I loved your idea of spoofing the RC charger into thinking it had its bulk power cables connected by jumpering to the balance lead's lowest and highest voltage wires. This setup makes it easy to plug in your balance connector anywhere in the series string and balance the covered groups. Many batteries are built with thin balance leads that wouldn't be able to handle much current. It is important to mention that the charge current while balancing needs to be limited so as not to burn up puny balance wires or in your case the internal traces of your voltage monitor which is being used as a makeshift breakout board.
Holy crap this is what ive been looking for a way to balance a pack thats dead or supposed to be dead because 1 pack of battery drop under the voltage rendering a complete pack van useles im happy with this video this is everything u need to determine if a pack is good a bms is bad ❤❤
Thanks for posting this video. With battery replacements so expensive, it is very useful to know that they can be revived. (Though it looks like I'll have to spend a bit to get the kit to enable that.)
For anyone thinking of doing this with a LiFePO4 battery, remember the flat curve of the voltage between 3.00 and 3.30 means you have to top or bottom balance. Can't play around in the middle and actually get the energy in the cells to be equal
THis is a great video. I like the harness. Most ebike batteries seem to come with the smaller JST (PH 2.0?) connectors which are different than RC JST HX 2.54 connectors.
One thing though, didn't the cells get out of balance because some are more worn out than others in the 1st place? How long do you think till they get outta balance again? 🤔
I've just ordered my first electric bike(a recumbent trike actually) and this is exactly what I needed to see. I have an old iCharger 208B that I use to balance my Dewalt batteries with now. I use to fly RC helicopters a long time ago(before the age of drones and autopilots). What is the pin type for making the balance leads? All my stuff is JST-XH, but I can't really tell what that balance tester uses(I just ordered one). Thanks for the great video and help.
The internal battery BMS uses a ph2.0 pitch pin. The rc chargers use a ph2.5 pitch pin. You can definitely make a cable with ph2.0 on one end and ph2.5 on the other end.
The active balancers use thicker cables (because the current is several amps max when the voltage differential is high). If I remember correctly the active balancers use JST VH or VM? and its 3.86mm? something like that
Could a battery pack be balanced just by connecting high voltage battery string via wire in parallel to low voltage sting until the equalize? Doing this manually over and over with the different strings until they are all equalized just using 2wires and a multi-meter?
If you routinely use the bike you don't have to do this because the BMS will balance the battery. If you let the bike sit for 3-6 months then things will start to get out of balance and the BMS won't be able to correct
Yes but my only concern is keeping the Bluetooth powered will draw energy from the battery, so if you don't use the battery for a couple months the Bluetooth could drain the battery.
@@stevenc22 Yes,others have said the same, but would it be possible to install a switch, so that you could turn off the bms when the battery is stored. Great channel by the way, great content.
I have a similar situation and a 13s 48-52vdc system. This video is exciting as I have been using a dual 6s RC charger with a cradle system in series that I built, The hours involved are VERY painful so I've been desperate to buy a BT-BMS that provides data and safety to every cell with a phone app. I did not know about needing a switch. I guess an alternative could be setting up a trickle charge.
If the Bms allowed the battery to become unbalanced, would it not happen again ? Did the battery perform ok after balancing with the hobby charger ? Are those connectors readily available, should I want to use that monitor ?
If you charge you battery regularly, the BMS should keep things balanced. When a battery sits for a long time the BMS is not active and the cells will become unbalanced
@@stevenc22 so that is normal behaviour then? or is it pointing to a faulty bms ? I have an ebike battery, made by a shop where I live (Germany), and after each winter storage where I kept it at arround 60 % (estimating by hours charged), the battery exhibits balancing issues, as in less range and cutting off under heavy load. Once I sent it to be repaired, since it was under warranty, but now it's out of warranty and I am thinking if it's better to just try to fix it myself. I had about 20 charging cycles in the 2 years and a half since I had it so I definetly don't think it's ready to be discarded. The cells are pretty good quality too, Molicel INR21700-P42A.
@@ioandragulescu6063 most BMS are "top balance BMS" meaning they only balance when the battery is completely full at the end of a charge. So when the battery sits for a long time, the BMS does no balancing. However good matched cells should stay in balance by them selves. If the battery gets seriously unbalanced during the winter, it implies there may be some faulty cells.
@@stevenc22 aha, so assuming that was the case to begin with, the guy just rebalanced the battery and then over the second winter the faulty cells acted up again ? I would assume that would mean identifying the faulty one(s) by isolating the S group fist and then maybe replacing all 4 just to be sure? (it's 13S4P battery, 48 volts)
@@ioandragulescu6063 In theory yes, but do you have the tools and skills to dissemble and rebuild the battery? If not, maybe just buy a 13s active balancer. At the end of winter, plug up the balancer, let it rebalance the battery and then charge it up. The cells might only be slightly out of balance, might not be worth ripping the whole battery apart. Kind of depends how bad the cells get out of balance.
