Hi from Oxfordshire England. After a great start my 2020 Turbo Levo refuses to turn on.

[Ridgeway Rider]

After a fantastic 150 miles over 4 rides I gave the Levo Comp a wash. Big mistake as it failed to turn on afterwards. A light hose with power connector in place. Battery at 50 %. A faint momentary red light when depressing start button and then nothing. After reading this forum I checked battery led lights and alternate 1 -3 and 2 - 4 I think indicates a short. Going back to Specialized Store tomorrow. Reading forum it looks like I'm not alone with faults after washing. Hopefully store will fix as when it works it's a great machine

 

[Zimmerframe]

Sounds identical to @Binhill1 's problem yesterday .

Dead levo - EMTB Forums

If you read to the end it dried itself off overnight and was ok then ..

 

[Binhill1]

Sounds identical to @Binhill1 's problem yesterday .

Dead levo - EMTB Forums

If you read to the end it dried itself off overnight and was ok then ..

Yes very similar faint red light. But I got nothing plugging and unplugging the battery no lights at all. Hopefully be same as mine which actually did this once before for a few hours. I definitely blame the washing.

 

[couplands]

I haven't dared wash mine and I've only been out in the dry(ish) weather so far.

Have folks washed and got their Levo wet and have it survive..? How waterproof are they..?

 

[Ridgeway Rider]

After leaving it overnight I turned it on and it stayed on long enough to connect to MC which indicated all healthy. After a few minutes it turned itself off and now back to the faint red light when trying to turn on. Only when holding the on button down can i see the battery light sequence in the gap by the power connector.

 

[Binhill1]

I haven't dared wash mine and I've only been out in the dry(ish) weather so far.

Have folks washed and got their Levo wet and have it survive..? How waterproof are they..?

I have had to wash 25 times out of 30 times I have been out I have not had it long. Had some very wet runs on it 20 miles minimum and had no problem at all. I just hose front and back and use sponge or cloth round about frame etc. Sometimes a small spray. I'm wary as not many ebike dealers up here and I got from Berkshire cycles so any major problems could be a night mare but won't stop me enjoying it. Can't wait for my first ride in the snow haha

 

[Colin-T-Woods]

Our two Levo's have had a few good soakings in the streams and weather of the English Lake District plus many washings after every mucky ride with a light spray of the hose and a soapy sponge with no problems so far. I do lubricate the power plug rubber seal with a little silicon grease as used on the seals of underwater camera housings. Finish off with a light blow of air from a compressor all over the bikes. So far no problems at all.

 

[JohnJohn]

After a fantastic 150 miles over 4 rides I gave the Levo Comp a wash. Big mistake as it failed to turn on afterwards. A light hose with power connector in place. Battery at 50 %. A faint momentary red light when depressing start button and then nothing. After reading this forum I checked battery led lights and alternate 1 -3 and 2 - 4 I think indicates a short. Going back to Specialized Store tomorrow. Reading forum it looks like I'm not alone with faults after washing. Hopefully store will fix as when it works it's a great machine

 

[JohnJohn]

Muddyfunster from on here advised me to give the connector a light spray with WD40 . I took his advise and have had no problems so far. I spray, very lightly, before and after washing.

 

[Binhill1]

After leaving it overnight I turned it on and it stayed on long enough to connect to MC which indicated all healthy. After a few minutes it turned itself off and now back to the faint red light when trying to turn on. Only when holding the on button down can i see the battery light sequence in the gap by the power connector.

Hopefully it's ok keep us posted

 

[Ridgeway Rider]

Thanks for all the support. Happy to report it now turns on ok. I guess it's dried out. As suggested will try some WD40. Let's see if it happens again when it gets wet. Not good, as if I'd been away riding for the weekend I would have been in big trouble.

 

[JohnJohn]

Thanks for all the support. Happy to report it now turns on ok. I guess it's dried out. As suggested will try some WD40. Let's see if it happens again when it gets wet. Not good, as if I'd been away riding for the weekend I would have been in big trouble.

 

[Binhill1]

Thanks for all the support. Happy to report it now turns on ok. I guess it's dried out. As suggested will try some WD40. Let's see if it happens again when it gets wet. Not good, as if I'd been away riding for the weekend I would have been in big trouble.

Yes i think maybe it would be wise to only clean drive train if it is a few days riding and i was away from home .

 

[JohnJohn]

Glad to hear your bike's ok mate!
Give me a wave on the Ridgeway ?

 

[Mikerb]

don't forget it is not necessarily water ingress from washing but can be condensation on the battery to motor connection or even cable terminals inside the motor cover if you use cold water on a hot/warm motor and battery...…….or the reverse, hot water on a cold bike. Minimising the amount of water used around the battery/motor reduces that risk. Even a gentle hose spray on the frame area around the motor and battery is a lot of very cold water. Far better to use a bucket of tepid water and sponge.

 

[Ridgeway Rider]

Good advice thanks. Surely though it should stand up to riding in some heavy rain or through some deep puddles.

 

[MattyB]

don't forget it is not necessarily water ingress from washing but can be condensation on the battery to motor connection or even cable terminals inside the motor cover if you use cold water on a hot/warm motor and battery...…….or the reverse, hot water on a cold bike. Minimising the amount of water used around the battery/motor reduces that risk. Even a gentle hose spray on the frame area around the motor and battery is a lot of very cold water. Far better to use a bucket of tepid water and sponge.

