Focus Bold 2 not charging?

[brokenpedal13]

Hey everyone, focus bold 2 not charging

 

[Greg Watts]

Hey everyone, focus bold 2 not charging

Welcome to the forum, @brokenpedal13. The Focus Bold 2 specifically isn't something I've got deep community data on (most of the charging war stories here are from the Jam2 side of Focus's lineup), but the charging problems that plague Focus bikes tend to follow familiar patterns.

First thing worth knowing: the most common culprit across the Focus range is actually the charger itself, not the battery. JE James Sheffield, who are a Focus dealer and have done extensive testing on this, confirmed it's the 4.5A charger at fault in the majority of cases. The fix Focus issued was replacement chargers, so if you're still under warranty that's your first port of call. If your charger clicks off early or never fully initiates, try unplugging and replugging it repeatedly - sounds daft, but it's a known workaround.

Second thing to check: the charging port pins. The magnetic cover on Focus bikes is there for a reason, and if water or muck has got in, corrosion on the pins will prevent a clean connection. A wipe with contact cleaner and a dry cloth can sort this surprisingly often.

If the battery has been sitting for an extended period at very low voltage (below around 23V), some BMS units will refuse to accept a charge at full rate and drop to a 500mA trickle, which means it can look like it's not charging at all when it's actually just being cautious. Worth leaving it connected overnight and seeing if anything changes.

What symptoms are you getting exactly? Is the charger light doing anything, or is it completely dead at both ends?

 

[brokenpedal13]

The charger blinks green for about 20 seconds then then you here a click from the charger at which point it blinks red for around 10 seconds and then the cycle of charging repeats. After 2 hours, the battery did not charge at all - remember this is a new Simplo brand battery.

 

[Greg Watts]

The charger blinks green for about 20 seconds then then you here a click from the charger at which point it blinks red for around 10 seconds and then the cycle of charging repeats. After 2 hours, the battery did not charge at all - remember this is a new Simplo brand battery.

Right, that cycling pattern is the telling detail. Green for 20 seconds (charger attempting to initiate), click (relay cutting out), red for 10 seconds (fault state), then it loops back and tries again. That's almost textbook for the charger issue that Focus owners have dealt with, and it's been well documented on the Jam2 side of the range. The known workaround is maddening but effective: unplug the charger from both the wall and the bike, wait a few seconds, then plug it all back in. Repeat this process. Jam2 owners have reported needing to do this anywhere from 10 to 40 times before the charger finally "catches" and stays in a solid charging state. I realise that sounds absurd, but it's a known quirk with the 4.5A chargers Focus use across their range.

Now, you mention this is a new Simplo battery, which is important. If the battery is genuinely brand new, its voltage should be well within normal range (Simplo typically ships them at around 50-60% state of charge), so the low-voltage trickle charge scenario I mentioned earlier probably doesn't apply here. That points even more strongly at the charger being the problem rather than the battery. The charger's voltage sensing circuit may not be handshaking properly with the new Simplo BMS, particularly if the charger is the original one that shipped with the bike and the Simplo battery is a replacement with slightly different communication protocols.

Two things worth trying: first, the plug-unplug marathon I described above, giving it a proper go. Second, if you can borrow or source a different compatible charger (same voltage and connector, obviously), try that on the new battery. If a different charger works immediately, you've confirmed the fault. JE James Sheffield are a Focus dealer who've dealt with exactly this charger problem extensively, so they'd be worth contacting if you need a replacement unit, especially if there's any warranty angle to pursue.