How to Remove the Zero's Onboard Charger

[@dumpthepump247]

Now that's a proper how-to! Didn't knew the stock charger was connected with Anderson plugs, I would have expected it to be hardwired in. A+ guide for people who are dealing with the less than stellar OEM chargers.

[@NewZeroland]

Dump the pump Haha thanks man! I'm excited to have only fast chargers on the bike.

[@BryceByerley]

Thank you! I'm counting the days until my DigiNow chargers come and this video is GRATEFULLY bookmarked.

[@NewZeroland]

Bryce Byerley Thanks for watching, and good luck on your own swap!

[@whitejtw]

Holy cow wait whoa! I just had to pause the video and come say great job after seeing the animation at 2:31. That's some nice work!

[@NewZeroland]

Haha thanks! Just some camera tracking and reeeeeally rough 3D models. Hopefully that helped people visualize it all.

[@whitejtw]

@@NewZeroland Yup helps a lot! The additional tracking is worth a million polygons in my opinion. This does a great job of showing what''s going on under there. I might be able to save an old zero thanks to this

[@awo1fman]

Thanks for blazing the way! I'm going to be doing this soon, and it's great to see exactly what's involved before I start. One thing Zero doesn't do well (actually, at all) is provide instructions. I bought the official windshield and luggage racks, and while the top rack was easy (aside from poorly drilled holes that I had to modify), the windshield would have been a problem if I had never dealt with a motorcycle one before and the side racks were impossible to figure out until I saw a bike with them already installed. The windshield comes and goes with the seasons and the side racks won't be installed until I get fast charging capability and can tour. Maybe I should make a couple of how-to videos of my own for other people's benefit. Oh, and one other thing I'm working on is 100% LED lighting conversion. The taillight is the only LED lamp on the bike, which I think is kind of dumb. I've already replaced the headlight and the little top light in the headlight housing, whatever the point of that is. It wasn't until I was almost done that I found out how easy it is to detach the headlight housing and make access to the back of it a million times easier. The indicators are another story - I'm going to try 3D printing some adapter rings for the housings because the replacement bulbs are too long and won't fit. I don't want to use aftermarket housings unless absolutely necessary, plus the adaptors will be an easier, quicker, plug-and play solution.

[@NewZeroland]

Thanks! Yeah, I have a feeling Zero just doesn't want people working on their bikes, and for a lot of things it makes sense. It's cool that they have a manual, but for everything else, there's the unofficial manual (www.zeromanual.com) and that's a huge help. For LED replacement turn signals, check out Dump the Pump's video (find him in the comments below). He recently swapped his and they're super bright. But totally make your own how-to videos as well! The more this community has, the better :)

[@awo1fman]

I don't understand why in all my previous searches I never ran across that zeromanual.com, but it's an amazing resource and it's now bookmarked! I already replaced the flasher with an LED-compatible one (because I think using resistors is a bad idea for several reasons but mostly because it nullifies power savings), so at this point I'm just waiting on a 3D printer. I hope to buy one, but there's a "maker space" in the area that I may be able to use in the mean time. If the project is a success, I'll make the files publicly available, and once I get my own printer may even sell the spacers if there's any interest. Those replacement units Dump the Pump used are really nice, but they are expensive and have built-in resistors. I suppose I could make similar units from scratch without the resistors, but one of my major considerations is using generic, plug-and-play components whenever possible. Then if there's ever a problem on the road it's much easier to deal with. It's also cheaper and simpler.

[@NewZeroland]

Good stuff! Let me know when you have models to download. That's exciting stuff!

[@thomasansley539]

Thanks for this my charger died and I ordered a new one, replacing it myself on Monday this video saved me 🤞 it goes well

[@mikecampbell3688]

Hey Boss, were you successful? Did Zero have to remotely program it with interface wiring?

[@MiguelZarzuela]

Great video!! One question, what video editor do you use for this 3D figures on the video! It's very cool. Thank you!

[@NewZeroland]

Miguel Zarzuela I actually used an old program called Boujou for the tracking, and Maya for modeling. Glad ya liked it!

[@MiguelZarzuela]

NewZeroland thank you for your answer! Your videos show that you invest time in them ;) Good work!

