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[MadwitTY]

I know many of you are electrical systems whizzes, but I have very limited experience with working on something as complex as my '14 SR. I have recently encountered BMS issues due to condensation(?) and other issues where connectors have been wet. I have even smelled what I believed to be burning electronics while riding.

Has anyone done a visual guide on sealing and common/important places for coating with dielectric grease? As a lay person I would love to be able to go through and cover the areas that need to be protected from any rogue water droplets, before they ruin my commute. 

[Burton]

Shouldn't be to hard. Just undo one connector at a time and apply dielectric liberally to them and where the wires enter the connector if they are not of a sealed type.

Going one at a time will ensure you don't mess things up

I am not sure how dielectric would affect being placed around the gasket on the front of the bike but if others have done this I would love to know.

Another thing you might consider is making a custom rear fender to keep water off your backside and the controller

[MadwitTY]

Another thing you might consider is making a custom rear fender to keep water off your backside and the controller

That's a great idea. My backpack was coated in filth after my last ride on post-rain roads.
Where is the controller located exactly? Is it under the heatsink?

So I should go through and basically apply dielectric to all connectors. Is there a way to prevent condensation on the BMS? I often ride on cold ~35F mornings where the humidity is above 60%. I would assume that as the BMS warms, any surrounding vapor would condense onto the board. Do you think this scenario likely, or is there sufficient ventilation to prevent that.

Thanks for the reply Burton.

[Burton]

I rode all winter on my bike. Coldest day was 7 degrees F I think. I also have ridden in snow storms, and rain storms while it was very cold out. It was 35 this morning as well. I wouldn't have a bought a bike I couldn't ride year round like my gas bike.

A snow storm caused me to have to pull over and restart the bike, posted a video on my youtube channel, then fight the bike on the way home. It turned out the battery wasn't the issue despite the front being caked with snow. It was water on top of the controller.

The controller is under the grill on the back of your bike. If you remove your seat you can see it connected to really large wires.

[Doug S]

Isn't "dielectric grease" really just petroleum jelly that's been refined to a high degree, so it's electrically non-conductive? I don't think there's anything really special about it. I don't think I'd want to be putting it anywhere it might get on my clothes, etc., and I'm more than a little skeptical of its long-term ability to completely waterproof a non-watertight connector. Sure, it'll displace water, and keep air from oxidizing surfaces, but it's not that hard to wash away a coating of vaseline.

[firepower]

"I have even smelled what I believed to be burning electronics while riding."

If your bike is under warranty I be getting the dealer / Zero to check it and make sure all is OK.
Bikes should be water proof!

[teddillard]

Dielectric grease is silicon based, and is an insulator.  It does provide a longish-term seal - like a few years, but as I've said previously, I check connections about once a year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_grease#Dielectric_grease

I generally apply it to the rubber boots, between them and what they seal.  I also make sure they're perfectly clean first.  Again, it is an insulator, so you don't want to apply it to any conducting surfaces.  Think of it like that liquid rubber stuff.

Here's a good little video:

 
Please be VERY CAREFUL about any handling any high-voltage connection, and if in doubt, leave it to someone who knows for sure what they're doing. 

Here's what only 40VDC will do to a bus bar, since you asked for a visual 



It didn't burn.  It vaporized.  The screw at the bottom is welded to the bar.  Your bike is running 100+VDC.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, I remember someone telling me about the time they accidentally dropped a spanner across the terminals of their cars battery pack, they said there was a flash, and then the spanner was simply (more or less) gone.

[teddillard]

Yup.  We like to call them "plasma events", with the associated "Kentucky Fried Fingers".   

I can't stress caution too much.  Rubber gloves, wrapped tools, the whole bit.  It's pretty predictable, though.  Always happens when you start thinking, "...oh, I'll just go and do this over here, real quick.  It'll be OK, I'll be careful." 

BAM.