Whyte E160Rs electric problems

[Gmt]

Just returned my bike to dealers as it dropped from 2 bars to nil and then no power.

When I got back home the battery would not charge.

Diagnostics came up with no error code son control unit. Internal drive unit software error 12v over voltage.
Undervoltage error in drive unit and external short circuit or battery too low to start.

The biggest concern was corrosion to the terminals connecting charger plug and battery which to me seems like a design fault. The dealers solution was try to avoid the bike getting too wet. Its a mountain bike! I never use a pressure washer and just spray with muck off and wash with garden hose on shower setting. The bike is dried off with towels before going back in the garage to be charged.

Has any one else suffered these problems. My bike has covered almost 1500 miles.

Thanks

 

[Mikerb]

No....but then I clean the electrical terminals with electrical contact cleaner every couple of months. Terminal carrying electrical current are liable to corrosion if not maintained. The combination of heat generated in the motor and battery combined with cold water wash and/or cold storage can generate condensation and that can lead to corrosion.
Electrical contact cleaner removes oxidation and helps protect the metal contacts.
You can help avoid problems by using warm rather than cold water to wash the bike...or preferably just use a rag and warm water rather than a hose. Also not washing when battery/motor are still hot after a ride......and if possible storing the bike in a warm environment at least for a couple of hours after washing or a wet ride.

Yes it is a mountain bike but it is also an electrical device with both low and high voltage circuits!

 

[Gmt]

Thanks Mike good advice I will give your recommendations a try.

 

[MartinFa]

When I first picked up my bike (ex hire), it also wouldn't charge. In my case, it'd had a brand new motor fitted under warranty just before I collected it. I suspected something had been left loose or disconnected during the motor replacement. When I returned it, they took the motor out & found the charging port was indeed only partly connected. Now fixed.

 

[Gmt]

Thanks for your replies interesting to see different cleaning procedures. I have emailed Whyte stating I want the connectors replaced under warranty. I will keep you posted on their reply. I probably need to check connectors more often. I had never taken the battery out until played up last week. Thanks

 

[Mikerb]

The Whyte system is overall pretty good in terms of electrics but I have nevertheless added a few extra protective measures.

1. I regularly clean the charging port rubber cap and put a little grease around the lip that fits onto the port. I have also made a neoprene cover for it secured to the bike with HD self adhesive velcro.
2. The majority of electrical connections are of course to the battery. I remove the battery every couple of months and treat both battery and the connector plug with electrical contact cleaner. I have taped up the snap connector in that bundle of wiring.
3. After cleaning the bottom battery/connector plug cover I put a little grease around its edges to help seal it against water and dust ingress where it sits on the downtube and the rubber section of the downtube.

Note that mostly when washing the bike you can get water running between the battery cover and the downtube. The connector plug actually sits quite high so should stay dry even if that happens but there is also the hole in the downtube that aligns with the battery on/off button and that is a weak point.
Just removed my battery for the first time for about 3 months and everything clean and dry in there.

ps I remove the battery with the bike upturned. I have made a device to help lift the battery which consists of 2 extra long domestic 13amp socket screws a couple of washers and a bit of webbing fixed between them. The screws fit into the 2 brass threads in the bottom of the battery. Once lifted sufficiently I wedge the battery in the toptube with a tyre lever, remove the DIY strap and remove the connector plug. Refitting the battery is easy with gravity doing all the work and it also gives you the opportunity to ensure the battery end stop ( top of down tube) is secure and properly adjusted. If it is, the battery securing Torx T25 screw will be perfectly aligned with the connector plug thread.

 

[Gmt]

That's great Mikerb. Belt and braces saves further issues
George

 

[Mikehorti]

I regularly clean the charging port rubber cap

Part way through cleaning my e150 I noticed the charging port rubber cap had popped open and the charging port did get wet. It wasn’t flooded but I got the vacuum and hairdryer to it and haven’t had any charging issues. Should I have then sprayed electrical contact cleaner in to the port to drive out any remaining moisture? I wasn’t sure if it was wise to spray it directly in the port as I thought it might pool at the bottom

 

[Mikerb]

proper electrical contact cleaner evaporates quite quickly so no problems spraying a charging port. I usually leave it for a few minutes a fter spraying to let it do its job of attacking any contaminants on the contacts and drying as a protective layer then use some shop towel to wipe it out.
One reason I made a "top hat" neoprene cover for the charging port was to act as a secondary boundary rather than purely rely on the rubber cap.
Overall I have found no real weaknesses for water penetration on my Whyte. I have recently fitted a cover on the Purion which not only gives a bit of extra impact protection but protects the switch areas from rain etc. The switches on otherwise waterproof rated elecrical devices are always the weakest points. The covers are avaialble on ebay or a bout £10.
One other small mod I have done..........nothing to do with water protection.........is to use a small rectangle of self adhesive HD velcro to cover the torx screw that holds the battery cover/bash guard on. One piece stuck to the cover with a hole in the middle so the screw is accessible and the other over the top. By removing the top piece of velcro the screw head is clean and free of mud etc so makes taking that cover off much quicker and avoids the risk of ruining the head of the torx screw by trying to undo it when full of mud.