2014 Brammo Empulse R not taking a charge

[HadesOmega]

The VCU should balance the cells, when you have a 100% charge it begins balancing them, that's why its recommended you charge it up to 100% and leave it plugged in every once in a while. 

[invoke performance]

Well guys i tried everything i know i charged each of the 7 modules to 16v (4v per cell) still no BMS response,
I also verified proper balance all cells where within  .050 volt of each other, which should be close enough for the BMS to top balance this away. so i have 111.5v to the controller as seen in the pic below the VCU only sees 6 of the 7 modules. Number 7 is still a solid green while he others are blinking as normal. Does anyone have any other ideas of what i should try thanks in advance. 

[empulsefan]

I wish I knew , sems like the bms has no contact to the 7th module. Why isn't there a brammo repairmen/woman outthere who helps us out! Isn't this technique also used in vorklifts and couldn't  we get help from them? There are some great guys on this forum, but every help is welcome!

[KaFr]

I think there is nothing left but to disassemble the battery module and measure the voltage of the individual cells. Is there a reset button on the module or on the VCU? Did you try to clean the BMS or VCU connectors?

[invoke performance]

I think there is nothing left but to disassemble the battery module and measure the voltage of the individual cells. Is there a reset button on the module or on the VCU? Did you try to clean the BMS or VCU connectors?

KaFr- thanks for the tips. My previous trial by error understanding leads me away from disassembling the 7th module because @ 16v is its charged to nearly capacity which leaves very little room for any sizable cell voltage discrepancies between the 4S cells. My best guess is that given I charged it at a very slow 2Amp rate cells will naturally balance internal voltage.(theory tested with 12s3p Chevy volt battery charged at 2A without BMS and they self balanced within .005). If this where not so there would be a very high current rush inside that 7th module once is is reconnected to the other 6 working modules possibly blowing the fuse. Not to mention I had a very hard time opening the module for some reason and I really didn't want to damage the plastic housing if I could avoid it. The battery also has no external  signs of water intrusion but I will still open it to be sure. Is there any glue holding the lid? 

Also I will take your advice and clean and check the VCU connections. If unsuccessful I will attempt to sniff the CAN from my working bike and hope to find the working BMS protocol and inject it into the VCU to see if it resets. But if anyone knows where a VCU reset button is please let me know.

Thanks so much for everyone's help with this I'm confident we can save this Brammo.     

[Brammofan]

I have a Brammo Enertia and there is a reset button. It required you to remove the "tank" and it was located up near the handlebars.  Wish I had more information and could help you with the Empulse. Keep trying!!

[KaFr]

It is also possible that the BMS cable or BMS board inside the module may be defective.
Or the cable leading from the BMS connector to the BMS board may be poorly soldered. I encountered this when I disassembled the Valence battery module for Brammo Enertia.

Try replacing the BMS cable with a cable from another module to rule out a BMS cable failure.

One more note: each module has its own programmed number, so it must always be located and connected in the circuit in the same place.

[invoke performance]

Very good tip I will try to switch cables and see if the module responds.

[KaFr]

It can be seen from the picture that there is only a rubber seal under the cover of the module. So you don't have to worry about damaging it when disassembling the module.

[EV promise]

Hi, I thought I would offer a couple of suggestions regarding module 7. You could write to Ottens or perhaps the man in France who had a set of spare modules and the laptop, software and leads for advice. Somebody bought these items. Battery firmware notes say from ver 5. "If the interlock is thrown, but the interlock control lines look OK, reset the interlock ".
Or alternatively connect a rs485 plug to the module from a laptop and using the battery software on this site. I would guess it would need the 12v in addition to the data leads.( Can't imagine the board is powered by the cells)  Mouser sell the plug with wires. See what it says.

[KaFr]

I think it's a very similar problem with the B40 error as HadesOmega has.
Read this topic, maybe it will help you:
http://brammoforum.com/index.php?topic=4041.45

[KaFr]

Hi Invoke performance,
can you please confirm that your battery module which the control unit does not see (the LED is constantly green) has the number 7 on the label?
If so, where is this module physically located on the motorcycle?

Could you please download the data from the flash drive, and find out (following the HadesOmega procedure) more details about the B40 error?

[KaFr]

In order to remove the top cover of the Brammo Empulse battery module, you must unscrew:
1) two nuts that fix the bms contacts
2) two contact screws (under transparent caps)
3) 12 screws on the edge of the lid
Then the top cover should go off. Rubber seals can be self-adhesive, but this should not be a problem.

[KaFr]

View inside the module after unscrewing the lid:

[invoke performance]

I opened the #7 module today and found corrosion on the PCB. I am very lucky it did not appear to damage to any of the components. So I carefully cleaned the corrosion from the board and did not find any other signs of moisture intrusion in the module . This finding correctly corresponds with the previous owners claim of a moisture fault preceding the current B40 fault. finally during my examination I noticed the RESET jumper on the PCB. I wonder if this can be used in some way to awaken the 7# module and free it from the B40 error?