My battery pack arrived today - I'm a bit worried

[kazbluesky]

My 'brand new' battery pack arrived today, 6 days was good.  What is not so good is that I don't understand the way the charger charges (5 led didnt light up).  The online instruction pages aren't working anymore so I couldn't check them out.

But what I'm really worried about is this.  This didn't happen in transit.  Tell me what I already know.

Take a look



Next the fuse holder is chewed up where someone used the wrong screwdriver on it and the handle is missing a screw !!!!!!!!!!!!!




Cracked and scratched,




I ordered from GoldenMotor but it came from these people,



Anyway, I've just sent off a polite email to Philip saying someone made a mistake, and asked for a re-send.

[sigpaw]

Actually, the physical flaws are pretty much "standard". The company that does these has SERIOUS quality control problems. You can get 5 replacements, and each will have some sort of flaw (many that are WORSE). They ship their batteries through Hong Kong because there are restrictions on shipping batteries directly from China.

As for 5 LEDs not coming on, that sounds like possible trouble.

HOWEVER, if they didn't come on immediately when you plugged in the charger. That is also normal. Leave the charger plugged in, and let it run until it shuts off (approx 5 hours). Proper charger operation is as follows:

When first plugged in you will get two RED LEDs and the internal fan should start. As the various cells reach 3.4 volts, the individual cell LEDs will light. Once this happens, a GREEN LED will come on right next to one of the original two RED LEDs, this is to signal that the charger has begun to go into "bypass mode". The charger will continue to try to get the rest of the cells to 3.4 volts as well. If all cells DON'T reach 3.4 volts, the charger will time out after a period of time (I think about 5 hours).

Keep an eye on the LEDs late in the charge cycle (like 4 hours after it has been plugged in). If all your cells are good, ALL 12 CELL LEDs will be on, PLUS the two initial RED LEDS and the co-located GREEN LED that came on as bypass mode started as well. When the charger shuts off all LEDs go out except one RED and one GREEN.

Some folks think this charger charges each cell in parallel. But this it NOT accurate. The charger applies 36 volts across the pack and monitors each cell. As each one reaches 3.4 volts a comparator trips a bypass transistor and that cell has current bypassed around it. This keeps it from being overcharged while the other cells are brought to 3.4 volts respectively.

Chances are, your pack is fine. As for the missing screw and the "jimmied up" screw, it will be easier and quicker to stop by your local hardware store and spend .05 cents on a screw. The crack in the case is cosmetic, trust me. After a couple weeks use, your pack will acquire all sorts of dings, scratches, and dents.

Hope this helps!
'Sig

[kazbluesky]

Sigpaw, thanks for your reply.  I understand about the charger now, thanks.  To be honest, as long as it works I guess I'll be happy (I'm a bit battered and cracked and have a few screws missing myself so this battery pack and I might be made for each other).  This doesnt look like a quality control problem though, it looks like  a used parts problem.

I guess I wont really know about the battery until I hook it up with the motor, but that's not here yet.

[biohazardman]

That is ugly and there is no excuse for it! These packs are getting a very bad reputation and deservedly so.  Would think GM might want to stop selling them till they can get some kind of quality control in place. I'd need to see quite a few good reports before I would even consider purchasing one of them.  A few more bad reports and I would never even consider doing so.

[sigpaw]

We all do have to remember, the price they are asking is very competitive. PLUS the cells come in a pack with a key switch. Finally, the packs also come with a charger.

All for the price others charge just for the cells alone.

I don't have lots of experience with these cells yet (about a month), but I believe the cells that are dieing right off the bat are simply defects. The other good cells appear to be capable of amazing power output and longevity of charge during use. With pedal assist I have gone almost 40 miles on a charge and the pack still had life in it - and that was with a pack that had a dead cell in it!

These are relatively small cells and are easy to package and contain. I have seen packs damaged in shipping that resulted in them shorting and getting very hot. Yet after a recharge the cells still work well. Further after being exposed to the heat of a dead short, they didn't catch fire or cause their packaging to catch fire.

They are safe, robust, they have GREAT energy density and they are cheap. I mean really, we are on the bleeding edge here. We are experimenters aiding in the development of a new technology. So naturally we aren't going to receive a "polished" final product (at least not YET) 

[Leslie]

That doesnt look like the pack has been built like this it looks like its a re-shelf after its been used.  Some newbie has already bought this, played with it and sent it back and they just sent it off to you....

IMO.

[kazbluesky]

smee, I agree.   I cant see how this can be anything but a used battery pack.  What kind of disturbs me is that it so obviously a used pack!!!  What were they thinking???  Perhaps sigpaw is right that these packs are good when they work (I certainly hope so) , but who on this board would have bought from Goldenmotor if the website said these are second-hand battery packs??  The outrageousness of it , I mean, what company would send out obviously used stuff pretending it was new? makes me think this really is just an honest mistake by the Hong Kong company that sent this on behalf of GM, or at least that GM had no knowledge of this.

Anyway, like I said, I'm still hoping it was some kind of mistake and that Philip will sort it out for me.  It has been 3 days since I emailed him, no reply yet, but I'll give him a couple of days more.

Scarey though, don't you think?

[Leslie]

Lets us know how you go....

Remember. A punch of honesty makes the world go around just a few more times.

I blow sh!t up sometimes and never return things. In fact I call my dealers and tell them what I wreck.  Its great to create an honest relationship with the good guys because there are plenty of worse alternatives.

Once you get a good dealer you don’t stray and keep it honest as.....

Edit:

I should explain myself better.

Ummm.

I remember years ago I overclocked my first motherboard and blew it out.  There was a little devil in my ear telling me to return it and say it wasn’t working....

