Paul's how NOT to convert a Metro

[vpoppv]

The baffling mystery of lead/acid continues: every day I seem to have a slightly higher voltage when I get home. I'm up to 74.2 v as of today. My starting voltage is lower though: I started the day at 76.4v from a high of 78v last week. I was also really hard on them today: I got the voltage down to 53v at one point. I heard them hissing and spitting at me My car has so much personality, I love it! I wouldn't have nearly as much fun if I had all new equipment in it.....

[watt-a-mezz]

hi,vpoppv. Tomorrrow is the official start of my open source controller journey. Will be placing my order for the control board, and the good news is Paul has the parts for it available as well. Makes for a good place to start. Will let you know how it all goes. Watt

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by watt-a-mezz

I have the shunt between the motor lug S1(?) and m- on the controller for motor amps. Dont know where you would have it for battery amps.

You'd just have it on the "other" side of the controller. Between the controller and the battery pack. That's where the ForkenSwift's is.

Some of the EVDL Yodas say you really need two - one for batt amps, the other for motor amps. Because you need to know batt amps to keep from killing them, and motor amps to keep from killing it.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by vpoppv

I was also really hard on them today: I got the voltage down to 53v at one point. I heard them hissing and spitting at me My car has so much personality, I love it!

Holey moley! The only time I caused a battery to hiss and spit, I killed it! (So much talk of killing today, not sure why...) Reversed a cell by drawing voltage too low, then it began charging at 125 amps or whatever I was drawing at the time - that's where the hissing & spitting comes from.

I'd have a quick look-see with the DMM at each battery in your pack to see if you can find an obviously ailing one!

[vpoppv]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

You'd just have it on the "other" side of the controller. Between the controller and the battery pack. That's where the ForkenSwift's is.

Some of the EVDL Yodas say you really need two - one for batt amps, the other for motor amps. Because you need to know batt amps to keep from killing them, and motor amps to keep from killing it.

Whaaa?? I just spent $25 and I need to get ANOTHER one???
And here I've gone close to 3 weeks without ANY gauge whatsoever
I have been thinking about it and I kind of had a feeling that I would need both because a) I'm running a motor WAY to small for a conversion b) I'm running batteries WAY unfit for the stress I put them through. If I cheap-out on the motor and batteries, the least I could do is to take extra precautions to make sure I don't abuse them. Another way of looking at it is that EVEN at 2 ammeters and 7 total volt meters (1 pack, 1 for each battery) I'd STILL be under the price of just ONE new battery! I think that having a TPS that limits me to a max of 1970 Ohms is a blessing in disguise as it keeps me from frying stuff.....

[vpoppv]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Holey moley! The only time I caused a battery to hiss and spit, I killed it! (So much talk of killing today, not sure why...) Reversed a cell by drawing voltage too low, then it began charging at 125 amps or whatever I was drawing at the time - that's where the hissing & spitting comes from.

I'd have a quick look-see with the DMM at each battery in your pack to see if you can find an obviously ailing one!

Nawww, my batteries' bark is worse than their bite! It makes the same sounds when I charge them. The worst battery showed 11.75 volts about 2 days ago. I'll double check them all again though, now that you said that. One of the bad batteries in my "old pack" used to make those "silent but deadly" farts! I'd be driving along and then there was this nasty rotten egg smell. Then I remembered that its the sulfur in eggs that makes that smell, and there's sulfuric acid in the batteries.....
Yup, my car has loads of personality.

[watt-a-mezz]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

You'd just have it on the "other" side of the controller. Between the controller and the battery pack. That's where the ForkenSwift's is.

Some of the EVDL Yodas say you really need two - one for batt amps, the other for motor amps. Because you need to know batt amps to keep from killing them, and motor amps to keep from killing it.

Thanks. I was wanting to put one in, while it is down for winter I can order another shunt and meter. Watt

[vpoppv]

Originally Posted by watt-a-mezz

hi,vpoppv. Tomorrrow is the official start of my open source controller journey. Will be placing my order for the control board, and the good news is Paul has the parts for it available as well. Makes for a good place to start. Will let you know how it all goes. Watt

Aw man!! You better not finish before me!! Now where did I put my soldering iron??? I printed up the parts list at school today...I'm so baaaaaad Your tax dollars hard at work.....

[watt-a-mezz]

Originally Posted by vpoppv

Nawww, my batteries' bark is worse than their bite! It makes the same sounds when I charge them. The worst battery showed 11.75 volts about 2 days ago. I'll double check them all again though, now that you said that. One of the bad batteries in my "old pack" used to make those "silent but deadly" farts! I'd be driving along and then there was this nasty rotten egg smell. Then I remembered that its the sulfur in eggs that makes that smell, and there's sulfuric acid in the batteries.....
Yup, my car has loads of personality.

My old batteries used to fizz and leak water while charging, but I have never experienced "battery farts". Always something new with an ev! Watt.

[MetroMPG]

Well, there's no motor side ammeter on the ForkenSwift... maybe I've been torturing the poor motor. Ignorance is bliss! (Until ignorance is expensive.)