GoldenMotor.com Forum

Let’s say the controller was getting too hot, how would I cool it down? I have the VEC500

Check out this post for more information on cooling the controller.

Also, for what it’s worth, there seems to be a safety mechanism in the software that remembers the lowest amp draw you pulled while overheating. Next time I took the boat out, I couldn’t pull more than 119 amps which is where it was when I overheated it last. It gradually stepped down to that level over a ~30 minute period.

According to the programming software, the motor temperature will cut the current back to "Level 1" when it reaches 120°C  and "Level 2" when it reaches 130°C.
If the motor temperature exceeds 150°C, it should stop the motor completely.
However, the value that really puzzles me is the "Motor temperature protection exit value" which seems to be very low (20°C).
Does this really mean that full current (or any motor use, if it had cut out completely) would not be available until the motor temperature had dropped below 20°C? 

The next time I took it out when the motor was cold, the amp draw slowly increased the more I ran it. By the time I was done running it at max throttle for about 5 or so minutes, I was pulling 123 amps. This tells me it’s stepping the amp draw back up for as long as it’s not overheating.

Something else to consider might be the battery itself, as its power output can also be affected by temperature.
If it is too cold at the beginning of the trip, you may find that it cannot deliver the expected current until the cells have warmed up sufficiently.

The battery's state of charge will also affect the amount of voltage sag under load, which could cause a dramatic drop in power if the voltage at the controller falls low enough to trigger the controller's low voltage protection, which I think is set to 44V by default.
If you want to monitor the voltage drop under load, you should attach your voltmeter leads to the B+ and B- terminals on the controller.

Let's hope that you are able to get the battery current back up to 200 amps again.



Alan
 

Very helpful, thank you Alan!

Let’s say the controller was getting too hot, how would I cool it down? I have the VEC500

I decided to buy the liquid cooled version of the 10 KW 48v motor for use on an outboard. Many outboards just use the lake water to cool the engine on typical internal combustion outboards. I figure I can do the same for this motor since I'll never take in salt water.

If anyone has done this, I have two questions about the approach:

1. Is the motor self priming or do I need to pump water through the motor with a separate water pump?
2. Did you install a filter at the inlet hose? If so, what filter and do you have any trouble mounting it or getting it to pull water into the motor?

Thanks for any advice!

........Does anybody have a used seat post battery rack they would like to sell?  (Listed here for $60.81 SKU RAK-002) The one that mounts to the seat post ONLY....OR know where one can be ordered new?

Hi Mark,

Here are a few suggestions that may help:

Double check that all the connectors are properly plugged together, just in case a wire has been accidentally snagged/pulled whilst putting the bike away etc. or perhaps they were not fully plugged in initially.

Make sure that all the wiring is safely secured away from moving parts i.e. the wheels/tyres, chainwheel, steering and suspension etc. to prevent them from being chaffed or crushed.

Make sure the controller's battery voltage setting is correct for your battery. If it is set to 36V and you are using a 48V battery, it may have worked last time if the battery was partially discharged and its voltage was below 50V.
The voltage of a fully charged 48V battery would be well above the 50V maximum that the 36V controller settings will safely allow, and the motor would therefore not be able to work.

Make sure both brake levers are fully released, as activating the regenerative braking function also disables the throttle.

Was is wet, raining or did you hose down the bike after your last ride? If so, it may be possible that some water has found its way into one of the connectors, or perhaps inside the thumb throttle unit itself.
If water was causing the throttle signal to be higher than expected, when the controller is switched on, the motor would be unable to run due to a safety feature of the controller that prevents the motor from running if the throttle is activated when the power is turned on.

Check out this thread for further information on how water can affect the throttle operation.

Hopefully you will find something obvious.

Alan