Mercedes-Benz Hybrid Electric Bike (battery woes)

[projem]

Hi Guys

I would like to get this bike going again but have no charger, what would be the best way (and cheapest) to do it. I would like to retain the battery case as its quite neat when fitted. I need to cover 10 miles daily to work and back...any advice greatly appreciated by a newbie

Battery 20 cells (look like D cell size) 24 volts 5Amps (can this be improved to increase performance?)

A chauffeur friend asked me if I wanted an old bike he had been asked to clear, left under the stairs of his wealthy client for ten years. The story is that his son did 2 laps of Hyde Park on it and stored it under said stairs.

There seems to be very little info on the web regarding this bike, I believe its a 250 watt Sanyo motor, the handlebars have a 3 speed twist grip with the cable entering the rear hub.

From what I have found, these Hybrids seem to have been sold at Mercedes-Benz dealerships only, for about $2000, circa 2000ish, any further info much appreciated.

 

[TeTs.BiZ]

You could fit a lithium recell pack, and use it with a suitable charger. That would get it going again. Any reputable ebike shop should be able to do this for you.

 

[projem]

You could fit a lithium recell pack, and use it with a suitable charger. That would get it going again. Any reputable ebike shop should be able to do this for you.

Thanks for the info, can you recommend a reputable ebike shop in London, I tried to insert pics in first post, but dont seem to be showing...

 

[projem]

Do links to images take a while before being shown?,.....curious

 

[Blew it]

Hi Guys

I would like to get this bike going again but have no charger, what would be the best way (and cheapest) to do it. I would like to retain the battery case as its quite neat when fitted. I need to cover 10 miles daily to work and back...any advice greatly appreciated by a newbie

Battery 20 cells (look like D cell size) 24 volts 5Amps (can this be improved to increase performance?)

A chauffeur friend asked me if I wanted an old bike he had been asked to clear, left under the stairs of his wealthy client for ten years. The story is that his son did 2 laps of Hyde Park on it and stored it under said stairs.

There seems to be very little info on the web regarding this bike, I believe its a 250 watt Sanyo motor, the handlebars have a 3 speed twist grip with the cable entering the rear hub.

From what I have found, these Hybrids seem to have been sold at Mercedes-Benz dealerships only for about $2000 circa 2000ish, any further info much appreciated.

I would be inclined to fit a LiFePO4 pack into the existing battery case. Li Ping could probably supply a 24 volt 15ah pack configured to a long slim pack 280 x 110 x 80 mm. Would this fit into the existing casing?. From personal experience, this would give a range of around 18 - 20 miles. Li Ping trades on Ebay, but for 'specials' you can contact him directly at pingping227@hotmail.com. This seller is well known and respected for supplying good quality battery packs which come complete with chargers.

Regarding the motor, there is an excellent thread on Endless Sphere Here

Regards
Bob

Edit: Sorry, it won't fit. see reply further down

 

[Blew it]

Do links to images take a while before being shown?,.....curious

 

[jac]

hi they sell battery packs for these bikes on german ebay about 190euro its just finding someone that will post to uk just search as, mercedes-benz akku

jim

 

[Blew it]

hi they sell battery packs for these bikes on german ebay about 190euro its just finding someone that will post to uk just search as, mercedes-benz akku

jim

Good find Jim.

Translation


I think this would be the best bet. The dimensions given for the pack means the Li Ping pack will not fit in the casing, still need to find a charger though.

 

[flecc]

Alternatively The Component Shop have made up some 24 volt NiMh e-bike packs to order previously, last seen was a very low cost £125 for a Lafree pack. No idea of their longevity, but at that sort of cost might be worth a punt.
.

 

[Blew it]

Is this charger suitable

Perhaps the forum experts could cast an eye on this charger

 

[flecc]

Perhaps the forum experts could cast an eye on this charger

Yes, that Powerstream charger is a generic one, the thermistor values (R=10K and B=3950) happening to nearly match the thermistor in the Giant Lafree NiMh battery, but without knowing the thermistor values in the Mercedes battery pack, it can't be absolutely guaranteed to work correctly.

However the thermistor in the cell pack for the Mercedes bike can be changed and a suitable replacement NTC thermistor is Radiospares RS 151-237. The characteristics are R = 10k, B = 3914.

If all else fails, the thermistor can be replaced by an ordinary 10 k resistor since the charger has a Vmax cut-off as well.
.

 

[projem]

Guys a little overwhelmed!

Thought I would check to see if I could see my pics now (still cant) but found such a huge response from you all.... as a web designer, I thought I could sniff out most net info on a given subject (NOT). Thanks for all the responses, just need to go through them all..... thanks one and all.

 

[projem]

Mercedes Replacement Batteries

hi they sell battery packs for these bikes on german ebay about 190euro its just finding someone that will post to uk just search as, mercedes-benz akku

jim

Thanks Jim for the "mercedes-benz akku" search on German E-bay....result!, and "Blew It" for making sure I saw it! Even the translation doesnt seem to mention if the Merc plastic housing is included? Bonus if it is! thanks again...

 

[Blew it]

The translation can only be just so good. This is how I understand it.

The first point of interest is the capacity of the array on offer is 9ah as opposed to the original at 5ah. It then goes on to explain that if the original charger (reloader) is used, it will take longer to charge than the original 5ah array.

Below the photos of installation of the new array, under the heading 'installation' it asks:
Do you have the skill to install the new array yourself.?
Can you use a soldering iron?
Do you own a soldering iron?

If the answer to the above is yes, then you can install the new array into your own black casing following the instructions supplied with the new array.

It then goes on to say:

If you do not feel confident in doing this, you can send the black casing to them at your own expense, and they will fit the new array for you. They will also dispose of the original array in a responsible way.

From that point on it really gets confusing. I would suggest you contact them about this, the chances are there will be somebody there who speaks English as many Europeans do.

Regarding the charger, please refer to Flecc's advice above.

I hope this is of help in your project.
Regards
Bob

 

[projem]

Thanks Blew It and Flecc

Thanks Bob for deciphering, does anyone know if the the thermistor is attached to the battery cells or amongst the wiring in the battery housing. Would it say on it what type it is? Thanks Flecc for the heads up and appreciate the charger info (although most went way over my head) .

 

[Blew it]

The thermistor monitors the temperature of the array during charging. If the temperature exceeds the critical level, the thermistor will signal the charger to stop charging. This is why NiMh chargers have a three wire connection to the battery. The values of the thermistor should be printed on it.

The thermistor is usually snugged in between the cells as shown in the photo below.

As you can see, there are three wires attached to the thermistor, one red and two white. I will have to confess to having little knowledge of electronics, so hopefully one of the experts can help with further advice on how a resistor would be connected in place of a thermistor.

Regards
Bob

 

[flecc]

As you can see, there are three wires attached to the thermistor, one red and two white. I will have to confess to having little knowledge of electronics, so hopefully one of the experts can help with further advice on how a resistor would be connected in place of a thermistor.

Regards
Bob

No problem, some thermistors are three wire casing devices (TO220) but two of those are common if checked for continuity with a meter of some kind. With the two wire recommended one, connect the two wires that go to the common connections to one side, the third wire to the other. The same for a resistor, the two common wires one side, the third wire to the other.

Basically the three wire thermistors are an old type not common now and have the type of casing with a metal side panel for attaching to a heat sink, and that is earthed via the third connection. Since one side of the charger thermistor circuit is earth anyway, they can be joined.
.

 

[Blew it]

Thanks Flecc, all very much appreciated.

 

[Blew it]

This pic may help

 

[projem]

Why cant I see these images I put in the first post!!

as above, a little frustrating....can anyone explain?