hall sensor error ... ktlcd3- info 3

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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I had to wrestle the bike out of the rack at the supermarket after a later arrival parked a bit close, and in doing so i knocked the cable/hub nut against something on its way out. Attempting to pull away under battery power once loaded resulted in the motor cutting off after an initial burst and the display showing info 3.. At the time i assumed it was a low battery error as the battery was pretty low, and i just cycled back..

However a quick google on my return revealed that its a hall sensor error and i recalled the difficulty in pulling the bike out from the rack.

I think its pretty obvious whats happened, and i pinched/shorted/cut at least one sensor wire with the knock to the cable extending from the hub nut.

I hope to spend some time and check the cable properly at the w/end, before however i wonder if there are any gotcha's or insights i should be aware of in advance?

my plan is to simply clean off (de-grease) and inspect the cable for damage and repair as best i can with the wheel in place, removing it only if i deem a cable replacement or further investigation is required. The flex entry is greased up due to me greasing it after finding it originally very rusty to the point its protection spring (wire coil) was falling apart, not the great idea i originally thought.

Is there a product that can be bolted on to protect this vulnerable cable entry point from glancing blows?
 

Nealh

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If the damage is at the cable entry /exit point then repair is likely to be very tricky or near impossible. One may have to opt for opening the hub and threading a new complete cable through.
 
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thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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If the damage is at the cable entry /exit point then repair is likely to be very tricky or near impossible. One may have to opt for opening the hub and threading a new complete cable through.
Pretty much what i expect to find.. youtube reveals it to be a bugger of a job too ;)
One of the first things that registered with me on inspection of my kit on its arrival was the vulnerability of this aspect of a hub motor. The design with the cable exit within the span of the rear'forks' seems far superior atm ;)
 

saneagle

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Oct 10, 2010
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I had to wrestle the bike out of the rack at the supermarket after a later arrival parked a bit close, and in doing so i knocked the cable/hub nut against something on its way out. Attempting to pull away under battery power once loaded resulted in the motor cutting off after an initial burst and the display showing info 3.. At the time i assumed it was a low battery error as the battery was pretty low, and i just cycled back..

However a quick google on my return revealed that its a hall sensor error and i recalled the difficulty in pulling the bike out from the rack.

I think its pretty obvious whats happened, and i pinched/shorted/cut at least one sensor wire with the knock to the cable extending from the hub nut.

I hope to spend some time and check the cable properly at the w/end, before however i wonder if there are any gotcha's or insights i should be aware of in advance?

my plan is to simply clean off (de-grease) and inspect the cable for damage and repair as best i can with the wheel in place, removing it only if i deem a cable replacement or further investigation is required. The flex entry is greased up due to me greasing it after finding it originally very rusty to the point its protection spring (wire coil) was falling apart, not the great idea i originally thought.

Is there a product that can be bolted on to protect this vulnerable cable entry point from glancing blows?
You've simply pulled the connector out a bit. Hopefully, you didn't try the motor too much after that because it can blow the MOSFETs in the controller. Say your prayers, then push the connector back in.
 
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thelarkbox

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You've simply pulled the connector out a bit. Hopefully, you didn't try the motor too much after that because it can blow the MOSFETs in the controller. Say your prayers, then push the connector back in.
Tried it 3 times, 2x at the shops, and 1x after charging the battery at which point i googled the error,
I wish i could say there was an element of snagging involved in the bump but my recollection is lacking in that respect and im doubtful, but will be happy to check. thanks for the ray of hope, fingers crossed..
 

thelarkbox

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Considering @Nealh s above comment on the likelihood of requiring a cable replacement it seems expedient to amazon order a replacement in readiness and return it should it be surplus.
However my search for 'Ebike hub motor replacement cable/flex' was fruitless.
So Cutting one of these down to fit seems like the best option?


Also Amazon ads appear to feature manufacturer/brand name prominently? is this relevant? is there more than 1 9pin connector format?
 

saneagle

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Considering @Nealh s above comment on the likelihood of requiring a cable replacement it seems expedient to amazon order a replacement in readiness and return it should it be surplus.
However my search for 'Ebike hub motor replacement cable/flex' was fruitless.
So Cutting one of these down to fit seems like the best option?


Also Amazon ads appear to feature manufacturer/brand name prominently? is this relevant? is there more than 1 9pin connector format?
Find out what the problem is first. you might be panicking over nothing. It takes 1 minute to check whether the connector outer lines up with the marked line. I can;t understand why you guys can never check that.
 

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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Find out what the problem is first. you might be panicking over nothing. It takes 1 minute to check whether the connector outer lines up with the marked line. I can;t understand why you guys can never check that.
Oh i will be checking 1st thing, And the whole reason for posting in the first place was to get such sage tips, and i will be very happy to eat each and every word of the following text too, if and when your proven correct..

But my recollection of the suspected incident nor my brief visual scan of the cable and its securing ties on initially getting the error, do not bolster any support for the loose connection theory.
 

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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oxon
Yes, the plug is well home, And a very tiny blemish/slice into the flex outer sleeve is just detectable in the 2nd pic below :( well it looks like damage to me??

I had greased up the cable entry to the hub in attempt to aid moisture sealing and protect the spring/coil protection from further damage. and greased up it was totally obscured.

After de-greasing and confirming the cable connection was well home I gingerly lifted the back wheel turned on and applied a gentle throttle, and the motor started up nice and smooth, but as soon as i applied more power than that required for a nominal wheel spin the clean motor sound got very 'grity' and cut off with 'info 3' on the display.

I initially dismissed the gritty noise as the wheel /hub rotated freely without any noise or issue when cycled back after failure and as the issue presented itself more rapidly when full power was initially applied i was not sure it was my bike related or just a background noise feature.

