Tag Archives: Battery

Battery

Tapping The Nut

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It seems like I’ve been constantly getting nowhere with replacing the battery terminal nut. Everything I’ve purchased for battery terminals has been too small. I have a variety of nuts on order, but they won’t be here for a few days.

Tapping a nut

While cleaning up the garage over the weekend, I came across a little 24 piece tap and die set. I considered that maybe I had stripped the threading in the nut, and decided to try tapping it. I could get the CitiCar back on the road quicker, and the nut was already useless at this point.

I grabbed a little table vice to hold the nut in place, and opened up the tap and die set. I rolled my eyes as soon as I realized the set was in metric. I probably got this when I was building the Tricolour RepRapPro 3D printer based on plans from the UK. I may eventually end up buying a larger set that also includes both metric and SAE.

I first tried a 9 milometer tap. I could feel the bite as I slowly bit through the metal. Once I was able to freely spin the tap, I tried putting the bolt on the terminal.

Unfortunately, I came up with the same results as every other attempt over the past few days. Too small. I went ahead and tried the 10 millimetre tap. It was much harder, but … success! The bolt slid on the battery terminal just fine. I was able to connect all of the battery cables.

I went ahead and charged all the batteries for our next adventure in the CitiCar. In the meantime, I started looking at how to hook up the EVSE with a transformer that could connect to a public charger and convert the power to 120 volts. From here, the plan was to connect my five individual battery chargers.

EVSE fault

I was quickly blocked as soon as I plugged the EVSE into an outlet. The charger was blinking to indicate that it was protecting from a low/high voltage. I checked that the circuit was wired correctly. I also verified the voltage was in range at 124 volts. I tried outlets around the house on other circuits. I even plugged it into the back of my computers APS power supply to ensure a clean cycle of power.

Chevy Volt battery module cut on side

I cut the bottom edge off of another Chevy volt battery module. Although I had a hiccup with the EVSE, a few things are progressing fairly well today.

I think Teddy and I will be able to visit the park and grab some Ice Cream tomorrow.

Video

EVSE Problems

Other News

Some button cell batteries arrived. I was able to fix Teddy’s talking ball. I replaced the battery in my calipers, but the digital readout wouldn’t turn on. I took a closer look and found that one of the contacts looked as if it would touch both the positive and negative parts of the battery. It looked like it was bent down and curved a little. I thought it was a spring when I first saw it. I flipped it up on its side. It matched the curve of the battery and… it broke off.

I remember it was only a few bucks. It still works manually. Perhaps I should invest in something with more quality the next time I go looking for one.

Products

Irwin Industrial Tools 26313 Metric Tap and Hex Die Set, 24-Piece
Megear Level 1-2 EV Charger(100-240V,16A) Portable EVSE Home Electric Vehicle Charging Station Compatible with Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Fiat, Ford Fusion (NEMA6-20 with Adapter for NEMA5-15)
EV Charger Power Converter
4A Fully Automatic Microprocessor Controlled Battery Charger/Maintainer
NEW Lithium Ion Chevy Volt 48vdc 2kwh 50ah battery Golf Cart Off Grid Solar EV
DEAL INDUSTRIES INC. 61-501 Receptacle Tester with GFCI, Black
WEN 423DPV 3-Inch Cast Iron Drill Press Vise
Winkeyes 0-6 Inch Digital Vernier Caliper with Inch/MM Conversion Large LCD Screen and Stainless Steel Body Vernier Caliper Tool for Small DIY and Homework, Coin Battery included, 150mm
Pet Qwerks Talking Babble Ball Interactive Pet Toy – Wisecracks & Makes Funny Sounds, Electronic Ball that Talks & Makes Noises – Avoids Boredom & Keeps Your Dog Active
LOOPACELL AG13 LR44 L1154 357 76A A76 Button Cell Battery 10 Pack
RepRapPro Tricolour
Things I’ve purchased, or very close to it.
Battery

Battery Fitness

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Cardboard cutouts of Chevy Volt battery modules.

With all of the projects on the CitiCar, one of the most important ones is to upgrade the batteries to Lithium. I found some Lithium Ion Chevy Volt batteries. I took the measurements, made some cardboard cutouts, and tried to plan out where the batteries could sit. I just barely could not fit two on each side. I was hoping that maybe the measurements were off.

I took delivery of two lithium batteries a couple weeks ago. Each module was configured to deliver 48 volts at 50 amp hours, for a capacity of 2 kWh. I spent some time placing the battery modules in different positions in the CitiCars’ battery tray to determine if I could fit more than two batteries under the seats for more range and less demand on each battery.

