Topic: Battery Level Indicator Electronics

[Umpa]

Can anyone tell me if its the pod or the control box that decides if the battery’s state of charge e.g. does the control unit send a signal to the pod that says 'turn a light out' or does the pod measure the voltage and decides to do it.

Cheers

Ian

[c5martin]

The thin brown wire that connects to the positive on your battery is used to supply power to the lights and also as a signal to measure the battery voltage. The battery voltage is checked by the ula chip in the pod. If the voltage under load drop's the display to decrement and is only rest by switching the power off and on. All actions on display are in 20 sec actions. Hope you can follow the above still asleep.

[Umpa]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for that, I'll explain what the problem is. When driving sometimes the lights go out one after another (never straight away but after a few miles say about 4) then starts to beep. If I switch on/off it resets and then 1 or two things will happen.

1 it will do it again
2) it  will work correctly (that is power lights on and stay on with no beep or cut out till battery flat)

I might have to switch on/off several times to get it to work properly.

Now this pod had loads of dry joints in it and I touched them up and got it to light up properly.  So my logic says I have a duff component or another dry joint some where but in the pod and not the control box.

Would you agree ?

[Umpa]

Ok, today going to work it did it again, this time I had only been on it for 5 mins.

Looking on Martins site it says R17 a 47ohm resister causes this. If some one can give me a yes your on the right track would be gud as I might have a crack at it sat morn. There is a maplin near me u see. 

[Umpa]

On my way home it reads empty beeps then goes back to full - lol

[c5martin]

The ULA chip in your pod is faulty!

This is not repairable!

Your only options are to use the pod with the fault or find a working replacement.

I have a pod with the same fault which is use as one of my test units.

[Karl]

On my way home it reads empty beeps then goes back to full - lol

I spoke with Martin about this fault and need to clarify if the pod resets itself, or do you have to switch your c5 off and then back on again to get it to reset ?

...it makes a difference as to whether it's repairable or not .

ps - I do have a spare pod available if needed.

[Umpa]

Karl, thanx can you bring the pod.

Yes it resets its self after on/off.
and sometimes it does it its self.

Now the fault has changed - now after 30 seconds of use the motor cuts out and all the left hand pod lights flash. But the battery lights remain on and full.

I think its duff too., Martin said he might be able to get me going without a pod.

If its the pod I'll just have to get another some how.

[Karl]

... Martin said he might be able to get me going without a pod.

..there is a section on Martin's website that shows you how to "adapt" a defective pod so that the c5 will still run .

[Umpa]

yeah - i think that's what hes going to do I think. He told me that there are lots of little tricks he can do that arnt on the site as you have to be careful with them.

If it cant be got going. Ill film you all - I'll make a day of it whatever happens.

[Umpa]

Just to tie up the thread, it was the pod that was faulty. Martin fitted me another and it was game on. 
 
It's worth me saying that unless your a dab hand at electronics there is nothing you can do in this pod, except maybe check for dry joints.

Regards

Ian