New controller with display for Fano-Tex FT-7009E with Bafang 36V front wheel motor?

Tobias Claren

Finding my (electric) wheels
Aug 23, 2025
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0
Hello.

I own a Fano-Tec FT-7009E.
It has a Bafang 36V front wheel motor.
Controller G3M20211-1592-16 and the simple LED880 display.

Now, after cleaning, the motor no longer works.
There was a little water in the controller plugs.
Even after blowing it out and heating it up for a long time with a hair dryer, nothing has changed.

Now would be a good opportunity not only to buy an identical replacement (€6), but to see if there is something better available.
Of course, this should still be worthwhile for a cheap tricycle from China.

What would you recommend here?


Thank you.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
9,222
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Telford
Can you show the controller label and a picture of ALL the wires and connectors spread out so that we can see what it is.

Water shouldn't damage anything unless you got in in the 5-way connector that goes to the 880 panel. Before anything, check that the motor connector is in ALL THE WAY TO THE MARKED LINE, not just in tight. 1mm short can cause non-function.
 

Tobias Claren

Finding my (electric) wheels
Aug 23, 2025
5
0
Here is the controller:
64119

The Cables:
64120
64121

The thick white 5-pin plug is very firmly seated with hot glue.
It no longer worked after cleaning.
The cables were not moved at any time.
After drying, I pressed all the plugs firmly into each other.
 
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saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
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4,112
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Here is the controller:
View attachment 64119

The Cables:
View attachment 64120
View attachment 64121

The thick white 5-pin plug is very firmly seated with hot glue.
It no longer worked after cleaning.
The cables were not moved at any time.
After drying, I pressed all the plugs firmly into each other.
Are they tide marks on the controller. Looking at those and the corrosion on the screws and plates, it looks like the bottom corner of the controller has been under water a lot and at least one time half of the whole box has been submerged. Is that right?

I can tell you now that you'll be very lucky to get a plug in replacement for that controller, even though I still can't see all the wires. You might as well get one with an LCD.
 

Tobias Claren

Finding my (electric) wheels
Aug 23, 2025
5
0
No, the controller is completely dry in the photo.
It always worked, even during and after rain.
It only stopped working after being cleaned with a damp cloth.
The controller and cables were in a plastic bag that was secured to the cable harness with a cable tie.
The plugs were damp inside.
But there was no water in the bag.

The buttons and LED display on the LED-880 are working:
64126
Could it still be that only the LED880 is defective?
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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Pretty much std generic Bafang speed controller, replace with a nice KT model with LCD for better user experience.

Test the controller, one may find a dead short/mosfet failure.

For less then £100 one will get the bike working again with a nice KT set up or one can buy a crappy speed control system for less then £50.
As the bike already has a crappy speed controller system spend the little extra and benefit from nicer rider control input.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
9,222
4,112
Telford
No, the controller is completely dry in the photo.
It always worked, even during and after rain.
It only stopped working after being cleaned with a damp cloth.
The controller and cables were in a plastic bag that was secured to the cable harness with a cable tie.
The plugs were damp inside.
But there was no water in the bag.

The buttons and LED display on the LED-880 are working:
View attachment 64126
Could it still be that only the LED880 is defective?
What's that white mark accross the bottom corner of your controller? How did it get there? There's another one higher up at a slightly different angle.

The LED display works independent from the controller. It has its own battery supply and would be fully functional even if you smashed the controller with a sledge hammer or drowned it in water.
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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Moisture has been involved , it is clear as has been mentioned .
Rusty screws, and water damage marks are visible, open the controller and one will likely see the damage to the PCB.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
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4,112
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The LED display only works when I slide the large battery under the seat.
And when the battery pack was empty, not only did the motor shut down, but the display also went blank.
That's right. Both the controller and LED display are powered by the same battery, but they work independently. They are able to talk to each other through the yellow and green wires if you have the UART version of the 880 or through just the green wire if you have the analogue version.

In the 5-way connector, the black and red wires are connected to the battery and they're live as long as the battery is switched on. They provide permanent power to the 880. At that point, there is no power for the controller, so it's in the switched off state. The main battery wires only power the motor. A branch is taken from them to power the 880. When you switch on the 880, the battery voltage becomes latched to the blue wire, which runs back to the controller to power it, so the 880 is the switch for the controller.

Bearing in mind the above, the first test is to check that the controller switches on. You can do that by measuring the voltage on any of the thin red wires that go to the motor, pedal sensor or throttle, but not the one to the 880. When the 880 is switched off they should have zero volts and when switched on, they should have 5v.
 

Tobias Claren

Finding my (electric) wheels
Aug 23, 2025
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I never questioned that.
I'm looking for replacements for both.
One set.
A recommendation, or recommendations for different levels.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
9,222
4,112
Telford
There are many choices when you want to replace a controller. A basic one that's similar to what you already have is about £20. One with an LCD and 5 levels of assist is about £40. A very nice one that gives a nice ride, allows you to choose the power you want and makes your motor smooth and quiet is about £70.

They nearly all work directly with the motor - just plug in and it works, though rarely, the expensive controller doesn't like the sequence of the wires in the connector, so you have to swap some around, which isn't much of a problem when you have the bullet and block connectors on the controller end of the motor cable, like you have.

Pedal sensors can also give problems, where the wires sequence in the connector doesn't match, so need to be swapped around.

Your motor probably doesn't have a speed sensor in it, so any LCD will not show the correct speed unless you fit an wheel-magnet type speed sensor. They will show the correct speed without one, but only when the motor is giving power. When you freewheel down a hill, it'll show zero speed because the motor won't be turning.

You have to choose a controller that gives the power you want considering the constraint of how much power the battery can give. The maximum power is written on the controller, but the only thing that has a real meaning is the maximum amps. If you want more climbing power, you can choose one with higher maximum amps. Generally, the higher the maximum amps, the bigger the controller. You also need to consider the size of the controller, bearing in mind the constraint of the location where you plan to put it.

The more expensive option controller is normally dual voltage 24v/36v or 36v/48v. This gives the option of changing your battery to 48v when it needs replacing. That gives you 30% more torque, power and speed at the expense of a small loss of efficiency.

To summarise, there are three levels of cost and functionality. All of them will probably require some attention to one or more connectors. Choose one that gives the maximum current and voltage you need.

IMHO, it's worth spending the money to get a sinewave KT controller with LCD, speed sensor and throttle from Topbikekit or wherever you can find one the right size, current and voltage you want. It might be worth getting the 10 magnet PAS too if your present one has 12 magnets, since there can be compatibility issues with those type sensors.