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[grmarks]

My car has blown a head gasket, I was using my Zero to run a round and get parts, but on the weekend the DC - DC converter failed again (it failed several months ago). That in itself is not the end of the world, but I just found out that my local dealer has gone bust. The nearest dealer is now 1,000 km away.
I am in Melbourne Australia, the next nearest dealer is in Sydney Australia.
To freight my bike to the Sydney dealer for a warranty claim will cost over $600 (AUD) each way ($1200). The DC - DC converter is priced at $650 (AUD)

I contacted the Sydney dealer but their policy (and that of the importer) is the bike has to come into the shop. I contacted Zero USA, they directed me to Zero Netherlands for the Australian region.

I am currently waiting for their office to open. I will keep you posted on any outcome.

Although the Sydney (Hornsby) dealer has been helpful, he also spun some shit, he was saying that in Australia they only offer a 1 year warranty, but the US office confirmed its a 2 year warranty anywhere in the world. I suggested two compromises, 1)  I will pay for the part, fit it and send the old part back for testing, if faulty then they will refund me the purchase price. 2) split the cost of the part 50/50.

But both the importer and dealer won't compromise.

If I had purchased the bike from Sydney then I would have known the costs involved to support the bike up front (wouldn't have bought it in that case), but I bought it locally so there was no significant cost involved to support it.

The bike is out of warranty in 2 months.   

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

The converter seems to be an unmodified commodity relative to the other parts on the bike, just a switching power supply with IP rating and a specific fitment and output. It'd be nice if something so simple could just be mailed out for a swap without hassling the owner.
http://zeromanual.com/index.php/Unofficial_Service_Manual#DC.2FDC_12V_converter

Your compromise suggestions sound reasonable to me, anyway. Good luck.

[grmarks]

Spoke to Zero Netherlands and they are going to see if something can be worked out about sending the part. 

[stevenh]

Good luck!  I am visiting Melbourne this week from the East Coast of the US.  What a great city.  I can't believe the number of bikes parked around the Melbourne Quarter!

Cheers.

Steve

[Doug S]

It seems odd that you've had two converters fail. AFAIK, that's a fairly infrequent failure at all, let alone twice in quick succession. I wonder if you've got some other problem, perhaps a short in the wiring somewhere that's loading down that converter or something?

[grmarks]

It seems odd that you've had two converters fail. AFAIK, that's a fairly infrequent failure at all, let alone twice in quick succession. I wonder if you've got some other problem, perhaps a short in the wiring somewhere that's loading down that converter or something?

Yep had that thought to, but I could just be unlucky as well. The Dealer replaced the first under warranty and didn't find any other issues from diagnostics. If it is an intermittent short then who can find it? If it doesn't do it when your testing its really hard to find.

I have a step I navigate down to get out of the back yard (have to turn at the same time) and I did notice a crackling noise as I went down the step (with the brake applied) and wondered what it was. Sounded like I ran over some plastic (cracking under the wheel) then about 10 minutes latter I noticed the blinkers not working, realised none of the lights and re-gen were not working also.


 

[Doug S]

I suppose I'd start with a hardcore visual inspection. Wires rubbing together would show evidence of chafing through the insulation; a bulb mount or something that was loose could short things out and should be obvious if you lay hands and eyes on it.

But first, let me ask a couple of questions. Do you back out of the back yard or go front first? Do you key it on before or after? If you don't have it keyed on when you do it, maybe that's a clue...there aren't too many things live with the key off that could possibly cause a short. The reason I ask about frontward/backward exits is that the fork might be turned over one direction or the other, and may be pinching some wires.

Of course, all this is based on a possible short blowing the DC-DC converter. Hopefully it's protected better than that, but stranger things have happened.

[grmarks]

I suppose I'd start with a hardcore visual inspection. Wires rubbing together would show evidence of chafing through the insulation; a bulb mount or something that was loose could short things out and should be obvious if you lay hands and eyes on it.

But first, let me ask a couple of questions. Do you back out of the back yard or go front first? Do you key it on before or after? If you don't have it keyed on when you do it, maybe that's a clue...there aren't too many things live with the key off that could possibly cause a short. The reason I ask about frontward/backward exits is that the fork might be turned over one direction or the other, and may be pinching some wires.

Of course, all this is based on a possible short blowing the DC-DC converter. Hopefully it's protected better than that, but stranger things have happened.

