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Old 10-16-2010, 07:04 PM   #3832 (permalink)
Dwffy
dwffy
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Calgary - Canada
Posts: 37
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Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Hey you guys, I've got a new problem for you to solve for me, nothing blow up this time, but it is frustrating. My controller has been working flawlessly in my Ranger p/u for a month now. Two nights ago I was trying to demonstrate my ev to a friend. I turned on the ignition which powers all the ignition circuits that are normal for a car plus it puts 12 v to the controller. This starts a 7 sec timer which inhibits the main contactor for that perion. IE can't engage main battery pack until the pre-charge is done. I'm using a 40watt 120volt light as a pre-charge resistor so I can visually see the beast charging up.
I'm using 10-12v batteries in series 5 up front 5 behind the seats. Once the pre-charge relay finishes its work I can then engage the main contactor which is 12volt operating.
So I pressd the main push button to engage the contactor.. Contactor engages but that is all that happens. Push the accelerator and nothing happens. Normally at that time the motor stars whirring. This time, nada. So I press the accelerator harder thinking that perhaps my wonderful home made pot was not working properly. Still nothing. I walk to the front of the vehicle standing by the front wheel lean across the fender and manually pull the accelerator cable to max throttle. That is exactly what it did, it went to max throttle and when I released the cable it stayed there revving and by now turning at some impossible revs. So I rush to the main emergency cut-off lever and pull the plug and all goes quiet. My friend by now had lost all interest in any electrical form of transport what so ever. How ever I had not so I reconnected the power again, turned the ignition on, waited for the pre-charge thingy to do its thing and pressed the main contactor button once more. Ready now for anything. Pressed the accelerator again. No responce, gave it full throttle, no responce released the throttle and gave it full once more and everything bust forth into action again. Releasing the throttle does not help. Emergency shut-off again.
I then proceed to remove the controller expecting to see lots of char-burnt stock inside. To my utter amazement it all looked absolutely perfect inside. Put it on the bench and with about 60 volts of batteries etc hooked it al up to a 90 volt motor I have lying aroung the workshop, connected a 5k pot up and, walla, everything works as smooth as ever. Revs up slows down you name it it does it. I boxed it all up put it back on the vehicle and tried it once more. All working perfectly. Went to bed a happy man ready to go for my ride tomorrow. (had great dreams about setting new world speed records for EV's etc). Tomorrow comes, I climb happily into my fine steed push the appropriate buttons and proceed to glide silently out of my garage. All that happened was a frightening roar from the motor which necessitated my emergency proceedure , which I now have down to about .05 seconds flat. Went through the whole proceedure once more to get the same dismal results. I now have the controller back on the work bench once more where it is working flawlessly again..............
Any ideas from all you great gurus of electricity out there.
So now you need not say it is quiet on the western front any more!!!!
That's all Folks...........
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