Specialized Warranty Expired - battery failure, what are my options?

Ok, got it. Probably it was stored too long with low charge. Normally I would have told you to send it to our workshop for a proper diagnostic. But as you're from outside EU, I cannot help, unfortunately. Shipping Liion batteries outside EU is very complicated. There's also the customs...

I’ve opened a few. If it’s BMS related fault, I can fix, usually. I don’t replace the cells on that model (I haven’t manufactured custom nickel tabs for it), but if somebody else do that, I can unlock or reset the BMS.

What’s the problem with your battery?
Hello, I have an issue with my gen1 turbo levo battery, since a while during charging it always ran on fault and stopped cahrging, after switch on 3 red led start flashing and beeping but I was able to bring back the battery to normal operation if I sat on bike and start pedaling, immediately turned back to green and worked well. I wanted to find the issue so brang that together with the bike to a service where they have spec diagnostic tool. A few days later they called me and informed the battery stopped working and dead… maybe during diag BMS locked? Now it is really dead no light no sound cannot switch on at all. This should be a BMS lock or no solution at this stage? Thanks any feedback in advance.
 
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The battery won't lock when using diagnostic equipment. Did they manage to get a Specialized diagnostic report ?

What I think happened is that they tried upgrading the firmware and somehow the process was interrupted before completing the update. The battery might be stuck in bootloader mode or is bricked (can be fixed) hence the Leds not working anymore.
 
The battery won't lock when using diagnostic equipment. Did they manage to get a Specialized diagnostic report ?

What I think happened is that they tried upgrading the firmware and somehow the process was interrupted before completing the update. The battery might be stuck in bootloader mode or is bricked (can be fixed) hence the Leds not working anymore.
Yes, you’re right that had happend during firmware update.
 
Yes, you’re right that had happend during firmware update
Luckily I have a spare battery and with that they succefully updated firmware of motor and another battery. No report from the killer battery only from the other one. Was this the fault of the service or this can happen, I just asking if make sense to claim them?
 
Yes, you’re right that had happend during firmware update

The battery won't lock when using diagnostic equipment. Did they manage to get a Specialized diagnostic report ?

What I think happened is that they tried upgrading the firmware and somehow the process was interrupted before completing the update. The battery might be stuck in bootloader mode or is bricked (can be fixed) hence the Leds not working anymore.

The battery won't lock when using diagnostic equipment. Did they manage to get a Specialized diagnostic report ?

What I think happened is that they tried upgrading the firmware and somehow the process was interrupted before completing the update. The battery might be stuck in bootloader mode or is bricked (can be fixed) hence the Leds not working anymore.

The battery won't lock when using diagnostic equipment. Did they manage to get a Specialized diagnostic report ?

What I think happened is that they tried upgrading the firmware and somehow the process was interrupted before completing the update. The battery might be stuck in bootloader mode or is bricked (can be fixed) hence the Leds not working anymore.
Yes, you’re right that had happend during firmware update, no report were created due to this lock down happend in the middle of process I guess, Luckily I have another battery with that they was able to update firmware of motor and battery and for that I got the report. Should be this issue happen due to service did something wrong? How can I send the batter or BMS to you?
 
That would be me :)

How long ago it manifested this symptom? Prior to that event, were there any concerning signs? (eg. capacity loss, interruptions when low state of charge). Does the TCU turn on or not?
TCU turns on... battery works for approximately 20 minutes, then cuts off. Can I get your phone number so I can call you through WhatsApp or something?
 
Hi everyone,

I would like to use this discussion to ask if anyone has experienced a similar issue with the Turbo Levo battery (2020 model, 700Wh battery). I've noticed for some time now that the battery slowly discharges on its own, even when the bike is completely turned off – around 3% of charge per day. That means over two weeks of sitting idle, I lose more than 30% of the battery.

Here’s the key point: the battery continues to drain even when it’s physically removed from the bike. So it doesn’t seem to be caused by the motor.

The bike has around 4,500 km. The Specialized app shows the battery as 100% healthy, and a service check also confirmed 99%. It has about 50 charge cycles.

I recently updated the firmware, but the issue had already been present before the update, so no change there.

When riding, battery consumption seems completely normal. For example, I recently did a 29 km ride with 500 meters of climbing (including some >15% gradients), used a mix of Eco (25/25) and Trail (35/60), and consumed only 25% of the battery – which seems reasonable. So I doubt the cells are heavily degraded.

Any idea what might be causing this passive drain when the battery is unplugged, and whether there's any way to fix it? Is it a faulty BMS or some internal leakage?

Thanks in advance for any help
 
Hi,

I do think this is due to the BMS, which starts to draw more current as it ages. This is probably the fault of certain components.. :(
 
So no easy fix I suppose. Should I start looking for a replacement battery or it could be repairable (not meant by myself)?
 
Hi everyone,

I would like to use this discussion to ask if anyone has experienced a similar issue with the Turbo Levo battery (2020 model, 700Wh battery). I've noticed for some time now that the battery slowly discharges on its own, even when the bike is completely turned off – around 3% of charge per day. That means over two weeks of sitting idle, I lose more than 30% of the battery.

