Magic Pie 5 New Installation, Does Not Work.

[Harpo]

Magic Pie 5 installed, I selected it because Golden told me it would work with EGO 56v battery, no programming or mods needed.  It does not. 

With all but throttle disconnected, all three throttle LEDs light but no response.  Thinking voltage could be an issue, I connected PC USB cord.  PC software shows options above 48v until you connect motor, then only 24/36/48, others disappear. 

I've spent a large amount of time getting this installation just right, but either this motor is defective or Magic Pie 5 simply won't work on 56v.  I've read the troubleshooting guide, next step would be removing the wheel and disassembling it to reach the controller and watch a hidden LED.  This would mean removing torque arms, derailleur, chain, cables, major job.  If this is a voltage issue or something that can be fixed in software, I'd like to find out now.

And if it simply won't work on 56v, that would be nice to know too...
 
Very disgusted with Golden Motor right now...   I cannot imagine someone failing to make the LED visible without major disassembly, that is very poor engineering!

Any ideas?

[Bikemad]

Hi Harpo,
According to Google, it's marketed as 56V, but the battery actually consists of 14 lithium-ion cells in series. Each individual cell has a nominal voltage of 3.6V (total nominal 50.4V) and tops out at exactly 4.2V when fully charged (14 cells × 4.2V = 58.8V).

If Google is correct, the fully charged voltage of the EGO 56V battery should not exceed 58.8V, so it should be compatible with the Magic Pie 5 controller set to 48V battery Voltage.
The MP5 controller's maximum permissible working voltage is ~63V.

I suggest that you check the battery's output voltage to confirm it is not too high. If the voltage is OK, then there must be a problem with either the controller, the throttle, or the wiring/connectors.

Also make sure that none of the pins on any of the connectors have been bent/damaged.

Alan
 

[Harpo]

I've tried it with a fully charged battery (57.7v) and a partially discharged one (47.5v), no response.  All pins in all connectors look fine. I've reseated connectors several times, no difference.

[Harpo]

Pulled the wheel off to access the controller and see the hidden LED, but mine is not built like any of the pictures.  The inner finned portion and the outer larger bit are all one piece, which doesn't come off even with all bolts removed.  Tapped gently, no go. 

No idea what to do next.   

[Bikemad]

The cooling fan/disk mount assembly may be stuck onto the side cover with silicone sealant or paint but it should come away with a bit of gentle force.

If you cannot get it to separate using a thin blade etc at the joint, try gently threading some suitable long bolts into the disc mounting holes to work as a simple puller to gently pull the cooling fan assembly away from the side cover.

Alan
 

[Harpo]

Sort of a closed book now, Golden Motor has informed me that they are wrong, the Magic Pie 5 will not work with a 14s battery.  I'll get credit, you can count on that... 😉

[Bikemad]

The Magic Pie 5 will definitely run on a 14S pack without any problem as the maximum voltage is well below 63V. Even the earlier Magic Pie controllers (which were limited to 60V max) would run happily on a 14S battery pack that was charged to 58.8V.
My GM rack mount battery pack contains 16 LiFePO₄ cells which are charged to 3.65V per cell (58.4V for the pack) and has been used for testing at least eight different versions of Magic Pies & Smart Pies:



I have run Magic Pies on fully charged 14S LiPo packs for many years without any problems, and back in December 2014 I even ran a Magic Pie 4 on a 15S LiPo pack with a voltage of 62.53V to confirm that it would work, so your 57.7V battery should have worked.

As your MP5 did not even work with a 47.5V battery there must be something wrong with the controller or wiring/throttle etc. as it is should have definitely run on this voltage.

Why would Golden Motor sell 52V batteries (which have exactly the same fully charged voltage as your EGO 56V battery) if the voltage was too high for their controllers?

If your motor kit was in good working order upon arrival (and the controller and wiring etc. has not been damaged during installation) then it should work fine with your EGO56V battery pack.

Alan
 

[Harpo]

That's very interesting, considering I was told very specifically by Daryl at Golden Motor that the Magic Pie 5 could not be operated on an EGO battery.  He literally called me and told me Zar was wrong, these batteries would not work with their product. 

He also claimed to be the owner of the company and told me he would credit my card as soon as the return label he provided was trackable.  I'm certain I am dealing with someone  in the company (I initiated the emails and calls), but obviously things are not as they seem.  I'll investigate further!