Chevy Volt battery module on lip at edge of CitiCar battery tray

It wasn’t exactly perfect, but I saw a way to make them fit. I went ahead and ordered two more batteries. I could almost fit a fifth one, but it was simply too tight for my comfort, and I could use the space for other things such as a motor controller, DC-to-DC converter, and possibly the charge controller as well.

Dremel cutting edge of battery module

Tonight I started out trying to cut the bottom flange of the batteries where the batteries coolant had passed through. I watched a few videos on people tearing down the batteries to get an idea where I could cut without coming close to the Li-Ion cells. I got out my rotary tool and went to town.

It quickly turned into a challenge. The layers to cut through are composed of plastic, rubber gaskets, coolant plates, and coolant still remaining within. The smell was pretty awful as well.

Cutting battery module with a hack saw

The rotary tool was having a tough time and was getting too hot to handle. I started using some metal shears and a wrench to chip away a little and strong arm it a bit. I wasn’t getting anywhere fast. In the end, I used a hacksaw.

Battery module on its side with side of coolant tunnel cut off

The hacksaw was quick and clean. Rather than having black rubber melted on everything, I could see the profile of the rubber gaskets and cooling plates against the plastic and air pockets.

It took a bit longer to finish off the bottom cut since it was thicker, and cut into an unused brass threading. I believe it was originally used to both keep the batteries together, and keep the water intake bolted onto the battery. Looking back at the

Chevy Volt battery with bottom right coolant tunnel cut off

Other News

In other news, my 10mm Hex/Allen wrench came in today. It was too big to insert into the axles fill plug. Going down, 9mm is a non standard size. I purchased a set that contained contained a wide range of sizes in both metric and SAE with balls on the end of the arms. The SAE set includes 3/8″ and 5/16″, to which I hope one will fit. It’s also got a set of star wrenches, but I’ve rarely had a use for them in the past.

Some nuts for the battery terminals should arrive tomorrow, allowing me to drive the car again.

I ordered some magazines with articles about CitiCar/Comuta-Car:

  • Consumer Reports October 1976
  • Hemmings Classic Car September 2018
  • Car and Driver March 1994
  • New York Magazine May 21, 1979
  • Popular Mechanics July 1974
  • Golf Car Options Magazine January 2018

Videos

Making a battery fit into a CitiCar
Fitting lithium batteries into the CitiCar

Products

These are the products I’ve purchased that are mentioned.

NEW Lithium Ion Chevy Volt 48vdc 2kwh 50ah battery Golf Cart Off Grid Solar EV
Dremel 4300-5/40 High Performance Rotary Tool Kit with LED Light- 5 Attachments & 40 Accessories- Engraver, Sander, and Polisher- Perfect for Grinding, Cutting, Wood Carving, Sanding, and Engraving
Stanley Hacksaw 24 Tpi 12 “
Columbian By Wilton Aviation Snip Set 3pc. 30676 Straight, Right, Left
Consumer Reports October 1976
Hemmings Classic Car September 2018
Car and Driver March 1994
New York May 21, 1979
Golf Car Options Magazine – January 2018
Popular Mechanics July 1974
REXBETI Hex Key Allen Wrench Set, SAE Metric Star Long Arm Ball End Hex Key Set Tools, Industrial Grade Allen Wrench Set, S2 Steel

Motor

Motor Performance Test

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I heard back from D&D Motor Systems this morning. It seems the motor is a stock motor – no temperature or speed sensing. I’ll need to figure out what to do in regards to the speedometer.

One of the other CitiCar owners I’ve been speaking with mentioned he was considering using a speedometer based on GPS. My concerns with GPS is in situations that you are unable to receive a signal. I want to know my speed immediately, in real time, with accuracy, regardless of where I am. I’m lacking in the accuracy department at the moment where my speedometer seems to think I’m going 4 miles faster than I really am. Perhaps I need to inflate my tires.

Along with a few answers to my questions, D&D Motor Systems also sent along a performance report of the motor.

Engineering Performance Test for ES-40D-56

The stock motor that came with the car has the following information on its plate:

Ratings Plate on a stock 6HP CitiCar Motor
RPM4000
HP6
V48
A125
WoundSeries
Time RatingINT
ClassF
MOD5BC 49 JB 327 C
Serial NoAMN
CitiCar specifications on a 6HP motor

I’m not clear on how to compare motors. At first, I thought it was simply comparing which motor had the most horsepower. However, HP is variant based on the load. Voltage is similar. RPM’s… Let’s just say there is so much involved when comparing motors. I had to start reaching out for something to compare.