Here’s the key point: the battery continues to drain even when it’s physically removed from the bike. So it doesn’t seem to be caused by the motor.

The bike has around 4,500 km. The Specialized app shows the battery as 100% healthy, and a service check also confirmed 99%. It has about 50 charge cycles.

I recently updated the firmware, but the issue had already been present before the update, so no change there.

When riding, battery consumption seems completely normal. For example, I recently did a 29 km ride with 500 meters of climbing (including some >15% gradients), used a mix of Eco (25/25) and Trail (35/60), and consumed only 25% of the battery – which seems reasonable. So I doubt the cells are heavily degraded.

Any idea what might be causing this passive drain when the battery is unplugged, and whether there's any way to fix it? Is it a faulty BMS or some internal leakage?

Thanks in advance for any help
If the dealer diag reported 99% health, most likely the cells are fine. I haven't encountered this fault but anything is possible :)

In any case, have you actually tried to check the battery after a week of inactivity? Or you just checked the next day and you saw the 3% missing and you conclude it will do the same the day after? If that's the case, it is completely normal as the BMS algorithms will correct the state of charge after inactivity.

If you went for a ride and you consumed let's say from 100% to 40%.
Next day you can turn on the battery and you can see a value around 40%. Next day, it can be 42% or 38% (just an example), depending on the discharge conditions (load, temperature etc).

And there's a possibility the BMS will not enter low power mode because of a hardware fault.
 
Hello. Thanks for all the replies.

Yes, I’ve been monitoring the battery regularly for a while now, and unfortunately the issue is getting worse.
About six months ago, it was losing around 1.5% per day, but now it's up to 3–4%. I even left the bike unused for two weeks recently, and the battery lost more than 30% during that time — so clearly, something isn’t right. :(

Something is constantly drawing power, even when the battery is removed from the bike. For example, I kept the battery indoors over the winter for a few months, and it went from 80% down to under 20%. In the summer, I guess it would probably drain completely over the same period.
 
The battery has 36 charge cycles. While it works, it works great. But every two or three rides it turns off while riding and doesn't want to turn on. At the same time, a third light comes on down next to the pins. Sometimes it turns on again, but rarely. On the last ride I took it out of the bike and gave it a few bumps up and down and sideways, I put it back in the bike and it turned on normally and did the whole ride without any problems :)
Do you have any idea what it could be. It seems to me like some kind of short circuit or cold solder.
 
The battery has 36 charge cycles. While it works, it works great. But every two or three rides it turns off while riding and doesn't want to turn on. At the same time, a third light comes on down next to the pins. Sometimes it turns on again, but rarely. On the last ride I took it out of the bike and gave it a few bumps up and down and sideways, I put it back in the bike and it turned on normally and did the whole ride without any problems :)
Do you have any idea what it could be. It seems to me like some kind of short circuit or cold solder.
It doesn't look like cell issue, more like what you suggested. To know more, I would need physical access to the battery. Or pull a COMPLETE battery report (export data from Battery dealer app) from a Specialized dealer and send it to me. Did your phone app report any error?
 
It doesn't look like cell issue, more like what you suggested. To know more, I would need physical access to the battery. Or pull a COMPLETE battery report (export data from Battery dealer app) from a Specialized dealer and send it to me. Did your phone app report any error?
No phone app error... and the dealer app report is pure rubbish... They told me the cells are bad, then I took the battery to a battery-exclusive workshop, and they said that the cells are excellent... that problem is somewhere in the BMS, but they don't want to mess with that. :/
 

Just thinking on it... maybe soon.

Just another Specialized battery trepanation...

I've watched most of the video, nothing really useful/educational. I would not attempt to do what he did, especially if you don't have any prior experience working with Li ion packs. This guy might be repairing batteries (or other ebike components) but he has no experience with Specialized BMS. And in that video he didn't even fixed his battery, merely poking around see what will happen. It's like you go to your good old mechanic (who only repaired carburetor fuel delivery systems) take care of your engine with a fancy air/fuel measuring/preparation system driven by a digital control unit and lots of sensors with a complex firmware specialized for this task. While he can properly check your engine compression for example, he won't be able to properly diagnose electronic problems without experience and tools. And without that, luck is your only friend :-)


For example, disconnecting VP and VG terminals leaving balance connections untouched, will make the MCU get it's power supply through balance inputs causing it to heat up because those inputs are not for supply but for monitoring each cell bank voltage. That can lead to MCU failure. He even replaced a fuse with a solder blob. At the begining of the video it was fine so he must have triggered a protection routine that blew it...it's not a normal fuse but one with a heater inside so it can be also triggered by the BMS not only by over current.

The DC-DC step-down module trick was the most hilarious part of the video. If he would have had 17 hands...


P.S.
I have nothing against DIY repairs, in fact, I'm all for it. I would rarely leave my gear(mech and electronics) in somebody else's hands to repair.
 
