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[protomech]

Hmm.. when I had a BMS glitch due to dampness, the bike error indicator did show information. So I think this is probably not a BMS problem .. I think you're right to look at the Sevcon.

The Sevcon should be rated at IP67 but perhaps a seal on the controller or a connector has failed. Not sure if applying a hairdryer to the controller would be helpful or not - it might force moisture farther inside.

Agree that this probably requires dealer service, unfortunately.

[Justin Andrews]

Spent the day looking into this after I had to have the bike rescued earlier in the week.
I now suspect that the problem occurs when the motor is cool (so it can't easily dry off any water) and it gets wet.

I'm wondering if the Sevcon perhaps has some level of RCD protection when its precharging on switch up and when the motor is wet there is a tiny amount of current leakage. Not sure, but the motor being wet seems to play a part in the problem I'm having. 

[Justin Andrews]

Yep it appears, that the contactor fails to throw when the motor is wet.


Any ideas why?

[BSDThw]

Hello Justin,

The RCD idea – I don't know how it would be done. We have Battery + / – and the M1, M2, M3 line at the sevcon. For a RCD we would need an earth wire like potential. Maybe the heat-sink could work but you can have connected a battery + or – also to your vehicle body.
But there might be a protection if a leakage current between the heat-sink or M1-M2-M3  windings exist.

An other question have you ever opened the connector from the Sin-Cos wires to the sevcon.
There is a connector ~15cm from the motor. It has a kind of a splint to fix the engage mechanism.
It connect the Sin-Cos, 5V, GND and the temperature sensor to the sevcon.

If there is some moister maybe it will do things wrong.

I think if I run my sevcon “on my desk” without motor and sensor it showed a blinking code 11 that the “Encoder fault” appeared. (what is understandable to me but I talk of my remembrance nearly 1 year ago) .

First maybe you can see something when the connector is open (moisture) and if the sevcon is still doing your 3 times error code and not doing a 11 times it will likely not be the Sin-Cos nor Temp-sensor.( I think you should shut off  the bike when opening the wires and it makes analysis harder – not knowing if the fault still is present. How repeatable is the fault?)

You cold also remove the M1 to M3 cables in each combination to see if one will be the reason for the fault. (remember the cable order – mine as been marked with dotes 1 to 3). Maybe the enamelled wires inside the motor has a fault.
If the fault exist when all M1-3 and the connector is open – it will be inside the sevcon (in my opinion)

The Sin-Cos encoder seams to make problem with the glitch thing but it has only a magnetic connection(I think a hall sensor.) There is a magnet on the end of the crankshaft rotating in-front off the sensor - at the fan side .
The temperature sensor might be in/between the windings and could lead to a leakage current.

Maybe some ideas to try. Have you been at your dealer? I know if the fault comes and goes it is pretty hard to find!

[Justin Andrews]

Thanks BSDThw that's really useful info.

Sorry, I was'nt talking about adding an RCD, I was wondering instead if the Sevcon was acting like an RCD.
By this I mean that when the Sevcon is precharging before engaging the contactor, its seeing current leak across the motor (due to the damp) and going into a fault mode. This might trip the three blink over current detected.

But there might be a protection if a leakage current between the heat-sink or M1-M2-M3  windings exist.

I suspect that something like this is what is causing the problem.


I'm not sure the sin/cos encoder is involved here, especially as my one is supposed to be on of the repotted & waterproofed ones...

I'm pretty certain that the ZF9 should not start simply because the motor has got wet. I've also raised this with Zero themselves (due to lack of dealer support here in the UK at the moment.)