A photo session snapping from every angle and pulling the wire coil free from the junction area to reveal the flex shows no other external damage to the cable than the apparent slice in pic2 below.

I guess i need to pull the wheel now and check the continuity of each and every wire and check out the actual hall sensors themselves too?

So I think it would be expedient to order in a replacement cable.
 

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PC2017

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One assumes you found this vid...

GRIN cable replacement

Not for the faint of heart.

Check all of the cable length, I had a slight wear on my long YOSE cable which exposed inner wire. Once inside the motor check the hall sensor placements and connections.
 

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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Thanks for the tip @PC2017 i will indeed check the whole wire length all the way to the controller.. It would be great to find an easy to patch cable prob, or even a busted sensor needing a quick through hole pcb component swap out..

Not that particular vid no, thanks for the link.. but the one i did catch was not a cake walk requiring chemical and physical persuasion to first de-seal/glue and then pull the old flex and then thread the new..
A job i can see myself not enjoying.
 

Nealh

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To aid pulling the cable thru solder the new cable to the end of the old cable ( solder two or three of the phase wires) and then apply spread/grease from the fridge on the cable outer to aid in a less friction pull thru .

In all the years I have used hubs , I have yet to damage a cable at the axle.
 
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saneagle

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Before dismantling anything. Check the cable at the other end. Make sure all the bullets are all the way in and tight in the barrels.
 

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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Cheers, will be doing a full cable check later, I spent a bit too long pottering in the garage this morning and have been catching up since.

There is scope and a lil hope, for a connector issue however as the controller bag is squashed in above the battery sled where removing/replacing the battery disturbs the controller bag somewhat. and an excess of cable is bunched up in with the controller.
 

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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So I opened up the controller bag, the controller just sits there, so currently is disturbed by battery removal etc. all connections looked good but i gave each one a push to encourage connection and while none gave any indication of moving something happened as the motor now runs without error?


I took it for a quick trip round the block. All seems good?

I guess i can cable manage inside the bag tie off the controller to the top bar and tie back the cables from interference when removing/replacing the battery.

very happily surprised..

thanks for all the input...

Even though ive watched the battery squeeze the controller bag countless times already it never registered that it could be an issue Doh!
 
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PC2017

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A job i can see myself not enjoying.
Some of these vids, are worth the time watching, even though, not like for like motors etc but there maybe a few tips and tricks to pick up on. Or do a me and have a spare motor.

I have yet to damage a cable at the axle.
I did that Dillenger cable in at the axle, after the hall sensor fix I did. The Yose was wear at the top of the forks.
 

thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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And the problem is back!! This is not my daily ride, its the bike i hop on when i realise i should have charged the battery on my bike yesterday..
And this error has cropped up almost every time i have ridden this bike. and has been 'resolved' with disconnecting the controller end of the 4in 1 cable spraying it with the residual oily air from an almost spent mini wd40 spray can and reconnecting. However this stopped working today.

ON return home i uncoiled the cable wrap and uncoupled, sprayed, and re-coupled the headset julet connection as well as the controller end from a fresh full wd40 tin, no pins appeared bent or corroded?

And Yes all connections pushed back well home..

substituting a higher powered 22a controller resulted in the same error on the headset and no motor.

I have a new headset i can swap over too but the lcd-03 on this bike is new and has seen little or no rain exposure.

I am using a 9 pin extension cable between the controller and motor and have double checked both connection ends too.

If i continue to have the same problem after replacing the headset unit I will google the pin out for the 4 in 1 cable and continuity test its connections.. At which point if that tests out ok? I am back looking ath the cable out of the motor ;( ho hum.. that is unless ive overlooked something?
 

saneagle

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Oct 10, 2010
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And the problem is back!! This is not my daily ride, its the bike i hop on when i realise i should have charged the battery on my bike yesterday..
And this error has cropped up almost every time i have ridden this bike. and has been 'resolved' with disconnecting the controller end of the 4in 1 cable spraying it with the residual oily air from an almost spent mini wd40 spray can and reconnecting. However this stopped working today.

ON return home i uncoiled the cable wrap and uncoupled, sprayed, and re-coupled the headset julet connection as well as the controller end from a fresh full wd40 tin, no pins appeared bent or corroded?

And Yes all connections pushed back well home..

substituting a higher powered 22a controller resulted in the same error on the headset and no motor.

I have a new headset i can swap over too but the lcd-03 on this bike is new and has seen little or no rain exposure.

I am using a 9 pin extension cable between the controller and motor and have double checked both connection ends too.

If i continue to have the same problem after replacing the headset unit I will google the pin out for the 4 in 1 cable and continuity test its connections.. At which point if that tests out ok? I am back looking ath the cable out of the motor ;( ho hum.. that is unless ive overlooked something?
The LCD works completely independently from the controller. If you get a hall sensor error code, the problem is between the controller and the motor. All you did by unplugging the LCD cable is switch off the controller, since the LCD contains the on/off switch for it.
 

Nealh

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Have you tested the Halls for operation and that they switch between 0v - 5v ?
It is pointless checking cables greasing etc, if the test isn't carried out. It only needs one Hall to be defective .

Going back to the original cable knock , if an inner thin Hall wire /s were pinched it is plausible that a cable/s inside may be damaged and is unseen.
One will also need to carry out continuation from the motor connector and the Hall board inside the motor , for which one will have to also open the hub up.
 
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thelarkbox

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Aug 23, 2023
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wheel out and sensor checking it is then.. thanks for the direction.. fingers crossed for a dry joint or similar that a reflow may fix. ..