Rad Power Bikes Owners Forum

Rad Power Bikes Chat => Service & Repair => Topic started by: burnsjohnston on July 01, 2023, 09:42:34 AM

Title: Throw or keep my charger
Post by: burnsjohnston on July 01, 2023, 09:42:34 AM
The last time I used my charger there was an arc and it blew the fuse in my battery. Fuse has been successful replaced and I used a spare charger to charge the bike. I am a little nervous about using that charger again. Use it or buy a new one?
Title: Re: Throw or keep my charger
Post by: JimInPT on July 01, 2023, 10:31:54 AM
Quote from: burnsjohnston on July 01, 2023, 09:42:34 AM
The last time I used my charger there was an arc and it blew the fuse in my battery. Fuse has been successful replaced and I used a spare charger to charge the bike. I am a little nervous about using that charger again. Use it or buy a new one?

Where was the arcing and was this an original Rad charger?  First thing I'd do is closely inspect the charger's wire and connector that go to the battery - check inside the connector with a flashlight to make sure there are no stray metal bits stuck in there.  Or, if the connector is bent or damaged, you should consider cutting it off near the end of the wire and soldering on a new one - make sure you double-check both sides of the connector with a voltmeter to match polarity before soldering; accidentally reversing those would make for a bad day.

Also check the power cord that goes to the wall outlet and its socket on the charger for damage; those power cables are cheap and easy to replace if necessary.  I've had contacts on the female end of those power cables actually melt the plastic around them for high-amp applications like a water distiller, but the Rad charger only pulls about 100 watts, which is nothing for those connectors, and should be rated for a minimum of 1,200 watts.