Panasonic

[rolando177]

My much used Raleigh Dover has developed an electrical problem. It switches off intermittently and comes back on after a few minutes.

From my reading I gather that this is unrepairable and I need a new bike. Is that correct?

 

[flecc]

If it switches off under load while riding, it could just be the battery failing. It's also worth checking the battery and bike contacts, since they can corrode and create imperfect contact. More on that on this link.
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[rolando177]

Sage advice to check the battery contact. I found this, with a small (corroded/singed?) neg terminal and some slight heat damage of the black plastic surround at the battery terminal. See photos.

Repairable? Can I find a new battery contact platform?

 

[flecc]

Getting a new one might be difficult. The Raleigh Dover is discontinued and Kalkhoff no longer use the Panasonic system, also your contact arrangement is a little different from the original shown on my site.

You could try Raleigh e-bikes to see if they have a spare, but if not, best clean up the existing contact blades.

However, if the cutting out is when the motor is called onto work harder, it may be the battery is failing. Cutting out, then ok again after resting is a characteristic of a failing battery.

Do you know how old it is?
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[rolando177]

The battery is 2 years old (24Ah Derby). After cleaning the contacts the engine still does not start. It was the same with my second battery.

Will contact Raleigh. Will also try eBay but this motor seems to have dropped out of sight. I feel rather sad about it!

 

[rolando177]

Just an update:

I removed the contact plate and found that due to heat the negative contact terminal had sunk into the plastic. So I removed the contact using a hot knife and reset it with a lot of superglue. It works, the bike lives again and I am very relieved. Thank you Flecc.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Epoxy might be a safer bet than superglue. In theory it will get harder the more heat you put into it (within reason). But well done!

 

[flecc]

Just an update:

I removed the contact plate and found that due to heat the negative contact terminal had sunk into the plastic. So I removed the contact using a hot knife and reset it with a lot of superglue. It works, the bike lives again and I am very relieved. Thank you Flecc.

A pleasure, and well done for finding the cause of loss of contact. I thought the terminals looked a bit odd compared to standard.

I'm concerned that the terminals get that hot, it might be a good idea to make sure the battery is stable in one position and doesn't bounce on the road causing intermittent contact. You can pad it if necessary using the tip on that link I gave you.
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