Problem with Magic Pie 5 electric bike-car

[Stefke]

Hi,

In my bike-car, I've build a Magic Pie 5. The bike-car weighs 350kgs and I have to change the controller ervery year, because of the weigt of the bike. I'll change the height of the bike, so the wind has less effect. That would be a good solution. Here's a video of the bike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD7PSq2hBg8

Now, after a year the controller started to stop working every few seconds. It's still possible to keep riding, but the experience is less pleasant. I've put in a new controller, but the problem did'nt go away. Also, I renewed the PAS (new cable + magnets).

What do I do now?

[Zoiy22]

It sounds like you're having some issues with your Magic Pie 5 electric bike-car, particularly with the controller. It's possible that there's an underlying issue with the wiring or connections between the controller and other components of the bike-car. It's also possible that there's an issue with the motor itself.

One thing you might try is to thoroughly check all of the wiring and connections to ensure that they are secure and in good condition. If any wires or connectors are loose or damaged, this could be causing the problem.

Another thing to consider is that the new controller you installed may not be compatible with your bike-car's specific motor or other components. It's important to ensure that you're using a controller that is specifically designed to work with your bike-car.

[Stefke]

Thanks,

I will check all the wiring. The controller is exactely the same as the previous one, so that wouldn't be the problem. Are there electric components in the Magic Pie 5 motor? Exept of copper spools? Or only in the controller?

Stefke

[Bikemad]

Hi Stefaan and Zoiy22 andto the forum.

The only other electrical parts within the motor apart from the controller and stator windings are the three Hall sensors which are required for sensing the position of the magnets in relation to the stator coils.
The three Hall sensors each have three thin wires and are located just below the magnets at the top of the stator in this picture:



This is what the Hall sensors look like:



If one of these Hall sensor was to fail I would expect it to cause the motor to stop running completely, as the MP5 controllers I've tested do not appear to have a sensorless mode.

If you able to connect a throttle for testing purposes it might help to locate the problem.
If the motor works without cutting out when using the throttle, it is more likely to be a problem with the pedelec sensor or its wiring, so make sure all connections are good and insulated from each other.
Also, check that the magnet ring is as close as possible to the sensor but without touching against it.

Another possibility may be the battery that is causing the problem (or even it's BMS if you are using a lithium battery).
Check the voltage going to the controller to see if it drops completely when the motor cuts out.
If the supply voltage drops completely and all battery connections are good, then it will either be a faulty BMS or a faulty cell/cell group that is causing the BMS to cut the power.

As it weighs 350kg, are you able to increase the gear ratio on the motor drive to produce increased torque (with a lower top speed)?

I often ride up some very steep lanes which will cause my Magic Pie's controller to overheat and suddenly cut out if the motor has been working too hard (my pedal force/endurance is not what it used to be) and when this happens, it usually takes a couple of minutes for the controller to cool down enough to start working again.

As Zoiy22 has already said, check all your wiring connections, especially if they are exposed to rainwater being thrown up by the tyres etc..
Also check if any of the connections on the battery cables are getting hot under load, as heat can quickly build up if connections are dirty or poorly soldered/crimped.

If you can't find anything obvious with the external wiring, it might be worth removing the controller to check that the Hall sensor connector contacts are all fully inserted into the 6 pin connector plug and none have been pushed out of the connector causing a poor/intermittent contact.



Alan