Hey there, I got an e-bike a while back, and suddenly the battery stopped charging. I thought it was the charger, waited for a replacement charger and then that didn’t fix it. I have a bit of background with electronics so I took the cap off the battery and poked around with a multimeter. I think the issue is the connections of the charging cable, anyone know what this white goo on top of the wires is and how I could remove it?

The battery was under warranty so I’m getting a replacement but I’d hate to throw a mostly good battery in the trash

  • @[email protected]
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    1911 months ago

    Before you go peeling things off that bad boy, make absolutely sure they won’t want you to mail it back. If they request you return it as part of the RMA they may see that it’s been tampered with and accuse you of causing the fault.

  • @[email protected]
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    11 months ago

    Just dont burn your house down plz :)

    There is all sorts of intelligence in that thing that regulates when and how much it is charging/discharging. I doubt the main power connection is broken but it probably is switched of unless it is connected to the bike to prevent damage to the bike and you and your house.

    There is also probably temperature sensing in it, which could be broken and prevent the battery from functioning because the controller thinks its overheating/freezing.

    Edit: Also with stuff that you expect to be outside in the rain (like a bike) you really dont want to have a bad seal on the battery. If you get water or even just humidity in there it will lead to all sorts of bad stuff chemically and electrically.

    • @artificial_unintelligenceOP
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      111 months ago

      Yeah part of the reason I’m asking here is to get a better sense of pros/cons of messing with it. I’d ideally reseal it if I got it working

  • @[email protected]
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    411 months ago

    It looks like silicone sealant. You should be able to scrape it off. Try using a tool that’s not sharp enough too cut the wires such as a flathead screwdriver and pliers or tweasers.

  • @[email protected]
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    411 months ago

    RTV silicone of some sort. If they don’t have you return the old battery, then you can scrape it. Get an edge up, then use a qtip dipped in isopropyl alcohol in there to loosen the bond. From there work it with a credit card or plastic scraper and the alcohol qtip.