I would expected a blown fuse from a short, but all fuses are ok. I turn the bike on and ride it forwards under power except going over step (which has a ramp) where I back off the power and roll over it.

I bought a 12V 6.5ah lithium battery (www.peterstevens.com.au/dynalife-lithium-ion-battery-dlfp-5l-bs.html) for my dirt bike a few months ago and it is light as a feather. That, with a smaller dc-dc converter (megamod junior www.vicorpower.com/dc-dc-power-systems/megamod) to charge it, would make a much simpler, and more robust, system. Alarms etc could easily be mounted to the bike then. The price of the battery is about 1/6 th  that of the dc-dc converter. The battery would also protect the dc-dc converter.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I have a step I navigate down to get out of the back yard (have to turn at the same time) and I did notice a crackling noise as I went down the step (with the brake applied) and wondered what it was. Sounded like I ran over some plastic (cracking under the wheel) then about 10 minutes latter I noticed the blinkers not working, realised none of the lights and re-gen were not working also.

Wait, what? That is extremely far from normal. Which wheel would "under the wheel" apply to?


Think about where all the relays are on the bike. You have a set under the tank plastics for the turn signals, and there is the instrument cluster and some wiring connectors behind it. Then there are several major (IP-rated) components under the seat and a bunch of 12V wiring with crimp connections running between the seat and the front area. In the tail there are some wires to the brake light unit and signals.


Open your bike up and look for signs or smells of burning, melting, or the like in areas like these. Check whether there are loose connections by wiggling them gently; a loose connection can cause sparking that can fault a power supply.

[grmarks]

Wait, what? That is extremely far from normal. Which wheel would "under the wheel" apply to?


Think about where all the relays are on the bike. You have a set under the tank plastics for the turn signals, and there is the instrument cluster and some wiring connectors behind it. Then there are several major (IP-rated) components under the seat and a bunch of 12V wiring with crimp connections running between the seat and the front area. In the tail there are some wires to the brake light unit and signals.


Open your bike up and look for signs or smells of burning, melting, or the like in areas like these. Check whether there are loose connections by wiggling them gently; a loose connection can cause sparking that can fault a power supply.

As far as which wheel (noise from front or back) can't be sure. No obvious smells. If a loose connection can blow the dc-dc converter then that is a poor design.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

As far as which wheel (noise from front or back) can't be sure. No obvious smells.

Keep looking! That's the clearest indication that you have and someone should isolate the problem.

If a loose connection can blow the dc-dc converter then that is a poor design.

Even if you were the most credentialed electronics engineer or technician, you're speaking out of frustration, not knowledge. Engineering is a process of making tradeoffs and modeling operating conditions economically. There is something to be fixed here, but we don't know what it is yet.

[grmarks]

Interestingly someone just posted the same issue on the Zero facebook page.

[grmarks]

Even if you were the most credentialed electronics engineer or technician, you're speaking out of frustration, not knowledge. Engineering is a process of making tradeoffs and modeling operating conditions economically. There is something to be fixed here, but we don't know what it is yet.

Yes my DC-DC converter for starters (it is possible I got 2 bad ones).

[grmarks]

Quick update, Zero Netherlands - have heard nothing, contacted the US again and was told that the US has a person to deal with Australia (Netherlands was a mistake - support person is new, gave me wrong info) but that person is on holidays at the moment, so someone else is supposed to be handling it but have heard nothing yet.

Feels like I'm getting the run around!

[nigezero]

Quick update, Zero Netherlands - have heard nothing, contacted the US again and was told that the US has a person to deal with Australia (Netherlands was a mistake - support person is new, gave me wrong info) but that person is on holidays at the moment, so someone else is supposed to be handling it but have heard nothing yet.

Feels like I'm getting the run around!

Fwiw, I had problems that I thought were Dc to DC related but weren't. After months of intermittency and a trip to Procycles to replace the loom and instruments cluster (bit of chaffing) nothing changed. I then undid all the zip ties in my loom around the DC to DC, carefully rerouted them to avoid and stress and cleaned and re heeded the main plug. Touch wood no probs for  6 months. Before you ship it, reach down and jiggle the main plug into the converter - that was my road side fix every time. I also recently replaced the DC fuse -the small sealed one on the back of the battery - it failed inexplicably and after replacement has been fine so could be a faulty fuse. Lastly, I also added some rubber shrouds and carefully tidied up all my wiring under the tank to ensure that want the problem, added a new better flasher relay too.