Might want to check your CAN bus connection

[wfopete]

I've had mine off once before but yesterday I had to disconnect/reconnect it because the bike wouldn't power up and found a lot of green corrosion on the pins.

 

[AL_V]

I've had mine off once before but yesterday I had to disconnect/reconnect it because the bike wouldn't power up and found a lot of green cotorsion on the pins.

How old is your bike, months of ownership, and hours of use?
Thanks

 

[wfopete]

New in 2024 (February) but I've replaced one battery so I may have not got the seal/s lined up just right causing water to migrate in. Phone sez 30 hours but that might be since the new battery was installed. I know I have more than that on the bike.

 

[MadpdXabbott]

Uuuh where is my "CAN bus connection" ? I kind of knew that, but I like to see specifics,
Good Call I had RED Light of Death before I started, and a creeping red light when I shut down Saturday last. The CAN BUS connection did not fix my issue, the VCU connector was my issue, but good time to clean them all on yearly maintenance. Oh and the twist lock connection under the Frame, I checked that too and used compressed air blew a small black gasket out of that and lost it, don't make my mistake! If anyone is in there I need a pic of the Code on the connector should be like 4 letters, "KTXD"?
I used WD40 contact cleaner maybe some compressed air, then I go back with DeoxIT brush on the Pins, let Dry. I only apply Dielectric grease to the connector Seals with a Q-Tip not getting any on the Pins or Contacts I just cleaned. Bike responds and feels like new.

 

[AL_V]

Uuuh where is my "CAN bus connection" ?

Look at this video 30 seconds in:

 

[Theo]

One solution could be to clean with contact cleaner or the purest isopropyl alcohol you can find, dry and add dielectric grease, provided Stark approves it.
You should be careful, though: listen to what this girl says about sealed connectors because I think that's wise advice:

Now, surely our CAN bus connector is a selaed one and, looking at these pictures, only four pins out of the six available slots are used, so there are two cavities:

View attachment 13542

View attachment 13543

now here is a picture of mine:

it looks like there are two cavity seal plugs there. I suspect that if you just add a ton of grease they could be pushed out by it during connection it and let water and dirt in.

 

[wfopete]

I had a closer look at mine today and the news is not good.

I was using a solution of H2O and baking soda to clean up the corrosion. I was using a toothbrush to apply the solution. Unfortunately one of the pins broke off. I'm not sure if the pin had succumbed to the corrosion and broke off or I ham fisted the poor thing. In any case I have aa problem as the connectors are not available separately only with a new battery. I actually do have an old battery but it would be a real chore popping open two batteries to swap connectors.

 

[drehwurm68]

In any case I have aa problem as the connectors are not available separately only with a new battery

What happens when you remove the 4 Torx screws - can you pull out the connector? Best case it is not soldered to a board directly and has some free length of cable. Might be worth a try.

Michael

 

[Theo]

There is still not much information available about the internals of those batteies, so first of all don't tinker with them because you risk ending up electrocuted! Keep calm because worst case scenario it's better to lose 3K $, buy a new battery and maybe even end up hating EVs, selling the Varg and riding gas bikes again than risking your life for a motorcycle, even if I understand how someone can feel frustrated in this situation since we all love dirtbikes.
YOUR LIFE IS YOUR PRIORITY

That said, I am not an expert, but as far as I know, EVs batteries are assembled in dry rooms and one of the reasons is the corrosion that can happen inside or the possibility that condensation could create short circuits, starting a fire inside the battery, even months after assembly.
So even if you undid the Torx screws and successfully swapped the connectors without opening the battery, unless the connector is separated from the cells you would let moist air into the battery and there is a risk -I don't know how significant- that one day something like that happens.
Surely I would not open the battery separating the two halves.
If I were in your shoes, I would do this:
1-asking Stark for a new battery under warranty; IMO it would have been better to contact them before trying to clean the connector,
2-if they refuse, ask them if I can ship it to them to have it repaired, being it under warranty or not, also mentioning that I can ship an old one to have the connectors swapped,
3-if they won't do that, I would ask some professional in the field to repair the battery, still mentioning the possibility to swap connectors.

@heikki, @fsfs,
you are professionals in the field: is it so important to find someone who has a dry room to open a battery?
fsfs mentioned the idea to apply dielectric grease to connectors, what do you think about cleaning these connectors with contact cleaner/isopropyl alcohol, dry and apply a little dielectric grease without hydrolocking with too much of it?

 

[wfopete]

I agree with Theo, popping the battery apart is risky and subject to all sorts of problems. I removed the torx screws from the housing and there is not much wire length to play with. Plus they are likely attached to some sort of circuit or mother board. I'll get with Stark and hope for the best but if this corrosion is a common condition with other bikes we have a problem.

