Products,Shanshan Plastic,Kunshan Shanshan Plastic Technology Co.,Ltd,

en.kssssj.cn

 

[6zfshdb]

This connector has the right format but no dimensions are given:

Hailong Battery Case Power Discharge connector Plug Male or Female ebike parts | eBay

3--Use for Hailong 1 battery case, Hailong 1-2 Battery case, Small Hailong case, Big Hailong case. 2--4 holes/5pins is the female connector. 1--4 pins /5pins is the male connector. We will try our best to reduce the risk of the custom duties.

www.ebay.com

Select "5 pins male + female" from the drop down box.

 

[EBJ]

Are you the registered owner of the bike...

Absolutely, and they know it.

To clarify, my battery tray is not corroded (yet), and I have used dielectric grease and protective caps when the battery is off the bike from the beginning. I wanted the tray to be able to carry a spare Rad brand battery (IF they ever become available as spares again), I posted my experience/frustration in trying to obtain at least some the same parts the OP needs as an FYI.

I also asked Rad if I could buy just the plug/connector part of the battery tray and got the following gem of a response, " No...I am actually unable to advise on any DIY stuff on this forum that would void our warranty. That's about all I can say."

Rad loves to threaten to void your warranty. They shipped me a bike with a bunch of metal chips in the front wheel bearings and the wheel started making noise and seized up. I took it apart, cleaned and regreased it and got it working, but it was a bit rough (residual damage to the bearing races), so I asked for a new hub. No way, seems I voided my warranty by identifying and at least temporarily addressing their screwup. Lets just say that squeaky wheel eventually got greased figuratively as well (a new wheel), but the incident and unpleasant interaction with Rad Support foreshadowed future problems like this.

Looks like I and OP will be looking for alternative batteries & mounting plates (or bikes?) soon. The Luna Wolf packs look nice.

 

[ExPatBrit]

Absolutely, and they know it.

To clarify, my battery tray is not corroded (yet), and I have used dielectric grease and protective caps when the battery is off the bike from the beginning. I wanted the tray to be able to carry a spare Rad brand battery (IF they ever become available as spares again), I posted my experience/frustration in trying to obtain at least some the same parts the OP needs as an FYI.

I also asked Rad if I could buy just the plug/connector part of the battery tray and got the following gem of a response, " No...I am actually unable to advise on any DIY stuff on this forum that would void our warranty. That's about all I can say."

Rad loves to threaten to void your warranty. They shipped me a bike with a bunch of metal chips in the front wheel bearings and the wheel started making noise and seized up. I took it apart, cleaned and regreased it and got it working, but it was a bit rough (residual damage to the bearing races), so I asked for a new hub. No way, seems I voided my warranty by identifying and at least temporarily addressing their screwup. Lets just say that squeaky wheel eventually got greased figuratively as well (a new wheel), but the incident and unpleasant interaction with Rad Support foreshadowed future problems like this.

Looks like I and OP will be looking for alternative batteries & mounting plates (or bikes?) soon. The Luna Wolf packs look nice.

I understand why they wouldn't sell you the internal connectors. I work at an electronics facility and we get to see some horror stories. Even if the parts are used in house often they are not in the database for resale.

If someone calls and asks for something like that I would let them know the suppliers name and let them deal with it.

But why they wouldn't sell you a tray is a mystery.

FYI there was someone here who did a 3D printed tray for the Rad I believe. See below.

spare battery

any ideas on how to carry a second battery with you on bike?

electricbikereview.com

 

[J.R.]

If I'm understanding correctly, you wanted the parts to hookup a second battery?

In Rad's defense I can see why they wouldn't sell you the parts. I bet they get frequent calls for warranty support after people tried to do electric/electronic DIY upgrades and or repairs. With all the videos and posts of people overvolting and speed hacking bikes, I can't blame them for drawing a line on adding parts that aren't part of the original design. If someone's house burns down and a lawyer tries to go after a company.....

These bikes aren't sophisticated enough to log events into an onboard computer or the cloud. Denying parts for a DIY project on a bike that's operational is understandable. If they denied replacement parts, that would be a different story.

Given I am my own mechanic, I'd be disappointed if I couldn't get parts to do what I wanted. So I do understand. Many of us can do the work, but that 1% of the people that can't is why companies enact these policies. It's a shame.

 

[Gionnirocket]

If I'm understanding correctly, you wanted the parts to hookup a second battery?

Not even close.