Levo SL Gen 1 Levo/Levo SL (gen1) TCU Dead/Unresponsive Solution Warning Tip

[gary smith]

Taken into lbs, Harrogate Specialized and they suggest a TCU required. Awaiting part but delays atm. Will come back once a solution found. Lost 4 weeks now so using old HT ... But I do miss the assistance...
Soln .
2 weeks later and new TCU but £150 as no longer under warranty..

 

[G-Sport]

8 months later, same issue reoccurred.
Went down to James's again and they had another TCU to switch in.
Can't get this one to appear on the app so can't pair and adjust anything.
Anyone come across this before?

Well the third TCU lasted longer than the first two but got the same problem AGAIN (bike wont turn on without disconnecting and reconnecting green plug). And now out of warranty! (by about 4 months). Does the Mastermind TCU suffer in the same way?
Wishing I had bought a new kids SL when they were super cheap so I could swap out everything but I seem to have missed that boat..

 

[G-Sport]

Put a new battery in but I don't think that was the issue, old battery still measuring at 2.9v.
Cleaned pins of green connector with isopropyl alcohol last night and re-connected. Still turned on Ok this morning (12hours later) so maybe this is/was the issue, they did look a little dirty.
I have now put some dielectric grease around the outer seal of the connector (not on the pins themselves) and fed the cables down the TT (rather than the DT) which seems like it will leave the connectors nice and straight and unstressed. Shop had just jammed everything down the DT which on a Medium frame is quite tight to install the TCU.

I have also replaced the stock TCU bolt which used a T10 Torx with the bolt from a Magura brake pad which uses a T25 so if I have a problem out on the trail I can open it up using the Steerer tool.

 

[G-Sport]

Well another 8hours later and it wouldn't turn on, but I think this connector is definitely the issue, just "wiggled" it and pushed it a little tighter together and it would then turn on OK.
Considering replacing this connector with something better, but the obvious worry is that it is then no longer an easy job to switch a new one in if it does become necessary (though I guess I would only need to replace the lower cable). Does anyone know how many of the pins are actually used? This photo:-

Suggests it is 5.

 

[G-Sport]

Hairdrier worked a treat on my misbehaving Garmin altitude/barometric sensor so might try this on the TCU connectors.

 

[G-Sport]

Tried very gentle hair drying on the cable ends and TCU, no noticeable change. However today the TCU seems to have properly packed-up. Turns itself off after about 30 seconds. Doesn't matter what I do. Tried connecting charger and it went to red, then the TCU shut down and it went to flashing red.
Does anyone know if the Mastermind (TCU2) can be switched in and if so is it any more reliable?

 

[G-Sport]

Took it in today and they checked the TCU, reported that it is fine, bike didn't work with a known good TCU. So decided it must be the cable and having heard it was £29 for a new one thought it worth a punt. They sold me the cable but on getting it home realised it's marked for Brose motor and the SL uses a single unit harness that includes this cable but also the charging port, battery connector and motor connector too. All one part £95!!
Also found that the top battery mounting screw was completely seized in and had to drill it out (couldn't get it with external or internal screw extractors!) screw now broken off in battery.
Pretty sure this is down to bad workmanship by the shop. Think the cable/hose guide tubes need to run down one side of the battery and the screw holes are slightly offset to compensate and they put it down the wrong side and then forced the battery across and jammed the screws in!. I hate having other people work on my bike!

 

[G-Sport]

So I seem to have fixed this now
I bought a cable with the green connector on it from Amazon for £7 and soldered it into the wiring loom as close to the bottom as possible. Everything now works and has done for a couple of weeks.

 

[decorpmtb1]

So I seem to have fixed this now
I bought a cable with the green connector on it from Amazon for £7 and soldered it into the wiring loom as close to the bottom as possible. Everything now works and has done for a couple of weeks.

Hi there, my Levo SL started to do this problem. I left it for 2 weeks, was on vacation. Then got home and couldn't turn on and charge the bike.

I have already changed the TCU battery. Bought different types of 1620 cell batteries. But that did not work.
I also cleaned the pins with contact cleaner. And made sure they were dry.

Now, in order for me to use the bike, I need to disconnect the green plug every time. And also when I need to charge the bike.

I want to ask how you solved this problem?

 

[G-Sport]

Hi there, my Levo SL started to do this problem. I left it for 2 weeks, was on vacation. Then got home and couldn't turn on and charge the bike.

I have already changed the TCU battery. Bought different types of 1620 cell batteries. But that did not work.
I also cleaned the pins with contact cleaner. And made sure they were dry.

Now, in order for me to use the bike, I need to disconnect the green plug every time. And also when I need to charge the bike.

I want to ask how you solved this problem?

I replaced the run of cable that goes from the motor to the display. My theory is that there is only one length of cable harness, and on smaller frames, this results in a lot of kinks in the spare cable that break. Maybe the original cable is also a bit crap?

So I bought this ( )

I cut the cable as close to the motor as I dared and stripped the cables on the cut off section; then used a meter to work out which pin was which colour; and then soldered the new cable in as a replacement (suitably heat shrink covered etc obviously)

IF anything had gone wrong I could still have bought a whole new loom for about £100 so it wasn't a massive risk. But as it is the modified cable has been flawless for well over a year and a thousand miles plus including a lot of very rough terrain, jumps, drops etc.

Hope this helps.

Link doesn't seem to work, maybe just needs to be approved.

 

[G-Sport]

I replaced the run of cable that goes from the motor to the display. My theory is that there is only one length of cable harness, and on smaller frames, this results in a lot of kinks in the spare cable that break. Maybe the original cable is also a bit crap?

So I bought this ( )

I cut the cable as close to the motor as I dared and stripped the cables on the cut off section; then used a meter to work out which pin was which colour; and then soldered the new cable in as a replacement (suitably heat shrink covered etc obviously)

IF anything had gone wrong I could still have bought a whole new loom for about £100 so it wasn't a massive risk. But as it is the modified cable has been flawless for well over a year and a thousand miles plus including a lot of very rough terrain, jumps, drops etc.

Hope this helps.

Link doesn't seem to work, maybe just needs to be approved.

Don't think that link worked. It was:- " hsthe E-bike Speed Meter Extension Cable 5 Pin Waterproof SM Cable for Display Electric Bicycle-170cm " on Amazon UK.

 

[decorpmtb1]

Don't think that link worked. It was:- " hsthe E-bike Speed Meter Extension Cable 5 Pin Waterproof SM Cable for Display Electric Bicycle-170cm " on Amazon UK.

I have ordered the same cable. Will report back to you once it arrives.