MXR dead this morning... (and now alive!)

[Philip]

I remember reading here somewhere.... The 9v battery can be replaced without pulling the battery pack.... I would be talking to that guy !!!!

I am proud to say I have done that today. You do not need to remove the ACM to pop its cover and remove the battery. Just need to disconnect the connectors and wiggle it around.

 

[revoltlution]

Would the newly available diagnostics software support you in troubleshooting?

 

[Bionicman]

Replaced the main battery? And also replaced the ACM?

I might have to do a battery swap party tomorrow. Does the battery swap video exist somewhere, or are there any other instructions?

They swapped both main & ACM

 

[Bionicman]

I am proud to say I have done that today. You do not need to remove the ACM to pop its cover and remove the battery. Just need to disconnect the connectors and wiggle it around.

Quick video as this subject will be future maintenance-
I would swap 9v battery for a fresh one - rule that out

 

[Mark911]

I'd check for 12v at the battery pack I/O connector or ACM.

On my 17 pack there are 2 red wires (relatively large gauge), a purple wire, and two black wires (grd). I believe the purple wire is part of the key-on system in that when the key is "on" it closes a relay inside the pack that connects regulated 12v to the bus through the other two red wires. On mine the purple wire goes to the ACM pin 4A and the reds go to the ACM pins 2M and 3M. The blacks go to the ACM pins 1L and 1M. As you mentioned, the key has three wires all going to the ACM as well. Black to 1A, purple to 2A and yellow to 3A. If as you tested the purple has 9v and if connected to the yellow the bike starts then one conclusion is that the 9v battery is providing the power through pin 2A through the key to 3A where it passes to pin 4A which closes the relay in the pack and connects the battery (12v) directly to the ACM via pins 2M and 3M. Of course, the circuit could work the other way around as well.

Bottom line, I think you need 12v at 2M and 3M for the bike to start. If you don't have voltage you'd work back from there.

 

[Bloak]

You indicated bike was charged then doesn't work. How are the pins on charge Port? Anything shorting them?
Was bike washed? Data Port dry/clean with nothing shorting canbus pins?

 

[OneLapper]

Someone needs to make extension cables that connects the battery I/O connector and high voltage wire connector to the bus connectors. That way you could do testing with another pack or with a repaired pack without a bunch of dis/re-assembly.
Onelapper is our resident cable maker, maybe he's interested?

I can certainly try. I'll need to see the R pack and A pack terminations, both battery side and bike side.

 

[Philip]

I can certainly try. I'll need to see the R pack and A pack terminations, both battery side and bike side.

That would also allow folks to strap a second battery somewhere on the rear fender and double the range, LOL!

 

[Philip]

You indicated bike was charged then doesn't work. How are the pins on charge Port? Anything shorting them?
Was bike washed? Data Port dry/clean with nothing shorting canbus pins?

The bike wasn't washed, still dirty/dusty from the day before. The charge port pins look normal. I stuck the changing connecter there again without problems.

 

[bluefxstc]

Not sure how the contactors are in the main pack, but I wonder if you have a welded/failed contactor? If it is welded in the charge position it may not switch to the run position. Another options would be that the charge contactor disables the run contactor. Just a couple of ideas since it seemed to fail after charging. It would be nice to have a wiring diagram and logic block diagram to help with this. We are all, or at least I am, shooting in the dark since we really don’t understand the inner workings of the bike.

 

[motomatt50]

I had one of my demo model SMs do this. Charged it one night and it was good, took it out for a ride and put it back on the charger. I went to load it up the next day and it was bricked. No lights came on, the key wouldn't work, nothing. I tested the switch and it was good, tested the 9v and it was good. I then swapped main battery packs and it worked. I put the bad pack in the former working bike and nothing came on so Alta HQ had to send me a new battery. All this was with the "A" pack though and I never did hear what the determination was for the issue. Sorry to not have a cause for you, but I have seen this issue before.

I hope this isn't the case for you and I wish you luck with finding the cause!

 

[Fod]

Yikes!

 

[Philip]

I have good news and bad news.

The bike is running.

But it took swapping the battery pack. So the battery pack is bad. Dead/muerto/morto/сдох/死.

The dead battery pack is not working in a good bike.

 

[OneLapper]

I have good news and bad news.

The bike is running.

But it took swapping the battery pack. So the battery pack is bad. Dead/muerto/morto/сдох.

The dead battery pack is not working in a good bike.

Well, its good to narrow down where the problem is. Now we need isolate what the problem is with the battery pack.

 

[Philip]

Bad Battery Club membership: 3
Dead Battery Club membership: 1

 

[snydes]

Bad Battery Club membership: 3
Dead Battery Club membership: 1

This is a club you don't want to be a member of

I'd say it's a safe bet your pack issue is resolvable, so I won't accept your club membership as of yet.

 

[Redwolf]

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.

 

[Fod]

...for the sake of science, you can donate your battery to the guys on here that are needing donors to work on. They may be able to repair it or use it to get the other club members up and running?!?!?! I would only offer this solution because I know you have another bike MXR. The only way I would know how to fix it is to take a hammer to the battery with the switch on and bam bam bam till the water pump turns on.

 

[F451]

Very sorry to hear of this development. As a wanna be-Alta owner, I've been closely monitoring things since Alta went belly up. You guys have been doing a great job of beginning to be self supporting, but there are so many unknowns, and break downs like this are the only things keeping me from buying an Alta.

That said, good luck! I'll be looking forward to future updates. -Ed

 

[Philip]

No need to worry yet. Lots of helpful guys here on this forum may have located the replacement parts for me already. I will have another battery poking and tinkering party tonight and hopefully later this week.

If these battery parts help fix the issue, my original parts will be donated to science, of course.