Knocking sound from my EZee Torq

[prState]

That started tonight. It definitely only occurs under power, not just when the wheel is spinning. I can't really tell anything different power-wise, just the noise.

I've looked at it, and just can't see anything at all. Although, when I first took off tonight, it almost sounded like something shot off the bike. Looked around and couldn't find any parts, but that doesn't mean I didn't lose something, as I was in a busy parking lot at night, and really couldn't look thoroughly.

I saw one thread about a hall sensor? What other things could it be, and what should I do, do you think? (I'm around 2500 miles on the motor give or take)

 

[flecc]

The first most likely thing is a poor or broken contact on one of the five thin Hall sensor leads from the motor to the controller. The wiring on these has varied over time, but somewhere along the length there are joins near the front fork point and a five way connector underneath the controller and battery area. Those need to be checked, and if I were you I'd first unwrap the insulation around the five way connector and remake the connection by repeatedly unplugging and replugging a few times to see if that does the trick. That's been the cause for me in the past.

It's also possible a Hall sensor has failed inside the motor, though this is more rare.

Another possible cause is the gear cogs and rack inside the motor failing and breaking up, though not too likely at 2500 miles.
.

 

[prState]

Thanks Flecc. I'll start a look, and hope for anything but the last one of course.

 

[flecc]

Thanks Flecc. I'll start a look, and hope for anything but the last one of course.

I hope so too, but the gears wheels and rack are replaceable and it's not as difficult to do that as you might imagine.
.

 

[prState]

Hi Flecc, after looking at your wiring diagram:

dagnostics

...and then looking at the bike, and the amount of insulation and number of connecting ties they added, I thought it might be best to come back and ask in what general location will I find the "five way connector" before I start cutting anything loose. Or perhaps, that is, it should be between what and what on the diagram?

With the bike upside down, I don't see an obvious 5 way connector.

EDIT:Okay, maybe I do see it if it's under the battery case -- but I'll wait till you respond just to make sure, because it still looks like I have to cut a bunch of stuff loose first.

Thanks.

(Hope I don't sound like too much of an idiot)

 

[flecc]

There are two connectors directly under the battery on the Torq 1 which aren't for the Hall sensors. If you have a third one (not shown on my early diagram) with five connections in the cable that goes tothe front fork and motor, that's the one. If you don't have a third one, the only connections are those alongside the front fork and those within the controller itself. It will be the five thin wire ones alongside the fork to check, and on many bikes those thin wires are soldered together at that point, so there could be a break.
.

 

[prState]

There are two connectors directly under the battery on the Torq 1 which aren't for the Hall sensors. If you have a third one (not shown on my early diagram) with five connections in the cable that goes tothe front fork and motor, that's the one. If you don't have a third one, the only connections are those alongside the front fork and those within the controller itself. It will be the five thin wire ones alongside the fork to check, and on many bikes those thin wires are soldered together at that point, so there could be a break.
.

A 5 connector is in a tiny plastic box on my bike on the fork along with 3 other wires that look like they are connected together with male female leads. I could not pull these 3 leads apart easily though, so I did not press to seperate them, and left them as is, for now. If I should need to check these too by disconnecting though, i'll go back and do it.

I did disconnect the 5 way and reconnect. No difference though, after putting it back togther. It all seems really tight and in good condition in the box, as far as I can tell.

I wanted to ask if I should be seeing a flashing LED code at start up? I get a steady light still when I turn it on.

Also, is there any sure method for a diagnosing a broken gear besides disassembly?

thanks!


(I have not stripped the insulation away from the multiple small wires yet. I suppose I may reach the point of doing that if I don't find the fault soon)

 

[HarryB]

A 5 connector is in a tiny plastic box on my bike on the fork along with 3 other wires that look like they are connected together with male female leads. I could not pull these 3 leads apart easily though, so I did not press to seperate them, and left them as is, for now. If I should need to check these too by disconnecting though, i'll go back and do it.

I did disconnect the 5 way and reconnect. No difference though, after putting it back togther. It all seems really tight and in good condition in the box, as far as I can tell.

I wanted to ask if I should be seeing a flashing LED code at start up? I get a steady light still when I turn it on.

Also, is there any sure method for a diagnosing a broken gear besides disassembly?

thanks!


(I have not stripped the insulation away from the multiple small wires yet. I suppose I may reach the point of doing that if I don't find the fault soon)

No need to disconnect the three wires as they are not your problem. The wiring under the bike is very vulnerable as mud and crud gets trapped under the bottom bracket where there are some connectors.The moisture sits in the crud, gets through the connector insulation and corrodes them. This is where I would look next.

 

[flecc]

Yes, I agree with Harry that this is your best move now, making sure the cable/connector connections are ok under the battery.

As far as the gears are concerned, if you wheel the bike backwards you should feel some jerking from the motor which is the drag of the successive magnets passing the iron poles. This should be regular in nature and without any particular points where the drag suddenly gets worse and seems to bind up the wheel. If you find a point where the drag pulse tries to seize up the wheel rotation, the gears will almost certainly be failing.
.

 

[prState]

Well, I'm down to the motor gears as the problem. The noise has increased to constant noisyrattley clunking -- parts slowly scrambling like eggs? And it's all kinds of unevenness rolling it backwards.

Don't know as I'll get to it until February.

I guess I'll be one of the few whose battery outlasted the new motor!

In retrospect it might fit the symptoms. It begin with doing nothing but taking off, and as I said, I thought something broke and shot off from the bike at the time, but it could have been all internal and I was just fooled by a sound echo or something.

So, is there any way other than fatigue that the gears can get misaligned internally and cause a early failure?

 

[Django]

See this related thread: Torq Motor Jammed

It happened to me simply because I neglected to grease the gears - that and riding through swamps!

 

[flecc]

This certainly now sounds like the internal gears are failing. Although they usually last several thousand miles, even when poor conditions are included as with Django's gears, a small proportion can fail early, even when new. My Torq when new in 2006 had gear failure in the first two weeks, cured with a new motor of course, since it was brand new, but replacement nylon gear sets are available for older motors.
.

 

[prState]

See this related thread: Torq Motor Jammed

before it froze up it was making a noise like a man building a shed.

Ha, yes, that would be a fair description too. So, when I open it up it will either be fractured gear works or a tiny shed inside.

 

[Django]

I often go to jazz gigs (I am a jazz musician after all) and at one particular gig the drummer was awful. A friend mentioned that he sounded like a man building a shed. It was spot on as an accurate description of both the noise coming out and the flailing arms. I couldn't stop laughing all night and can still picture him.

 

[iangarbutt]

Could it be the motor?

Hi
Maybe a late reply but I got a regular clicking in the motor which has just worsened.
I opened the motor unit and it consists of a drive unit and a "planetary gear" which is an approx 2 and a half inch metal disc with a hole in the middle which slots onto the drive shaft. On the disc are mounted 3 nylon toothed wheels which together articulate with the inside of the bike wheel (The unit looks a bit like the inside of a Phillishave razor and it's pictured on the nycewheels website).
One of the nylon wheels was rubbing slightly on the metal disc and several of the nylon teeth had sheared off as a result.
It looks as if you can buy another planetary gear -nycewheels sell them at 55$ - I'm hoping to source one from the UK.

 

[flecc]

Is it an eZee motor iangarbutt?

If so you can get the spares from Onbike who are the UK agents for the brand:

Onbike contact page

You need to replace the ring gear in the hubshell as well, it's fixed in place with screws. Here's the Torq 1 motor core: