electric bike charger

billyboya

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Aug 10, 2016
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Hi all

I'm probably worrying over nothing really, but I took my electric bike for a short run today, say about 3 to 4 miles maybe less. it was 3.30pm I put charger on and its been on now for about 2 hours 15 mins but charger light is still red. it was same when I just charged the battery after say 2 months of not being used, it seemed to take a while to recharge up again then but went to green eventually. but this time I have took bike for a run. it says on battery meter 29.61 V the battery is a 24 volt 16Ah lithium battery. like I said I'm probably worrying over nothing and it will go to green soon. like I said 1st the battery was just standing for 2 months, and it took a while for light to go green. but today was 1st time in a good while I actually took bike out for a run.


If charge light does go green in a bit I will of course edit this post to let you all know. I cant see why it shouldn't go green, as it did when I just charged battery after 2 months of standing, also its a new charger as well from ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274846699119

this is the meter on the battery which says 29.61 V



maybe its taking longer to charge up to green light as not been used much

EDIT POST: sorry guys bit weird this as all I did was unplug charger from mains, also from battery, then plugged back into battery again and then plugged in mains now charger has a green light so it seems to me charger maybe faulty but its a new one from ebay. battery now says 29.64 V
 

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Nealh

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Check the battery with another meter source, it should be 29.4v, the GT meter reading might be inaccurate by a small margin.
 

wheeliepete

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Feb 28, 2016
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I've got one of those meters and it always shows a slightly higher reading than my multi meter.
 

billyboya

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Aug 10, 2016
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Just used a meter on the battery and it reads 29.56v. Also checked charger and it said 29.90 v but I have now again plugged in charger and still shows red light. On my old charger it had a black dc Jack plug never had problem but this new charger has a yellow dc Jack plug would that be reading wrong or causing red light all the time. As it should have gone green by now as only went about 3 to 4 miles more 3 if anything. I’m sure it’s because of that yellow Jack plug as other one was fine when it was black one
 
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Nealh

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The colour of the jack plug has nothing to do with voltage, it is just a colour used in manufacturing. As long as the jack plug fits snuggly them it is fine.

Your meter may be wrong as well, 3 voltage readings and all different.
The green light might not be on because of balancing a large 16ah battery.
 

vfr400

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The reason the charger doesn't go green is because it's powering the meter. Is the controller switched on too?
 

billyboya

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The reason the charger doesn't go green is because it's powering the meter. Is the controller switched on too?
How do you mean is the controller switched on too. I have the battery in doors and bike is in my shed. on my old charger it used to go green np

When you say controller do you mean this below as yes it is on maybe I should turn that off

I think I have a faulty charger as I just tried unplugging it as it’s been red for ages. But soon as I plugged it back in the light on charger went to green
 

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billyboya

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Charge it without the wattmeter and see what happens.
Well now just left it running without the watt meter and at last it has gone to green, But I still think the charger maybe a bit faulty, but I only bought it last week. I have also noticed if you riggle the jack plug from charger what's plugged into battery it went green
 
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flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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Well now just left it running without the watt meter and at last it has gone to green, But I still think the charger maybe a bit faulty, but I only bought it last week. I have also noticed if you riggle the jack plug from charger what's plugged into battery it went green
You are worrying too much and looking for problems that don't exist. VFR 400 gave you the answer:

"The reason the charger doesn't go green is because it's powering the meter."

While anything is taking power the charger will stay charging on red. By using a wattmeter that takes power from the charger you are fooling the charger that the battery still wants more power, so it doesn't change to green.

Your new charger is ok, it's charged the battery and switched to green, once you stopped confusing it with that wattmeter.
.
 

billyboya

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Aug 10, 2016
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You are worrying too much and looking for problems that don't exist. VFR 400 gave you the answer:

"The reason the charger doesn't go green is because it's powering the meter."

While anything is taking power the charger will stay charging on red. By using a wattmeter that takes power from the charger you are fooling the charger that the battery still wants more power, so it doesn't change to green.

Your new charger is ok, it's charged the battery and switched to green, once you stopped confusing it with that wattmeter.
.
Yeah I'm known to be a worrying old git. I just didn't want to sell my electric bike when charger wasn't right. But its obviously charged as it said on watt meter. and I did removed fuse for watt meter but just connected it up to check

I just opened battery compartment on bike to see when I fitted battery, it will be 5 years 21st sept as I wrote on the battery so that's done well
 

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