Battery Vehicle Society

I'm wondering if it is worth ordering some of the obvious parts now,such as rear lights,mirrors etc. Where would you recommend ?

I've sent an e-mail enquiry on Friday to the link you sent me (cityel-import.dk), just waiting for a reply. Are they the best people to use ?

I've used CityCom in Germany. They've been a bit slow - but then so have I!

I think the chap in Denmark may be quicker as he's independent but you may benefit from waiting until we've looked at the car before ordering anything

Tyres - I've mentioned to the Twike importer to see if he can sell Twike Tyres. You may find it different to ride compared to the CityEl tyres but they'll take a higher pressure.

Some years ago a guy transported a City-el to me all the was from Cornwall. He was selling/servicing them, but neither he or his 'mechanics' could read a circuit diagram.

In looking for an electrical problem, they'd actually introduced an extra five faults. It turned out to be a faulty accelerator pedal microswitch. I actually dismantled and repaired the switch, though only as a temporary measure.

Anyway, I seem to recall that the rear lights were FWD Escort, possibly estate? Likewise the front indicators.

The forward/recerse switch on the one I worked on was a paddle in the dash that connected to a rotary switch. It's possible for the switch to move round and make getting one or other direction impossible.

For mirrors, just chose something that you like that suits the vehicle. There are loads to chose from. They do combined mirrors and indicators that might help make the vehicle more noticable to other traffic.

Hi Paul,

The micro switch on the accelerator is a common fault. Most City El owners actually bypass it - unless they want both heater coils to work (in which case you really need a working one!)

I brought a replacement from maplins and have had no problems with it since.

I think you may be right with the rear lights but the front ones I thought were custom made. They are dirt cheap anyway so it's probably worth getting official City El replacements.

German Ebay is a good source of CityEl parts. They're still sold on there regularly and I'm actually just about to start brushing up on my German so I can communicate a bit more fluently!

I've received a reply from Palle Beiskjaer (Cityel ApS), sadly they no longer stock the mirrors I require . He has offered to try and locate some used ones, so fingers crossed .

He does have a used battery lid and screws, but did not mention the rear lights. I've sent a reply saying I will purchase the battery lid and still require light lenses.

The tyres seem quite reasonably priced, so I must admit I am tempted. Strangely enough I was surprised to find all three tyres are the same size, I guess I've been around C5's too long - I assumed the front wheel was smaller...

Things are progressing nicely.....

Nope - all the tyres are the same, but sadly the wheels are all different!

The front one is free-wheeling, the right back wheel is a friction clutch driven wheel and the left back is connected directly to the driveshaft. It's a bummer because you can't "Carry a spare"....

Still, as the inner tubes are very cheap you're not going to be in too much of a muddle if you keep a spare inner tube at home and carry some tyre weld.

aminorjourney wrote:Nope - all the tyres are the same, but sadly the wheels are all different!

The front one is free-wheeling, the right back wheel is a friction clutch driven wheel and the left back is connected directly to the driveshaft. It's a bummer because you can't "Carry a spare"....

Still, as the inner tubes are very cheap you're not going to be in too much of a muddle if you keep a spare inner tube at home and carry some tyre weld.

I could always call Britannia Rescue - if only for the fun of trying to explain to them what a mini-el is...

Hahaha.

Don't let any rescue team move it if the rear springs go. It's then a case of removing the batteries and lifting the broken sprung side of the car whilst pushing it on.

But yeah, they should be fine

EVguru wrote:Some years ago a guy transported a City-el to me all the was from Cornwall. He was selling/servicing them, but neither he or his 'mechanics' could read a circuit diagram

His name wasn't Nigel was it buy any chance?

His name wasn't Nigel was it buy any chance?

It's so long ago that I simply can't remember.