ComparisonStockD&D Motor
RPM40001444 – 5020
Amps12552.5 – 583.5
Horsepower6in: 3.34 – 30.70
out: 1.90 – 19.24

I feel a bit confused. The motor is both better and worse… I’m certain I’m comparing apples to oranges here since I don’t have a similar table for the stock motor. I’ve heard from another CitiCar owner that the amps can shoot up pretty high on the stock motor while going up a hill. This brings me to wonder, how did General Electric know what to stamp into the motor plate?

As stated in the owners manual, the CitiCar has a 250 amp fuse on the motor.

CitiCar 1976 ½ Owners Manual

The same is true driving up long, steep hills. By driving in first speed, and sometimes second speed, under these conditions, you are likely to blow the Citicar’s 250-amp fuse located in the controller box behind the seat.

CitiCar 1976 ½ Owners Manual, Sebring-Vanguard, 1976, page 19
The Mother Earth News
Sep/Oct 1980

The Mother Earth News article about the CitiCar in Israel had also mentioned the range of amps with the stock motor.

Although initial current draws can reach 500 amps, the average pull at cruising is around 100 amperes.

Israel’s Solar Powered Car, The Mother Earth News, September/October 1980, page 120

Even at that rate, it appears that the new motor will have cruising speeds at 50 amps; half of what the CitiCar can do.

I plugged the performance numbers for the ES-40D-56 motor into an excel spreadsheet and started making some graphs. I like visuals, and I thought it may reveal a pattern and help to compare against with the stock motor that came with the CitiCar.

I saw lots of compounding curves. I wasn’t sure if I was onto something, but I started out comparing RPMs. At 4000 RPM, I assumed the CitiCar motor would use 125 amps and deliver 6 Horsepower – the ratings on its motor plate.

I tried to make a few formulas in the spreadsheet. At 4000 RPM, the new motor would be using around 75 Amps and 4.7 HP. If that’s the case, it’s got a much higher efficiency at only half the amps with less HP to maintain that load/speed. Unfortunately, I’m thinking in a linear scale, so at 4000 RPM’s, it would be just a bit higher for HP and amps – but not by much.

I’m learning about electric motors, and slowly grasping at how to compare them. I believe it will be an improvement. If my calculations are correct, this means that the motor can go further on the same amount of energy.

Coupling the improvement in the motors efficiency with an actual motor controller will further extend the range. I also purchased two more batteries last week to double the range and lessen the load on each of the Chevy Volt batteries.

Other News

In other news, the garage has been cleaned to a point that it is actually organized. Shelving units for indoor gardening have been broken down and moved back into the garage. I have a whole shelving unit dedicated to CitiCar parts. I even have my screw drivers all in one place. Usually I’m having trouble just finding one screwdriver – but now I’m having trouble fitting them all into one container.

Holding CitiCar motor in place

After a great deal of effort, the stock motor is back on the car. The thing is very heavy and difficult to move around while you are laying on the floor.

Battery terminal with nut

A battery nut arrived in the mail, but again – it’s too small. I decided to order nuts that are 7/16 in size, as well as in metric for M8 and M10. I feel like one of those has got to work.

I started on replacing the differential fluid over the weekend, but I got stuck trying to remove the breather cap – which you shouldn’t do. After watching a few videos, I found the filter and drain plugs. I had three #8 Allen wrenches to remove the drain plug, but I had to order a #10 for the filter plug.

I purchased an old General Electric Motor Bumper for a club car to put inside the armature after I saw a video of someone mentioning not to forget to transfer the bumper into your new motor. It’s supposed to help make the motor a little quieter. Maybe… we shall see. I like the wine the motor makes. I just didn’t see it inside my motor and would like to try it out.

I also started playing with an Aukey DRA5 dash cam.

Products

D&D Motor Systems ES-40D-56
25 Qty 7/16-14 Zinc Plated Serrated Flange Hex Lock Nuts (BCP272)7/16″ > 3/8″
Flange Nuts Hex Lock Self-Locking Metric Thread Serrated Nut 304 Stainless Steel Assortment Kit 125Pcs,M3 M4 M5 M6 M8 M10 M12Metric #8, #10 > 3/8″
Pico 0852PT 3/8″ Stainless Steel Battery Hold Down Stud Nut 2 per PackageToo small
EKLIND 14620 10 MM Long Series Hex-L Key allen wrenchFilter Plug
Chevy Volt BMS w/Bluetooth for 48v 12 cell battery w/cell balance & charger contgoes with batteries
NEW Lithium Ion Chevy Volt 48vdc 2kwh 50ah battery Golf Cart Off Grid Solar EVmore range, shares the load
Club Car Electric GE Motor Bumper (Fits 1982-Up)Curious on quiet noise
AUKEY Mini Dash Cam 1080p Full HD Dash Camera with 1.5” LCD Screen Car Camera with 170° Wide-Angle Lens, G-Sensor, WDR, Motion Detection, and Clear Night RecordingFor fun…
Stuff I’ve purchased / ordered
Interior Light

Interior Light Assessment

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Lights Out!

