Disappointment Turns Into A Grin!
During my ongoing series of tests and break-in runs, it was becoming quite apparent that things were not going as well as expected. The power was definitely lacking! By now, the car should have been up to at least 75% of final expected performance. But if this was 75%, then I was going to be one disappointed electric vehicle driver! I could just barely get up the rolling hills around here and on the open flat roads, about 45 MPH was tops, with the accelerator floored!
I decided that the coating of "No-Ox" that I liberally slathered all over every battery terminal, in an pre-emptive strike against corrosion, was causing electrical resistance and needed to be removed ... all 32 terminals! Three hours later, I took another test drive - same problem! I was NOT feeling very happy!
While I was in the garage/barn pulling my hair out trying to decide if there was something seriously wrong or if I'd just have to accept this modest performance, Jacquie's grandson, Drew, age 14, looking under the hood, observed, "There sure is a lot of slack in that throttle cable." Me, being "Mr. Electrical Vehicle Expert," replied, "Some slack is just fine ... that's not the problem."
As Drew wandered back to the house and I was about to follow, quite disappointed, I decided to check out that "slack." Well guess what: The throttle cable was only opening the controller (pot box) half-way! In other words, I was only able to use half of the power available!
I made a few changes and went for another test drive. Whoa! What a difference! Acceleration was so strong that I really didn't want to try full throttle. Problem solved!
Enter "BIG GRIN!"
When I got back to the house I made it a point to tell Drew that his observation was what solved the problem.
So what do I know ... I'm only "Mr. Electrical Vehicle Expert."
3 comments:
It was that type of observation that made hiding Christmas present so difficult when he was younger!
Sounds to me like Drew is entitled to a triple scoop!
Way to go, Drew!
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