Wispa Bike will no longer power up

[oregon]

Hello all

My wispa 905 bike (2013) has suddenly stopped working. It wont power up.

It is fully charged. Pressing the battery level button on the battery, indicates the battery is fully charged.

If I switch power on, the lights on the controller briefly flash, then all turn off. It looks like its dead

I have disconnected and reconnected the battery. No change. I dont know what could be wrong. I am very sad to see this happen. I never had this happen to my previous 2008 Wispa bike.

Can anyone advise on what could have happened? I hope a solution can be found.

Please help.

Many thanks.

 

[MikelBikel]

If you mean Wisper bikes try their 'Wisper Clinic' forum

Wisper Clinic

Questions specifically directed to David at Wisper.

www.pedelecs.co.uk

or contact them direct perhaps.
Cheers
Mikel

 

[vfr400]

If the battery is fully charged and the control panel only flashes when you try to switch it on either the control panel is faulty, which is usually because it got water in it, or there is a major short circuit somewhere, like a blown MOSFET in the motor controller. To test the controller, drag it out of its compartment, disconnect all the connectors, then measure the resistance between its battery red wire and each of the three thick motor wires. The resistance of each should be the same as the others and in the range 7k to 14k. Repeat using the black battery wire to get another three readings.

It's vaguely possible that you have a bad battery connection somewhere. The common points are bad solder joints on the back of the battery switch probably not on your type of switch), the battery blade connectors where the battery slides in to its receiver, and the bullet connectors on the controller.

If it's the control panel that's faulty, the voltage on the two battery wire connectors should hold steady while you attempt to switch on. If it's a short circuit or connection fault, the voltage will collapse after you try to switch on.

Whatever the fault, you can't solve it without testing with a meter as described above.

 

[oregon]

Thanks VFR400. Doing any of what you say is way above me I wouldnt have the first clue. I will have to somehow send the bike to Wisper for repair...

 

[vfr400]

It really is easy. All you need is a screwdriver and a multi-meter. Everything that you don't know seems difficult, but when you know how, it's simple. We can tell you how, then you learn something.

 

[oregon]

It really is easy. All you need is a screwdriver and a multi-meter. Everything that you don't know seems difficult, but when you know how, it's simple. We can tell you how, then you learn something.

Yes you are right. But, if I did manage to do this, and uncovered the fault. I would still have to send the bike back for repairing the fault?

 

[oregon]

If the battery is fully charged and the control panel only flashes when you try to switch it on either the control panel is faulty, which is usually because it got water in it, or there is a major short circuit somewhere, like a blown MOSFET in the motor controller. To test the controller, drag it out of its compartment, disconnect all the connectors, then measure the resistance between its battery red wire and each of the three thick motor wires. The resistance of each should be the same as the others and in the range 7k to 14k. Repeat using the black battery wire to get another three readings.

It's vaguely possible that you have a bad battery connection somewhere. The common points are bad solder joints on the back of the battery switch probably not on your type of switch), the battery blade connectors where the battery slides in to its receiver, and the bullet connectors on the controller.

If it's the control panel that's faulty, the voltage on the two battery wire connectors should hold steady while you attempt to switch on. If it's a short circuit or connection fault, the voltage will collapse after you try to switch on.

Whatever the fault, you can't solve it without testing with a meter as described above.

Hi VFR - I have a mulimeter. I cannot see how I can open the controller? It is very tightly closed and there is no visible way of opening it? What do you suggest?

 

[vfr400]

I'm assuming that yours has the battery down behind the seatpost and the controller compartment underneath it. All you have to do is remove the screws in the plate on the side. Make sure that your screwdriver fits the screws properly. Photos of what you have or what your problems are always help.

 

[oregon]

I'm assuming that yours has the battery down behind the seatpost and the controller compartment underneath it. All you have to do is remove the screws in the plate on the side. Make sure that your screwdriver fits the screws properly. Photos of what you have or what your problems are always help.

OK, so I have opened the controller and disconnected a set of red and black wires. I am not sure what to press on the multimeter. Do I hold I put the meter test leads between the two red connections ? I am using a Tacklife DM01M meter. I have chosen 6M on the meter dial. I am not getting any reading. I think also the battery must be switched on with the bike key? I have tried with it on and off but no difference

 

[oregon]

I have attached a photo of the controller. I disconnected the main red and black wires and tried to measure resistance but there was nothing. I am not sure I am doing it correctly. I also notice the 2 purple wires are not connected, but connecting them doesnt seem to make any difference. Not sure what they are.

Strangely, while I was messing around with the controller with the meter. I plugged the red and wires back together, and suddenly the bike powered up and seemed to work. But it is now dead again.

