# [EVDL] HELP!, please. - Ranger-EV won't charge



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

If it still has the original lead acid pack, sensors will prevent recharging if 
one or more batteries are bad.
The Rav4's will get to this point when the battery pack gets too bad. Iif the 
pack is good and gets discharged too low, the sensors will only it to be driven 
at a slow speed. I don't know if the Ranger is set up similarly. If you can hook 
up another type charger directly to the pack, you may be able to get it to 
recharge. Someone on the Ranger ev list may be able to help here. (Danger High 
Voltage D.C..)
Bill 


________________________________
From: Wayne Bennion <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Sent: Fri, December 23, 2011 3:24:58 PM
Subject: [EVDL] HELP!, please. - Ranger-EV won't charge

I made the mistake of driving my Ranger-EV on its last bit of charge in order to 
get to a public charging station at Chabot College. Now it won't charge. Where 
can I find help at this time? Where can I have it towed? Any chance of fixing 
it in place to accept a charge?
Wayne
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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

I assume you did make it to Chabot and that is where the EV now sits 
because it will not take a charge. At least you have power to work on 
it however, campus security is not likely to want your EV parked 
there for a long length of time.

I suggest you have it towed home so you can do some work on it 
yourself. I would run with Bill's idea of checking and charging 
batteries individually which will not only will bring the pack SOC up, 
but let you take a health check of the individual batteries. 

It would be helpful if you told us what type of pack and charger you
have (i.e. a lead acid pack and charger the Production Ranger EV 
came with, etc.).

As far as I know there are no EV repair places nearby readily 
available to contact for a quick fix. It will take some time to 
locate one, arrange for the repair, and then have it towed to that 
business' location.

...
I have been in this situation (been there, done that). So, I can say
in hindsight it is far cheaper, eats less time, and you'll go through 
far less EV withdrawals, if you do not push your pack this far. For 
me, my stopping point is the 5 miles left point (before the 
Production EV goes into turtle slow/crawl mode).

Before that point, I find and pull into a safe parking area and call
for a tow truck to take me to the next charging point. It is well 
worth the $$. This is why I always had one of those Roadside 
assistance Tow-service plans for emergencies like this.
...
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_yltoGdVYYKvVOIjgAreWl87UF?p=Roadside%20%20assistance%20Tow-service%20plans&fr=sfp


{brucedp.150m.com}

--
View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/HELP-please-Ranger-EV-won-t-charge-tp4230107p4230281.html
Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

This is one of the downsides of owning one of the automakers' EVs from the 
previous round of very limited production vehicles. They're handsome 
conversions from ICEVs, but alas they're usually closed-source vehicles with 
proprietary components and control algorithms. Worse, they've essentially 
been abandoned by the automakers who built them, so finding a mechanic at 
your local dealer is not in the cards. :-(

OTOH, although not many conversion components are actually what you'd call 
"open source," they're generally pretty well documented. When something 
goes wrong, there's usually someone to ask. Even if the manufacturer isn't 
around any more, many components have enough fans and users that you can 
find help right here on the EVDL. However, with the automakers' orphans, 
you can end up with nowhere to turn. 

It's tough enough for experienced EVers to work on the automakers' EVs. If 
you're not that experienced, you can end up in a real pickle unless you can 
find someone who knows what's going on.

The good news is that in many cases enough of these EVs were sold that a 
small but active user community has grown up around them. As Bill pointed 
out, there's such a a resource for the Rangers (I think it's a Yahoo group 
but I might be mistaken).

If worse comes to worst, at least you have a nice glider for reconversion 
using standard conversion components. That would be pretty expensive, of 
course, but you'd have an EV you could work on more easily. I recall a 
member of this list in the 1990s who reconverted a US Electricar pickup 
using simpler DC components when he couldn't dope out how to get its 
inverter working. (If that had happened later, he might not have had to do 
so, as there is now a lot more user support for those USE EVs.)

