(ET) Ok, my E20 is insane

[Chris Zach <czach computer org>]

Ok, this is really weird.

Right now my E20 is in an odd place. If you put it in neutral and press 
down on the pedal, the motor comes up to full speed immediately. That's 
on throttle setting 1.
Go to setting two. You hear a click, but the motor spins at the same 
speed. Same with setting 3 and 4. A click each time from the contactors 
but no change in motor speed. Speed 4 is normally full armature, full field.
In speed 5,6,7,8 you can hear the motor speed up. Wahoo; we're running 
with proper field weakening. But it's almost as if cruise control is 
halfway engaged in the lower speeds, locking in all contactors. Except 
that the contactors are clicking in; you can hear them. They're not 
locked on.
It gets worse. Switch to reverse. Now you will hear the motor spinning 
backwards slowly thru the gears, however there is *NO* field to speak of 
as the armature current is way off the chart. And after a few seconds 
the motor thermal breaker trips.
Any idea what the heck is going on here?

Chris