 

[Rashid510]

There is still not much information available about the internals of those batteies, so first of all don't tinker with them because you risk ending up electrocuted! Keep calm because worst case scenario it's better to lose 3K $, buy a new battery and maybe even end up hating EVs, selling the Varg and riding gas bikes again than risking your life for a motorcycle, even if I understand how someone can feel frustrated in this situation since we all love dirtbikes.
YOUR LIFE IS YOUR PRIORITY

That said, I am not an expert, but as far as I know, EVs batteries are assembled in dry rooms and one of the reasons is the corrosion that can happen inside or the possibility that condensation could create short circuits, starting a fire inside the battery, even months after assembly.
So even if you undid the Torx screws and successfully swapped the connectors without opening the battery, unless the connector is spearated from the cells you would let moist air into the battery and there is a risk -I don't know how significant- that one day something like that happens.
Surely I would not open the battery separating the two halves.
If I were in your shoes, I would do this:
1-asking Stark for a new battery under warranty; IMO it would have been better to contact them before trying to clean the connector,
2-if they refuse, ask them if I can ship it to them to have it repaired, being it under warranty or not, also mentioning that I can ship an old one to have the connectors swapped,
3-if they won't do that, I would ask some professional in the field to repair the battery, still mentioning the possibility to swap connectors.

@heikki, @fsfs,
you are professionals in the field: is it so important to find someone who has a dry room to open a battery?
fsfs mentioned the idea to apply dielectric grease to connectors, what do you think about cleaning these connectors with contact cleaner/isopropyl alcohol, dry and apply a little dielectric grease without hydrolocking with too much of it?

Having a clean room/shop is incredibly important so that fod and or moisture does not affect the pack, doesnt matter if its a Stark or Alta...you should be able to air out the connectors, use electronics cleaner (meant for PCBAs/electronic assemblies) and then a tad of di-electric grease.

 

[Theo]

Having a clean room/shop is incredibly important so that fod and or moisture does not affect the pack, doesnt matter if its a Stark or Alta...you should be able to air out the connectors, use electronics cleaner (meant for PCBAs/electronic assemblies) and then a tad of di-electric grease.

Wow, I read in your signature that you used to work for Alta! Sorry if I didn't include you in the list of professionals who could answer that reliably; probably there are other users who are professionals too that I'm not aware about.
Of course if someone who is not a professional has experience with these situations I'm surely not daring to say that their opinions don't matter; it's just that when talking about EVs I feel a little like I used to feel about ICE bikes in the early 2000s when I couldn't find information that much on the Internet and I kept wondering what was that round thing on the right side of motorcycles; now I know it's the clutch cover and I can also remove it and service the clutch.

 

[Rashid510]

Wow, I read in your signature that you used to work for Alta! Sorry if I didn't include you in the list of professionals who could answer that reliably; probably there are other users who are professionals too that I'm not aware about.
Of course if someone who is not a professional has experience with these situations I'm surely not daring to say that their opinions don't matter; it's just that when talking about EVs I feel a little like I used to feel about ICE bikes in the early 2000s when I couldn't find information that much on the Internet and I kept wondering what was that round thing on the right side of motorcycles; now I know it's the clutch cover and I can also remove it and service the clutch.

No issues at all, when something is important, responses will happen .

EV Motos are a interesting animal - there very much using automotive EV tech, but needs to scale further on the cost/manufacturability scale.
Unless proper training is provided..an EV Moto battery will always be dangerous. Regardless of voltage. Only way to make them "safe" is to properly encapsulate them (like Hondas EV modules or Gogoro scooters)

 

[MadpdXabbott]

I had a closer look at mine today and the news is not good.

I was using a solution of H2O and baking soda to clean up the corrosion. I was using a toothbrush to apply the solution. Unfortunately one of the pins broke off. I'm not sure if the pin had succumbed to the corrosion and broke off or I ham fisted the poor thing. In any case I have aa problem as the connectors are not available separately only with a new battery. I actually do have an old battery but it would be a real chore popping open two batteries to swap connectors.
View attachment 13589

View attachment 13590

View attachment 13591

What happens when you remove the 4 Torx screws - can you pull out the connector? Best case it is not soldered to a board directly and has some free length of cable. Might be worth a try.

Michael

Begs the question, did you pressure wash or Hand wash? I agree reach out to Stark for a solution before you do anything else.
Connectors | Products | Amphenol , That Jack can be de-pined and replaced with new. A new Pin could be Crimped on the old wire, Not saying you should open your battery and do that, but the style of connectors are repairable and replace able. It takes a special Crimping tool and special tool to de-pin. A lot of Aircraft use Amphenol connectors. I know because I've done the repair, replace, re-pin on Airplanes.

 

[drehwurm68]

Connectors | Products | Amphenol , That Jack can be de-pined and replaced with new. A new Pin could be Crimped on the old wire,

Thanks for the info. If look at one of the above pictures there are the letters "RT" printed on the connector which seems to lead to the Amphenol RT360/RT series. They do have a metal shell though, but the lock pattern seems identical. https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1385607.pdf

Michael

 

[F451]

If you're considering replacing that connector, keep in mind that the corrosion may have migrated into the wires under the insulation. You'll want to make sure you snip off any corroded wire sections. Of course confirm whether you have enough slack in the wires to do that before you do anything.

I'd be inclined to reach out to Stark for a solution before I did anything else.