Cytronics battery replacement

[beatlejuice]

I bought I Cytronics conversion kit for my bike a couple of years ago. The battery pack was loosing capacity so I need to check it. This is done by fully chargeing it and run it totally flat within 24hrs. Then submit a report using the app on my laptop. The result was the capacity had fallen to 51%. I am now going to have the cells replaced at a cost of £365. While the kit has made my bike a lot more useful I wasn't aware that it would be this expensive to run.

 

[dicko]

I bought I Cytronics conversion kit for my bike a couple of years ago. The battery pack was loosing capacity so I need to check it. This is done by fully chargeing it and run it totally flat within 24hrs. Then submit a report using the app on my laptop. The result was the capacity had fallen to 51%. I am now going to have the cells replaced at a cost of £365. While the kit has made my bike a lot more useful I wasn't aware that it would be this expensive to run.

I bought the Cytronics kit for my bike this April I enjoy riding with this kit it’s helped me get up them hills. I won’t be using it much this winter but how do you store the battery over those few months?

 

[albion]

I bought I Cytronics conversion kit for my bike a couple of years ago. The battery pack was loosing capacity so I need to check it. This is done by fully chargeing it and run it totally flat within 24hrs. Then submit a report using the app on my laptop. The result was the capacity had fallen to 51%. I am now going to have the cells replaced at a cost of £365. While the kit has made my bike a lot more useful I wasn't aware that it would be this expensive to run.

198WH for £365 makes Bosch and Shimano batteries look cheap. Sadly the reason they fail is the small capacity. I would go the 3rd party route, though that needs lots of research. If you can 'charge on the fly' that may be a solution of sorts.

For storage, you store at 40 to 50% charge, topping up a bit every few months. Do not charge in a cold garage, though storage there is likely fine.

 

[beatlejuice]

Thanks for your advice. This bike is used regularly throughout the year. Not great distances but helps me up some nasty little hills. I keep the battery pack indoors. I suspect that if I had bought a higher capacity system I would have been better off.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

We had a new battery for a Bosch mid drive bike through our shop a while back… $900! A customer had left his new e-bike outside for the winter without assuring the battery was charged and killed it. Even the range extender batteries for our non-Bosch bikes cost over 350.

Batteries are supposed to be stored above minus 20C at 30 to 80 percent charge. Charging is supposed to be done above freezing. I’ll be bringing my wife’s in for storage during the coldest months.

So basically charge the beastie above zero and don’t let it run right down. If you are riding at below minus twenty Celsius you are either Canadian or need your head examined.

I recently read that for maximum battery service life you should be charging the battery to 80 to 90 % of capacity and not fully discharging it prior to recharging. If I remember correctly that was on our firm’s technical training site so I deemed it worth noting. ( as opposed to most you-tube opinions )

 

[ColinJ]

I recently read that for maximum battery service life you should be charging the battery to 80 to 90 % of capacity and not fully discharging it prior to recharging.

I read something like that about Li-ion batteries years ago so I have only been charging my laptop to 60% unless I will need maximum battery charge for a long journey (and most trains have charging points these days anyway). The result is that after 7 years the battery life has barely changed.

The previous laptop was always charged to 100% and its battery only lasted 2 or 3 years. Ditto its replacement!

 

[numbnuts]

My battery is 17ah and £400, but it's a price worth paying in steep hills

 

[albion]

Yep. Storage is at 40 to 50%. Best practice is to charge to between 65 and 80% and only discharge to 30.
That Is impracticle for me. I Charge to 100%, at the last minute if I can. I also carry two batteries for just under 1 kwh and distance allowing, discharge each to 30%.

Charging is best done at 25 centigrade, though slow charging is reasonably safe above zero.

 

[Dadam]

Worth noting that when you get back from a ride the battery will be warm. So that’s the best time to top up charge if it’s cold in the garage. Also the battery will get warm during charging, so it’s generally not too much of a problem.

 

[albion]

Worth noting that when you get back from a ride the battery will be warm. So that’s the best time to top up charge if it’s cold in the garage. Also the battery will get warm during charging, so it’s generally not too much of a problem.

The battery only really warms up if you put high wattage through, both charging and discharging . Also, at a normal slow 0.2C charge, the battery stays near stone cold.

 

[dicko]

Reading this I have gone into the garage and brought mine indoors about 50-60% charged. Because it’s not connected to anything I’m assuming this is safe to do so it’s in a remote cupboard?

 

[albion]

Reading this I have gone into the garage and brought mine indoors about 50-60% charged. Because it’s not connected to anything I’m assuming this is safe to do so it’s in a remote cupboard?

Yep. Stores better at 50% too.

 

[albion]

Also worth noting, a small 198WH battery, in use, gets far hotter than a bigger 396wh+ battery. Plus, assuming it is a 36V 5.5 Amp battery, a standard 42V 2Amp charger, I calculate will charge it at 0.43C, thus maybe generating some heat. (C= 1 hour)