Hello and help please!

[Zeffer]

Hi, I have been lurking around for a month and was about to join when my bike failed so now it's more of a panic than a proper hello! But, I live in Solihull and my wife and I have owned cheap e bikes for about a month.

Now for the question! My bike is a Wayscral 402 from France. My dad has owned one for a couple of years and I finally gave in. They are typical 250 watt front motors a bit like the EBCO UCL 30. Yesterday mine stopped working. It was fine on the way to the shops then just stopped.

As my wife's bike is identical I tried the battery on hers. No problem with that. I then put them side by side and connected my front motor cable to her bike and my motor worked fine. I can only assume one of the sensors has gone in the brake levers or the pedal sensor.

The small power controller comes on as normal. The LED on the pedal sensor lights up. I have managed to get to the controller and disconnected the sensors but I am getting no readings on my multi metre when I pull the brakes or pedal the bike, so I obviously don't know what I'm doing!

Can anyone help me work out what the problem is so I can phone for a replacement part? Going back to France with the bike is not an option as it will cost several hundred pounds to get to my dad's again. Won't be buying a bike in France again even if it is half the price!

Many thanks and I look forward to getting to know everyone!

 

[Alan Quay]

Try disconnecting the brake sensors to eliminate them first. Do the same on your wife's bike to prove that disconnecting them would allow the bike to run.

 

[Zeffer]

Thank you. I have tried on mine. I could try on my wife's but it requires a lot of deconstruction that I'd rather avoid on a perfect bike. I will if there is no other option though. I was hoping that I could use the multi-metre to see if when I pull the levers there was a change in resistance but nothing. It doesn't help that there are three cables otherwise I could try shorting them but I dare not touch at the moment in case I wreck it completely.

 

[Alan Quay]

Ok, the three cables are 5v, 0v, and a return signal from the hall sensor. With the meter on volts, you should be able to ID them all - as long as set to volts you can poke the leads in where you like.

The colours will give us a clue, pics will help....

 

[Zeffer]

Thank you so much.


The top cable goes to the motor. The brakes are the red, black and green ones. Green, red, blue and black goes to the small controller on the handlebars. The bottom one is the pedal sensor.

 

[Alan Quay]

Ok, so the brake sensor is likely to be 5v on red, 0v on black and return signal (0 or 5v) on green. You need to find a way to measure between black/green while the lever is operated. If it's working, you will see a voltage change.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Your bike should work with the brake sensors disconnected if you disconnect them at the controller end - when that's possible, so you don't need to measure them. Instead, check between the red and black pedal sensor wires to confirm 5v.

The most likely culprit is the motor connector/s. Follow the wire from the motor. Is there a connector near the motor. If so make sure it's fully home. Check the connections at the controller too.

 

[Zeffer]

They seem to work. When the levers are pulled it drops to 0 from 4.5 volts. Is there a way to test the pedal sensor?

Edit: just seen the above post will have a look.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I forgot that French bikes have no throttle. Check between the black and yellow pedal sensor wires while it's plugged in. You'll have to pick out the hot-melt glue in the back of the connector to get your probes in. Rotate the pedals slowly forward and you should see 5v stepping on and off.

 

[Zeffer]

Pedal sensor red and black is 4.71 volts. There is also an LED on the pedal sensor that is lit.

I have checked the wires to the motor both ends. It does have a connector by the forks. I was able to connect my wife's front wheel and it didn't work. When my wheel was connected to my wife's bike it worked fine.

Is there a voltage I can check going to the motor?

Edit: just seen above post. Will have a go.

 

[Zeffer]

May have the problem. I get a continuous reading of 0.01 volt no change at all. Since the LED is lit on the sensor I assume the wire is OK?

 

[Alan Quay]

May have the problem. I get a continuous reading of 0.01 volt no change at all. Since the LED is lit on the sensor I assume the wire is OK?

Check that the magnet disk is close enough to the sensor. Compare it to the other bike. A few mm is normal.

 

[Zeffer]

Ok, disk has been checked and I temporarily pushed it a bit closer with a chopstick just to make sure!

However, I was measuring the wrong two wires. Yellow and black are continuously on 4.71 volts the same as the black and red. I have double checked and definitely have the correct wires. No change in voltage at all.

 

[Alan Quay]

Ok, disk has been checked and I temporarily pushed it a bit closer with a chopstick just to make sure!

However, I was measuring the wrong two wires. Yellow and black are continuously on 4.71 volts the same as the black and red. I have double checked and definitely have the correct wires. No change in voltage at all.

That makes me think that the sensor itself must have failed.

If it were mine, I'd prove this by holding up the front wheel, and repeatedly shorting yellow to red, simulating the pedal sensor.

 

[Zeffer]

Do I disconnect the sensor completely and then short the black and yellow then? I was thinking of this myself but don't want to do it wrong.

 

[Zeffer]

Oh, yellow to red. Good job I re- read your post!

 

[Alan Quay]

Yes, disconnect the sensor, it seems to be stuck closed.

 

[Zeffer]

No luck with this. With the sensor disconnected I shorted between red and yellow trying to simulate the sensor but no luck.

I tested the power with the sensor removed. Red and black, 4.7 volts. Yellow and black 4.7 and red and yellow 0.06. Not sure how it works though but assumed yellow and black would have no voltage since the sensor was removed.

 

[Zeffer]

As you say it does seem to be stuck closed but I suppose it could be a short circuit? Seems odd that it worked and then just stopped whilst I was in the shop.

 

[Alan Quay]

Ok, it looks like the pedal sensor needs to be shorted to 0v.