The under dash courtesy light in the CitiCar is not turning on when the switch is changed from one position to the next.

Open up

The cover was a bit difficult to remove. I slid it back and forth and tried squeezing the dome. Eventually I was able to remove it by putting pressure on the bottom side, pulling it up towards me, and lifting out.

Profile

Looking at the side of the plastic cover, it appeared that one of the tabs had a larger notch than the other.

Twist

The bulb was fairly easy to remove. Push it into the socket, turn counter-clockwise, and pull out.

Part Number

The incandescent bulb had W1003 clearly printed on its base. Being so clear, I suspect it’s not the original bulb.

I’ve been having some trouble finding this part other than vintage old “new” stock. I saw some LED bulbs that mentioned 1003 as well as a few other replacements.

BA15SP21W54-EX63
9393LL9797A
97LL97NA199631
631LL10731073LL1141
1141LL11561156A1156ALL
1156NA115911951295
1295NA239630143497
3497LL75067506L7506LL
753312088
Replacement bulbs for W1003

Test

Just to be certain, I tested the bulb itself to verify if it had burnt out. I placed it on the contacts of a six volt lantern battery. It lit up just fine.

The heat that it produced from such a low voltage is encouraging me to find a different solution that does not transform as much energy into heat.

Accessory

I thought maybe it was on the circuit for accessories, and therefore wasn’t getting any power.

I flipped the ACC switch on the CitiCars’ dashboard, but the light was still unable to turn on.

Disconnected

I started following wires. It was a mess, but I found that the accessory switch had a wire that wasn’t connected to anything.

I plugged two wires into each other, but there still wasn’t any power.

If it runs off of the main battery – this could be a problem.

Terminal Connection

One of the cars batteries to the motor is currently disconnected. I have a nut that refuses to go back onto one of the terminals and seems to be biting into the threads. Other battery nuts look different, and go on the terminal just fine.

Wrong Parts

I didn’t know the size, so I purchased a few battery terminals that I thought I would need once I started installing a few lithium batteries in parallel. Everything was too small.

I also found an old bolt in the garage – and it was too big.

Group 31

I didn’t want to keep buying battery terminals blindly. I started looking up nuts for the batteries group size.

Sure enough, there was a specific type of nut for it. It seemed limited in where you could find them, and a bit pricey.

At this point, I’m testing various connections for continuity. I received a notice that the battery terminal was shipped out this afternoon.

Battery Terminal Nuts

PartFits
Pico 0852PT 3/8″ Stainless Steel Battery Hold Down Stud Nut 2 per PackageUnconfirmed
Road Power 923-2 Top Post Battery Terminal Bolts and Nuts, 2-Pack, Chrome, 6 and 12-VoltToo Small
Positive Insulated Battery Power Junction Post Block 3/8 Lug X 16 thread (Red & Black Set)Too Small
Heart Horse Bus Bar Terminal Block, Power Stud Battery Junction 1/4″ Power Distribution for Truck RV Boat, Heavy Duty Stainless Steel (Red & Black Set)Too Small
Battery Terminals

Bulbs and Batteries

RAYOVAC Heavy Duty Lantern Battery, 6 Volt Screw Terminals, 945R4CCheap battery I had on-hand
Interstate 31-ECL 12v battery Came with the car
SYLVANIA – 1156 ZEVO LED Amber Bulb – Bright LED Bulb, Ideal for Park and Turn Lights (Contains 2 Bulbs)Considering…
(Expensive – Cheap LED bulbs are hit-or-miss)
Other products mentioned
Battery, Motor, Parts

The Egg Before The Chicken

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I’ve had quite a bit of fun driving the CitiCar. I want to go further, and a little faster up hills. The main drawback on range is that the battery capacity in my car is very low. I could upgrade to a proper set of batteries to match the manufacturers recommendation, but I would be shelling out one to two thousand dollars based on quality and composition. However, if I am going to upgrade the motor as well, I should wait on the batteries until I’ve chosen a motor, as it may need a different voltage. Both options are costly, and doing both doesn’t seem to make sense. If I go for the batteries, there is a chance I will not upgrade the motor unless it fails, and then the battery voltage of what I already have will heavily dictate what motor I will get.