Help! FreeGo battery life. Controller fault?

Billtee

Just Joined
Apr 4, 2021
3
2
My Wife and I have two identical FreeGo folding e-bikes. About three years old, bought brand new. We use them a lot. Always out together. One failed completely when 15 miles from home. I rode home for the car. We took it to the bike shop and they fitted a new controller as it was burnt out.. Fine. The other has started going less and less distance on charge and now will only do about 17 miles from full charge..This is on power setting two. We have swoped the batteries with no success. I took the cover off the lower controller box and found several burnt, melted and fused wires, which I taped. Still the same . Do we need a new control box and are they easy to fit please.. I also noticed water had been getting into the compartment which is not surprising as there is no gasket or seal. Any advice would be greatley appreciated. Thank you.
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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If any good at soldering one could solder new wire lengths and connectors of for trouble free cut the connectors and solder the ends direct, slide a bit of heat shrink up the wire first before soldering the joint. As long as no shorting has occurred then controller should be good, the melting is due to heat and leads to poor current flow, energy is being lost as heat rather then power to the motor.
 

vfr400

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Jun 12, 2011
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Are you saying that you only get 17 miles with each batteries on that bike, and when you put each one on the other bike, you get full range? if so, did the bike ride without any noticeable problems or was there something obviously wrong?
 

sjpt

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Jun 8, 2018
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Are you saying that you only get 17 miles with each batteries on that bike, and when you put each one on the other bike, you get full range? if so, did the bike ride without any noticeable problems or was there something obviously wrong?
You didn't mention how far they went per charge before. If the batteries are still good and they went a lot further that means a lot of extra energy is going somewhere; and it will be as heat. Ride a few miles and feel around to see what is getting much too hot; sounds as if it could well be the control box.