[MilesZX40SAD]

Figured I could use this thread to document my 2009 Miles ZX40S Advanced Design with original Curtis 1238-6501 motor controller, HPEVS AC-31 motor, and remanufactured Delta-Q QuiQ 1000 model 912-7200 72v 12A charger. Past message board posts, especially from rmay635703, have been a huge help in better understanding my Miles.

When I purchased it from an auction, the car was labeled as non-functioning. The vehicle charging cable was missing and terminals on the charging port under the gas cap were rather loose. Turning the ignition key on did nothing. Fortunately for me, all six Fullriver DC160-12 deep-cycle AGM batteries had over 12.4 volts. It was the smaller 12v accessory battery under the hood that was barely hovering over 0 volts, so I attached a portable jumper box to that and was able to drive the car up onto a dolly to transport it home.

I replaced the dead DynaThrust accessory battery with an Optima Yellow Top deep-cycle group 51 (450 CCA) battery. I realized while swapping batteries that car's original battery was mostly likely smaller than group 51, but that's what someone had installed back in 2018, according to writing on the dead battery.

To replace the missing charger cable, I modified a 12-gauge extension cord, replacing one end (and the mating port on the car) with 3-pin (2P+E) IEC 60309 16A industrial connectors. I still haven't given it a full charge using the on-board charger, but at least now I know that both the charger and cable are functional.

I have only put 1-2 miles on the Miles so far because I've been paranoid about the batteries not having been used for a while. The batteries all hold a charge, but I don't want to accidentally short any. Wasn't sure how much distilled water or acid I should add if I were to pop open the top covers. And discharging to 11.5V/ trickle charging these six huge batteries is suuuuuper slow using a 12v motorcycle sealed beam paired with a 12v computer fan to cool the bulb!

The original Solus KH15 tires were old and finely dry-rotted from sitting in the sun, so I replaced them with four new OEM-sized Federal SS657 All Season 155/65R13 73T tires.

It sounds like the car could be capable of nearly 50mph with programming only. I was under the impression that I'd need to track down a Daihatsu Charade 1.0L 3-cylinder's 5-speed manual transmission from California or a 1998-2002 Daihatsu Move transmission from Japan, which is certainly more costly and complicated than programming. The original transmission in these Miles apparently are welded into 2nd gear, with other gears removed.

Now I need to figure out how to program the Curtis controller. I have an RS232 USB-to-serial connector that might work, though I've also seen reference to FT232 cables. Not sure if I need to pair it directly with a Tyco AMP 35-pin connector (776164-1) and pins (770520-3). Still researching that.

Anyway, stay tuned!

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

I've been slowly discharging and recharging the AGM batteries while waiting for motor controller connectors to ship from overseas. Have nearly gone through two cycles on all six, but having only have one discharger makes it a slow process.

In the meantime, I decided to try to fix the very slow windshield wipers. I removed the wiper motor and actuator mechanism from the car. The grease in the actuator mechanism (especially the shafts onto which the wiper arms mount) was almost like glue! After cleaning the old grease off, I applied some Phil Wood waterproof bicycle bearing grease I had lying around. I had already replaced the original rubber wiper blade with universal silicone blade inserts I had picked up cheap on eBay. Also, the original windshield washer squirter hosing was dried out and broken, so I replaced it with some new clear vinyl tubing.

 

[rmay635703]

Before you get too far in the battery process take them out, inspect then turn them on their sides, let the set a good hour the flip them to the other side.
Sadly they aren’t designed to flip upside down but I have temporarily.

The electrolyte settles to the bottom which causes the plates to dry and blow separators. Flipping them gets acid on the upper portion of the plates.

You need to be careful with how much you charge the batteries or discharge at first because they can pop like popcorn and become junk.

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

Thanks for the tip! I forgot to mention that I had removed the six batteries--all 612 lbs of them!--so I could do the discharging/recharging from my garage. Before I got too far into the process, I popped all of the covers off and added 1 tablespoon of distilled water to every cell. But I will definitely go flip them around to ensure the acid is fully soaked.

 

[rmay635703]

If you popped the caps you won’t need to flip them, might spill acid

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

As I continue to recondition the batteries, I decided to install a low-cost 7018B double DIN stereo and backup camera. Though the car had no stereo to begin with, there were factory-installed speakers in the front door panels, factory wiring connector, and a retractable antenna on the driver-side A pillar. I also ordered a Scosche TA02B wiring harness but only needed to use the 10-pin connector because the car had no factory wiring for rear speakers.

The most tedious part of the installation was modifying the metal brackets that originally held the two plastic storage trays. Small screw heads on the side of the stereo unit forced the brackets outward, preventing the unit from sliding into the dash opening. I drilled some new holes in the brackets near the 90° bends so they would sit more flush to the sides of the stereo. I did have to trim some plastic from the dash assembly using a utility knife to clear the heads of the M5 mounting bracket screws and top of the unit. I also had to enlarge and elongate some holes so the brackets could be positioned higher on the sides of the stereo, and filed the short sides of the brackets.

