Re: Voltage leak

[Paul G <neong@gte.net>]

>	The contactor on Ya Volt is wired to open up whenever the throttle is
>let up and yet when the contactor is open and the key is off I am able
>to read 97.5 volts on the contactor B+ and B- terminals.  Shouldn't
>this read 0 volts at least until the contactor is closed? Does this
>mean that there is a huge trace problem in the contactor?

Most likely you have a precharge resistor around the main contactor. Its
job is to precharge the capacitors in the controller (its bad for both your
controller and your contactor to not do so). It basicly allows the
controller to see power all the time though, around a 30ma drain on your
battery pack at all times. A properly rated relay can be used to shut off
this when the ign is switched off, however you will need to wait 2 or 3
seconds after turning on the ignition switch and before stepping on the
throttle (to allow the controller to precharge, and this assumes a standard
Curtis wiring where the contactor drops open when the throttle is
released). I would guess that you have around a 750 ohm precharge resistor
in your system, around the main contactor. So you don't have the power to
drive your EV, but you do have enuf to keep voltage present on the
controller.

Neon