Freego problems

Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
Hi....I suspect that the battery on my recently acquired second hand Freego Eagle, (new at 12 October 2011) has been neglected...I rode up a slight hill that my last bike would have taken easily and the Freego all but stalled.

...can I test the battery ? how do I do it ? how much is a new battery ?

....any advice appreciated.....thanks....Mike
 
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Deleted member 4366

Guest
All you need to test it is a voltmeter. Charge it up, wait 20 minutes, and measure the voltage at the outer two connections.
 

Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
Thanks d8veh...can you please tell me which voltmeter to buy ? will I know which setting to use ?

cheers sapper warranty not transferable though.

....Mike
 
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Deleted member 4366

Guest
Thanks d8veh...can you please tell me which voltmeter to buy ? will I know which setting to use ?

....Mike
Anything that looks something like this:
Digital LCD Multimeter Voltmeter Ammeter OHM AC DC Circuit Checker Tester Buzzer | eBay
You can get them from Maplin, Argos, or any DIY shop, but expect to pay from £10 upwards. Yoou should ask for a Multimeter rather than a voltmeter.

No self-respecting ebike owner should be without a multimeter. It can help you find out what's wrong with your bike whenever it has bad symptoms, or you can check that you're getting the best out of your battery. It's just as important as a puncture repair kit.

It's sometimes handy to have a voltmeter on your bike so that you can see how the battery behaves in real-time. You can use one of these but you have to make a mount for it:
K1BO DC 15 to 120V Waterproof Red LED Panel Meter DC Digital Voltmeter Two-wire | eBay
 
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Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
.....cheers d8veh...I've ordered the one you linked to....much obliged

...thanks....Mike
 
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Deleted member 4366

Guest
While your waiting, you might want to have a look at this thread, where a 10aH battery had been run flat and then left for about a year. After revival, I measured the capacity over two discharge cycles at exactly 10aH both times, so fully recovered. It's very easy. Don't be put off by all the wires and meters etc.
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/14973-reviving-dead-battery.html
When the meter comes, do the measurement that I suggested above, report the voltage, and then we can take it from there.
 

Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
cheers d8veh...I read it when you first posted and was suitably impressed. :)
....I wished I could do it, then thought if I was wishing anyway, I'd just wish for a new bike. :)
 

KirstinS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2011
3,224
899
Brighton
You sound a wee bit unsure ! I was in the same boat a few months ago and was walked through repairing my battery by kind folk here- I also didn't own a meter when I started out either :)

I just thought - if it's out of warranty and doesn't work then I've nothing to lose anyway
 

Eaglerider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 25, 2011
374
47
East Sussex
Hi....I suspect that the battery on my recently acquired second hand Freego Eagle, (new at 12 October 2011) has been neglected...I rode up a slight hill that my last bike would have taken easily and the Freego all but stalled.

...can I test the battery ? how do I do it ? how much is a new battery ?

....any advice appreciated.....thanks....Mike
That's a nuisance Mike63. Your bike is around the same vintage as mine and my battery is still going fine, so perhaps as you suggest, it has not been looked after. As mentioned, if its out of warranty you have nothing to lose so best follow D8veh's instructions. That's what I plan to do when my battery packs up, whenever it happens, so I will be watching this thread with interest.

With replacement batteries being so expensive, it's got to be worth researching all options, as there is potentially another two years life left in it.
 
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Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
Hi d8veh...I just got the multimeter you linked to.
........will you please tell me where to set the dial and which 2 of the three sockets I use to check battery voltage?

....many thanks.....Mike
 

JuicyBike

Trade Member
Jan 26, 2009
1,671
527
Derbyshire
Mike
Set the voltmeter to DC 0-200V position, then measure the voltage between the two outer sockets at the base of the battery when the battery is switched on. Make sure you don't connect the two sockets together!
With luck, fully charged it should measure around 40 - 42V.
 
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Deleted member 4366

Guest
Just in case you don't notice, there's two voltage scales - AC an DC - DC is normally marked by a "V" with like a minus sign next to it and dots or dashes under the minus sign. AC has a squiggle somewhere next to the "V". You must use the DC scale 200V like Bob said.

You put your probe sockets black in the middle position and red in the right.
 
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Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
Thanks guys....I think...if I did it right...I got 41.6
...I used the 200m on the left of the dial....at the 9 o'clock position.

....what does this tell you ? ....thanks....Mike
 
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Deleted member 4366

Guest
It's a good indication that you've got a healthy battery. Is that hot off the charger, or did you wait a bit?
 

Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
...Hi d8veh ....the multimeter turned up at 2pm and I tested battery at 4.30pm....battery fully charged.
....but there is certainly a lack of power...what else could it be ?

thanks....Mike
 

Eaglerider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 25, 2011
374
47
East Sussex
Hmmm, thinks!

I have re-read your first post, and whilst power seems low, you do not say if it actually cut out. If it kept going without cutting out, and seeing your battery voltage seems ok, it would suggest the problem is elsewhere.

Two things come to mind. If you are using the bike in pedelec mode, you must ensure the throttle button is not depressed. It's easy to press it without noticing. This has the effect of reducing the power available, so make sure the button is out. Is there any difference when using the throttle with the pedelec bit switched off? You need to press the minus button on the handlebar controller three times until all the power lights go out, leaving only the battery meter lights remaining, then use the throttle.

Secondly, and perhaps the more likely issue is with the controller that sits in the box at the bottom of the seat post. My controller failed progressively over a period of a few weeks earlier this year. In my case I was experiencing intermittent complete failures, often remedied by switching off at the key, and back on again. A new controller (£65 as I recall) sorted it completely.

It may be that your controller is stuck in low power mode and this might explain the fact that your battery appears fine but only low power is available. I'm afraid I don't know how to check it, D8Veh is the man for that.

If you haven't already, do give Freego a call and ask for their technical guy. I did, and found them helpful and constructive, and the guy knew the bike in great detail.

Good luck with it, they are cracking bikes, when its all working right, mine still goes really well.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
...Hi d8veh ....the multimeter turned up at 2pm and I tested battery at 4.30pm....battery fully charged.
....but there is certainly a lack of power...what else could it be ?

thanks....Mike
You didn't answer my question. Let me try it a different way. How much time was there between takking the battery off the charger and measuring its voltage?
 

Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
It may be that your controller is stuck in low power mode and this might explain the fact that your battery appears fine but only low power is available.
Thanks Eaglerider....I don't think that is the case, the bike goes really well in "med" but I struggle even on the flat in "low" ...at about 6mph the motor is running but above about 8mph motor stops.

I have tried the throttle but I don't use it...I always make sure the button is out.
.....don't want bike setting off without me :)

Is there any difference when using the throttle with the pedelec bit switched off? You need to press the minus button on the handlebar controller three times until all the power lights go out, leaving only the battery meter lights remaining, then use the throttle.
I've never tried that....I will try it today.

...thanks....Mike
 
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Mike63

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 23, 2008
809
64
You didn't answer my question. Let me try it a different way. How much time was there between takking the battery off the charger and measuring its voltage?
...sorry d8veh...I misunderstood...I don't know but it was certainly more than the 30 minutes you first said to wait.

I'm not even sure I used the correct setting on the multimeter ...even on the DC side of the multimeter there are 4 markings for 200....I tried to repeat the reading but got nothing.

...cheers....Mike