I mounted the backup camera between the license plate lights and drilled a 1/2" hole so the wires could run behind the bumper. Wired to the driver-side reverse light positive with a Posi-Tap and grounded to the bumper mounting bolt in the same area. Ran the video cable along the brake lines and up through the engine compartment on the driver side.

The stereo appears to work well and fits the dash bezel perfectly, but I can't seem to test the camera because the car won't go into reverse with the batteries out and "SOC L" error on the dash.

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

I just picked up an old RediPulse Pro-10 battery charge/maintenance system, originally used to store new batteries at a NAPA Auto Parts store. It allows me to connect to all seven batteries (removed from the car) at once. The operating instructions state the following:

"This unit uses our unique ReNew-IT Pulse Technology to remove damaging lead-sulfate deposits on the battery plates. By "cleaning" the plates, the Pro-10 helps batteries provide maximum performance and reliability."

"The Pro-10 is capable of restoring recoverable batteries (i.e. no damaged plates or cells) to their maximum potential, but results will vary per battery. Also, the amount of time it takes to effectively clean the battery plates will vary depending on age and/or condition of each battery. Some batteries may take as long as five days to clean."

Will see how it works out on these Fullriver batteries.

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

After having the Fullriver batteries on the RediPulse Pro-10 for 11 days (which was after discharging each battery to 11.8v and recharging with a Battery Tender Plus three times), I reinstalled everything and went for an easy one-mile test ride. Before driving, the batteries were all within 0.09v of each other, and afterward they were still within 0.12v. Most were much closer than that, but that was the max difference between highest and lowest voltages.

When I first installed the reconditioned batteries, the dash took a minute or two for the "SOC L" error to disappear, and the battery charge (fuel level) indicator had 3 bars on it. After my initial one-mile ride and a subsequent three-mile ride, it was down to two. I forgot that toggling through the tripometers would get me to a numeric SOC indicator, which showed 35-36. I am hoping that the low SOC is because the batteries had only been charged by a low-amperage trickle charger for the last couple months. Will keep an eye on that.

In addition, I verified that the Delta-Q charger is loaded with charge program/ algorithm 125, which appears to be correct for the Fullriver DC160-12 batteries that are currently installed. I plugged the charger in after my second test drive today and it is already showing 80% charged and low amp/ constant voltage mode. This is the first time I've attempted charging the batteries with the built-in charger, so I'm not sure how long it will be in that mode.

Edit: I unplugged it within a few hours, after checking that the status LEDs on the charger indicated full. Dash still indicates SOC 35 with 3 bars.

Regarding the backup camera, after the "SOC L" warning disappeared, the car can now go into reverse and the backup camera turns on. The stereo screen isn't the brightest, but the camera view came in nice and clear otherwise.

 

[rmay635703]

Driving the car so observed soc is half
theN charging should restore some capacity over a period of weeks

Will be interesting to see what driving range you have.

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

A couple times while driving the car, motor power suddenly cuts out. When it happened most recently, SOC showed 37, then suddenly dropped to 11, then SOC L. I toggled the drive switch to neutral while coasting to a stop sign, put my foot on the brake, toggled back to drive, and was able to continue without issue. SOC went back up to 37.

For what it's worth, I had already added a ground wire between the interior fuse box directly to the aux battery negative, and cleaned the aux battery grounds to chassis. It also seems that my new stereo's constant 12v connection is draining the aux battery, so I added a cutoff switch on that wire. Means the clock and radio stations will never save, but at least I can still easily toggle power so I have backup camera.

Also, following up from my prior post when SOC displayed 35 after charging, I drove until SOC 20, recharged fully, and SOC was 100 and all 8 bars showing. I then drove until SOC 49 (6.9 miles), recharged, and SOC still shows 49. Is there a certain threshold where SOC resets?

 

[rmay635703]

Need to put a voltmeter on each 12v battery

My guess is one is either failed or much lower capacity

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

Charged the car fully last night and just checked all six traction batteries and the aux battery:

Front of Car Volts
Aux battery: 12.43
Battery 1: 12.81
Battery 2: 12.76
Battery 3: 12.85
Battery 4: 12.85
Battery 5: 12.73
Battery 6: 12.84
Back of Car

Could the large difference in the aux battery be the source of the issue? I replaced that battery when I first bought the car at the end of last year.

 

[rmay635703]

Under load is when you need to monitor voltage

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

Ah, thanks. This may be where my lack of experience with EVs is slowing me down. I know that Cycle Analysts exist but not what would be appropriate for the Miles, and I saw your comment about an active voltmeter in a different Miles post (https://www.diyelectriccar.com/foru...0s-troubleshooting-198951.html#/topics/198951).

I'm now trying to figure out what device I should be using to monitor voltage on each of the six/seven batteries at once while I'm driving. Or is one voltmeter connected to the total pack sufficient for troubleshooting? I'm attempting to search through Google and other sections of this forum for things like "SoC monitor," "battery monitor," and "battery meter." Something like this seems interesting but expensive (and possibly out of production?): http://www.italentproductions.com/battsixbluetooth.html.

