Broken my 'new to me' Wisper bike after 5 minutes

crystaljohn

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May 29, 2019
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I didn't notice that other cable. If it's pinched and shorted. I would say there's a pretty good chance that it's the source of your problems. I'm not sure it's damaged where tied, like it shows in the photo, but could be damaged somewhere else. It can be easily eliminated by disconnecting it from the controller.
Good point. I'll disconnect the lights from the controller tomorrow.
Probably been like since the bike was built was built though, it's an o.e.m part.
 

Nealh

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I can tell you if I was unfriendly one would know about it.
 

crystaljohn

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May 29, 2019
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I have disconnected both lights from the controller.

Although it looks like the cable is crushed, it is in fact a loose protective sleeve containing the rear lights inner wires.

I can conform ( now I have modified my meter probes) that there is 5v present when the bike is first switched on at the throttle, P.A.S and Hall sensor connectors.


The controller switches itself off after a couple of minutes , no lights on the display.

I enclose a page from the Wisper manual regarding the fault codes.

If you look at the short 30 second video I posted showing the display in action when I first turn on the bike.

On the upper row of the display labeledwisper faultcodes.png as 'Capacity indicator', the first light flashes on/off.

approx 15 seconds later all 6 light flash on/off on the lower display.

After a couple of minutes all the lights go out. ( The controller turns itself off )

I note that on the LED Handlebar Mounted Display- Diagnostic/Fault identification chart


All six lights flashing at the same time indicates ' System electronics /software failure'

There is no mention what the RED left hand light flashing on the 'Capacity indicator' relates too.
 

vfr400

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Jun 12, 2011
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The control panel works independently from everything else. All it needs is battery power to switch on and work. It gives that error code when it's on and working, but it can't communicate with the controller's cpu. There are a lot of possible reasons that communication can't occur so you have to do tests to find out what's wrong.
 
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crystaljohn

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May 29, 2019
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It is my understanding , please correct me if I'm wrong, that the control panel has identified that there is a problem, which according to the chart, is a 'System electronics/Software failure'

So, the way I understand it is,there must have been communication with the controllers cpu for it to do this identification.
 

vfr400

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It is my understanding , please correct me if I'm wrong, that the control panel has identified that there is a problem, which according to the chart, is a 'System electronics/Software failure'

So, the way I understand it is,there must have been communication with the controllers cpu for it to do this identification.
I told you the LCD works independently. It has its own CPU. Check the LCD's cable and all connectors between it and the controller.

We started on the basis that your bungee had damaged something, but we've checked and eliminated everything at that end of the bike, so whatever happened was coincidental or you jogged something in your panic when you had the problem. The only way you can wipe out the controller's cpu is by shorting battery voltage to something connected to it, so it's probably OK. You're going to kick yourself when you find the cause of your problem.
 
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crystaljohn

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May 29, 2019
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I didn't realise the display has it's own cpu.

I 'm now stuck as I have exhausted all the things I can check. I can only think that the bungee being caught up in the gears/wrapped around the hub has resulted in an overload somewhere as the motor tried to turn against the resistance and has damaged some electronic component .
I think my only course of action now is to take it to a shop to have it diagnosed.
Does anybody know of a competent place in West Sussex?
 

vfr400

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I didn't realise the display has it's own cpu.

I 'm now stuck as I have exhausted all the things I can check. I can only think that the bungee being caught up in the gears/wrapped around the hub has resulted in an overload somewhere as the motor tried to turn against the resistance and has damaged some electronic component .
I think my only course of action now is to take it to a shop to have it diagnosed.
Does anybody know of a competent place in West Sussex?
The motor is connected directly to the battery, but blocked by the mosfets. No other components are involved. You checked the mosfets, so your theory doesn't hold any water.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
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Can't believe this has happened- but it did.

