# blown up Curtis 1231C-8601



## brainzel (Jun 15, 2009)

Saturday my wife went to the shopping with our E-Beetle.
Unfortunately she went back with help from a breakdown service :-/

Back in our garage I took the car apart to find the failure.
Batterypack was good, 149V
Motor turned well, hooked up on a 12V battery.
Poti (PB-6) was good, 0-5k Ohm.
So at least it's the Curtis 1231C-8601 controller who was broken.

Read about two guys with similar problems after >12.000 ml / >20.000km.
We had about 25.000km on the tachometer.

My guess: capacitors or mosfets are gone but I have no Idea how to find out what's broken and how to fix it :-(

We will buy a Soliton Junior, but I would like to repair the controller to sell it, so if anyone knows how to fix it, please let me know.


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

Did the curtis look/smell broken? I wouldn't just assume that's the problem because 3 other things you checked were okay.

Maybe just a blown fuse?


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## brainzel (Jun 15, 2009)

It didn't smell conspicuous.

I haven't heard about such a fuse.
There is no such fuse at the outside of the Curtis.

The motor turns very slowly with the Curtis connected, but not much more.


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

You don't have a fuse anywhere in your system?

Is your contactor working properly?


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

Have you bench tested the controller yet? If a cap went you would probably know it from the very loud boom and lots of smoke. Fixing a Curtis yourself might not be a problem for you if you can find the right parts. From my past experience Curtis has their own id numbers on the electronic parts making getting the correct replacements harder.
Getting one open can be a chore. If you do break open the sealed ends be extra careful on the front left side because the logic board is real close there. 
If you do not have proper fuses get some installed before you spend any money on a new controller of any kind


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## brainzel (Jun 15, 2009)

Ziggythewiz said:


> You don't have a fuse anywhere in your system?


Yes.


Ziggythewiz said:


> Is your contactor working properly?


Yes.


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## brainzel (Jun 15, 2009)

dragonsgate said:


> Have you bench tested the controller yet?


Can you describe it a little bit, what you mean? Is there a routine to check the parts from outside?



dragonsgate said:


> If a cap went you would probably know it from the very loud boom and lots of smoke.


No Smoke (Curtis is sealed, no open slots.). No sound (perhaps not heared).




dragonsgate said:


> Getting one open can be a chore.


Open the Controller would be my last option. If I could delimit the possible errors and broken parts, I would give it a try.



dragonsgate said:


> If you do not have proper fuses get some installed before you spend any money on a new controller of any kind


Fuse is already installed.


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

brainzel said:


> Can you describe it a little bit, what you mean? Is there a routine to check the parts from outside?


If you do no have a manual try this *cafeelectric.com*/*curtis*/*Curtis*_manual.pdf</SPAN>


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## brainzel (Jun 15, 2009)

Thank you. This manual I already have.
Theses bench tests only show a possibility to check, if the controller is OK.
I could only confirm with theses tests that it's broken.

But I'm interested in a procedure that would tell me more about the failure, like "if you do *this* at _*that*_ voltage, than *this* voltage must be at _*that*_ terminal, otherwise _*this*_ is broken"
Something like that


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## EV-propulsion.com (Jun 1, 2009)

_The motor turns very slowly with the Curtis connected, but not much more._ 

are you sure you don't have a battery problem (connection, failed battery,etc) ?
Sounds like you are only getting very low voltage to the motor, possibly because of very low voltage TO the controller.

EDIT: SORRY, re-read your description, had 149 volts


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

Be very carful when working on your car. When my first Curtis went it I had the similar symptoms. I had driven about a mile and a half from my house when I heard a sound like a marble being dropped in a metal bucket. The car would barely go. I limped home and parked outside the garage. I didn’t have an electric opener then so I got out opened the garage door and got back in the car turned the key and pushed down on the throttle. The controller blew full on. If that controller goes the end piece will come out at a very high rate of speed.


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## brainzel (Jun 15, 2009)

Thank you for the safety advise. I disconnected the battery and jacked up the car before and then powered on the battery again, so nothing could run away.

I decided to sell the Curtis as one piece, without open it.
The Soliton Jr. is on its way to us.

If I'll get an information from the new owner about the problem (he is working with power electronics), than I will post it here.


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## gaminde (Sep 18, 2011)

I have an account with FSIP in the US if you want to send it to them for rebuilding and use my account it will be about 475.00 plus shipping both ways.


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## brainzel (Jun 15, 2009)

Thank you, but I sold it.


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