Sunday, May 3, 2020

Soliton JR Installed with water cooling in the Ghia with Warp 9 Motor

The Synkromotive controller was having problems so I replaced it with a Soliton JR. The Soliton needs liquid cooling so I bought a transmission cooler and a PC liquid cooling kit. Everything connected together without any problems. I filled the reservoir with antifreeze and distilled water and it works fine!



Here is the final installation. I may need to add a fan to the radiator if it overheats on the highway, this is not really a highway car so probably won't be a problem.
Soliton JR installed on the firewall in place of the Synkromotive



Adapted a PC Liquid Cooling Kit which includes a reservoir and 12 volt pump. This installed nicely next to the controller.


Transmission radiator installed behind the passenger side rear wheel next to the batteries

Problems with Synkromotive DC 750 Controller





Synkromotive DC750

I have been driving the electric Ghia for 2 years without trouble. Recently, after fully charging, the Synkromotive controller would not activate the main contactor.

It showed an over voltage error. I was charged to 200 volts, however, it read 218 volts which was over its factory programmed upper limit. I tried to reset the factory voltage calibration to fix the problem, however, i could not access the administrator settings and the company is no longer in business. So on to plan B - buy a different controller. I settled on the Soliton JR which i picked up used for $900. It lists for $1,899 at EVwest.
Evnetics Soliton Jr.
Soliton JR
The main thing I do not like about the Soliton is that it needs liquid cooling to perform properly. The Synkromotive was air cooled. Setting up a liquid cooling kit with radiator and pump adds weight and complexity. It is also bigger and heavier than the Synkromotive. On the plus side, there are more of them out there and it is easier to find replacement parts and get them repaired. The Soliton also does not need an external contactor so I can remove the one that was installed for the Synkromotive.
netgain controls electric vehicle throttle cable
Netgain Cable Pull Hall Effect Throttle

I had a problem hooking up the Netgain cable pull throttle because I forgot the proper wiring instructions. I couldn't figure out green, white, and blue wires.

I eventually stumbled across the info:


The functions of each wire on the wiring harness are the following:


Orange: 0.8V to 4.45V, signal 1

Blue: ground for signal 1

White: 5V supply for signal 1

Green: 1.6V to 4.95V, signal 2

Black: ground for signal 2

Red: 5V supply for signal 2

Drain wire: grounded



Once I hooked it up properly, I was able to calibrate the throttle and ot worked fine.