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Thread: 24v Mobility Scooter

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    Default 24v Mobility Scooter

    My partners mum has a GASON Mobility Scooter due to having a stroke 14 years ago, the scooter locked up recently and I've been trying my hardest to get it going again as she is confined to her house without it.

    GASON are an Ararat company that make agricultural equipment and must have custom made these scooters at some stage and sold them in regional areas. The scooter is 24v with 2 x 12v deep cycle batteries and 2 x 12V motors running in series with a Dynamic Controls DS100 Electronic Controller. I've pulled everything apart and performed some basic testing, with both motors plugged in series either direct to a battery or the controller, one motor runs fine and the other starts off ok but then eventually slows to a stop which effectively locks it. If I run either motor direct from one of the batteries they run no problem so to me that seems like that one is faulty, I’d assumed that it was the one that stops was faulty and took it to a Electric Motor repair place. They returned the motor to me and said that there was nothing wrong with it but advised that if the motor’s were not balanced, one would draw more current then the other which could cause the issue as they were running in series. They said that they used to be able to balance them but the guy who had the ability to do this left so they couldn’t do it anymore. It’s just occurred to me with writing, could it be the motor that appears to run fine that could be faulty and is drawing more current then the other?

    So we have a mobility scooter with virtually brand new batteries (bought just recently), a working controller and two motors that appear to work fine separately but can’t be run together.

    What are my options?

    Replace the motors - As the unit appears to be a non production item I haven’t been able to locate any suitable replacement motors as they would need to be almost identical (The company that made the motors went out of business years ago).
    Sell off what I can and scrap the rest
    Find someone who can repair / balance the motors
    Replace the 24v controller with a 12v controller and run it with one motor

    Any other options?

    What should I do?



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    No 1 rule with any equip- clean ALL connections, then run each motor thru amp meter to see current- if 1 higher amps than other, pull apart- check for shorted turns/ bad brushes- repeat with other motor to see if can get amps to match-if not, probs! The controller can be a major source of probs- if bad drive has caused probs. Unless can get makers' spares- trouble! Sometimes, key/switch contacts are a prob-as also throttle. Generally a waste of time to stuff around with these if seems expensive/ intractable probs.I, in the distant past, actually made a r/p controller for a 24v scooter- still have it!!! Cheapskate cuss didn't want to pay me $100- when orig controller was $500!!!

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    i live in 24 volt wheelchairs
    i suggest finding another cheap scooter with working motors & use your batteries
    paying these guys that fix them is rediculous
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kandeman View Post
    Replace the 24v controller with a 12v controller and run it with one motor

    Any other options?

    What should I do?
    If you have DIY skills and before you bring it to the land fill, you could get something like two of these speed regulators for 27 bucks each:



    and wire each battery to one of these regulators in 12V operation for each motor separately.
    Use a stereo potentiometer to control both regulators simultaneously.


    Measure first the no load current. If one motor is draining a lot more than the other then there could be a short in a coil, which means this motor could completely fail soon. If the difference is less than 30% then I would try the regulators.



    Also run both motors without load for 10 minutes on 12V and see of one gets hotter than the other or has a stange smell.
    These motors are sealed and often not easy to take apart to check the brushes, springs and commutator.
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 09-04-13 at 12:28 PM. Reason: Found more suitable controller on Ebay.
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    Just an observation, but if the motors were in fact wired in series they'd both draw the same current and I can't see the point of them being in series so I'd think they'd be operating from individual PWM controllers IE independently (which allows steering &/or balancing etc). Swapping the motors over temporarily would confirm whether it's a motor or controller that's at fault.
    Last edited by Skepticist; 09-04-13 at 01:57 PM.

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    If it is controlled by a 4 quadrant joystick, then what Skepticist says applies. No way are the motors in series.
    By definition these are called power chairs (electric wheel chairs) and are more suitable for stroke victims than mobility scooters that have a mechanical hand steering. You can forget my idea with the two simple regulators if it has joystick steering.
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    Thanks guys, its a scooter not wheelchair as she can walk but only very slowly with a walking stick. The scooter gives her the ability to get around in her local town. The motors are in series as that is how they are wired. I haven't tried to reverse the series but will do so on the weekend to see if it makes a difference. I doubt it's the controller as they inhibit the same response together with or without the controller. I'll try your tests nomeat and report back what happens.

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    I might as well provide some measurements to assist with this so this is what I propose:

    Both motors in series across a 12v power source:

    Voltage across both motor2
    Amp between battery and motor 1, between motor 1 and 2 and between 2 and battery. These should all be the same if Skepticist is correct right?
    Should I test anything else?

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    Check the voltage across the 2nd motor when it locks up, also voltage from + to body

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    I would test them individually on a 12V supply like I explained above, not in series, and measure the no load current and observe everything exactly like I described above. They are obviously not the same and will not perform properly in series any more, but each motor running from it's own 12V battery should be OK if the motor does not have a major fault.


    Are you sure there isn't something connected to the centre connection of the motors in series? Might even be grounded and the battery centre as well, so you could have a -/+12V.
    The two motors in series with a floating centre doesn't figure out. If one motor gets a higher load (rolls over grass with one wheel) the voltage will exceed 12V on the motor that has less load, but that is not the one that needs it.
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    To round this thread out. Nothing wrong with the motors, maybe one draws slightly more current then the other. When in series if I run them together then one eventually stops while the other runs freely. If I apply pressure to the motor that is running freely then other one then speeds up and takes over, kind of acting like an LSD.

    I had other issues with broken rims that have taken awhile to resolve, hence the slow response. The MoT bought a new scooter so I'm now rebuilding this one to donate it to a good cause.

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    The motors will each have a brake on the back which is activated by a solenoid. It sounds to me as one is failing shortly after turning on to release the brake allowing the motor to drive.
    By the way they should be 24v motors.

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    my scooter has dynamic controls on it dunno the model no but they are /were made in christchurch nz the wiring appears to be in series but its not they are 24v motors and they have manual unlocks on the bottom of the gear case that can unlock the motor-gbox to allow you to push the scooter and with one unlocked the shown symptoms appear check both are engaged ?

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    Default Ds100

    Hi Tom

    Do you still have one a DS100 available?
    Thanks

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    Quote Originally Posted by BatteryBoy010 View Post
    Hi Tom

    Do you still have one a DS100 available?
    Thanks
    Did you read the date of this thread?... almost 10 years old.
    Please consider Premium Membership. Without Premium Member contributions Austech cannot operate.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    Did you read the date of this thread?... almost 10 years old.
    However the last response from the OP was 2 years ago and while he may have moved on with another scooter the part mentioned might still be lying around.
    I got an email response for this thread(back then that was set as default) and so might Kandeman, therefore I see a reasonable chance here
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