Could you not just use the charger without needing the $70. monitor ? It seems the only advantage of the monitor is seeing all 13 cell groups at once. Can't you just move the charger to the first 8 cell groups (1-8) then move it to cell groups (6-13) ? Since groups 6-8 have been already balanced then 9-13 would be balanced to match them right ?
@@stevenc22 Thank you for the video explanation. I finally balanced my battery that I had to replace 4 batteries 1S of 13S 48v battery without matching pack voltage. All I used was a 5V phone charger, a usb fan to discharge and my multi-meter to monitor. It was labor intensive and needed constant monitoring of the series of cells being charged or discharged but it worked great.
the higher voltage batteries are in better condition or are the lower voltage cells are the better ones ?? i have a bms with 4 groups having lower voltage than the rest of the pack...anyone ??
I can't understand why the bike manufacturer doesn't provide a charger that balances the cells. Obviously it would cost a little more, but my first ebike battery is kapoot after just 6 months. First ride, it lasted pretty good. But every ride after that one it's gotten less and less range. Now I have to crack it open and buy these tools to fix something that shouldn't even be a problem to start with. They probably make more money selling replacement batteries, and just balance/recondition the batteries that go bad, and re-sell them.
I loved your idea of spoofing the RC charger into thinking it had its bulk power cables connected by jumpering to the balance lead's lowest and highest voltage wires. This setup makes it easy to plug in your balance connector anywhere in the series string and balance the covered groups.
Many batteries are built with thin balance leads that wouldn't be able to handle much current. It is important to mention that the charge current while balancing needs to be limited so as not to burn up puny balance wires or in your case the internal traces of your voltage monitor which is being used as a makeshift breakout board.
Absolutely. But I'm not charging just balancing. Super low current.
Holy crap this is what ive been looking for a way to balance a pack thats dead or supposed to be dead because 1 pack of battery drop under the voltage rendering a complete pack van useles im happy with this video this is everything u need to determine if a pack is good a bms is bad ❤❤
there is BMS with balancing and BMS without balancing and usually they balance at the end of the charging i hope this helps
Thanks for posting this video. With battery replacements so expensive, it is very useful to know that they can be revived. (Though it looks like I'll have to spend a bit to get the kit to enable that.)
Even more expensive if you will keep buying any chiensia scrap
You're very close to "don't speak English"
I credibly frustrating video. You have zero communication skills.
For anyone thinking of doing this with a LiFePO4 battery, remember the flat curve of the voltage between 3.00 and 3.30 means you have to top or bottom balance. Can't play around in the middle and actually get the energy in the cells to be equal
Thanks. I have a severely out of balance 42V battery.
THis is a great video. I like the harness. Most ebike batteries seem to come with the smaller JST (PH 2.0?) connectors which are different than RC JST HX 2.54 connectors.
Correct. Very annoying the 2 different size balance leads!
This may be a dumb question but what are those connectors called?
One thing though, didn't the cells get out of balance because some are more worn out than others in the 1st place? How long do you think till they get outta balance again? 🤔
where can I purchase the new tool please
Which tool? The display or the RC charger?
Hello I have question about an other video. If I have the Bafang BBS01 250W it's a version limited to 25km/h, can I unbridle it to go beyond that?
Yes. You can actually do it from your controller screen on the bike. You need to access the secret menu. Each screen has a secret menu.
I've just ordered my first electric bike(a recumbent trike actually) and this is exactly what I needed to see. I have an old iCharger 208B that I use to balance my Dewalt batteries with now. I use to fly RC helicopters a long time ago(before the age of drones and autopilots). What is the pin type for making the balance leads? All my stuff is JST-XH, but I can't really tell what that balance tester uses(I just ordered one). Thanks for the great video and help.
The internal battery BMS uses a ph2.0 pitch pin. The rc chargers use a ph2.5 pitch pin. You can definitely make a cable with ph2.0 on one end and ph2.5 on the other end.
The active balancers use thicker cables (because the current is several amps max when the voltage differential is high). If I remember correctly the active balancers use JST VH or VM? and its 3.86mm? something like that
Could a battery pack be balanced just by connecting high voltage battery string via wire in parallel to low voltage sting until the equalize? Doing this manually over and over with the different strings until they are all equalized just using 2wires and a multi-meter?
Yes. Called active balancing moving voltage from one cell to another
How often will you have to balance it out like this ?
