Reasons for faults??

[Mikerb]

I am curious why some people have problems with their bikes whilst others on identical bikes/same year of manufacture have none. I am a long time member of the Gopro forum and it was always a bit daunting reading about all the issues people seemed to have...……..but in many years of Gopro ownership and use and now on my 5th camera ( 3 of which I still use regularly) I have never had a single fault!
I sympathise with anyone that suffers a kit failure especially when the initial investment was high. In the Gopro forum over time a list of do and don't do was developed....by users, not Gopro. It also became clear that a significant number of faults could be put down to the user.....or the user ignoring one or more of the items in the best practise list.
It is certainly the case that people who experience problems are more likely to voice their complaint on a forum whilst there is no balance from what is likely to be the majority of owners saying they have complete reliability. So forum readers can get a skewed picture.
There are of course unforeseen issues that arise over time from newly manufactured/designed components so manufacturing defects are certainly another category of faults.

So...here is my suggestion for a table of best practise...hopefully others will add theirs.

1. After a ride there will be heat build up in the motor. Once you stop and put the bike away that heat will actually increase before it starts to cool. That heat is also transferred to cabling and connectors. It can be made worse by a significant dose of mud on the casing. So towards the end of a ride I switch the motor off and then brush off any mud and leave the bike outside in the shade for a while before putting it away in the garage.

 

[MattyB]

And your evidence that there are lots of heat related motor failures going on is.... Yes the heat soak effect you talk of is real, but the motor is going to get hotter or at least as hot on any extended climb at high power which you might do multiple times per ride, not just once at the end.

 

[Mikerb]

And your evidence that there are lots of heat related motor failures going on is.... Yes the heat soak effect you talk of is real, but the motor is going to get hotter or at least as hot on any extended climb at high power which you might do multiple times per ride, not just once at the end.

I agree heat build up is unavoidable in an extended climb although even at low speed there is airflow around the casing and frame which helps to cool the motor. Do these motors have heat sensors which shut the motor down if there is too much heat?

 

[steve_sordy]

Mine goes on the towbar rack and gets an air cooled blast on the way home.

 

[Lithium]

I'd say water is probably more of an issue than heat - most of the components have sensors and self manage pretty well if the voltage, current or temp go out of range (low or high). @Mikerb the Levo definitely has these, I forget what the high temp threshold is but I remember being surprised how high it was. Pressure washing into bearings, connectors etc is pretty harmful - in some cases bikes on the towbar in wet conditions are effectively getting a pressure-wash for a considerable time depending on the shape of the vehicle and mounting position.

If water gets into a connection, connectivity is poorer and either the current will be higher or a short-circuit will occur. Many eBike components are designed to deal with short-circuits and not get damaged, but water or dirt has been at the route of all the issues I've had. Intermittent behaviour or failure to turn on is often because of a water-based short circuit or connectivity issue.

Keep drain-holes checked and keep connectors dry, don't pressure wash, don't pull out connectors when the bike is wet or muddy because typically when you push them back in you introduce muck or water - even if only a little it may struggle to get out and then you get corrosion. If I get the charge connector mucky I try to let it dry, brush it off, blast it with compressed air afterwards and if in doubt use a little electrical contact cleaner (spray on a cloth and wipe). Some eBike companies use an approved corrosion block at the factory I think, but once or twice a year it doesn't hurt to use this yourself.

 

[Mikerb]

I'd say water is probably more of an issue than heat - most of the components have sensors and self manage pretty well if the voltage, current or temp go out of range (low or high). @Mikerb the Levo definitely has these, I forget what the high temp threshold is but I remember being surprised how high it was. Pressure washing into bearings, connectors etc is pretty harmful - in some cases bikes on the towbar in wet conditions are effectively getting a pressure-wash for a considerable time depending on the shape of the vehicle and mounting position.

If water gets into a connection, connectivity is poorer and either the current will be higher or a short-circuit will occur. Many eBike components are designed to deal with short-circuits and not get damaged, but water or dirt has been at the route of all the issues I've had. Intermittent behaviour or failure to turn on is often because of a water-based short circuit or connectivity issue.

Keep drain-holes checked and keep connectors dry, don't pressure wash, don't pull out connectors when the bike is wet or muddy because typically when you push them back in you introduce muck or water - even if only a little it may struggle to get out and then you get corrosion. If I get the charge connector mucky I try to let it dry, brush it off, blast it with compressed air afterwards and if in doubt use a little electrical contact cleaner (spray on a cloth and wipe). Some eBike companies use an approved corrosion block at the factory I think, but once or twice a year it doesn't hurt to use this yourself.

Good to know the Brose has heat sensors thanks. Re cleaning the bike I usually let the bike dry out so that most mud etc can be brushed off ....then just wipe over with a damp cloth. I also use car polish on the frame occasionally....mud etc cleans off much easier.

 

[dirt huffer]

I think you're dealing with an extremely wide spectrum of buyers... riders who's weigh from 100lbs to 300+lbs... beginners to extreme free-ride professionals or former professional DH riders... dry dusty conditions to wet, mud soaked conditions, ext., extreme cold to 120 degree desert heat... lots of variables at play