Troubleshooting Common Electric Bike Problems: The Ultimate Guide
Troubleshooting Common Electric Bike Problems: The Ultimate Guide
Keeping electric bikes in good working condition can be a tricky thing, especially if you are new to electric bikes.
Only when all components are in normal operation, the electric bicycle can work smoothly. Fortunately, not every small problem with an electric bicycle means a major problem. Sometimes, it only requires some DIY maintenance.
Not to mention, many electric bicycle owners do not live near electric bicycle repair shops, so doing the work yourself can be a lifesaver. In any case, knowing how to solve common problems with electric bicycles is valuable information for anyone who owns an electric bicycle or is considering buying an electric bicycle.
In this article, we will share a complete guide on how to solve common electric bike problems to help you get back on the road immediately. Therefore, without further ado, let’s get started!
1.Electric Battery troubleshooting
If your electric bike fails to start or keeps powering off, the problem can usually be traced to the battery. Even if you are only in a routine troubleshooting meeting, the battery on your electric bike should be the first component to check. Here are some ways to solve battery problems:
Check voltage
The first thing you need to do is to check the battery voltage. The LEDs on the control panel and electric bicycle should light up. If this does not happen, the battery may not be charged or the fuse may be blown.
Checking the battery voltage can give you clues about whether the battery is damaged.
You can use a voltmeter to check the voltage of the electric bicycle, just connect the pins to the positive and negative poles of the battery pins. Another way to get the reading is to fix the voltmeter directly into the charger connector on the battery.
If you find that the battery is depleted too quickly, you should first determine how long the battery pack has not been charged. Therefore, you will face one of two situations:
If the battery pack has not been charged in 6 months or less, you may be able to charge successfully.
If the battery pack has not been charged for more than 6 months, it may be defective.
If you know that your electric bike has been parked in the garage for a while without charging, and the battery runs out too quickly when you try to start it, you can safely assume that the battery is defective and needs to be replaced.
If your electric bike battery takes less than 8 hours to charge, please try to charge it for 8 hours, and then check if the electric bike can drive at full speed. We strongly recommend that you do not plug the battery charger into the electric bike for more than 12 hours. This is to avoid the risk of overcharging or damaging the battery if the charger fails.
Check the electric bike battery charger
When you use it, you should also check the battery charger. You don’t need any tools to do this job; just plug the battery charger into the wall and check if one or more indicator lights are on.
If the indicator light does not light up when the charger is plugged into the wall, or even flashes from time to time, then you are dealing with a defective charger. To test the output voltage of the battery charger, you can use a multimeter or a voltmeter.
The voltage reading must be a few volts higher than the battery charger’s rated voltage. If the output of the battery charger is lower than the rated voltage of the battery charger or zero, the battery charger is defective.
For example, if your electric bicycle is equipped with a 36-volt battery, but the voltmeter reads 10 volts, the battery is faulty. In this case, it is best to check whether your electric bicycle is still under warranty.
If so, then you can contact the manufacturer and file a warranty claim for the replacement part. But if not, then you should buy a new battery.
If the surface charge read by the voltmeter exceeds 36V, the battery is fully charged and you can try to troubleshoot other components.
Check the electric bicycle battery management system
If your e-bike continues to lose power, one of the most common causes of such problems is battery failure. If your battery pack is particularly choking under load, the problem may be that the battery management system turns it off to protect your battery pack from overeating.
Generally, if the battery management system detects that the battery power is consumed too quickly and is below a certain safe level, it will cut off the power.
Normally, a severe voltage drop means that one or more batteries in the battery pack have been damaged. There are many reasons for such failures, including aging, too frequent charging cycles, improper battery management, and manufacturing defects.
If you experience a power outage when you first started using a new ebike, it may be because the size, design, or manufacturing of the bag is lower than the high current capacity required to support heavy loads.
When the battery fails, it is usually due to a severe load. One way to solve this problem is to lower the assist level and pedal slightly harder when going up a steep or hill. This should reduce the load on the battery.
