In order to be a responsible PEV rider, once must know how to properly take care of their device. Let's talk about what that looks like!
Let's start off with some Battery Basics, take a look at this video to get an idea of what your battery actually is and how it functions!
Here's another good video to watch on BMSs, this video will explain how our VBMS functions with a bunch of other useful tips.
How do I charge my board?
1) Connect your charger to an outlet. The charger light will flash green. This means it is receiving a voltage from the wall but is idle.
2) Orient your charger's GX16 properly to the port and insert it into the port. Your charger's light will turn RED. This means it is now feeding voltage to the board.
3) Once the battery is full, the charger will stop and turn green. Your battery is now fully charged.
CHARGING TIPS;Your charge port is water resistant and is not live until the charger makes contact. Technically if water and dirt get inside the port it's not an issue, but once you connect the charger will become live and can short. Be sure to clean your charge port before inserting the charger.Once you connect your charger to the board, this will turn on the BMS and allow you to connect over Bluetooth on VESC TOOL. In here you will be able to see all charge, balance, and other battery information. If the BMS is connected via CANBUS to the Thor, turning on the Thor will also turn on the BMS in the same way the charger does.
If your board refuses a charge, contact support.
How do I balance my board?
Balancing is enabled under a few conditions;
1) When cells are above 3.5vpc
2) There is a difference greater than 0.015v between cells
3) After a charger is finished charging, or is unplugged, or when balancing is manually enabled in the BMS tab in VESC TOOL.
BALANCING TIPS;Cells do not need to be perfectly balanced, as long as they are generally in the same range this is normal. If you have a cell that is wildly different than the others then this needs to be addressed with support.Balancing is done by slowly depleting cells through heat- this is a long process. If you're trying to balance an out of balance pack this can take hours to weeks to fully balance.
How do I charge to 90%?
You may want to limit your BMS to charging to 90%. Some folks want this to prevent overcharging on excessive regen at the tops of their battery. This helps battery health over time. To set up your BMS like this, do this;
VESC TOOL - VBMS - VESC BMS - CHARGING;Change both CHARGE START and CHARGE END to;CHARGE START - 4.110vCHARGE END - 4.160v
LONG TERM BATTERY CARE;
If you plan to store your board for an extend period of time, you'll need to take a few steps to ensure it lasts over your break;
1) Charge up to a nominal / full voltage. Aim for anywhere around 75%.2) Leave the board in a room temperature area.3) Check the board every 2 weeks. Most electronic devices have small parasitic drains on them that will kill packs over time. Leaving a board over time without consistent, timely checks will open your board to draining to an unusable voltage. If this happens, do NOT charge the pack back up as it will become unstable and can catch fire.4) If you wish to store your board over a long period of time but do not want to check on it over and over again, disconnect the CONTROLLER and the BMS from the BATTERY. If the battery is charged to a good voltage it will stay this way for years.