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[Magpie3469]

I recently purchased a used 2010 DS to go with the solar electric system I just installed (a used model was all I could afford after paying for the components!).  I was probably a little naive in buying it, since I know next to nothing about EV's from a technical standpoint, but this is the second one I've owned.  After a few days, the motorcycle began intermittently cutting out, meaning the throttle stopped generating power though the dashboard was still lit, and the headlight and other lights were on.  Most of the time it would begin working again after a very short time, though sometimes it would be like that for hours, despite numerous attempts to restart it, charge it, etc. 

Today I noticed that it hadn't charged at all overnight (that's the first time).  The red light blinks 6 times when I plug it in, and has done that ever since.  The batteries haven't charged.  I've tried several different outlets at different times all day, but no luck.

Given my (very limited) level of knowledge and expertise, are there any thoughts or ideas about things I could try, or ideas about what is (or are) the problem?  I'm guessing I'll need to bring it to the dealer, but would like to have some independent information about the problems if at all possible.

[Cortezdtv]

Where are you located?

[Magpie3469]

I'm in Castle Rock, Colorado, which is not far from Denver.

[Magpie3469]

I purchased the DS from a dealer, Fremont Motorsports, in Florence Colorado.  They don't seem to know much about Zero repair, but said that if I bring it back they will work with me about the costs, though they won't refund my money.  I'm especially concerned about the batteries, as they are fully discharged now and won't take a charge.  I'm hoping that the dealer will be able to figure out a way to charge them before they are damaged or bricked.  Any thoughts?

[peter]

Magpie, I had a 2012 XU with a complete battery discharge & it was impossible to recharge it. Bike was under warranty and Zero replaced the battery. I was told by Zero at the time that because they can't guarantee their batteries once fully discharged, the battery management system was set up to not charge a completely discharged battery. I don't know if the 2010 bikes have the same batteries as the 2012s. Someone on the forum probably does.

There are folks here on the forum who seem to be able to bring batteries back to life...
Peter

[Magpie3469]

Thanks for that.  Actually, when it first wouldn't take a charge it wasn't fully discharged, but had about 4 bars.  I did ride it without realizing it wasn't fully charged, so now it IS fully discharged    I took it to the dealer in Florence, CO, and they supposedly talked to Zero for about 45 minutes, and they couldn't figure out how to get it charged.  Since they're not open today or tomorrow, I'm worried about the batteries being discharged for a long time.  I may be looking at another, even bigger problem!

Has anyone ever sent their older Zero back to California for servicing and/or for new batteries?  The tech from Zero (Zach) told me that with the 2010's that's the only way, as the battery packs can't be removed by the dealers...

[Magpie3469]

Just to give an update (and see if anyone has any sage advice other than just junking it ), my 2010 DS seems dead in the water.  The dealer had originally said he had gotten his rep to agree to fix it for free if we paid for shipping (probably reconditioning batteries and maybe a new controller), but after a month I just learned that that's not the case.  I would have to pay for one-way shipping to California ($500), and the dealer would pay the other half, but then it sounds like the repairs might be in the $2K to $3K range (just guessing here).  Given I "only" paid $2K  for the bike, I'm not sure that makes any sense. I'm pretty frustrated with the situation, especially because it's taken so long to get an answer that is not a very happy one...

Given that I'm not technically inclined at all, is there anything I could do/get to reduce my losses? Is there any market at all for a bike like that?

[ColoPaul]

So in a different thread you said you were offered a 2014 DS for tax+$60 to make up for the 2010 issues?   Did you take it and are now trying to decide what to do with the 2010?

[Magpie3469]

Yes,  you're right.  However,  he had said that he would give me a deal on the new one and they would fix the old one for free,  minus shipping.  So,  now I'm out the $2k i paid for that one,  so paying another 9 or 10k is really stretching it for me.  I thought I'd eventually be able to sell a working bike to offset the cost of the new one. ..

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[SolarMeter]

This response may be too late to do you any good, but I recently hooked up a solar module to charge my 2010 Zero S.  It is my understanding that the 2010 Zero S battery charger does not come on if the battery voltage is below a certain level.  If you can get the battery charged up to the minimum level, the charger should come on and complete the charge. 
I connected the solar leads from a solar charge controller directly to the battery terminals that are in the Delta Q charger.  I am using a maximum power point (MPPT) charger to get the maximum power out of the solar module, while also stepping up the voltage to match the Zero battery voltage without over-charging once the maximum voltage is met.