[@NewZeroland]

Miguel Zarzuela Thanks for watching! That means a lot :D

[@dennisnl7125]

Top, using this video when Diginow 2.5 arrives with new bellypan. Going for 1 unit first.

[@NewZeroland]

Dennis Kramer awesome! You'll love it :D

[@dennisnl7125]

Allready upgraded my order, 6,6kW from dealer in UK is to arrive next week and after it: the Netherlands. Can't wait 👍

[@NewZeroland]

Yeaaaah nice!!

[@brianshirley7977]

Great work on this video. Love the info graphic showing the cables and stuff.

[@NewZeroland]

Thanks man! Glad ya liked it.

[@Muffin0117]

Great video! My 120v plug was completely corroded and fried, and your video helped me get that removed so I can replace it! But now I'm considering keeping my onboard charger in the garage and off the bike... Do you know if the bike still runs fine without the data connector to the onboard charger? Would it have to be plugged in every time you charge?

[@NewZeroland]

Nice! Glad it helped. Yeah I rode the bike without the charger for a long time. You really feel the difference in weight. You just need to plug in the big Anderson DC connector and the communication cable and you're good to go!

[@pinaero]

Excellent. I know this hell that is removing the factory on-board. Nice video, bro. :D

[@NewZeroland]

pinaero™ Imagine installing these things on new Zeros for a living O_O

[@andreasp.7246]

Awesome video, awesome content with love for the details. Excellent shots and nice 3D model overlay. You got my sub!

[@NewZeroland]

Hey thanks!!

[@jtchivers]

Excellent video! You make it look easy! 😀

[@NewZeroland]

John Chivers Thanks! It actually wasn't as difficult as I expected.

[@kristofblomme649]

Hello Sorry I live in Belgium. Where can I buy something like that, mine is broken? Greetings Kristof.

[@robertcoco893]

VERY helpful video! Removed mine today easily after watching your vid. If you didn't cover that hidden ground wire/clip connector, it sure would have been more difficult not knowing that in advance.

[@NewZeroland]

Thanks man! I'm so glad it helped :D

[@ShibaSoftware]

Great Video! I have a 2016 SR (25k miles on odometer) with a failed onboard charger. I am in Rosarito MX right now with the bike, so replacing the charger at the dealership is not even an option. Would you recommend replacing it yourself? Is there an OEM charger that is better than the stock charger?

[@NewZeroland]

Aw man! Sorry to hear that. These stupid chargers seem like ticking time bombs. Unfortunately a direct replacement is still the best option. You can buy them from AF1 Racing, but I remember them costing $800 usd. Here's a video on how to swap them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/energpqKhLKrhZo

[@SanfterWind]

Year...great video !! Tomorrow I will change my onboardcharger :-)

[@NewZeroland]

Good luck!

[@caramelzappa]

I love the idea of installing faster chargers but not fond of taking up multiple charging stations while I'm charging. EV's are pretty popular in my area and using two spots means someone else isn't charging. Can you use 2 diginow chargers with one 240v plug?

[@NewZeroland]

caramelzappa Yeah for sure. Two of these chargers plug into one J1772 station, so if you had 2 you could still charge up in 1.5-2hrs. Using multiple J stations is only necessary when you have more than 2 of these. But then you could plug them all into one Tesla station ;)

[@NewZeroland]

Oh and you COULD plug 2 into a 240V outlet, but you'd have to turn the power down on the chargers. Normal wall outlets just aren't powerful enough.

[@GregHassler]

Great video as always!

[@NewZeroland]

Greg Hassler Thanks man!

[@Scott-iv7gl]

Dude... I want to do this but... shouldn't I disconnect the fuse first? My buddy is a Zero mechanic and that's what he said to do first. There's a fuse for the whole battery, which you disconnect under the seat, which makes it so you can't electrocute yourself. Pretty much, that's what he told me. Which sucked because my bolt was seized up on the seat. Anyways, I love your video - the graphic wire images were amazing (HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?!) and very helpful. I am installing a new charger that is more waterproof. They made them because of people with charging problems in Costa Rica.

[@Scott-iv7gl]

OK, for those that are really extra worried like me (I have a child), the fuse is located under the seat, right beneath the left leg (round black thing on the silver box, twist it, and it pops out). It is the high voltage fuse (something like that), so it disconnects all the high voltage power to the low voltage stuff (possibly, I think).