Sorry, but it’s a mountain bike - it should be able to handle a gentle wash from a hose. If internal condensation is the issue then the design from Specialized (specifically the electrical sealing) is at fault, not the way the owner is washing it.

 

[Colin-T-Woods]

Good advice thanks. Surely though it should stand up to riding in some heavy rain or through some deep puddles.

As I alluded to in my previous post our Levo’s took some serious soakings in the Lakes. One ride in particular was 15 miles in heavy rain with a couple of thousand feet of climbing crossing streams and riding flooded tracks (incidentally met a couple of analogue riders one of whom begged to swap bikes). Even more amazing is the fact that my wife, a grandmother, rode in this weather with me and given the option to go back early opted to carry on (probably helped by the promise of the great pizzas at Chester’s, Skelwith Bridge). Those bikes took some real soakings on that particular ride and didn’t miss a beat.

 

[Mikerb]

Sorry, but it’s a mountain bike - it should be able to handle a gentle wash from a hose. If internal condensation is the issue then the design from Specialized (specifically the electrical sealing) is at fault, not the way the owner is washing it.

Yes of course and if properly built and maintained/managed I think they are. As someone else mentioned the TCU is vulnerable if the USB port has not been closed with the rubber bung. Similarly the nest of connections on the motor are vulnerable if the 3 unused ports have not been fitted with their blanking caps. The former would of course be more likely since it is used by the lbs for a variety of checks and updates. The latter should be fitted at build and need to be retained by the lbs if a motor is changed since they are not fitted on replacement motors.
More specific to the rider is the battery to motor connection which is sealed with an "O" ring and is regularly removed for charging. If the "O" ring itself or its seat .....or the angled face behind it have any dust or dirt the seal is compromised and so is the connection. I do not like this connection method and believe it is a poor design and needs very careful use and meticulous cleanliness. I use silicone lube on the O ring ( same stuff used to maintain seals on a drysuit) and a smear of grease on the angled face behind it.....cleaned and re done each time I charge the bike.
Lastly ....some consideration needs to be given to the fact there is a battery and motor both of which could be hot after a ride so best to let them cool before washing.

 

[MattyB]

Yes of course and if properly built and maintained/managed I think they are. As someone else mentioned the TCU is vulnerable if the USB port has not been closed with the rubber bung. Similarly the nest of connections on the motor are vulnerable if the 3 unused ports have not been fitted with their blanking caps. The former would of course be more likely since it is used by the lbs for a variety of checks and updates. The latter should be fitted at build and need to be retained by the lbs if a motor is changed since they are not fitted on replacement motors.
More specific to the rider is the battery to motor connection which is sealed with an "O" ring and is regularly removed for charging. If the "O" ring itself or its seat .....or the angled face behind it have any dust or dirt the seal is compromised and so is the connection. I do not like this connection method and believe it is a poor design and needs very careful use and meticulous cleanliness. I use silicone lube on the O ring (same stuff used to maintain seals on a drysuit) and a smear of grease on the angled face behind it.....cleaned and re done each time I charge the bike.

Is all of this "proper maintenance" documented in the Levo manual as a requirement? I don't doubt that your methods are effective, but IMO they are just a sticking plaster for poor design in the first place; the motor area in particular was just not designed with reliability in mind (that gap that clagged up with mud that had to be retrofitted with an additional protector and the poor power cable routing and design are two examples). Spec may have pushed integration to a new level, but in doing so I don't think they took enough time on the key details that deliver reliability.

...Lastly ....some consideration needs to be given to the fact there is a battery and motor both of which could be hot after a ride so best to let them cool before washing.

I have a lot of knowledge of brushless power systems with lithium batteries from my RC hobby and I just don't think this is a significant factor. Maybe if you had just conducted a long summer alpine climb on turbo then immediately drenched it in freezing water you may get some internal condensation, but for most of us that is a pretty unlikely scenario! Remember the battery is only being drained at an average of 0.33-0.25C (i.e. a drain to flat in 3-4 hrs), so that is not going to generate very much internal heat. The motor is going to be a bigger heat generator, but again only if operating at the top end of it's power capabilities, and it should dissipate pretty quickly given the end of most peoples rides is unlikely to be hugely demanding climb followed by an immediate wash. Put simply I would expect any internal condensation should be minimal and easily dealt with if the sealing of the connections is decent; the fact that other manufacturers bikes don't seem to experience these issues (even those using the Brose) seems to bear that out.

 

[Mikerb]

I dont disagree but it is better to appreciate how best to avoid problems given we are not going to change the bikes we have by having a go at Spesh.

 

[Ridgeway Rider]

Went out yesterday in atrocious conditions on the 2020 Turbo Levo Comp. High winds, continuous heavy rain and foot deep puddles. Pleased to report the levo never missed a beat. Gave it a proper wash with a hose with no issues. Confidence restored. ?

 

[Telf]

I’ve had mine almost over the motor in mud which the bike ( Turbo comp ) powered threw , gave it a total hose off to get the bulk of the mud off and no probs , since then washed it twice while it hug of the fork at the back of my ute .. still no probs . After discussion with local bike shop I’ve decided to use a light spray of water after a good sponge down , gave the charge housing a good spray with WD40 just to create a bit of a barrier .
All good thus far .

 

[Ripping g]

Take the tcu out ant tape it up ive wash mine and been in many a deep puddle no problems so far ?