At any rate, the best to you; keep us posted on how it's going.

David Roden
EVDL Administrator
http://www.evdl.org/


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

My thanks to all who responded. The crisis was resolved with my being re=
minded that the BMS error condition prevents charging and my finding the sw=
itch to override it. 

To give information I should have given in my plea: It's a 2001, origina=
lly lead-acid, which now contains 104 CALB 100ah cells, with resisters to m=
ake the factory BCM think it still has the lead.

The gauge said I had 18 miles left when I started on the 7-mile trip to Cha=
bot. Those miles evaporated in the first 2 miles, and the last 3 or 4 we=
re driven in turtle mode, with the BMS' audible alarm sounding the whole ti=
me. In retrospect, I shouldn't have tried it.

I have no facilities to access the individual cells. They are in one big=
800-lb box that must be dropped from the chassis to open.

The root cause of my crisis was my using up the charge I initially received=
with the newly-installed cells before testing that the used AVCON EV Power=
Pak I installed actually worked.
Wayne


________________________________
From: EVDL Administrator <[email protected]>
To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List <[email protected]> =

Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 6:44 PM
Subject: Re: [EVDL] HELP!, please. - Ranger-EV won't charge
=

This is one of the downsides of owning one of the automakers' EVs from the =

previous round of very limited production vehicles. They're handsome =

conversions from ICEVs, but alas they're usually closed-source vehicles wit=
h =

proprietary components and control algorithms. Worse, they've essentiall=
y =

been abandoned by the automakers who built them, so finding a mechanic at =

your local dealer is not in the cards. :-(

OTOH, although not many conversion components are actually what you'd call =

"open source," they're generally pretty well documented. When something =

goes wrong, there's usually someone to ask. Even if the manufacturer isn=
't =

around any more, many components have enough fans and users that you can =

find help right here on the EVDL. However, with the automakers' orphans, =

you can end up with nowhere to turn. =


It's tough enough for experienced EVers to work on the automakers' EVs. =
If =

you're not that experienced, you can end up in a real pickle unless you can =

find someone who knows what's going on.

The good news is that in many cases enough of these EVs were sold that a =

small but active user community has grown up around them. As Bill pointe=
d =

out, there's such a a resource for the Rangers (I think it's a Yahoo group =

but I might be mistaken).

If worse comes to worst, at least you have a nice glider for reconversion =

using standard conversion components. That would be pretty expensive, of =

course, but you'd have an EV you could work on more easily. I recall a =

member of this list in the 1990s who reconverted a US Electricar pickup =

using simpler DC components when he couldn't dope out how to get its =

inverter working. (If that had happened later, he might not have had to =
do =

so, as there is now a lot more user support for those USE EVs.)

At any rate, the best to you; keep us posted on how it's going.

David Roden
EVDL Administrator
http://www.evdl.org/


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|
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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

FYI: I know a guy named Mike who worked at Ford and was the service
engineer for the EV group. I don't want to publish his info but I can reach
him if you need.... he has been willing to help our members in the
MichiganEAA group. email me off list for info.




> Wayne Bennion <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> > My thanks to all who responded. The crisis was resolved with my being
> > reminded that the BMS error condition prevents charging and my finding the
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

> On 24 Dec 2011 at 0:57, Wayne Bennion wrote:
> 
> > Those miles evaporated in the first 2 miles, and the last 3 or 4 were
> > driven in turtle mode, with the BMS' audible alarm sounding the whole tim=
> ...


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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

One case where a cell-level BMonS would have been very useful! I, 
too, hope this story has a happy ending.

Xmas best wishes to you and all the list.

Regards, Martin Winlow
Herts, UK
http://www.evalbum.com/2092
www.winlow.co.uk




> Wayne Bennion wrote:
> 
> > My thanks to all who responded. The crisis was resolved with my
> > being reminded that the BMS error condition prevents charging and my
> ...


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