 

[oregon]

This is the multmeter

 

[vfr400]

Disconnect the two battery wires from the controller and the three thick motor wires (Blue, yellow and green. Set the meter to orange 60K Ohms scale and put one probe on the black thick wire on the controller and the other onto the green one. Note the reading (probably around 7K). Repeat for the yellow and blue wires. Repeat using the thick red wire and each of the three motor wires again. You might get a constantly changing result, in which case just take a quick snapshot of it, then go on to the next one. Post the six results here.

The next thing you can do is connect everything up and set your meter to read volts (orange V 60 range). See if you can jam your probes into the sleeves around the battery bullet connectors to leave you hands free. Switch on the battery. You should see more than 40v. Watch what happens when you attempt to switch on with your control panel to see if the voltage stays steady when the panel goes back off or whether it drops right down temporarily. That will tell you where to look to solve the problem.

Don't worry. You can't get any sort of shock from anything there. When you reconnect the battery, it might spark and make a snap noise, but that is harmless and normal. Obviously, you must connect the wires the right way round - red to red, etc.

One last thing. Your meter has a hold button. Make sure that it's not latched down because it'll hold the last result until you unlatch it.

 

[oregon]

Disconnect the two battery wires from the controller and the three thick motor wires (Blue, yellow and green. Set the meter to orange 60K Ohms scale and put one probe on the black thick wire on the controller and the other onto the green one. Note the reading (probably around 7K). Repeat for the yellow and blue wires. Repeat using the thick red wire and each of the three motor wires again. You might get a constantly changing result, in which case just take a quick snapshot of it, then go on to the next one. Post the six results here.

The next thing you can do is connect everything up and set your meter to read volts (orange V 60 range). See if you can jam your probes into the sleeves around the battery bullet connectors to leave you hands free. Switch on the battery. You should see more than 40v. Watch what happens when you attempt to switch on with your control panel to see if the voltage stays steady when the panel goes back off or whether it drops right down temporarily. That will tell you where to look to solve the problem.

Don't worry. You can't get any sort of shock from anything there. When you reconnect the battery, it might spark and make a snap noise, but that is harmless and normal. Obviously, you must connect the wires the right way round - red to red, etc.

One last thing. Your meter has a hold button. Make sure that it's not latched down because it'll hold the last result until you unlatch it.

Results

From thick black wire - 09.95 to all all three of the blue yellow and green
From thick red - 0.000 for all three

 

[oregon]

What does that reading mean?

 

[vfr400]

If you've measured correctly, you've blown all three high side MOSFETs. That makes a dead short across your battery wires, so, the moment you switch on, the high current causes the battery to temporarily switch off. Did you do the voltage test above? That will confirm it.

 

[Nealh]

For the Red wire test you can you use the continuity/diode position on the meter.
if you get 0 or the beep sound fet is blown, if you get 1 /infinity they should be ok.

 

[oregon]

If you've measured correctly, you've blown all three high side MOSFETs. That makes a dead short across your battery wires, so, the moment you switch on, the high current causes the battery to temporarily switch off. Did you do the voltage test above? That will confirm it.

Which are the battery bullet connectors? The ones at the bottom of the battery or where the charger plugs into? I cannot put the meter probes into the battery at the same time as the battery as on the bike as it sits over the connectors. I did put the probes into the sleeves with the battery off the bike and switched the battery on and got a reading as you said, it was 40v.

 

[oregon]

For the Red wire test you can you use the continuity/diode position on the meter.
if you get 0 or the beep sound fet is blown, if you get 1 /infinity they should be ok.

Hi, I am not sure which is the red wire test?

 

[Nealh]

Hi, I am not sure which is the red wire test?

Same test as you have already done, but using different meter setting.
Controller Red battery connector to the three phase wires.

The ohms test on Red with some meters give a fluctuating reading, unlike the test for the Black to Phases. The diode setting will give a fixed reading of 1 good or 0 bad.

 

[vfr400]

Which are the battery bullet connectors? The ones at the bottom of the battery or where the charger plugs into? I cannot put the meter probes into the battery at the same time as the battery as on the bike as it sits over the connectors. I did put the probes into the sleeves with the battery off the bike and switched the battery on and got a reading as you said, it was 40v.

Inside the controller compartment, the battery wires (red and black) come from the roof of the compartment to two bullet connectors, then they carry on to the controller. Depending on what type of bullet connectors, you can sometimes get your probes inside the protective sleeves, while they remain connected. On others, you can sometimes get the probes in the back where the wire goes in, but then you need a second person to hold them while you switch on the bike.

If you can't get your probes in there, the only other place is on the connector to your control panel. It's normally a flat black 4 or 5 way connector. You can hook out any hot melt glue in the back, which will give you enough room to get your probes in. You need to probe the voltage between the red and black wires on that connector while you switch on.