Help troubleshooting converted car system :)
 

Hi Ecomodders!
My name is Charlotte and I’m an undergraduate intern hoping to get some help debugging a problem we’ve been having with a recently converted car.
We have a 1972 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. We are using 24 Second Gen Nissan Leaf battery modules which produce 90 V nominal. The motor is a D&D ES-15-6 which runs 9HP at a continuous 72 V.
We have a CURTIS 1253-8002 (EVC255-8002) 80V Motor Controller (designed for a forklift) and have gotten it reprogrammed and inspected and supposedly has no faults.

The issues we are having are the following:
- When starting the car in high gear, there is a significant shake to the motor.
- When hitting a certain speed or trying to go uphill, the car’s power will shut off.
- The motor controller box tends to get hot and has at times shut off.

We are trying to find the source of the problem and are wondering if the motor controller is the source of the problem.
We have tried replacing the motor and had the same results.

Does anyone have experience with this motor controller or the 600 AMP version?
Or can anyone recommend a place to start investigating based on the issues listed?

Any advice or opinions would be very appreciated!
Thanks in advance :)

Never done an EV conversion, but it shouldn't be long before you hear from someone on here who has. I've only worked on smaller vehicles: bikes and trikes.

That said, at a quick glance it all checks out. Wish I had more useful feedback. Subscribed.

Also, any more pictures of the car?

Edit: Any way to measure how many amps you're drawing?

Well, looks like you have it narrowed down, an 80 volt controller and a 90 volt battery, why wouldn't it get hot at full load. I would think a fork lift has a low duty cycle. Whats the amp rating of the controller, your pulling 80 amps, assuming the motor 90 volts at 9 hp. it it brushed or brushless? Put a fan on it.

I'm curious--can you elaborate more on what goes on when the motor "shakes"? Can you tell what the source is/what exactly is shaking?

Louisa, VA--before this whole shutdown started I stayed with a friend in Staunton a few weeks ago. Beautiful country out there.

Do a continuity check across the motor input leads while slowly hand spinning You may have a defective comm segment or a winding break or a stuck brush.

My bets are hat you have a wonky controller. Have you been over to DIYELECTRICCAR.COM to look at the curtis threads in the archives? I can't help here, I have a Sol1 controller. Btw: curtis likes being colder, most people have a chill plate