Mobility scooter trouble

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the only other one I can remember being Mercury) with a 'pg drives technology' "s drive" OR "s-drive" controller - for which no search hits.

Clues: the bleeping has been intermittent. Operating the motor disengage switch often sorted it, but no longer does. The electric friction brake has been operating inconsistently.

Checks: testing the connectors that plug into the controller /i consistently get a 50 ohm load that can only be the friction brake, so that looks ok. I can't tell how the motor disengage switch is wired up. The back end should come apart for access to motor, brake & disengage switch but it seems to be seized, making access there a mare. I've noticed that it will work once every large number of times.

I don't understand the controller at all, other than it's obviously an H bridge driver. I looked for cracked joints to the termminals, no problem found there.

Where can I go from here? I'd check the disengage switch next if I could get to it, but I can't.


NT

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 10/29/19 11:53 PM, John Robertson wrote:

Manufacturers tech support via email/web site?

John

Never call the manufacturer when you can waste hundreds of
hours of other people's time on UseNet.


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

[John Robertson]

On 2019/10/29 7:29 p.m., tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the only other one I can remember being Mercury) with a 'pg drives technology' "s drive" OR "s-drive" controller - for which no search hits.

Clues: the bleeping has been intermittent. Operating the motor disengage switch often sorted it, but no longer does. The electric friction brake has been operating inconsistently.

Checks: testing the connectors that plug into the controller /i consistently get a 50 ohm load that can only be the friction brake, so that looks ok. I can't tell how the motor disengage switch is wired up. The back end should come apart for access to motor, brake & disengage switch but it seems to be seized, making access there a mare. I've noticed that it will work once every large number of times.

I don't understand the controller at all, other than it's obviously an H bridge driver. I looked for cracked joints to the termminals, no problem found there.

Where can I go from here? I'd check the disengage switch next if I could get to it, but I can't.


NT

Manufacturers tech support via email/web site?

John

 

[gregz]

<tabbypurr@gmail.com> wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical
online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the
only other one I can remember being Mercury) with a 'pg drives
technology' "s drive" OR "s-drive" controller - for which no search hits.

Clues: the bleeping has been intermittent. Operating the motor disengage
switch often sorted it, but no longer does. The electric friction brake
has been operating inconsistently.

Checks: testing the connectors that plug into the controller /i
consistently get a 50 ohm load that can only be the friction brake, so
that looks ok. I can't tell how the motor disengage switch is wired up.
The back end should come apart for access to motor, brake & disengage
switch but it seems to be seized, making access there a mare. I've
noticed that it will work once every large number of times.

I don't understand the controller at all, other than it's obviously an H
bridge driver. I looked for cracked joints to the termminals, no problem found there.

Where can I go from here? I'd check the disengage switch next if I could
get to it, but I can't.


NT

7 code might be throttle trip when inserting key on.

Greg

 

[Adrian Tuddenham]

<tabbypurr@gmail.com> wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical
online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the
only other one I can remember being Mercury)

I had this fault code on a "TGA Eclipse" , which the manual identified
as a speed control fault. When I dismantled the control panel, the loom
connector fell off the board connector, it hadn't been clipped in
properly and had gradually worked loose. Perhaps the speed control
connections were the first to go open circuit or perhaps Code 7 was the
first thing the error code software picked up on.


--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

 

[John-Del]

On Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 12:53:20 AM UTC-4, John Robertson wrote:

On 2019/10/29 7:29 p.m., tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:
When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the only other one I can remember being Mercury) with a 'pg drives technology' "s drive" OR "s-drive" controller - for which no search hits.

Clues: the bleeping has been intermittent. Operating the motor disengage switch often sorted it, but no longer does. The electric friction brake has been operating inconsistently.

Checks: testing the connectors that plug into the controller /i consistently get a 50 ohm load that can only be the friction brake, so that looks ok. I can't tell how the motor disengage switch is wired up. The back end should come apart for access to motor, brake & disengage switch but it seems to be seized, making access there a mare. I've noticed that it will work once every large number of times.

I don't understand the controller at all, other than it's obviously an H bridge driver. I looked for cracked joints to the termminals, no problem found there.

Where can I go from here? I'd check the disengage switch next if I could get to it, but I can't.


NT


Manufacturers tech support via email/web site?

John

He can try, but I've found out over the years that manufacturers almost never divulge any information.

Early this summer I repaired an AC inverter module for a solar array for an old customer (and he asked nicely). The inverter is an $800 dollar item but when I contacted the manufacturer for a schematic, the engineer told me it was "proprietary". I told him AC inverters are not a unique product and all the ICs in the inverter were off the shelf sourced, but it fell on deaf ears. Fortunately, this one was stone dead and using the suggested circuits from the IC data sheets found on line, I was able to find the problem in a DC-DC circuit.

I would be very surprised if the scooter manufacturer offered anything but a rebate or exchange program.

 

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 11:48:41 UTC, John-Del wrote:

On Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 12:53:20 AM UTC-4, John Robertson wrote:
On 2019/10/29 7:29 p.m., tabbypurr wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the only other one I can remember being Mercury) with a 'pg drives technology' "s drive" OR "s-drive" controller - for which no search hits.

Clues: the bleeping has been intermittent. Operating the motor disengage switch often sorted it, but no longer does. The electric friction brake has been operating inconsistently.

Checks: testing the connectors that plug into the controller /i consistently get a 50 ohm load that can only be the friction brake, so that looks ok. I can't tell how the motor disengage switch is wired up. The back end should come apart for access to motor, brake & disengage switch but it seems to be seized, making access there a mare. I've noticed that it will work once every large number of times.

I don't understand the controller at all, other than it's obviously an H bridge driver. I looked for cracked joints to the termminals, no problem found there.

