Electric Bike Repair

I'm helping out a friend whose electric-assist bike is broken due to the electrical connections between the battery and the electric motor.

The battery pack is a 36V NiMh module housed in a container to make it look like a water bottle. The connector to this battery pack is a weatherproof 12-way plastic Souriau multiway connector but it has a broken shroud which defeats the keyway. This results in sparking and connector pin corrosion. The connector is badly burned and is possibly BER (Beyond Economical Repair). I believe that the connector is of the UTS range...

• http://www.souriau-industrial.com/en/product_ranges_overview/product_range_list/uts_affordable_reinforced_sealing

It could be this connector...

• http://www.souriau-industrial.com/eAdvisor/SOURIAU/INDUSTRIAL/CIRCULAR/UTS/C025-UTS1-A.pdf

I'm a bit scared of working on the live battery end! There are large currents involved!

I disassembled the battery unit removing electrical tape that appears to have been added post production leading me the believe that some previous maintenance attempt has been made. The unit comes apart quite neatly. There doesn't seem to be any handy internal connectors that I can use to safely disconnect the cells. The top of a capacitor fell out when I took it apart! This probably blew off upon a connect attempt that reverse polarised it!

NOTES AND TODO: -

• add photos
• identify connectors
• manufacturer contact details
• identify blown capacitor
• safely discharge cells
  • perhaps use the bike to do that!
• are the bike electrical components damaged?
• identify the 12 connections
  • centre group of 3 pins is for the charger