[@Scott-iv7gl]

Oh, and for anybody with bolt seizing issues - there's a product called Free All. One mechanic here in Hawaii told me he never ever had to use anything else. Sold, worked like a charm. Way better than WD-40.

[@NewZeroland]

Hey nice! Glad you liked this, and thanks for posting about the fuse. Zero upgraded to a more waterproof charger?? These are all potted so the internals are waterproof already. The issues with the calex (and the rest of the bike) come from water getting into the connectors and frying them. Hopefully the new ones sorted that out. Some people use dielectric grease or silicon to seal stuff up. Good luck over there!

[@Scott-iv7gl]

@@NewZeroland I should try to do some sealing up. Did the charger swap last night and dang was that Anderson connector hard to connect after I put it back together again. But I got it in there, zip tied it closed too. What a tiny task. LOL. Thanks for the guidance once again. So the new charger looks a lot like the old charger, except where it was model number EVC-116-1300, it is no 1325 instead. And there is a square thing inside the rubber sheath that seals in the plug-in part. I think that is to serve as some sort of protection against frying it due to water. Something like that. If I find out more, I'll let you know. It probably is just was waterproof, after all.

[@meeskees702]

The charger I believe is not directly connected to the battery, there is a main contactor in between. You should be safe to work on this charger as long as your “ignition switch” is off and properly discharged.

[@Bfgth0mas]

Would you know where I can buy a new onboard charger? I need to replace it, I don't see it anywhere on their website.

[@NewZeroland]

AF1 Racing sells them, but they're $800. See if someone is selling a used one, or buy a cheaper aftermarket one, like an Elcon.

[@thomasansley539]

I just called my dealership to order the official one and they shipped it right to my house but it's $800

[@NewZeroland]

@@thomasansley539 sucks that they're so expensive. These should be official recalls, for how often they crap out on people.

[@CumminsTurbo4]

😂Zero doesn't stand behind their products very well, I think most people know that by now hahaa

[@MrAlan113]

can you make a video on how to add heated grips to your zero?

[@NewZeroland]

I'd love to, but I haven't had the need for them yet. I did make a video on how to swap your handle bar for clip-ons, if that helps get you part of the way there.

[@JasonCarmichael]

What did you do with the plug on the OEM charger, the one with the little wires? How did you get around it? Diginow seems to be out of the Zero MC charger business now. :(

[@NewZeroland]

Yeah, I'm bummed that they won't be selling these anymore. I just stuffed that cable above the motor. It originally went to the diginow SCv2.5 board, but I don't use it anymore.

[@garystinten9339]

Any ideas on how to get a powertrain from a bike? Wanting one for a car project.. Thanks

[@NewZeroland]

Yeah man! Either find a wrecked Zero for cheap on an auction site like copart (the easiest way), or order brand new from AF1 Racing.

[@O_RaLLY]

How do you get a replacement charger? DigiNow doesn't make Zero chargers anymore and mine just went out a few months out of warranty a couple months after my battery monolith was replaced.

[@NewZeroland]

Your onboard charger? You can order those brand new from AF1 Racing.

[@O_RaLLY]

@@NewZeroland Thanks I ended up finding that answer a little after I posted this. I tried talking to Hollywood Electronics as well after rewatching your video on getting parts. However, they didn't have them and they much like Green Watt Power were very adamant about not helping but going to an authorized Zero service center. After everything it looks like that's what I'm going to do. It's a little more than getting one from AF1 with the labor but the charger itself is $50 cheaper from Zero directly it seems. Just kind of sucks that the prior owner had it for two years, I bought right after the warranty was done on everything but the battery (already replaced under warranty at 4k miles). So after only 2 years and a few months I'm replacing the chargers that go out on so many of these bikes. Obviously there was a problem with these Calex chargers but Zero is not willing to extend the warranty on them even though their customers are getting screwed. I don't see this as building brand loyalty.

[@NewZeroland]

@@O_RaLLY I feel ya, man. There should be a recall on these parts. I can't believe they STILL use them. It's insane. But I'm glad you're able to get yours replaced :) And thanks for watching my videos! Glad they helped.

