ElectricMotorcycleForum.com

Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2012 and older => Topic started by: Digudi on April 15, 2017, 05:24:05 AM

Title: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on April 15, 2017, 05:24:05 AM
Hello to everyone.

My name is Richard and I have a zero s 2011 here in Canada.
Last fall I used my zero S and sometimes when it was too cold the motorcycle stall and after a few seconds come back alive.
The winter arrived and I stored the bike in a warm place connected to electricity for about 4 months.
Last week I left the warm garage and went to a lil ride of 5 miles when the bike just stalls and I turn off and on again but no more lights in the dash, just heard a click down in the battery and the dash red LED blinks 2 times then 4 times.

Any clue what it can be?

I've  been checked all the fuses and none of them are burned.

Thank you.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: honey_badger on April 16, 2017, 03:47:42 AM
Have you checked the owners manual to see what the fault code means?

From what you describe it's either a battery/bms issue or a contactor issue.
Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on April 16, 2017, 04:09:13 AM
Thank you for the answer. The owner manual says contact zero to check BMS

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on April 23, 2017, 06:52:55 AM
I measured the battery yesterday after buying a multimeter. And before charge it show 55volts after charging I see the same 55volts, I unplugged the 10 pins connection from the battery and measured it in the pin 5 and pin 10.
After replugged this same cables and turned the key on, the errors passed to 2 flashes followed by 1 flash. Turn the key off and on again it goes back to 2 flashes and 4 flashes.  Any clue? Is it correct the  battery generates 55v?.

Thank you

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: honey_badger on April 23, 2017, 07:20:47 PM
Hello,

the battery fully charged should show 58.8v.

The battery is divided in 7 banks each should be reading 8.4v fully charged. Chances are one or more banks are reading a low voltage (around 6v or less) and the others are reading around 8.4v.

You can check this with your multimeter.

You can try recharge the banks that are reading a low voltage with a rc charger ( like this one https://hobbyking.com/en_us/imax-b6-50w-5a-charger-discharger-1-6-cells-genuine.html?___store=en_us (https://hobbyking.com/en_us/imax-b6-50w-5a-charger-discharger-1-6-cells-genuine.html?___store=en_us)  or better this one http://www.progressiverc.com/icharger-106b.html (http://www.progressiverc.com/icharger-106b.html) )

Let us know what you find.
Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on April 23, 2017, 07:57:31 PM
Hello,

the battery fully charged should show 58.8v.

The battery is divided in 7 banks each should be reading 8.4v fully charged. Chances are one or more banks are reading a low voltage (around 6v or less) and the others are reading around 8.4v.

You can check this with your multimeter.

You can try recharge the banks that are reading a low voltage with a rc charger ( like this one https://hobbyking.com/en_us/imax-b6-50w-5a-charger-discharger-1-6-cells-genuine.html?___store=en_us (https://hobbyking.com/en_us/imax-b6-50w-5a-charger-discharger-1-6-cells-genuine.html?___store=en_us)  or better this one http://www.progressiverc.com/icharger-106b.html (http://www.progressiverc.com/icharger-106b.html) )

Let us know what you find.
Thank you. I will try and let you guys know.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on July 17, 2017, 10:40:52 PM
Hello again. The voltage out is 55v.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: togo on July 17, 2017, 11:31:19 PM
Hello again. The voltage out is 55v.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

I would plug it in and leave it plugged in for an extended period of time, like a week.  When I was working on range issues on my long-gone 2011 Zero S, I learned that it goes in to a battery balancing phase after being plugged in for three days (IIRC).  Hopefully if you have any sagging cells, that will bring them properly online.
Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on July 17, 2017, 11:52:29 PM
Thank you Togo.  I will try it this week and return here the results.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on July 27, 2017, 01:31:01 AM
Hello  Togo. Well after a week on the charger it doesn't start. Not even samyatt the front light. I just listen to a click around the low part of the batteries and that is it. Any other idea?

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: togo on July 28, 2017, 03:26:47 AM
Well, that sucks.  Can you measure battery voltage?

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on July 28, 2017, 04:02:34 AM
Yeah big time, i just measured it and i see 56volts

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: honey_badger on August 10, 2017, 08:22:15 AM
Hi,

I just rebuilt the battery of my 2011 Zero XU. The battery fully charged should read 58.8v, if it's reading arour 55v you probably have one of 14 modules that are too low in voltage, the BMS senses it and doesn't give the "OK" to start the bike (main contactor will stay off).

I know in my previous post I mentioned 7 modules, but looking closely, each module is composed by 2 strings of cells, so in reality there are 14 modules/cells (string of cells) in series.

The only way to know is to open your pack and measure the voltages. You might bring back to like the string that is low by charging it slowly with a RC charger.

Cheers  8)
Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on August 10, 2017, 09:40:14 AM
Honey_badger thank you very much by the information. I'm just worried about how much it will coast me. Specially because I m in canada. The closest zero dealer is 82 kms away from my house. So no juice and need a truck or trailer to get in there. I did a lot of aeromodels and those batteries follow the same idea as the aeromodels. Any reference where I can ready to perform those tests and maybe rebuild it myself? Thank you

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: honey_badger on August 10, 2017, 05:50:32 PM
Hi Digudi,

I am in Canada as well. Where are you located? I am not sure a Zero dealer will be able to help. They don't have these batteries anymore and from what I hear they don't know/want to deal with old bikes/batteries.

It would be better to find a local person that knows ebikes/lithium batteries. You might want to check the endless sphere forum on the web and Facebook.
Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on August 10, 2017, 06:32:56 PM
Honey_badger I am in candiac south shore of Montreal close to the USA border to north of NY. I will try find something at endless sphere then. Thank you for all those information.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Zero S 2011 not starting after a long winter.
Post by: Digudi on October 30, 2017, 02:33:30 AM
Honey_badger I am in candiac south shore of Montreal close to the USA border to north of NY. I will try find something at endless sphere then. Thank you for all those information.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
Finally after  the whole season with no bike I decided to take it to a zero dealer and I drive 450kms ubtil the dealer closer.

It coasted me 430$ to re do all the bms  programmation and the bike is alive again.

Now I will sale this bike it's too much time with no bike for me, and I will go back to a gasoline engine.

Thank you all for all the information and support.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk