10/05/2022
BERLINGO ELECTRIQUES
I still get a lot of calls on Berlingo Electriques, 1996 to 20004/5. I still have a few spares. I will add to this post putting other bits of info and insight. This also applies to the few Peugeot Partner versions that were sold in the UK.
IF YOUR Electrique IS DEAD OR DOES UNDER ABOUT 35 MILES TO A CHARGE, just send me £1000 and throw the vehicle away. You will be better off than you would be had you tried to get it into a usable condition.
Some details on the Electrique.
27, 6v 100Ah wet, liquid cooled Nicad Made by SAFT. Never officially available singly. Only sold as box sets from PSA .
Rear Box of 6 Cells (Yes they are officially called cells not batteries)
Center box of 11. Two versions are used in each pack, "D" and "G" Droit (Right) and Gauche (left)these relate to the location of the connections and watering ports, which when reversed give the way of simple serial connections in boxes with two rows of cells.
Lower front box of 6 (Exactly the same as the rear in all ways)
Top front box of 4 (this also has an inbuilt temperature sensor)
This lot gives a nominal pack voltage of 162v.
Under the bonnet is a large Alloy box containing, Charger, Main Power electronics "Calculateur" or ECU and DC to DC converter.
AC charge was originally from the early J1772 spec and was a paddle connector that slotted in and latched down. EV versions were all made by Marechal. In the US (avcon)this design was also used by Ford, Possibly Honda and Toyota. The design also allowed DC charging , which was used in France by the Postal service in Paris never used in the UK, but the wiring is there in the vehicles.
The std charger pulls a good 13 amps and requires really good 13a plugs and sockets , or I changed any coming my way over 16a plugs and sockets for the mains supply.
The vehicles were supposed to do about 50 miles on a charge, some even claimed 60. The best I ever saw was 42 and regularly saw 40on a decent set of batteries.
Max top speed was 62mph, at 63 they go to regen. Lots of lovely regen and they can be virtually driven using the right foot/ accel pedal.
Motor was a brushed SEPEX (look it up) DC motor with inbuilt concentric diff/ reduction box.
All the rest of the vehicles were basically std Berlingo/ Partner parts. Notable exception was the handbrake cables. which were different lengths.
Mk1 up to around 2003 had solid front Discs ( I have some in stock) Mk2 around 2003 on had the later front panels and std berlingo vented discs. (these rot badly / worse than the solids).
The pack was liquid cooled as was the main control box. The rad being split vertically at the filler , each half having a separate constantly running pump and a common fan (rarely ever used) The motor has a separate cage stye fan blowing through it.
Being wet nicads they need to be watered. a light comes up on the dash, but by then its too late. Watering is supposed to be done using a maintenance charge (evlite / Peugeot Planet etc) . This charge the pack then over charges up to over 8v/ cell this extra charge balances out the pack and they are supposed to absorb max liquid when hot. This can take around 10 hours. so a good over night. Then you water (it will keep cycling to keep temp up for up to 72 hrs) using the connectors on the top of the front battery , a bottle hung on the bonnet catch and a hose with a specific connector on. Each battery box being done in turn, Each being full when the van wees on the floor, pull off the connector and put on the next connector. Once all are done you reset the watering time using evlite / etc. You can easily put 15 ltrs of water in the pack.
Aim to water at about 3000 miles. You know it makes sense.
If its dead. First check the 12v battery, nothing will function with out that. If 12v battery is dead, pull a pack fuse in front of the 12v battery. Change the 12v , then put the pack fuse back. Only do it in that order. If the main battery pack is measuring under about 130v its unlikely to charge. That means you would have to manually charge it to a point the charger will kick in about 120v (ish)
If its not been used for some years and its maintenance charge / watering history is unknown DO NOT CHARGE IT until you have watered it. A very empty battery will be easily permanently damaged, and that can mean explosion of the SAFT Nicads. By exploding I mean fire flames, holes in cell cases you can put your fist in. It sounds like someone has kicked the underside of the vehicle with a toetector boot. Split second but impressively powerful . The cells are full of hydrogen and bent plates can wear through the insulator, touch/ short spark and ignite. The short lived flame can go through the watering / vent pipe and destroy others beside it.
You need a means of starting the Maintenance charge. Ie evlite, or Citroen Lexia (other ways possible) . If when watering water runs out of anywhere but the overflow pipes, then you have a damaged battery. Do not charge it.
If the brushes are close to the wear limit . Dont use it. Change them. You can cause damage to the motor commutator if the brushes are worn down too far. Thats terminal.
Common faults.
Front Springs break, no longer available, use heavy duty std berlingo parts (Aftermarket not genuine) , but do both sides to match.
!2v battery dies and so does the vehicle. Replace
Battery temp sensors dies, yellow eco light comes on and noting works.. Strip out top battery box and replace. I make an exchange version. You send the old one, I rebuild and send back. I wont send one first, as people never send the old one back. Shame that attitude messes it up for others.
ECO light comes on anywhere above 15% charge. You have at least one useless cell.
Liquid drips out of the base of a battery box, Put a tray under it. If the same colour as the coolant, you have found the problem. If clearish its possibly electrolyte, dont stick your fingers in it. Either way its a battery box out job.
Do not leave in Park, especially on any slope. You will not get it out, its a simple pawl in a notched wheel and you have to push it up hill to get it out of park. DO NOT try and force the lever , you will break the cable and then you are bu**erd.
FWD / Reverse lever doesnt work properly. DO not waste time spraying with WD40. It wont get anywhere near the insides. Its not a series of switches. But a series of different resistances. Internal moisture can play havoc with this. Taking the whole assembly out is a major task. So try placing some form of gentle heat under it for some hours/ repeatedly warm the lever assembly from underneath. Not too hot, touchable is good. Keep re heating for some hours. This may clear it. If not its hours of work underneath to get it out. Horrible job.
Hand brake cables seize as they go along the suspension arms. These are no longer available. You just have to use std van ones and pick one thats long enough and re route around the battery box to use up the extra length..
If you are taking out a battery box you have to undo the cable clamps into the Fuse / Barre. They are torx and shallow. DOnt use worn torx, if rounded grind the end off before using it. If you the torx head its a major problem to get the cable out. I have some spare Barre/ fuse holders. (they are different)
No coolant flow visible in the radiator/ an awful noise at the base of the rad. The two water pumps can get stuck if not used for some while. Its worth stripping them and manually seeing if you can move them, Otherwise replace.
Heater doesnt start, the fuel is provided by a simple shuttle pump, each operation pushes about 10cc of fuel along the pipe. The shuttle can get stuck. Its above rear axle fixed to the chassis cross rail rail slightly to the right. Get a long 1/2 " socket extension. Put that to the side of the pump, tap the extension with a decent sharp hammer tap. This should dislodge the shuttle. If not its a lot of stuff to strip off to get it out (messy with the fuel as well).
Rubbish steering . knocking. Worn bottom suspension pivot . The rear bush on these arms also goes, the cheaper more open void bushes fall apart. Its not worth replacing a bush/ pivot complete arms are better. Later ones have a different rear bush and also need a different short mounting screw (Different size screw).
When changing front discs , If the caliper carrier is held to the main hub with large torx bolts. DONT try and undo them. You will strip the head. They have thread locker on the bolt shaft. So heat them up as hot as you can, this melts the thread locker and then you can get them out. Later ones have a std head bolt. Cant recall the thread, but Its probably a metric fine about 12mm .
If you have to swap a front shock. The clamp bolts are hard to get out whole . They are not std 8.8 grade bolts, so you have to get higher tensile grade bolts to replace them. I did have some in stock.