Where can I go from here? I'd check the disengage switch next if I could get to it, but I can't.


NT


Manufacturers tech support via email/web site?

John

He can try, but I've found out over the years that manufacturers almost never divulge any information.

Early this summer I repaired an AC inverter module for a solar array for an old customer (and he asked nicely). The inverter is an $800 dollar item but when I contacted the manufacturer for a schematic, the engineer told me it was "proprietary". I told him AC inverters are not a unique product and all the ICs in the inverter were off the shelf sourced, but it fell on deaf ears. Fortunately, this one was stone dead and using the suggested circuits from the IC data sheets found on line, I was able to find the problem in a DC-DC circuit.

I would be very surprised if the scooter manufacturer offered anything but a rebate or exchange program.

Mfrs say go to your local dealer, have them do any work. I suspect they're scared of liability as well as looking to steam what they can out of everyone. Local dealer was approached once previously, and they wanted hundreds for a job a local eng firm quoted ÂŁ60 for. Not a path of any use.


NT

 

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 11:00:42 UTC, Adrian Tuddenham wrote:

tabbypurr> wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical
online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the
only other one I can remember being Mercury)

I had this fault code on a "TGA Eclipse" , which the manual identified
as a speed control fault. When I dismantled the control panel, the loom
connector fell off the board connector, it hadn't been clipped in
properly and had gradually worked loose. Perhaps the speed control
connections were the first to go open circuit or perhaps Code 7 was the
first thing the error code software picked up on.

Maybe that's it, the throttle isn't zeroing right either. I'll go look at that later on. Thanks.


NT

 

[Stephen Wolstenholme]

On Wed, 30 Oct 2019 05:38:06 -0700 (PDT), tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:

Mfrs say go to your local dealer, have them do any work. I suspect they're scared of liability as well as looking to steam what they can out of everyone. Local dealer was approached once previously, and they wanted hundreds for a job a local eng firm quoted Ł60 for. Not a path of any use.


NT

I have the same experience with my wife's scooter. The local dealer
charges too much. The man who does anything that involves the
replacement of any parts seems to have access to anything that the
local dealer stocks but charges much less.

Steve
--
http://www.npsnn.com

 

[Adrian Tuddenham]

<tabbypurr@gmail.com> wrote:

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 11:00:42 UTC, Adrian Tuddenham wrote:
tabbypurr> wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical
online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the
only other one I can remember being Mercury)

I had this fault code on a "TGA Eclipse" , which the manual identified
as a speed control fault. When I dismantled the control panel, the loom
connector fell off the board connector, it hadn't been clipped in
properly and had gradually worked loose. Perhaps the speed control
connections were the first to go open circuit or perhaps Code 7 was the
first thing the error code software picked up on.

Maybe that's it, the throttle isn't zeroing right either. I'll go look at
that later on. Thanks.

There's probably a safety check in the startup routine to make sure
power can't be applied if the 'throttle' is already open . Forklift
trucks ran all sorts of tests like that (using relay logic in the older
models) before they would close the main contactor.

--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

 

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 12:39:19 UTC, tabby wrote:

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 11:00:42 UTC, Adrian Tuddenham wrote:
tabbypurr> wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical
online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the
only other one I can remember being Mercury)

I had this fault code on a "TGA Eclipse" , which the manual identified
as a speed control fault. When I dismantled the control panel, the loom
connector fell off the board connector, it hadn't been clipped in
properly and had gradually worked loose. Perhaps the speed control
connections were the first to go open circuit or perhaps Code 7 was the
first thing the error code software picked up on.

Maybe that's it, the throttle isn't zeroing right either. I'll go look at that later on. Thanks.


NT

Looks like you were right, zero the throttle and it starts ok repeatedly. The end user says thank you.


NT

 

[Adrian Tuddenham]

<tabbypurr@gmail.com> wrote:

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 12:39:19 UTC, tabby wrote:
On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 11:00:42 UTC, Adrian Tuddenham wrote:
tabbypurr> wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing
technical online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several
other names, the only other one I can remember being Mercury)

I had this fault code on a "TGA Eclipse" , which the manual identified
as a speed control fault. When I dismantled the control panel, the loom
connector fell off the board connector, it hadn't been clipped in
properly and had gradually worked loose. Perhaps the speed control
connections were the first to go open circuit or perhaps Code 7 was the
first thing the error code software picked up on.

Maybe that's it, the throttle isn't zeroing right either. I'll go look
at that later on. Thanks.

Looks like you were right, zero the throttle and it starts ok repeatedly.
The end user says thank you.

Pleased to hear that was helpful The user manual for the "TGA Eclipse"
has a list of fault codes and is available online, so it might be
similar enough to your model to be worth downloading.


--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

 

[John-Del]

On Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 7:30:12 AM UTC-4, tabb...@gmail.com wrote:

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 12:39:19 UTC, tabby wrote:
On Wednesday, 30 October 2019 11:00:42 UTC, Adrian Tuddenham wrote:
tabbypurr> wrote:

When switched on it bleeps an error 7 code. I can find nothing technical
online about it at all. It's a Rio 4 (sold under several other names, the
only other one I can remember being Mercury)

I had this fault code on a "TGA Eclipse" , which the manual identified
as a speed control fault. When I dismantled the control panel, the loom
connector fell off the board connector, it hadn't been clipped in
properly and had gradually worked loose. Perhaps the speed control
connections were the first to go open circuit or perhaps Code 7 was the
first thing the error code software picked up on.

Maybe that's it, the throttle isn't zeroing right either. I'll go look at that later on. Thanks.


NT

Looks like you were right, zero the throttle and it starts ok repeatedly. The end user says thank you.


NT

Not spring loaded to zero? Nice when a solution is found.