3kw bldc motor and controller issue

[Mechanic]

Alright so it is indeed wired like the "earlier" version and my throttle is not working. So I tried jumping a few different voltages between 0-5v to the white wire. As soon as I jump voltage the little red led on the controller starts flashing but the motor does nothing.

[Bikemad]

If you have the brake levers connected, make sure they are fully released and not stuck partially on. You can try temporarily unplugging the brake switch wire connection to see if it makes any difference.

The throttle signal output voltage should range from around 1V to 4.5V. If it goes too high or too low it may trigger safety features within the controller which might require the power to be switched off and back on again to reset it.

If the throttle Hall sensor has been damaged and is not supplying the correct output voltage, it will need to be replaced.

If the throttle signal voltage output is working correctly (and varies between 0.8~1V when released to 3.5~4.5V at full throttle), then I would suggest testing the Hall sensors in the motor to make sure they have not been damaged.

If the throttle and motor Hall sensors are all working correctly but the motor still fails to run, I think you may need to return the controller and wiring harness for further testing.

Alan
 

[Mechanic]

The throttle is definitely not working, I was just using different resistors to apply voltage to the signal wire, last one I tried was 4.11v, the led was flashing but no action on the motor. There are no brakes on this unit as it is not a bike its actually a walk behind unit for pushing dead cars around the lot, it is geared for a maximum of 6mph so no brakes needed. How would I go about testing the hall sensors?

[Bikemad]

The brake switches are not just for regenerative braking, they also cut the power to the motor (and disengage the cruise function) to ensure it stops pulling when you want to slow down. If your throttle was to be knocked and damaged, you could end up with the motor stuck at half power (or even full power) and no quick way of stopping it apart from disconnecting the battery power.

You might want to consider using the on/off switch on the throttle to operate the brake function on the controller in place of the brake levers. You could then use the horn or cruise button to momentarily operate the reverse function when needed.

Take a look at this post and this video for more details on testing the operation of the hall sensors.

The reason why I suggest checking the Hall sensors in the motor is because they all share the same +5V supply as the throttle Hall sensor.
If the +5V supply wire was momentarily subjected to high voltage feedback from the throttle Hall sensor when it failed, then the high voltage may have damaged one (or more) of the three Hall sensors within the motor.

As the 5V voltage regulator in the controller appears to still be working, it seems to have survived the short burst of high voltage (if it was subjected to a momentary high voltage when the Hall sensor failed).

If all three of the motor's Hall sensors are still working correctly, it will hopefully be just the failed throttle (or perhaps one of the programmable settings) that is preventing your motor from running.



Alan
 

[Mechanic]

Ran the hall tests. Putting my meter ground on the black wire I had nothing on any wires. Put the meter ground on the battery negative then I got some readings.
-red is 9v
-black is 0v
-white is .19v at all times
-yellow blue green all toggle between 0.00v and 3.0v, nice square wave

sensors seem to be working but not sure why the voltages aren't 5v?

[Bikemad]

It's good to see that the Hall sensors are still working, but I'm puzzled by the 9V reading, as the documentation for the VEC-200 clearly states +5V for pin 14 and pin 28.

I just measured the Hall sensors on a GM hubmotor and they all switch between 0 and ~3.25V, so your 3V is probably correct.

I'm pretty sure that the white wire is connected to a thermistor which shares the common ground connection, therefore the voltage across it should only change with the motor's temperature.

Alan
 

[Mechanic]

ok what about the black wire? I don't have a ground on that one

[Morgen 3Eman]

Hi Folks,

Hey, I admit I have not carefully read all the entries, but you comment that when meter ground is connected to the black wire you get no voltage readings on any of the other wires, but when you connect meter ground to battery ground you get readings on wires other than black. 

That indicates the black wire is an open circuit. 

TTFN,
Dennis

[Bikemad]

I think the Black wire is connected to ground or the Hall sensors would not "toggle between 0.00v and 3.0v".
Without that common ground connection, the Hall sensors would not operate and their signal voltages would remain constantly high. 

I suspect you probably didn't have a decent physical connection between the black ground wire and your black meter probe.
However, this still doesn't explain the 9V reading on the +5V feed wire.

You should be able to confirm that the ground connection is OK by performing a simple continuity check (measuring the resistance) between the Black wire coming from the Hall sensors and the battery's negative connection.

Alan
 

[Mechanic]

Rechecked all the wires, the ground actually is there - sorry about that! The rest of the wires are all the same readings though...

[Mechanic]

Installed a new throttle and it works perfect, thanks everyone for your help!

[Bikemad]

Good to hear you've finally got it sorted.



Now you just need to fit a suitable hook and chain so you can use it to pull the cars as well as pushing them. 

Alan