Two broken down electric bikes, what would you do

[FocusOnCycling]

One I paid over 1000 euro for from Halfords. The electronics went on it in some way or other not that long after the warranty ran out. The battery also somehow is jammed into the bike. It comes with a key to unlock it but try as I might the thing won’t detach from the bike. Not insurmountable as it could be charged while in the bike if I could just get the bike working again. Anyway having taken it back to Halfords They say they can’t do much for it now. As it going wrong also was several years ago now and it’s an older model. Really not fair, I’d have never bought it if I’d known how quickly itv would become obsolete. So anyway there’s that and there’s an folding city type electric bike, quite small. Also the electrics went on it. I was given that bike for nothing. Anyway what to do, I am wondering should I take them to a specialist electric bike place I vaguely remember calling up a place about the one I paid an arm and a leg for and being told as it’sa Halfords bike I’d need to get it fixed through them. but maybe theres other specialist bike places somewhere That could help me… I dunno. What would you do? I am trying to make space and the city bike it’d be nice to get working and then sell on, the other one I wouldn’t mind getting it working again for myself. One thing I’ve learned though, never electric bikes ever ever again. I’m trying to make space and I’m half tempted to take them to a scrap metal place so I never have to think about them again. Now gimme your opinions

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

It sort of depends on what is broken

which raises the point about how capable and equiped you are to find out
for example - does the battery supply current - in which case the motor might need replacing
or is the battery dead - which is quite common on ebikes that have not been consistantly used - then the cells might needs replacing - which is expensive
It also depends on how specific the electronics are - e.g. if they are Bosch then they re locked down so tight that only proper Bosch dealers can really do anything - and all they mostly can only replace full bits rather than repair them
cheap Chinese bits and pieces are more generalised and so any old bits might well fit
maybe

I would start by putting a voltmeter across the wires to the battery - if you can find them - and see if it registers any current

all of which explains why you might well need an expert!!!


anyway - let us know how it goes !

 

[Drago]

I'd fix it, but have the skills, knowledge and gear.

I know how the get the battery off too - its a question of technique, not really possible to describe. That being the case I'd likely rebuild it with a new controller and display, but keep the existing motor. Maybe 50 quid to do.

They're not obsolete, doubtless could be up and running for a modest outlay. The difference is electronics, controllers etc, move on very quickly in design so after a few years simple replacement becomes difficult and it then becomes a case of substitution freely available alternatives.

 

[CXRAndy]

One I paid over 1000 euro for from Halfords. The electronics went on it in some way or other not that long after the warranty ran out. The battery also somehow is jammed into the bike. It comes with a key to unlock it but try as I might the thing won’t detach from the bike. Not insurmountable as it could be charged while in the bike if I could just get the bike working again. Anyway having taken it back to Halfords They say they can’t do much for it now. As it going wrong also was several years ago now and it’s an older model. Really not fair, I’d have never bought it if I’d known how quickly itv would become obsolete. So anyway there’s that and there’s an folding city type electric bike, quite small. Also the electrics went on it. I was given that bike for nothing. Anyway what to do, I am wondering should I take them to a specialist electric bike place I vaguely remember calling up a place about the one I paid an arm and a leg for and being told as it’sa Halfords bike I’d need to get it fixed through them. but maybe theres other specialist bike places somewhere That could help me… I dunno. What would you do? I am trying to make space and the city bike it’d be nice to get working and then sell on, the other one I wouldn’t mind getting it working again for myself. One thing I’ve learned though, never electric bikes ever ever again. I’m trying to make space and I’m half tempted to take them to a scrap metal place so I never have to think about them again. Now gimme your opinions

Regrettably, you bought cheap with likely proprietary kit that is locked out only to those with certain bits of diagnostic kit.

I'd suggest you look at Bafang or Tongscheng motors/ displays. They are open to modification, spares are cheap and readily available and batteries from just about any source with correct voltage will connect to them.

Example, my wife wants a new battery to extend her rides. I'm finding that the original battery mounting has been superseded. I'll just buy the newer batteries and mounts and away we go. I'll sell the older battery to someone who wants it

 

[wiggydiggy]

"What would I do"

For the two bikes is there a dealer near you that can hep diagnose the issue, I'm assuming the Halfords one is their branding Carrera/Apollo and they've said they can't help. Who made the other one (the folder)?

