ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: StealthFox on September 19, 2017, 11:26:52 AM
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Hi, I think I might have a problem with my FX. It doesn't seem to have as much range as it did a few months ago - I first noticed the difference in early August. I'm trying to figure out why. I used to ride 35 miles (30 miles on the freeway at 60-65) and arrive with about 20%, and now I have to go 5 mph slower on that route to arrive with 20%. Also, at 30-35 mph, I would use 1% in about 0.8 miles, but now it's 1% for 0.6 miles. After one of my ~35 mile rides, I noted 33.6 miles at a trip average of 54.3 Wh/mi using 60% charge at 30-35 mph the whole way. By my calculations, this means that the battery capacity is only 3.04 kWh!
I have established that both of my modular battery packs are plugged in and contributing nearly equally. They charge normally and give normal BMS LED indications. I've tried getting the battery logs using the app but, after waiting an hour while it worked (all the while my whole display was flashing in 8s or 16s, and my red warning indicator light was doing some slow flashing too) the log files could not be parsed. :P The MBB log could be parsed another time, and I looked at it but nothing jumped out and I'm not sure what to look for.
I have the updated firmware and have been following the updated charging instructions. I charge off-board most of the time, using two Zero QuiQ chargers, and have that set up so it's easy to turn the juice off. I haven't been riding fast in the crazy heat. I've run out once and come very close twice but never been below 2%. I haven't added any accessories or drag devices. Almost 11k miles on it.
I'm thinking my next things to check will be to go to the dealer or call Zero tech support. Anybody have any ideas of things I can do myself to troubleshoot this? Thanks in advance.
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I believe that extreme heat or cold can adversely affect your range. That would be the simple explanation. Anything else would likely be more complicated and beyond my ability to understand. ;)
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The dealer will at least be able to read the BMS logs more easily; you can at least forward those MBB logs to Zero just in case something pops out at them.
Range loss in heat usually isn't as extreme as in cold/wet weather, though, and it sounds like you're treating everything properly. I guess if the battery modules experience direct sunlight in in the middle of your ride (parked at a destination), that might be a factor. Try using a small shade if that seems like it might be relevant?
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I'd be surprised if heat was an issue - I'm in Seattle. It barely topped 90F this year, and my ride on those days was 5 miles of city, and parking under a tree. After my 35 mile rides I park in a garage which stays pretty cool. It's more likely that wet would be the thing. I've certainly seen how the highway range goes sour in a mild downpour at 50F - and it's acting exactly like that all the time now.
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Did you happen to notice the range drop after or before your Firmware update. My '15 SR range dropped noticeably following the update. Reported to dealer.
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Did you happen to notice the range drop after or before your Firmware update. My '15 SR range dropped noticeably following the update. Reported to dealer.
I was seeing this for about a month before I got my firmware update. I got my update early this month. In August I started noticing the range problems.
When I got my firmware update it did seem like I was getting half the expected range. I told the dealer and they had called tech support about it because another customer had the same complaint. Zero said that the new firmware takes a few days to "learn" some parameters about battery health, and it also calculates range differently now. After a week of riding I got enough of the range back, to make me think that is not the problem.
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I've got a 2016 FXS and have also recently discovered that my range estimate is about half of what it used to report. I noticed it a couple of weeks after my firmware update and have been keeping an eye on it ever since.
Unfortunately temperate changes wouldn't explain my issue, I'm in Australia and we're approaching summer weather.
Interestingly my daily battery percentage use hasn't gone down a proportional amount. I used to get home with about 65% remaining, now I get around 55%. So I can believe the range estimate is more pessimistic now (by about half) but there's still something else at play as far as I can tell
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I have been checking the estimated range display lately and notice that the estimated range for my 2014 S has typically been around 160 to 180 miles when I start up in the morning. After returning from a 20-mile ride, it will show about 150 miles left, while the display shows that the battery pack is down to 80%. I guess it goes to show you that you can't always believe what you read. Still the estimate is a lot better than the range estimates on my BMW motorcycles. ::) I might add that my firmware hasn't been updated since March 2014. :)
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Honestly, now that it's been awhile since my firmware update, my bike offers pretty reasonable estimates of range. My problem is with the bike running through its charge at a faster rate (about 15% faster) than it did six months ago.