Another thing to note is that your battery may have aged prematurely. This can happen in lower-quality batteries, which are usually installed on cheaper bicycles because they are made by recycling batteries from other old devices, such as laptop computers.
To determine if your battery is the culprit that causes your electric bike to choke repeatedly, try using it on other reliable electric bikes with the same settings. If the battery is faulty, the same problem can occur.
If you have your own electric bicycle for several years and use it almost every day, frequent cycling may push the battery pack to the natural end of its useful life. Here, buying new packaging from the manufacturer will solve the problem.
Check battery pins
Battery failure may be caused by improper pin arrangement. If this is the case, the circuit cannot be completed, so no electricity is generated.
Using a wrench, you can easily solve this problem by bending the prongs slightly to realign them in the correct position.
Check the battery charger port
In addition, you need to check the battery charger port. If the charger is plugged into the wall, be sure to unplug the charger first.
Next, insert the battery charger into the battery charger port on the electric bicycle and observe the indicator light on the battery charger. If the indicator light is on when the charger is plugged into the electric bicycle, it means that the wiring and wiring connector connected to the charger port and the charger port itself are all working.
If you have a voltmeter or multimeter, you can test the voltage of the battery charger port. The voltage level measured at the charging port must be the same as an evaluator of the battery pack.
Or, you can test the battery pack on another reliable electric bike and ride the electric bike on flat ground at full throttle. Please pay attention to the service life of the battery pack.
On a flat surface, the battery life of most electric bicycles is between 30 and 45 minutes. If your battery pack has been used for less than 30 to 20 minutes, it is likely that it has worn out and you must replace it. A badly worn battery can last up to 5 to 10 minutes.
If your electric bicycle is equipped with headlights, you can perform a load test by fixing a piece of arched cardboard to the headlights so that you can see the light beams from the headlights while riding.
From here, you can fully charge the battery pack and ride an electric bike with the headlights on. Pay attention to the headlight beam shining on the cardboard.
If the battery is fully charged, the headlights will dim slightly when you give the ebike full throttle. If the beam on the headlights is severely dimmed when the electric bicycle is at full throttle, then you will know that the battery is exhausted.
If you can use a multimeter, you can perform a battery load test while the electric bike is running. First charge the battery fully, and then lift the rear wheel by connecting a multimeter to the battery. Make the electric bicycle full throttle while engaging the rear brake without locking it.
When you engage the rear brake, the battery pack will pass the load, so you can read the voltage and understand how much the voltage has dropped. If the battery is working properly, the voltage will only drop a few volts. Otherwise, the voltage will drop drastically.
2. Troubleshooting of brake motor suppressor
If your electric bicycle falls, some of the handlebars may be damaged. You can easily spot this by visually inspecting the handlebars and brake levers for any signs of cosmetic damage.
If you find that the brake is pulled back due to damage and seems unable to break free, this will cause the motor suppressor switch to remain open. To get your electric bike to run again, you need to repair the stuck brake lever.
If the damage is severe, the switch itself may need to be replaced. Such a process requires the skills of a professional electric bicycle technician.
Some people may suggest that you use the controller to determine which wires are used for the brake suppressor so that you can disconnect them completely to solve the problem. However, we emphasize that you should never do this because it can be very dangerous on the road.
If your brakes are not working properly, then you should check your shoes or brake pads for signs of wear. If they are damaged or worn, replace them immediately. You should also check the tension of the brake cable and adjust if necessary.
If you find that the brake pads or brake shoes are in good condition, you may need to tighten the brake lever or the brake cable adjuster on the brake itself until the brake becomes more sensitive. Make sure that the brake will not rub the rotor or rim when the brake lever is released.
After adjusting the brake cable adjusters to their limit, screw them in completely. Then, tighten the brake cable by loosening the brake cable stopper, tightening the brake cable and re-tightening the brake cable stopper.
You can make final adjustments to the tension of the brake cable by loosening the brake cable adjuster until the correct tension is obtained.