Otherwise as some people have already suggested it may be best to strip the existing battery, motors etc from the bike and buy a kit to repace it, but at the end of the day they are 2 already old bikes and may need other work.

Personally if I wanted to ride an e-bike and those 2 were my options I'd ignore them and buy a new one!

 

[fossyant]

The repair costs might be prohibitive if you've got to go to a 'shop/expert'. You'd probably not make a return on any sale after fixing !

 

[avsd]

Any TV/Radio/computer repairmen near you? They might like to branch out into a new field?

 

[CXRAndy]

Any TV/Radio/computer repairmen near you? They might like to branch out into a new field?

They're like 'Hens teeth'




Fortunately, have a set of dentures, being a former TV repairman

 

[richardfm]

I would start by putting a voltmeter across the wires to the battery - if you can find them - and see if it registers any current

all of which explains why you might well need an expert!!!

You won't get far trying to measure current with a voltmeter across the wires from the battery.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

You won't get far trying to measure current with a voltmeter across the wires from the battery.

I am never sure about this

but if I have a battery and attach my multimeter across the plus and minus terminals - I get a reading showing some current is flowing

can I not do that with an ebike battery????

or did I just phrase it badly?

BTW - I do that with my Carrera battery and it works fine - but then it is easy as there are only 2 terminals on it - my normal ride is a Bosch so I'm not even tryingit on that one!

 

[richardfm]

I am never sure about this

but if I have a battery and attach my multimeter across the plus and minus terminals - I get a reading showing some current is flowing

can I not do that with an ebike battery????

or did I just phrase it badly?

BTW - I do that with my Carrera battery and it works fine - but then it is easy as there are only 2 terminals on it - my normal ride is a Bosch so I'm not even tryingit on that one!

Attaching a meter across the terminals won't show that current is flowing. If the meter is set to volts it will tell you the voltage at the terminals, which won't tell you a lot about the condition of the battery. To measure the current you set the meter to amps and connect it in series with the load.

 

[nellietheelephant]

How old is the 'older model', and how many years ago did it 'go wrong'? Was it serviced and maintained, and the battery stored and charged in accordance with the manufacturers advice? How quickly did it 'become obsolete', and what exactly is it that you consider to be 'really not fair'?
I'm thinking that depending on the answer to my questions you may be covered by consumer statutory rights, and could expect Halfords and/or the manufacturer to do something about it.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I don't know much about electrics, but I had a Wisper ebike which I paid £1500 for 9 years ago. I used it daily for a year, and one week after the warranty expired, it stopped charging. Are you sure your battery is full and your charger is working?

On another note, Wisper honoured the slightly expired warranty and sent me a new charger, and some new spokes as some had come off. I'm not surprised Halfrauds weren't helpful. If you don't know how to fix it yourself, it might just be one of those painful lessons to be learned; some things are not made to be fixed, especially at the cheaper end of the market.

Can you not ask in an independent bike shop to see if they can diagnose/repair? If not they might be able to suggest someone, and you could get a quote and then decide if it's worthwhile to pay for repair or not

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

If its a brand name machine you should be able to take it to the dealer and have the electrics checked out. If its a department store brand made in the far east you are pretty much screwed.

We get no name Chinese e-bikes at the front door of the shop pretty regularly and usually have to turn them away as “the electrics are dead”. With no factory support or troubleshooting software your only choice is to start replacing expensive bits in hopes of nailing the one that is toast. Hardly an economically sound option even if such parts exist outside of the factory. These things rarely get past the front door, quite sad really but there is a good reason why it cost so much less than the Bosch or Yamaha powered machine.

 

[gbb]

As a mechanic, you realise problems are often caused by simple, not complex things.
Clean the battery (and ANY) other contacts...throughly .
Check the wiring wherever you can, look for damaged ot broken wires, corrosion etc.
Recently my display failed to come on,, lots of corrosion. Cleaned the contacts thoroughly with an alcohol wipe and a gentle scrape on the brass contacts. Took several goes to even get a flicker on the screen. It came back but a few days later went off again. I ran some very very fine sandpaper across the contacts this time..and on it came again .

Tbf, it also seems to me, ebikes will inevitably fail earlier than ordinary bikes, therefore they will tend to be more expensive to own (disregarding the initial extra cost of course)