S18 charger may have failed?? It just flashes red and back to green.

[Unipsycho]

Hi folks, my S18 charge has suddenly stopped charging my EUC.  When I plug it in, the charger flashes to its normal red led just for a few seconds and then it goes back to green.  Every 4-5 seconds, it flashes red just for a moment and then right back to green.  After a minutes it just stops this cycle and stays green, NOT charging the EUC.

The EUC is not gaining any charge and otherwise everything on the EUC appears to be functional, has power still, etc.

When I watch the power/battery levels in the kingsong app live, it fluctuates up and down with both the voltage and the current.  

 

Anything else I can do and do you think this is just the charger?

[Chriull]

1 hour ago, Unipsycho said:

Anything else I can do and do you think this is just the charger?

Very most likely it's the charger - and as it's the cheapest and easiest to replace you should start with it.

Would be great i you'd know someone else with an 84V wheel to try another charger.

[Tawpie]

15 hours ago, Unipsycho said:

Anything else I can do

Check the wheel diagnostics in one of the apps... but it does sound like a bad charger. Use this as an 'excuse' to get a fast one (I say that but I still finish my charge cycles on the stock 1.5A charger because for whatever reason I trust it to do the balancing—I'm certain I'm totally misguided, but that's a common theme in my life)

[Unipsycho]

Thanks guys, does anyone know as well if I stick a voltmeter on the charger output, is it supposed to output 84V or would it require load sensors and stuff before it activates its output?  I haven't tried yet, can't seem to find any info online searching about these chargers.  So, might just need to replace it.   I don't have much need for a fast charger, just more risk and wear on the batteries, I usually am pretty wiped about 35-40km of mountain riding, legs/back so not much need for multiple charges in a day.

 

Had to break out the trusty pedal muni and bike today for my mountain rides, was brutal hot though, but no motor to overheat, just my own!  haha

Edited June 27, 2021 by Unipsycho

[Tawpie]

I don’t know what it’ll read with just a multimeter as a load… you’re really only interested in what it’s reading when it’s all connected to the charging circuit + battery and charging. I wouldn’t make decisions based on no load voltage. All that said, I’d expect to see just over 84V no load.

Use care though, the Lenovo connector’s contacts seem like a multimeter induced short circuit waiting to happen.

Edited June 27, 2021 by Tawpie

[Unipsycho]

2 minutes ago, Tawpie said:

Besides, the Lenovo connector’s contacts seem like a multimeter induced short circuit waiting to happen.

Ya, I'd have to make a little heat shrink connector or something for that lead, I agree.  Well, probably just need to replace the charger and hopefully that is all it is.

 

[Dawnshot]

This is usually because your batteries have become unbalanced. Open up the motherboard, unplug one of the two big batteries, then plug in the charger. If it is green try this with the other one. If it is red, let it charge until it catches up to the other one.  

[enaon]

I hope it is the charger but I don't think so, the charger fails by just staying green as far as I have seen, flashing is bad pack/ bms.

Edited January 1, 2022 by enaon