Maintaining the brake system is essential to your safety and the safety of others; keep the brake discs and rims clean and straight, promptly replace any worn brake shoes and brake pads, replace worn or worn cables and casings, and lightly lubricate the brake pivots point.
3. Controller troubleshooting
Think of the controller as the processor of the electric bicycle operating system. Therefore, this is also one of the most common reasons why your electric bike may not work properly.
The job of the controller is to obtain input signals from all the controls and sensors on the electric bicycle, analyze them, and then determine the best way to transfer the power from the battery to the motor.
Since the controller plays a huge and sensitive role in the operation of electric bicycles, the slightest technical failure may disrupt the established balance of any aspect including power transmission and distribution.
Check your controller for any loose, disconnected or incorrectly connected wires. If you do see the disconnected cables, reconnect them to the correct ports. Generally, wires should be color-coded so that you can match wires of the same color with sockets of the same color.
If the controller does not work at all, make sure that the power switch is turned on. Also, check the fuse or circuit breaker.
If your electric bicycle has a circuit breaker, you can reset the circuit breaker by pushing the circuit breaker. However, you should be aware of any issues that may arise, as circuit breakers are designed to protect the system and there may already be ongoing issues that can severely damage components.
For an electric bicycle with a fuse, you can simply remove it and place it under the light to see if it has burned out. If yes, replace the fuse.
4. Throttle troubleshooting
Many electric bicycles on the market have throttle control. If you overuse the throttle control, it may get stuck when pulled back and will not return to the closed position on its own.
If you do this repeatedly, the throttle will eventually loosen or be damaged. If this happens, you will often encounter power outages.
The safest way to use the twist throttle is to pull it back, and then slowly release it back to its original position when you are done.
If the throttle feels loose or leaking from time to time, you can replace it after testing whether there is stable power. This way you can know for sure that your throttle is the culprit.
5. Pedal assist troubleshooting
A malfunction in the power or pedal assist system on an electric bike may cause problems related to pulsation or occasional power outages. Different electric bicycle models have different pedal assist systems; some are built around the front sprocket, while others are built in the bottom bracket.
If you have recently made mechanical adjustments to wheels, pedals, sprockets, derailleurs, etc., this may be the cause of your power failure. Another reason for this type of problem may be the magnet ring on the front sprocket; the sensor may be misaligned due to dirt or being knocked.
You can use a flat-head screwdriver to adjust the position of the pedal assist magnet to push the disc closer to the sensor. If this doesn’t work and you have a hard time determining whether your pedal assist system is faulty, it is best to take your electric bike to an electric bike repair shop so they can remove and replace the faulty parts.
6. Troubleshooting of motor connection
As we mentioned earlier, loose wire connections are one of the most common causes of problems with your electric bicycle. Therefore, over time, the wires connected to the rear hub motor often become loose, frayed, or damaged.
If the wires are loose, you may need to replace the loose or damaged parts. Check if there are any melted or burnt wires connected to the rear hub motor.
A melted or burnt wire is a sign of overheating. If the insulating layer on the copper coil wire is melted by overheating, a short circuit may occasionally cause the power supply to be cut off.
If the coils in the motor continue to overheat, the integrity of the motor may be compromised, and the motor may eventually have to be replaced to avoid damage to the controller.
Check the power transmission system of the motor for missing parts. Worn, missing, or damaged components can cause problems with power transmission, leading to unnecessary power outages.
Wrap up
You have it, a comprehensive guide on how to solve common problems with electric bicycles. Although DIY maintenance is easy, if you are not fully confident in your skills, it is best to take your electric bike to a repair shop.
Our factory provide OEM and ODM,if you are interested in our electric bike, you can log on our official website to know more about details. If you have any query or electric bicycle transportation problem,please feel free to contact us and we will contact you APSAP. https://gzdlsdz.en.alibaba.com/
RELATED MORE TIPS:
Mountain Biking: A Comprehensive Guide
Is It Legal To Ride Side By Side On Bicycles
Do you get exercise on an electric bike
Please Leave us an inquiry.We are looking forward to your arrival.