bike seems dead

[markqaz]

hi everyone

a new to ebikes, been dragged into it due to being given one

its a bristol bicycles s'park street model, very well built but not working at all. ive determined that theres power to and inside the controller [identical to one in the forum, which looks like a KT but isn't]

the display is completely dead, the rear hub motor is Panda. have checked wiring connections, there no power there.

the on/of switch on the battery flashes quickly if its held down or couple of seconds, anyone know what it means?, is it significant?

battery is good [Reedition brand], motor is panda. bristol bicycles and panda are no longer in business

is there a way to at least rule out some components, if anyone can help id be very grateful

ta

 

[Slaphappygamer]

The power can be held in the capacitors of the controller. Even if the battery briefly turns on.

I would try to disconnect the controller, from the battery, and power the battery on. Since the battery “flashes quickly”, it could be that there is a wiring (or device) fault that is shutting the battery off. Separating the battery from the controller should help quickly isolate if the issue is the battery or a wiring/device fault. Then the next question would be, what voltage are you reading on the battery alone?

 

[harryS]

Battery is good? What's the voltage coming off the rear pins when turned on? Needs to be above 40V for a 48V battery and above 30V for a 36 V battery. They gave you a charger too? Does it charge?

If you're reading lower than those values, the battery has shut down and any voltage is just stray leakage.

 

[harryS]

If you are getting adequate voltage to the controller, the display should power up. It only needs battery/ground to turn on,. Doesn't need any other signals from controller to stay lit up,. although it will throw error codes if those other signals don't appear. Suggest tracing the display cable to where it connects to the handlebar harness, Seat/unseat the connector, If there is no harness, and it goes direct to the controller, seat/unset that connector,

At this point, if nothing happens, then you check the power/ground pins in the display connector for battery voltage.

 

[markqaz]

thanks both people. but before i do as people here have very helpfully suggested can anyone tell me how i should be starting the bike up [switching it on]..

i just fully charged batt for first time, i was given bike as not working with no instructions ,

my concerns are:
bike has a key in the batt case, but as i can see it only lets you remove the batt . assuming that the display does NOT need to be live for the bike to run does the key have be removed for the bike to work

the on/off switch is a mystery, if pressed different things happen depending on whats been done previously in the way of operating it, like turning it on, long press or short press

the batt has recently been re built vat great cost, its a tfi li-ion battery in a carrier [for carrying things] with 2 rear lights and 2 switches . i can still measure voltage if required, and disconnect the controller [am not ignoring the advice]

if anyone can tell me, 2 bits of info would help me proceed: does the display need to be live for bike to work and if i turn bike over and turn crank it should i be able to feel the motor kick in [or do i need to ride it]

thanx

 

[Chazmo]

A long press is almost always needed to turn on, markqaz. Hold it down for 5 seconds and then release it. And, yes, the display needs to be awake / alive for your bike to work. It communicates with the bike’s power controller, which has to be enabled for the motor to provide any drive.

You may need to remove the battery just to make sure the battery itself is switched on. That depends on the bike.

 

[Chazmo]

By the way, is there a printed manual that you can consult? I.e., does bristol bicycles have a web site?

All ebikes are somewhat different, and there should be detailed instructions somewhere about how to operate yours.

 

[harryS]

I can appreciate not knowing how to turn on an ebike. Our first one had a display with no power switch. Switching the battery on would turn on the bike, I then built one a few weeks later, using a similar battery. I turn on battery for first time. but bike is dead. Some initial panic, but then I found there was a power switch in the display

Some years later, I gave that first bike to my sister, along with a second one that had a power switch in the display. I got a call a few days later about the second bike not turning on. I had to explain how they worked.

 

[markqaz]

ive disconnected controller now and batt reads zero, if i connect it the reading is 45v. but strangely if i then disconnect controller again and reconnect it the batt reads 4 [four] volts

with controller disconnected i don't get any life by pressing the switch

panda is not trading so i don't think theres a manual available

its a 36v batt

i'll try to attach sum pix in case they can help

thanx

 

[Base]

If the battery is indeed on 4 V than it is in deep discharged state.

 

[markqaz]

If the battery is indeed on 4 V than it is in deep discharged state.

well if i then charge it for a min or 2 it goes back to 45 v

 

[harryS]

45V? The max voltage allowed on a 36V battery is 42.0 volts. If the re-celler did it right, it can't go higher, Voltmeters do read too high when their internal battery is weak, Replace it. Probably a 9 volt, Then check your 36V charger. That will be 42 volts with nothing connected.

Ebike batteries have isolation circuits that switches them off if the cells inside drop too low. When you see 4 volts, that's just charge leaking onto the pins, You can't see the actual voltage on the cells. All you know is that they are too low,

Suggest you get the voltmeter sorted out so it reads right, It's reading too high now, maybe your new battery needs to be charged some more,

 

[markqaz]

when finished charging the green light is on, do u mean maybe i should leave for longer?

is this mater of inaccurate meter just academic or do we need a correct reading.? i measured a 1.5v batt with it which read correctly

haven't replaced the meters batt yet but did measure the output of the charger with nothing connected and its 46.5v. will get new batt in morning

thanks

 

[markqaz]

i just found an old analogue meter, bike batt reads 42v.....thanks, ive learned something about meters and charge leaking onto the pins