No phone app error... and the dealer app report is pure rubbish... They told me the cells are bad, then I took the battery to a battery-exclusive workshop, and they said that the cells are excellent... that problem is somewhere in the BMS, but they don't want to mess with that. :/
It means they didn't make a complete battery diagnostic, only the output from Turbo Studio. The complete export data should have a couple of pages. Anyway, if you like to send the battery to our workshop, let me know.
 
P.S.
I have nothing against DIY repairs, in fact, I'm all for it. I would rarely leave my gear(mech and electronics) in somebody else's hands to repair.
Thanks for so much information.
So.. a couple of questions.
The BMS for 500wh and 700wh is the same?
It needs to be reseted or something to change cells on this BMS?

If it is the same BMS... can a 500wh changing the cells turn up to a 700wh? adding paralel more cells I mean.
I am guessing 500wh 10s4p and 700wh 10s6p of 18650 batteries.
Even a custom battery with 21700 cells can work with BMS from old battery, isn't it? 10s4p will give 720wh.
Just thinking about it.
 
Hardware wise, the BMS is the same on both 500Wh and 700Wh models. Both are using 21700 cells in 10s4p configuration, but the 700Wh model uses higher capacity cells. The firmware is different and that's what needs to be modified in order to use for example a 500Wh BMS to
Thanks for so much information.
So.. a couple of questions.
The BMS for 500wh and 700wh is the same?
It needs to be reseted or something to change cells on this BMS?

If it is the same BMS... can a 500wh changing the cells turn up to a 700wh? adding paralel more cells I mean.
I am guessing 500wh 10s4p and 700wh 10s6p of 18650 batteries.
Even a custom battery with 21700 cells can work with BMS from old battery, isn't it? 10s4p will give 720wh.
Just thinking about it.

M2/M3 batteries use 21700 cells, M1 is using 18650cells.

Hardware wise, the BMS is the same on both 500Wh and 700Wh models. Both are using 21700 cells in 10s4p configuration, but the 700Wh model uses higher capacity cells. The firmware is different and that's what needs to be modified in order to use for example a 500Wh BMS with a 700Wh pack.
 
M2/M3 batteries use 21700 cells, M1 is using 18650cells.
oh duck!
Mine is 90% and I was thinking an upgrade to 21700 but seems I'm blind or something worse, many thanks.
So the firmware has to be specific to a certain capacity? or 4 to 5 Ah on 21700... for example.
 
:mad: have a issue with my Vado battery ( 72 cycli 4300km), last week biking 64km in France and just into the montagne outo_O 46% at display ,trying at home now out with 43% , i open the cover and masure the cels , the one with red/black dot are les see picture , i hat a software update 3weeks ago same as for my wife Como (103 cycli 7200km), never hat a problem, iust biking alway`s till 20% battery.
Hoping its software bike is now by dealer :rolleyes:to read out.
Any way thanks for replay .
Both are 460w SB

20250929_094225.jpg 20250929_094254.jpg
 
With this level of imbalance (340mV) I wonder if the battery will power on the bike at all or charge.

If the bike still works, you can try to charge that bank to 4.16V and see if the situation will improve. But the BMS must be prevented to run or else it will block or damage when you manually charge that bank. But most likely that cell bank has lower capacity than others or might have higher self discharge rate.

I wonder if you store your batteries at 100% charge? This will damage the cells, especially LG MH1 (which is used in your pack).
 
Cream thanks for answer yes bike runs good untill 43% , storage !! whe use the bike`s almost every day about 100km a week , only last week on holiday uphill its stops never hat this issue charcing with the orignal Specialized chargers .
question can that be repair even by dealer ,or do we have to by new.
 
Dealers won't repair batteries or motors. They only replace them. Might get a discount if you bought the bike from them.

Other option is to rebuild your old pack with new cells.
 
No, I'm from Bucharest/Romania :cool:
I cannot say for sure but most likely the BMS has firmware locked so unless you find somebody in US that can unlock it (if needed) I don't know if it's worth to rebuild it.

In Europe, you can find them at 250-300Eur, in good condition maybe worth to check online marketplaces (eg. ebay).
Hello, I have an M1 battery that I got that was not working, the cells were at 2.3 volts, I charged it to 4.2 volts but the power button does not respond, when I press it the light on the BMS starts flashing faster but there is no sound or light, the 3 fuses on the battery output were blown, I bridged them, but it still does not start, is it possible to lock the BMS or is there a hardware problem?
 
Hello, I have an M1 battery that I got that was not working, the cells were at 2.3 volts, I charged it to 4.2 volts but the power button does not respond, when I press it the light on the BMS starts flashing faster but there is no sound or light, the 3 fuses on the battery output were blown, I bridged them, but it still does not start, is it possible to lock the BMS or is there a hardware problem?
Hi, I can help you unlocking/testing the BMS, but you need to send it to our workshop. I can't tell you if there any hardware faults without having the board in my hands.
 
Hi, I can help you unlocking/testing the BMS, but you need to send it to our workshop. I can't tell you if there any hardware faults without having the board in my hands.
Can I have a contact phone number ot mail
 
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