Yesterday I bought a Wisper 905 classic bike. It's 5 years old and on the short test ride I took behaved perfectly. It was raining heavily so I transported the bike back to my house using a towbar rack.
This morning I rode it round to my garage which is a 1/4 mile away from my house, fitted a Bungee strap onto the rear rack and also a padlock device. Rode a few hundred yards to visit a bank where I secured my new bike to the railings with the padlock device. Exited the bank, and made my way home. Whilst riding home I suddenly heard a noise and the bike seemed to grind to a halt. I dismounted and saw that the Bungee strap had got caught up in the rear hub. I pulled the 2 halfs of the strap which seemed to come away easily free and jumped back on the bike. No action from the motor.

I see that when I switch the bike on a red light blinks on and off on the battery charge indicator, and after approx 15 seconds all 6 light blink on and off on the display below which is the diagnostic display. According the the manual if all 6 lights flash at the same time this is a 'System electronics/Software failure.'

So far I have removed the cover on the frame, pulled the controller out from it's enclosure and checked the voltage going into the controller at the connector ( it's 40.6v)

My first thought is that possibly I have overloaded the motor and blown one or more of the F.E.T's.

I do know how to run a check on these, but as I am totally unfamiliar with this new to me bike I thought it would be prudent to seek advice here as maybe I have missed something obvious as to why the display is behaving like this.
any advice appreicated please.


Here is a 30 second video of the display:https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNN7oX7JmuXU92m-eJvu72KCQ9grehzie7R0AH6cGvSbp3r46AMcziHQ1LhWbF7ew?key=S0hKeDN1OW4zV2F3aDN6cENiaHNLOUtDSWdYbFBB
your best course of action is probably to contact Wisper for support.
It's a 5-year old bike which has a LED display, a number of things could have gone wrong without showing any sign.
However, you should do some systematic checks first, as I would do if I had your bike here.
1. measure the battery voltage before and after switching the bike on.
If it is under 36V, charge the battery first.
2. disconnect at the controller all the peripherals leaving just the LED panel: brake sensors, pedal sensor, motor cable and light. Check the battery voltage again.
Check the 5V supply on the pedal sensor.
Note that the 5V usually shows on the meter as 4.5V.
3. Reconnect the pedal sensor and verify that the 5V supply line is still OK.
4. Connect only the 3 phase wires (yellow green and blue) of the motor and test the bike.
 
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Wisper Bikes

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your best course of action is probably to contact Wisper for support.
It's a 5-year old bike which has a LED display, a number of things could have gone wrong without showing any sign.
However, you should do some systematic checks first, as I would do if I had your bike here.
1. measure the battery voltage before and after switching the bike on.
If it is under 36V, charge the battery first.
2. disconnect at the controller all the peripherals leaving just the LED panel: brake sensors, pedal sensor, motor cable and light. Check the battery voltage again.
Check the 5V supply on the pedal sensor.
Note that the 5V usually shows on the meter as 4.5V.
3. Reconnect the pedal sensor and verify that the 5V supply line is still OK.
4. Connect only the 3 phase wires (yellow green and blue) of the motor and test the bike.
We are in communication.

All the best, David
 
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crystaljohn

Pedelecer
May 29, 2019
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"However, you should do some systematic checks first, as I would do if I had your bike here.
1. measure the battery voltage before and after switching the bike on.
If it is under 36V, charge the battery first.
2. disconnect at the controller all the peripherals leaving just the LED panel: brake sensors, pedal sensor, motor cable and light. Check the battery voltage again.
Check the 5V supply on the pedal sensor.
Note that the 5V usually shows on the meter as 4.5V.
3. Reconnect the pedal sensor and verify that the 5V supply line is still OK.
4. Connect only the 3 phase wires (yellow green and blue) of the motor and test the bike. "


1. I just measured the voltage at the Battery connector it's 40.6v.

2. with the following connected into the controller : LED panel, and Motor cable ( not hall sensors ) I measured the voltage on the Pedal sensor plug from the controller without it being plugged into the actual sensor, it's only 1.2 v

I believe it should be around 4.5 v.

Whatever is connected or disconnected, the LED display still doesn't alter it's behavior.
 

Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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1. I just measured the voltage at the Battery connector it's 40.6v.
1. battery is full but on your video, battery capacity LEDs are not all lit.
Were they all lit before the accident? If they were, then the LED panel needs replacing.

2. with the following connected into the controller : LED panel, and Motor cable ( not hall sensors ) I measured the voltage on the Pedal sensor plug from the controller without it being plugged into the actual sensor, it's only 1.2 v
the pedal sensor has 3 wires, usually black (connected to bat-), red and another colour. You want to measure the voltage of the red and the other colour. One of the two must be around 4.5V. If neither shows that voltage then the controller needs replacing.
 

vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
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The pedal sensor signal wire voltage switches between 5v and 0v as the pedals rotate. you can't measure it static.

You already confirmed that you have 5v on the 5v rail, so you don't have to worry about the pedal sensor. Your fault code is something different. You're going round in circles with everybody sending you in different directions. Now that you've been in touch with Wisper, what's going on?

Did you check your LCD cable and connectors?
 

Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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The pedal sensor signal wire voltage switches between 5v and 0v as the pedals rotate. you can't measure it static.

You already confirmed that you have 5v on the 5v rail, so you don't have to worry about the pedal sensor. Your fault code is something different. You're going round in circles with everybody sending you in different directions. Now that you've been in touch with Wisper, what's going on?

Did you check your LCD cable and connectors?
he did not identify which wire was showing 4.5V.
we need to be sure which wire was showing the 4.5V.
 

crystaljohn

Pedelecer
May 29, 2019
138
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1. battery is full but on your video, battery capacity LEDs are not all lit.
Were they all lit before the accident? If they were, then the LED panel needs replacing.


the pedal sensor has 3 wires, usually black (connected to bat-), red and another colour. You want to measure the voltage of the red and the other colour. One of the two must be around 4.5V. If neither shows that voltage then the controller needs replacing.
The bike was working perfectly before the bungee mishap. All the battery capacity LEDs were showing green.
Since the mishap, the left LED of the 4 LED is flashing RED as shown in my video. Despite the battery voltage when measured being 40.6v.

I checked the voltage on the 3 pin
Pedal sensor connector, ( directly from the controller- not plugged into the sensor) measuring across Red to Black ( the other colour is the Yellow signal wire). It was 1.2 v.
I had previously measured this earlier and reported it was at 5v, either a mistake, or it's changed since the last measurement.

I think that my controller is faulty.
 
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vfr400

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Jun 12, 2011
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The bike was working perfectly before the bungee mishap. All the battery capacity LEDs were showing green.
Since the mishap, the left LED of the 4 LED is flashing RED as shown in my video. Despite the battery voltage when measured being 40.6v.

I checked the voltage on the 3 pin
Pedal sensor connector, ( directly from the controller- not plugged into the sensor) measuring across Red to Black ( the other colour is the Yellow signal wire). It was 1.2 v.
I had previously measured this earlier and reported it was at 5v, either a mistake, or it's changed since the last measurement.

I think that my controller is faulty.
That could be a clue to what's wrong. disconnect everything except the battery and measure again. if you get 5v again, plug things in one at a time until you find the culprit that's pulling it down.
 

Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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he did just that and measured 1.2V on the 5V rail.
 

crystaljohn

Pedelecer
May 29, 2019
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Just an update. I checked all the voltages again yesterday.

I was wrong with the measurement of 1.2v on the 5 v rail.

when I checked again , I got 5v on the Pedal sensor , the throttle, and the Hall sensors.
I also checked the continuity of the display cable from the display to the Controller's connector- all good.

In my defence it was tricky, I had to splice needles to use as probes onto my existing meter probes to enable me to make a contact in the tiny connectors. The power was shutting off automatically every 2 mins or so, and I was having to keep switching the power back on.

I called the technical dept at Wisper this morning and explained the flashing lights on my display and was advised it was probably a faulty controller.
I have ordered a new controller and was told I could get a refund if I return the controller if it turns out it's not the controller at fault. This sounds like a good course of action to hopefully resolve my issue.
 
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