Charging Procedure

[PCeBiker]

Well that's a good excuse for me to wait to buy a ZEN e-bike.

Sounds like they have some bugs to iron out.

Then again, I remember saying that I didn't want a ZEN e-bike because there would be nothing for me fix or upgrade.

Maybe I'll buy one now and spend the winter fixing it?
But would I even get it before spring?

 

[il Munduato]

Well that's a good excuse for me to wait to buy a ZEN e-bike.

Sounds like they have some bugs to iron out.

Then again, I remember saying that I didn't want a ZEN e-bike because there would be nothing for me fix or upgrade.

Maybe I'll buy one now and spend the winter fixing it?
But would I even get it before spring?

I've been working on my Zen for over a year and it still continues.
When it's working, the bike is awesome... But the myriad of installation mistakes is beyond acceptable.
Funny thing is in my discussion prior to buying I said I was tired of the maintenance of my 15yr old bbs build and I wanted something I can just ride... oh well.
They've been good with sending me what I need but the time frame in doing so and the skill level of their mechanic and customer service is pathetic.
Ravi is the only one who can get anything done but he's only one person and has his focus on the battery factory.
I foresaw this at the time of purchase but I wanted to give them my support so I went forward. All in all I'm happy with the bike but that's due to me having to fix a lot.

 

[henryuan]

I know that I read about this somewhere, but I can't remember where. Anyway, this is my question: when charging the battery, do you plug the charger into the outlet first, or plug the charger cable into the battery first? When done charging, what is the order? Or does it not matter which order things plugged in and unplugged?

Yes, the order doesn't matter much, but my suggestion is: 1. First connect the charger output connector to the battery, and then plug the charger input cable into the AC power 2. After fully charged, disconnect the AC power first, and then disconnect the battery. This can avoid sparks at the moment of connection.

 

[6zfshdb]

It seems every charger / battery combination has it's own characteristics. Some spark, some don't. Some spark on the AC side, others on the battery side, some do both. Unless there is circuitry involved with your charger that specifically requires AC or DC first, it really doesn't matter.

AC sparking is potentially more hazardous due to the higher voltages involved. That's why many makers recommend AC first. Keep in mind though, sparking over time can damage connectors. It's a whole lot easier and cheaper to replace an AC wall outlet & plug than a battery or charger connector. This is why I always connect DC first.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I just want to say Specialized recommends plugging its chargers AC first. On my model of Vado only that sequence makes the display activate and show the charging progress. If done the other way, charging will start with an inactive display.