And something with a rotary switch and single gauge seems pretty clever: http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/showthread.php?t=59893

The SoC readout on the dash is convenient, but a voltage readout seems like it would have been useful, too.

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

I'm having trouble with my dash SoC meter not resetting after charging. Is that controlled by the car, the motor controller, or the charger (or some combination of the three)? Even with all batteries over 12.6-12.7v, the SoC was down to 13 and dropping. When SoC dropped to 10, the car went into 15mph limp mode. I don't want to somehow overcharge the batteries, and disconnecting the red pack connector, charger, and aux batteries does not reset the SoC above about 13-14 right now.

On a side note, I do wonder how well the aux battery is charging. It doesn't seem to get up to the 13.5v that I've read about, and it always seems to be the lowest voltage among all of the batteries (unless that's to be expected with the air pump cycling and motor controller on). It's a brand-new battery, but I may take it back to Advance Auto and have them load test it to be sure it's okay.

I did notice for the first time that the motor controller reports a 52 error while the car is charging. I assume this is expected, with the charger disabling the car so you can't accidentally drive away while plugged in. Normal blinking orange MC status light and drivability otherwise. More information about code 52 here: https://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/2009-miles-zx-40st-error-code-189098.html.

I am still trying to come up with a solution to monitor voltage under load. My Amprobe DMM doesn't have a min/max feature, so I am ordering a digital 0-100v voltmeter display and Grayhill rotary switch to alternate between reading the full pack, aux battery, and six large batteries (per the link in my past post).

 

[rmay635703]

If you don’t need perfect accuracy there are 12 volt analog battery meters under $5 each from harbor freight

Others have bought a set of cheap digital ones to do the same.

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

I'm having trouble with my dash SoC meter not resetting after charging. Is that controlled by the car, the motor controller, or the charger (or some combination of the three)? Even with all batteries over 12.6-12.7v, the SoC was down to 13 and dropping. When SoC dropped to 10, the car went into 15mph limp mode. I don't want to somehow overcharge the batteries, and disconnecting the red pack connector, charger, and aux batteries does not reset the SoC above about 13-14 right now.

I am happy to report that I appear to have resolved the (boneheaded) problem of SoC not displaying greater than 13. One of the battery terminals under the hood was not completely tightened. Fixed that, and now the SoC reads 100 on the dash. Hopefully the last time I make that mistake, but mentally adding it to the list of things to always triple-check...

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

The car has certainly been living up to its claim as a neighborhood electric vehicle. Perfect for trips to pick up groceries or to run other local errands!

Now that the temperatures are getting sweltering, though, the non-functioning air conditioner is really becoming problematic. First, try Googling "Miles ZX40S AC recharge" and you'll see how hard it is to find information specifically about this car's air conditioning! 😝 The A/C condenser fan and the interior blower fan turn on, and I hear a relay click in the vicinity of the compressor, but it never cools down. Looking at the compressor (the blue thing on the passenger side under the hood, model SIERRA04-0982Y3 for 48-100VDC), the label indicates use of R134a. I attached my Harbor Freight A/C manifold gauge set and appear to have 100psi on both the high and low sides. The low side was ever so slightly higher (103psi) with the A/C on versus turned off (see pictures). To me, this seems like the low side is too high, or it wasn't working for some other reason and someone tried to add refrigerant to the low side. With the A/C on, neither gauge fluctuates, which to me would indicate the compressor is not cycling on and off, and the air never gets cold.

Does anyone know what the high and low pressures should be on this system? I can't find the specs anywhere on the car or online.

 

[Kauaikit]

Hello MilesZX40SAD.....a shame you sold your '09 Miles "Cyber" Van. I enjoyed reading your postings. I recently purchased a '09 Miles ZX40sAD w/4.6k from CalState L.A. off of PublicSurplus. It needed new batteries, but I decided to go with 6 CostCo 12v deep cycle batteries ($600 range) just to make sure it was functioned as designed. It did. But, I too wanted to upgrade the battery source, as it's around $450 for each Fullriver DC160 battery ($3k), & then also tweek the controller to give it a bit more speed than the 25mph limit!

But, I too have an issue with the SOC (low) reading, though the batteries are fully charged. No loose battery cables. On my first test run it went 8.1 miles before going into 15mph limp mode. It then didn't want to come out of limp mode when I recharged the batteries! But, after disconnecting the battery power (rear red connector) it went back to 25mph, but the inside dash SOC still shows low.

I may have an issue with the Charger board box under the hood, as it too controls the charging of the 12v small battery. Not charging. Or, so I understand.

Maybe best if I started my own new thread, as I move forward upgrading my "Cyber" Van.

 

[MilesZX40SAD]

Hello MilesZX40SAD.....a shame you sold your '09 Miles "Cyber" Van. I enjoyed reading your postings.

Maybe best if I started my own new thread, as I move forward upgrading my "Cyber" Van.

It certainly was a fun while it lasted, and I'll miss the quirky little Miles. Of course, I've been very happy with the used Nissan Leaf that replaced it!

Good luck with your project!