Electrical connection overheat (Mobility Scooter)

It's all a bit of a mixed set of number in general Brian. The motor plate states '6.5A max' but is rated at 500W at 24V (21A?)? The controller is rated at 110A (at 24V) and would have a typical / continuous motor output of 43A with a peak of 110A. The programming in the controllers suggests a 20A continuous current.

It has an over current switch (50-75A, according to the manual) and a straight fuse, over and above what the controller might do.

The controller is fully programmable with half of the 80 page manual dedicated to that. The max / boost current seem to be programmable with no stated value but the continuous motor current is stated as defaulting to 20A.

In this case it definitely the crappy PCB mounted spade terminal as when it cutout, wiggling that connector (motor / parking brake) got it going again. It had become burned from the continuous running with a dragging parking brake (mostly unwittingly by the PO it seems as he used it like that on multiple runs, even taking it to the shop to have it checked and them not picking up on the fault).

Still, I'm going to replace the two spades for a decent flying plug / socket (that will pass though the hole in the case / heatsink) that have a 90A rating, rather than the 35A supposedly provided by the std connector pin insert (AMP 556880-2).

Cheers, T i m

don't think I've ever seen you be this stupid before. And which part of I haven't asked about any clockwork did you not understand. Don't bother answering.

That's a nice mirror you have there. If it wasn't you would be all to keen to *explain* what you meant.

The bit about how the length of a pendulum affects the timekeeping ... you know, that bit (for starters, you are *such* a weasel).

Why not, still not got an answer (of course you haven't)?

Cheers, T i m

I have no clue what you're talking about. It seems clear you haven't either. I won't waste time on the rest.

You would if you read other threads here.

Don't worry, wrong (innocent) person.

Which of course is the actual point.

So, 'just solder it' you said, should be so very easy to explain 'what' you would solder, *if* you had a clue of course.

Cheers, T i m

Quite.

Yup, and BT kit (for a job). ;-)

In BT it was 1 to 1.5 times for a joint to be then soldered (as opposed to a straight 'wrapped' joint).

;-)

I was playing with another Mobility Scooter on Sunday. It was my Dads, 'second' and we sold it to a neighbour when Mum finally got rid of the static caravan they had.

He had an issue with stuck brushes (I sorted for him) and then it 'cut out' and he bought a bigger one (for his Mrs) that is the reason behind this thread.

I offered to look at it for him but he wasn't particularly bothered when but it got into our back garden under a cover and sat there ever since saying that if I couldn't sort it I could dump it. He'd kept the batteries and charger and that made it sorta difficult to easily check out.

The other day I'd got everything together, batteries (bought by me to test the scooter but nicked by daughter for the electric fence on her rabbit hutch) a new Optimate 12/24V charger, the key and a dry spell. ;-)

As soon as I connected the batteries I noticed just one of the battery gauge LEDS on but not like a fault indicator. I disconnected the battery and pulled all the electronics and wiring to just make sure nothing was lose or broken and it looked ok so I just re-assembled it again.

As I re-fitted a multi pole-connector to one of the PCB's, I noted one of the pins fell out the back of the plug ... re-fitting it correctly in the plug shell made the light go off and everything seemed to work ok? ;-)

Yesterday we gave it a 3.5m test / dog walk and it was fine.

It had only dropped to 2 of the 4 battery bars (indicating still above

Reading the instructions for the Curtis controller it seems you can calibrate the battery meter by charging the batteries from low whilst on the scooter and with the 'ignition' switch on, allowing it to monitor the charge process and hence determine the capacity.

I've ordered a couple of small / waterproof panel voltmeters that I might fit in a box or onto the scooter directly that can show the terminal voltage on each battery, [1] that way I can get a better idea of what level of charge we are actually at (till it's calibrated especially).

I like playing with electric vehicles. ;-) [2]

Cheers, T i m

(16AWG as it happens)

I went for XT90's as they better matched the existing cabling and I already have some.

I used XT60's on them as they are very good connectors, are very snug and I had some of them as well. ;-)

Yup, worked out as hoped. I actually 3D printed a little frame to line the hole in the case / heatsink so that the hot-melt-glue didn't stick to that, in case I ever wanted to get the PCB out again.

One oddity though. Looking at the wiring diagram for the Rhino controller shows the polarity for the motor connectors as being round one way but the motor was wired to the (slightly melted) plug with the red / black the other way round. I applied 12V to the motor following the colours (red being +ve) and the wheels ran forwards? So it looks like the motor connector was wired the wrong way round and the function reversed in the controller or the wigwag controller?

The same applied to the connector for the electric brake (+Ve with red wire) but the wires coming off the brake itself are both black. Would it make any difference which way round the solenoid coil was connected as the (electro) magnetism should work either way round (attracting the plate to release the spring pressure on the brake)?

Anyway, earlier we did nearly 7 miles walking the dog and the Mrs on the scooter and we had only lost one (of 8) bars from the battery meter by our return. ;-)

I'm going to replace all the spade connectors on the battery leads with XT90's because 1) I think there are likely to be less lossy and more reliable and 2) I already have other gear (inc the Wattmeter) equipped with XT90 connectors so it makes sense.

Cheers, T i m