[@CaptainCraigKWMRZ]

Simple question no one ever addresses... Can I remove the battery and charge it in my 3rd floor apt?

[@NewZeroland]

Only on older Zero FX models, and other electrics like the Sur-Ron Light Bee and the Super Soco. Bigger Zero models don't have removable batteries, unfortunatey. They're crazy heavy.

[@CaptainCraigKWMRZ]

@@NewZeroland thank you!

[@briparts]

HELP PLEASE ,I have a ds that the charger quit,ordered a new one from the dealer and it is actually 4 small chargers .installed it but there is no connection for the control plug,charger is putting out 113 volts but not triggering the on board computer ,do you know what I need to do with the control wires or do I need to connect it to a different input.I had ti change the 5/16 spade connectors on the new charge and attach an anderson plug to connect to the original onboard charger connection the dealer is no help. .

[@NewZeroland]

What?? That sounds super weird. Do you know what kind of chargers they are? Why didn't the dealer install them? And as far as I know, Zero still uses the same calex chargers, so whatever your dealer sent sounds aftermarket and not from Zero.

[@briparts]

@@NewZeroland yes ,it is weird,but that i what they sold me for $1300 with no instructions and they have never done on and have no idea.I called zero for help and they will not help because I am not a dealer.4 x 24 volt chargers in series and they line up to existing mounting holes in the bike.I am guessing the BMS is ether in the charger or controlled by the charger .

[@NewZeroland]

@@briparts whoa.. but a replacement calex is only $800. Maybe yours is a more reliable setup? But with no instructions, that doesn't make sense. Maybe it doesn't need the communication cable, like DigiNow chargers. Try turning the bike on first and then plugging it in. That might work, but it's definitely not normal.

[@Lyric.S-]

Hi ! i love your vids and i'd like to purchase a FXS as soon as possible, i got a question about the brand, is it good with the after sales service ? do you have any kind of probleme ?

[@NewZeroland]

Cyril Sebadelha an FXS sounds awesome. I've had my SR for 2.5 years without any issues. When it comes to electric motorcycles, Zero is the biggest and most reliable so far. I think you'd have a lot of fun!

[@CumminsTurbo4]

I'm sure you've learned by now, but they definitely do not stand behind their products very well! Lots of known issues that are never recalled or touched on by the factory

[@Lyric.S-]

@@CumminsTurbo4 no i didn't, Thank you !

[@CumminsTurbo4]

Lucky. Dodged a bullet

[@CumminsTurbo4]

I've two major battery issues. One was a bad thermocouple (under a $2 part in the digikey world) and by design the lowest replaceable part was the battery ($2800 from zero). Nice. The other was the main battery board. My FXS is modular so twice the trouble. Then the charger issues. Then the fact that the dealer always has it for majority of the riding season, all adds up to just a poor experience for riding.

[@ourstate100]

My only concern is how does that effect the long term heath of the battery?

[@NewZeroland]

The only concern with charging faster is heating up the battery too much. The stock charger gets REALLY hot and is touching the bottom of the battery, so that is actually worse for it than these aftermarket chargers. These batteries are also capable of charging safely at 3C, so this setup (still below 1C) shouldn't be a problem.

[@YoannBERLOTSCHMITT]

Hello Guy, Thank you very much for your amazing vid!! I am facing the same case now, on my 2016 SR/ZF, 61'320km... Could you share the ref of your alternative please? Do not hesitate to contact me 🙂 Greetings from Switzerland!

[@NewZeroland]

Hey, sorry to hear that! I'm not sure what other chargers are available for Zeros now. This was a long time ago and they don't sell those chargers anymore. It's probably safest to take your bike to a Zero dealer and have them replace the charger with a new one. Good luck!

[@Lorecastapendragon]

hay, show us how to add more batteries to the bike, if you can figure that out and offer a tutorial, you'd be a hero.

[@NewZeroland]

Haha, that's where I'll leave it to the pros, at least for now. People have definitely done it, but I don't know how, and it's too dangerous to show in a youtube tutorial.

[@moparbro]

Whoa

[@tiloalo]

Haha make sure you're not charging. If you remove the petrol tank, make sure the motor is not running ^^

[@NewZeroland]

Right??

[@4n6iscool]

Burritos...yummy!!!