This forum is in read-only mode. Please continue to browse, but replies are disabled for now. Why?

Currie Throttle 5 wire connection

 I have a Schwinn I zip electric bicycle purchased in Canada and Schwinn does not seen to support the bike any more.

My twist throttle "Currie " fell apart and would not stop applying power to the motor until the breaks were applied.

It was a 5 pin connector to the 24volt 35 amp controller but the connection was a group of 3 wire to 1 plug and then 2 wires to the other plug.

This had the throttle as well as the 4 lights to show battery level.

I have tried to replace the throttle with a new 1  but he 5 wires were in 1 plug . so purchased the matching controller and now I don't get any lights or power to the motor.

Is there some way to test the throttle to see if the 1 I received is defective?

Can I connect any other throttle to my controller to get the bike operational?

I would like to upgrade to a newer model bike in the future so hope to not have to spend lots on a old bike but can't afford the new 1 let.


The throttle can be tested however defective new throttles are not common so we recommend performing a battery pack load test first.

The original throttle could be connected to the new controller if the same plug that the new throttle has is correctly installed onto it. This would require the right connector and a crimping tool so it is not easily done unless you have this part and tool.

It is likely that the old controller was damaged and its power transistors locked into the short-circuit position which caused the motor to run at full speed unless the brakes were on. If this is the case then the low-Voltage battery protection circuit of the old controller was not functioning so the motor was running even if the battery pack was under its recommended Voltage level.

The first step to take is to perform a load test on the battery pack. For this test:
  • Charge the battery pack for 6 to 8 hours if it has not been charged in the last two weeks.
  • Check the battery pack Voltage by inserting multimeter probes into the top two holes in the charger port and holding them in a position that shows Voltage on the meter. The multimeter will need to be set to 200 Volts DC for this test. The Voltage of the battery pack should be around 27 Volts.
  • Now while watching the Voltage level, turn the power switch on and fully twist the throttle.
  • During this test, if the battery pack Voltage drop under 23 Volts then the battery pack is significantly dropping Voltage under load which is causing the controller to go into low-Voltage battery protection mode and not run the motor.
  • If the battery pack Voltage drops under 23 Volts then the battery pack is old, worn out, or faulty and needs to be replaced.


 Please let us know how it goes and we will take it from there.


Login or Signup to post a comment