50 Handy Tricks

Step 40: Emergency Shutdown for Electric Vehicle

What's that extra lever in front of the gearshift?

That's the emergency disconnect! You use it to pry the main circuit breaker out.
The lever is a metal rod covered with thick plastic so it won't conduct.

This is in my 1972 Dodge Mitsubishi Colt EV, converted to electric twenty years ago.
I'm looking for information about the controller ( PMC DCC 72C ) and motor ( model # 623-4BT)

let me know if you know anything.

Comments

[_soapy_]

If you have FETs controlling the current to the motors, and you yank that out under load, you'll fry them.

[TimAnderson]

The FETs might be fried already and maybe this is what did it. I haven't debugged the controller yet, everything else checks out but there's no armature current. The field driver is chopping 5 amps in (shunt wound aircraft motor/generator). I'm guessing this disconnect would only be used in an emergency when the FETs fail short or somesuch. On the other hand I think this is a non-reversing controller and there's a diode across the motor, which might make this disconnect safe for the controller. whatyathink?

[_soapy_]

Well, it's got to be safer than crashing your car into something, either way. You'll not scavenge a replacement part off the beach though! (I just read the Cuba trip, and half the other bits off your website, and if you are ever in the UK, drop me a line. I'd drive a while to meet up with someone as wonderfully mad as you are!)