If you routinely use the bike you don't have to do this because the BMS will balance the battery. If you let the bike sit for 3-6 months then things will start to get out of balance and the BMS won't be able to correct
Have you thought about fitting a bluetootrh BMS, so that you can keep an eye on the health of the battery
Yes but my only concern is keeping the Bluetooth powered will draw energy from the battery, so if you don't use the battery for a couple months the Bluetooth could drain the battery.
@@stevenc22 Yes,others have said the same, but would it be possible to install a switch, so that you could turn off the bms when the battery is stored. Great channel by the way, great content.
@@RobertAdams-ly5ku not really. The Bluetooth is internal of the BMS so no way to turn it off
@@stevenc22 Thanks, I didn't know that, as others have said that they were going to install a switch
I have a similar situation and a 13s 48-52vdc system. This video is exciting as I have been using a dual 6s RC charger with a cradle system in series that I built, The hours involved are VERY painful so I've been desperate to buy a BT-BMS that provides data and safety to every cell with a phone app. I did not know about needing a switch. I guess an alternative could be setting up a trickle charge.
If the Bms allowed the battery to become unbalanced, would it not happen again ? Did the battery perform ok after balancing with the hobby charger ? Are those connectors readily available, should I want to use that monitor ?
If you charge you battery regularly, the BMS should keep things balanced. When a battery sits for a long time the BMS is not active and the cells will become unbalanced
@@stevenc22 so that is normal behaviour then? or is it pointing to a faulty bms ? I have an ebike battery, made by a shop where I live (Germany), and after each winter storage where I kept it at arround 60 % (estimating by hours charged), the battery exhibits balancing issues, as in less range and cutting off under heavy load. Once I sent it to be repaired, since it was under warranty, but now it's out of warranty and I am thinking if it's better to just try to fix it myself. I had about 20 charging cycles in the 2 years and a half since I had it so I definetly don't think it's ready to be discarded. The cells are pretty good quality too, Molicel INR21700-P42A.
@@ioandragulescu6063 most BMS are "top balance BMS" meaning they only balance when the battery is completely full at the end of a charge. So when the battery sits for a long time, the BMS does no balancing. However good matched cells should stay in balance by them selves. If the battery gets seriously unbalanced during the winter, it implies there may be some faulty cells.
@@stevenc22 aha, so assuming that was the case to begin with, the guy just rebalanced the battery and then over the second winter the faulty cells acted up again ? I would assume that would mean identifying the faulty one(s) by isolating the S group fist and then maybe replacing all 4 just to be sure? (it's 13S4P battery, 48 volts)
@@ioandragulescu6063 In theory yes, but do you have the tools and skills to dissemble and rebuild the battery? If not, maybe just buy a 13s active balancer. At the end of winter, plug up the balancer, let it rebalance the battery and then charge it up. The cells might only be slightly out of balance, might not be worth ripping the whole battery apart. Kind of depends how bad the cells get out of balance.
Could you not just use the charger without needing the $70. monitor ? It seems the only advantage of the monitor is seeing all 13 cell groups at once. Can't you just move the charger to the first 8 cell groups (1-8) then move it to cell groups (6-13) ? Since groups 6-8 have been already balanced then 9-13 would be balanced to match them right ?
Yes you could, the monitor just makes it more convenient by giving you the pins split out
@@stevenc22 Thank you for the video explanation. I finally balanced my battery that I had to replace 4 batteries 1S of 13S 48v battery without matching pack voltage.
All I used was a 5V phone charger, a usb fan to discharge and my multi-meter to monitor.
It was labor intensive and needed constant monitoring of the series of cells being charged or discharged but it worked great.
the higher voltage batteries are in better condition or are the lower voltage cells are the better ones ?? i have a bms with 4 groups having lower voltage than the rest of the pack...anyone ??
bought m9 balancer charger .. hope it does faster!!!!
I can't understand why the bike manufacturer doesn't provide a charger that balances the cells. Obviously it would cost a little more, but my first ebike battery is kapoot after just 6 months. First ride, it lasted pretty good. But every ride after that one it's gotten less and less range. Now I have to crack it open and buy these tools to fix something that shouldn't even be a problem to start with. They probably make more money selling replacement batteries, and just balance/recondition the batteries that go bad, and re-sell them.
LG M26....no surprise there...those cells are known to not last
They're good legit cells, same as the blue eve cells. I still have 10 scooter packs of m26 from 2018 and they still have max range
Confusing 😊
Ok now do a video with a solution for someone with no skills or equipment.
My video this afternoon balances a ebike battery with a $20 device, no other tools or equipment!
@@stevenc22 👀you got my attention!
Continue buying chiensia crap batteries and skimp on custom build with genuine batteries...