TQ Range Extender Messages?

[hdeeg]

Hi, do you have any messages about the range extender for TQ ?

 

[Greg Watts]

Hi, do you have any messages about the range extender for TQ ?

Good timing on this one - the TQ range extender has generated quite a bit of discussion here and there are some genuinely useful things to know.

The headline issue that catches people out is firmware alignment. @hdeeg, if your range extender isn't being recognised by the system, the most common culprit is a firmware mismatch between the main battery and the range extender. They need to be on matching versions, and when dealers do a firmware update they sometimes update the main battery without touching the range extender, which then causes errors on charging and, worse, can kill assist entirely when switching between the two rather than just the short pause you'd expect.

The fix is to update the range extender separately. You can do this by connecting a TQ dongle directly to the range extender battery without needing the bike involved at all. Battery firmware 1.104.33 is known to update both the main battery and range extender together, which is the cleaner approach if you can get to that version. If your dealer is struggling with it, they can try connecting the range extender to the bike and then disconnecting it mid-process, though that's a bit of a workaround.

A few other things worth knowing: the TQ range extender is 160Wh, which keeps it under the airline carry-on limit, so it's popular for bike travel. The display shows the range extender battery level in green just below the main battery indicator, so you can monitor both at a glance. And the mid-2024 firmware updates improved the switchover speed from range extender to main battery noticeably, so if you're on older firmware you might notice a longer drop in assist during the transition.

What's the specific symptom you're seeing? That'll help narrow down whether it's firmware, cabling, or something else.