Battery Connection probs on Giant Twist

Flying Kiwi

Pedelecer
Dec 25, 2006
209
0
Buckinghamshire
My Giant Twist battery has started giving an unreliable connection for the second time since I bought the bike new. After I put the battery back in the bike, sometimes when I turn on the power switch there's no red light and no power. I have to take the batery out and put it back in or jiggle it about a bit to get it working again. I have again cleaned the terminal area with my dremel/sandpaper and contact cleaner but I'm wondering what other peoples experiences are. This is really the only problem I've had with my Twist since new (other than needing a new head tube badge after the chrome flaked off the original one). I can't remember whether the receptacle contacts ever moved but they appear to be flush with the plastic moulding's little tubes they sit in and surely this cant help.

What are peoples experiences with this? Any advise on how to effect a permanent repair welcome.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
I've never had a problem except that one contact on one of my batteries developed a burn spot at about three years which cleaned off ok. I'd suggest the obvious one of flexing the spring blade contact arms out to increase the contact pressure. If there's still a loss of contact it could just be a poor connection on the screw terminals inside the case.

If you open the case by undoing the nine screws and lift the top off, you'll see the terminal post area with the two screws that clamp the wire ends from the cellpack. You'll see that terminal post at number 4 on the last picture on this webpage.
 

Flying Kiwi

Pedelecer
Dec 25, 2006
209
0
Buckinghamshire
Thanks for the feedback flecc. I'd been hoping to avoid having to disassemble the battery but for whatever reason the spring blades have slightly bent away from the contact pins on the receptacle and probably should be bent straight. I wonder if any other Twist owners have experienced this.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
I've checked both my batteries and the contact that had the slight burn that I mentioned above does have the strip slightly bent in, recessed a bit deeper. I've no idea why, but I'll give it a tug out to reset the pressure.
 

Sav

Pedelecer
Nov 25, 2006
75
4
76
Great Mongeham
Well how strange!!!!

My Twist with my nice new cell pack died on me this morning as I arrived at work. No power whatsoever.

Took the battery off and replaced it, still no power.

Assumed it was my soldering had died and was about to disembowell the pack when I though of this thread. Gave the terminals a scrape around and bingo off we went.

My only thought is that I have been deliberately trying to drain the cellpack by full assistance in fourth at slow speeds and may have corroded the terminals a bit.

Thanks lads!!

Chris.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
I have been deliberately trying to drain the cellpack by full assistance in fourth at slow speeds
I was doing the same thing during my tests of the new charger Chris. I managed to develop a technique on one switchback route with severe hills that drained an 8 Ah pack to the flashing red in 4.3 miles. I wondered if that was a new short range record for a Twist!