As a follow up to my last post on this subject, i recently encountered the same problems again. This time I decided to take a multimeter to the switch, to see if anything could be done there.
It seems whilst the switch in the 'ON' position no longer works, it will operate in the 'OFF' position. All i needed to do was to find the wire coming from the switch 'off contact' which wasn't actually connected to anything, and use that in place of the wire coming from the 'on contact'.
This simple fix saved me the trouble of replacing the entire switch assembly, which the folks at Powercycle had been gracious enough last time to supply at no charge.
Incidentally, I decided to replaced my battery after nearly 5 good years of use. The new battery arrived within 3 days of the order being placed, and came complete with keys and replacement battery lock [think about it].
PowaCycle Battery Lithium Polymer 26V - 10Ah - eBikes Direct
Quoted below in its entirety is the document i received from Powercycle on how to diagnose and fix the problem. As for how to removed the handle, i found the best way was to tip the bike on its side so the handle rested in kettle of hot water for a few minutes.
REPLACING THE ON/OFF SWITCH OR THROTTLE ON WINDSOR/SALISBURY/MILAN 2
1. The electrical connections to the rest of the circuit are made in the branch junction just in front of the head tube of the frame. This junction is covered by a rubber sleeve, and there are two zip ties (both above and below the sleeve) to hold the bundle of cables together. Cut these zip ties, then wrapping your hand around the sleeve gently ease the sleeve downwards enough to expose the connections.
2. The connections are usually re-insulated using black heatshrink. Expose the connection between the red wire coming up from the controller (connecting with a green wire going up to the on/off switch) and the black wire returning from the switch connecting to the red wire going up to the throttle.
3. Temporarily join these two connections together so as to bypass the on/off switch (you don’t need to disconnect the wires, just short them together).
4. If the throttle now works, the original switch must be faulty (so ignore items 10, 11, 12); if the throttle still doesn’t work then the throttle is faulty instead (so ignore items 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14).
5. If it was definitely the on/off switch that tested defective, remove the left hand grip by gently heating it then twisting off (use a hair dryer, boiling water, a hot air paint stripper at low setting and long range – be careful not to melt the plastic !).
6. Slacken the allen key grub screw that clamps the switch to the handlebars and remove the original switch.
7. Fit the new switch to the handlebars and gently tighten the grub screw when the new switch is in the same position as the old one.
8. Run the wire from the new switch parallel with the adjacent cable from the brake lever as far as the electrical junction at the head of the bike, then cut the wires so there is about 10mm overlap with the existing wires coming from the controller.
9. Solder the green lead from the switch to the red wire coming from the controller, and the black wire from the switch to the red wire going to the throttle. (Note the red wire from the switch isn’t used on these bikes). Ideally use 3mm dia heatshrink to insulate these new connections, in which case this needs fitting to the wire before soldering the connection. If you don’t have any heatshrink, then use good quality insulating tape instead.
10. If however the throttle tested faulty, remove the existing throttle (again with an allen key grub screw) and fit a new one. The right hand grip is part of the throttle so doesn’t need any separate attention.
11. Run the wire from the new throttle parallel with the adjacent cable from the brake lever as far as the electrical junction at the head of the bike, then cut the wires so there is about 10mm overlap with the existing wires coming from the controller.
12. Solder the red lead from the throttle to the black wire coming from the switch, the black wire from the throttle to the yellow wire going to the controller, the white lead from the throttle to the green lead going to the controller. Ideally use 3mm dia heatshrink to insulate these new connections, in which case this needs fitting to the wire before soldering the connection. If you don’t have any heatshrink, then use good quality insulating tape instead.
13. Switch on the battery, then the new switch, then test the throttle now works.
14. If the throttle works with the new switch, refit the left hand grip by warming up the handlebars and the hand grip, then push it onto the bars right up to the switch.
15. At the electrical junction in front of the head of the frame, grip the rubber sleeve in the palm of the hand and gently slide it back up over the wires from the controller until it covers the junction connections. Refit a zip tie around the wires just above, and at the bottom of the sleeve.
16. The task is now complete.
Good luck
Bob Jones
Powacycle Support 26 November 2008