This led to some more problems as at the time we only had one place to get this stuff from and internet was almost non exsistant.

In the end I admitted my errors and it took me a long time to re-establish a trust with my computer guy.

Look I'm not saying you did this damage, but obviously someone did just that. If you did this damage; its best to back off now.  I can get factory second controllers now for $40 because I admitted to my dealer I blew up my $140AU controller, and if I do get a bad product I'm sure I'll gets a swifty return.  My dealer checks and tests all products before he sends them and I wouldn’t get away with BS....  Honesty pays mate!

My dealer also states on his site all products are tested in Australia before shipped off.

This is more advice to all who buy these product really.

Edit 2:

Another common occurrence

One gets a product and obviously, rightfully wants to use it.  Upon using it, one find its faulty.  Not wanting to wait for a return in anticipation one tries to fix it but one wrecks it more.

This one is a hard one.

Because sometimes the fault is a lot worse than the superficial problems one causes trying to fix it....

hmmm....
If this is the case its hard to prove the item was damaged to begin with.

I'd admit my stuff up, pay for the superficial repairs and ask them to correct the initial flaw for free. 

[kazbluesky]

Hi Smee, I would like to have been able to damage the battery myself but I haven't received my motor yet so other than turn on the charger I haven't had the opportunity to do something dumb (or smart) and cause damage to it.  The photos were taken AS I opened the box on my living room floor.   

However, the good news, Philip emailed me today and said the battery was new, that the damage was caused in shipping and that he is going to send me a new battery without charger.  I'm happy with that. And happy to take Philip at his word.

It seems we have a happy ending here,    Which is good for me and good for GM's reputation too.

I'll let you all know what's happening.

[Leslie]

Sweet.  Thats great to hear but how does the fuse screw get bured during shipping?

the end is all that matters....


I love my China ....

[sigpaw]

Well,

So far I've gotten a LOT of nice promises and NO action. Over a months worth of promises and NO action.

I would recommend that all others HOLD OFF on buying a battery from here until they deliver on their promises to their existing customers.

I would hate to discover they have only been "blowing smoke" to sell a few more packs to other unsuspecting "victims".

I received a pack in the mail from Canada, but it contained a trashed battery that had shorted during shipmernt. 11 cells show voltage, but all are partially melted from heat during the short. And are damaged from the incident, they most likely have GREATLY REDUCED lifetimes.

Soooooooo I'm STILL WAITING on my 2 NEW replacement cells...

[kazbluesky]

I received my new replacement battery pack today -  used/scratched and 1 cell not working     

I'm not very happy (an understatement).  My motor hasn't arrived yet either.  I Have emailed Philip and asked him not to ship the motor (if he still hasn't done so yet) as I want to check that the next battery pack is working perfectly.  I said to Philip politely that if he can't send me a NEW perfectly working battery that I'd like my money back.

I'll give Philip another few days to see he wants to do, then I'll have to talk to Paypal and my creditcard company.


Depressed....  No motor, no working battery, down nearly a 1,000 dollars.  Someone tell me a joke...

[Leslie]

Depressed....  No motor, no working battery, down nearly a 1,000 dollars.  Someone tell me a joke...

OMG I was hoping for a good story but sorry dude..


A joke you say.

$300AU kmart Ezip.  Thats just insult to injury.  I'm sorry I slightly suspected you.

GM community obviously have returned a ship load of bad products and they just keep going around in circles...

I still think my dealer is OK but he has the same GM problems as we all do by the look of things...

[kazbluesky]

Hi Smeee,

Sending obviously already used and defective batteries out as new will ruin their rep.  I can't undertand what they are thinking.  Makes no medium/long term business sense at all.  If the battery had got here perfectly new and if I switched it on and it worked perfectly for a moment and then it blew - that would be one thing,  but to send me out a battery which the pics above prove to be used and THEN send me out a replacement set which has also been used and broken........what the f......   My only hope is that this is some big mix up and that the next battery that comes will be be a clearly new perfectly working battery. 

Anyway, thought I'd supply a few jokes of my own,

A boy asks his granny, 'Have you seen my pills, they were labelled LSD?'
Granny replies, stuff the pills, have you seen the dragons in the kitchen?!'

--------------------------------------------

Little Billy asks his dad for a telly in his room. Dad reluctantly agrees
Next day Billy comes downstairs and asks, ‘Dad, what's love juice?'
Dad looks horrified and tells Billy all about sex.
Billy just sat there with his mouth open in amazement.
Dad says: 'So what were you watchin'?'
Billy says, ' Wimbledon .'

---------------------------------------------------------
A woman standing nude in front of a mirror, says to her husband,

'I look horrible, I feel fat & ugly, pay me a compliment.'
He replies: 'Your eyesight is perfect.'

---------------------------
Wife gets naked & asks hubby,

'What turns you on more, my pretty face or my sexy body?'
Hubby looks her up & down and replies: 'Your sense of humour!'

-------------------------
An elderly couple was attending Mass.
About halfway through, the wife leans over and says to her husband,

'I just let out a silent fart; what do you think I should do?'

He replies, 'Put a new battery in your hearing aid.'



I feel a bit better now.

[kazbluesky]

Hi Sigpaw, did you try to get Paypal to help you with your battery problem?  If these are indeed used batteries (of which I have absolutely no doubt) that means that they have been used for a while (maybe a long while) so even if you can swap cells to make 1 working battery - how many cycles does it have left?  How was it treated by it's previous owner?

I thought I was buying new.  I'm sure everyone else did too. 

Actually I'm going to start a post to see if there is anyone on this board who received a perfectly new perfectly working battery.