Contactor not energizing
Hello. Looking for a little experience. I was driving my ev, but was debugging my pack with weak cells and adding charger relays. I am getting code 39 from my curtis 1238 on my 96V AC system. Got a new build with older stuff from a previous build. My contactor closes with an applied 12V wired from my 12V battery. Is my Kilovac contactor in trouble or do I need to find a curtis dealer to take a closer look at my controller? And does any body know where I can get a new wire harness for this controller so I can add it to my CAN bus?
Thanks.
Thanks.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Joined
·
45 Posts
Thank you for your reply. I've had a little time since my post to think some more and research.
I have an LEV200A5NAA. It says it is a 24V coil, but looking at the manual for the Curtis, the KSI and the coil return is Max(108)V +10V. Maybe the controller can't open the coil anymore after some age/oxidation? It is possible that I had the coil return on the wrong side of the contactor coil. The manual says it should be on the positive side of the contactor however, it was working for a short time for some test runs and then stopped after I let my pack sit for balancing.
On my previous build (where I harvested all my parts), I had a regular relay rated for 240Vac for the KSI. This time around, I was using a SSR DC-DC and tried to use the BMS relay control for charge and discharge with a 12V from the key switch, but I kept getting the error 39 from my controller. It would work when I just grounded my SSR rather than use the sink in the BMS.
So here is a follow up question to my original problem. Which way should the current flow through the contactor? I had it connected going from the battery+ to +A1 to -A2 to B+1238. Then the coil return was connected on the -A2 (coil control) side of the contactor.
I can't remember how it was on my previous build.
I have an LEV200A5NAA. It says it is a 24V coil, but looking at the manual for the Curtis, the KSI and the coil return is Max(108)V +10V. Maybe the controller can't open the coil anymore after some age/oxidation? It is possible that I had the coil return on the wrong side of the contactor coil. The manual says it should be on the positive side of the contactor however, it was working for a short time for some test runs and then stopped after I let my pack sit for balancing.
On my previous build (where I harvested all my parts), I had a regular relay rated for 240Vac for the KSI. This time around, I was using a SSR DC-DC and tried to use the BMS relay control for charge and discharge with a 12V from the key switch, but I kept getting the error 39 from my controller. It would work when I just grounded my SSR rather than use the sink in the BMS.
So here is a follow up question to my original problem. Which way should the current flow through the contactor? I had it connected going from the battery+ to +A1 to -A2 to B+1238. Then the coil return was connected on the -A2 (coil control) side of the contactor.
I can't remember how it was on my previous build.
Joined
·
4,065 Posts
How do you have the contactor coils wired (please draw it out so we can help you)? Give all pin numbers and descriptions for the Curtis 1238.
Also, what voltage do you have programmed into the Curtis for your contactor coil voltage? Is this an HPEVS system? There are ways to change the voltage. If it doesn't close, it may not be set up correctly.
The positive side of the contactor goes to the side with the highest potential, so B+. Then the negative side goes to the controller B+.
Joined
·
45 Posts
It is an HPEV system programmed at purchase for 96V. I still have 96V, but was told I could go to 108V if I wanted with four more cells.
Attachments
Joined
·
4,065 Posts
No, specifically what voltage is the contactor coil programmed for. There's a parameter for the contactor voltage that gets programmed in there. The inverter PWM's the pack voltage down to that voltage to drive the coil (which is why the EV200 won't work, it can't take a PWM voltage as it has it's own PWM circuit/coil economizer).
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
