# most basic wiring for zilla



## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

I would have to grab my manual (at home) to tell you the exact minimum but I know that the snubber on the main contactor is important. The hairball unit can be damaged without it. That may what the error code is about, if the contactor was ever energized by the hairball without the snubber in place. You may want to contact Manzanita Micro to get the correct snubber (and possibly inquire about hairball repair.)

I believe you also have to have a motor connected as it expects that to check for a power section on start up. 

Other things that can trip up the Hairball are an over long ground wire, and not connecting the 2 precharge wires directly across the main contactor. These can result in errors, but usually after the main contactor closes (most often the error sets and the contactor opens when the throttle is touched.)


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## arklan (Dec 10, 2012)

i have a zeva precharger that i wanted to keep but i took it out because i was getting the error with it aswell
damn it


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

You need no precharger with a Zilla. The Zilla hairball handles precharging. That is why it has those 2 terminals on the side that are connected to either side of the main contactor.


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

These are the minimum connections for a Zilla Hairball:

Pin 1 ground. This should be short, and may cause errors in running if over 4 inches long. 

Pin 2 SLI +14 volts. This should be through a 4 amp fuse and always on. I believe you can leave this off if pin 3 and pin 4 are not tied together and the controller is allowed to boot before pin 4 receives a start signal. 

Pin 3 Key input. This is the ignition switched connection that powers the hairball and main contactor through it. It needs to be protected with a 4 amp fuse. 

Pin 4 Start input. This needs to be pulsed with 12 volts to start the controller. It is typically connected to the started terminal of the ignition switch. It can be tied to pin 3 if pin 2 is connected to a constant power source. (my Zilla is wired that way)

Pin 5 Main Contactor. This goes to the main contactor. The power for this is from pin 3 and switched internally by the hairball, so both the operator and the hairball can shut down the main contactor. 

Pin 6 Pot In. To the pot box.

Pin 7 Pot In. To the pot box.

Pin 25 Controller + To the main contactor terminal that connects to B+ on the Zilla.

Pin 27 Battery + To the main contractor terminal that connects to B+ on the battery pack.

An appropriate snubber *must* be connected across the main contactor coil. 

The motor needs to be connected to the Zilla. 

The controller may not start up if the actual pack voltage is under 48 volts.


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## arklan (Dec 10, 2012)

so got it running after finding out the screw in terminal things on the hairball dont hold the wire, u can screw as much as u want and the wires just come right out (it was a reconditioned unit)

iv set it to 120v and 450amps aswell as 450 battery amps

when under a load it makes a scratching/scraping sound which someone said could be the motor getting too high a voltage? but 120 is what the curtis was giving it

also as soon as i turn the key the contactor comes on
the hairball has the lights on it saying its precharging and all that but the contactor just comes on immediatly and the voltmeter just immediatly swings up to full
the hairball has all the precharge bells and whistles but the contactor just shuts without waiting for that stuff to finish

reverse is back to being jerky again but oh well

its a 1k hv
anyone got any ideas or heard of any of these things happening before?
thanks


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

arklan said:


> so got it running after finding out the screw in terminal things on the hairball dont hold the wire, u can screw as much as u want and the wires just come right out (it was a reconditioned unit)
> 
> iv set it to 120v and 450amps aswell as 450 battery amps
> 
> ...


It sounds like a bad terminal strip for the connections, but make sure they are backed out all the way before putting the wire in, then tightening. If the terminals are bad that should be repaired.

At low speeds the Zilla may generate a hissing sound. It is a result of dropping some cycles at low duty cycle (low motor rpm.) It is the alternative to the Curtis whine at low speeds. It serves the same function, to improve current limiting at low motor rpm. 

The main contactor pulling in without a pause is a concern. It will pull in before, or as, the the precharge light goes out, but there still should be some delay after turning the key on. The Zilla discharges slowly, so if you just shut the controller off the main contactor will pull in instantly. If that isn't the reason I would check the wiring, as it kinda sounds like the key is directly powering the main contactor (that would be an easy error to make if previously set up for a Curtis controller.) 

Jerking in reverse is concerning, but may not be a big problem. One cause is the fast throttle ramp rate of the Zilla causing the drivers foot to push down on the throttle as the car takes off. An adequately stiff throttle return spring helps, as does using a throttle cable instead of a direct linkage (added friction.) Another cause is a failing pot box. It is often more noticeable in reverse because you are often trying to just use the lowest throttle positions and not advancing rapidly to higher throttle position. 

I would recommend looking for error codes that the Zilla may have set to indicate any possible issues. The manual can be downloaded from Manzanita Micro. I find the codes it sets to be valuable tools for finding problems.


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## arklan (Dec 10, 2012)

its not precharging so i macguyvered a 150watt light bulb to the contactor to do it
the light bulb rolls around on the passenger floor but it works well

i first tried a 2.7k resistor i had lying around and it turned in to bbq


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