Shimano E8000 power on issue?

[Paddy]

Hi I hope someone can help as i'm new to this Electric Mountain Biking.
Ive recently bought a Canyon Spectral:ON CF 7.0. it operates the Shimano E8000 motor with the battery housed in the frame. i got the bike shipped to me so put it together and had a quick go before putting the bike on charge (everything was working at this point!) by a quick go i was on the bike for 1 minute just up and down the road to ensure everything was tight i.e. brakes and gearing. i charged the bike for roughly 6 hours then went to go for a ride on it and the bike wouldn't power up. when i pressed the power button it illuminates for roughly a second then goes out. there is a screen on the handle bars which feeds information to you, this would start up as if it was powering on when the power button was pressed but turns off after about 5 seconds. i tried numerous things like making sure the cables were plugged in wherever i could see them and pressing and holding the power button but nothing would work. i left it on charge over night but again the same problem the next day. im sure the bike was charging as when i plug the bike in the power block on the charger would illuminate orange.
I hope someone can help!
Thanks

 

[Dave_h34]

Keep looking at the battery. When the main display screen goes off, do you get a flash from the green lights on the battery? If so the combination of leds lit will give you a clue. Explanation in the user manual.

 

[Paddy]

Keep looking at the battery. When the main display screen goes off, do you get a flash from the green lights on the battery? If so the combination of leds lit will give you a clue. Explanation in the user manual.

Hi Dave I will have a look. I didn’t notice anything but I wasn’t looking for it. Thanks

 

[steve_sordy]

When the bike has been off for a while (an hour or so) it will need two slow presses to get it going, otherwise only one. If too soon, two presses will turn it on then off again. You will get a variety of flashes.

If the above fails, try holding the power on button down for at least 10 seconds, Its known as a hard start. Its not in the manual, but one of the guys at the Sherwood Pines bike shop told me about it. He had never tried it on a Shimano before, but it worked!

 

[Nautonier]

I have a very similar issue with my Range VLT, which stopped working yesterday after 10 months of frequent riding and no issues whatsoever. When I push the power button, the light comes on and then slowly fades out. The display does not come on at all. I have tried the 2 x slow presses and the 10 second long press, but it just won't boot up. I took the motor and battery out of the frame and all the connections look to be fine. Is it possible that the motor has simply died? Would the display come on if the motor was dead?

 

[Dave_h34]

What happens when the battery is off the bike?

 

[Paddy]

When the bike has been off for a while (an hour or so) it will need two slow presses to get it going, otherwise only one. If too soon, two presses will turn it on then off again. You will get a variety of flashes.

If the above fails, try holding the power on button down for at least 10 seconds, Its known as a hard start. Its not in the manual, but one of the guys at the Sherwood Pines bike shop told me about it. He had never tried it on a Shimano before, but it worked!

Thanks steve i will try this

 

[Nautonier]

What happens when the battery is off the bike?

Makes no difference. Battery lights come on as normal showing charge levels.

 

[Dave_h34]

Makes no difference. Battery lights come on as normal showing charge levels.

Hmmm. Suggests battery ok then. Only leaves motor or cabling.

 

[Nautonier]

Hmmm. Suggests battery ok then. Only leaves motor or cabling.

Yep, the cable does look like it's been kinked at some point, so maybe has finally given up. Just wish it was an easy thing to get hold of a new one and test it... I reckon it's that, the power switch itself or the motor.

 

[Sevenedzmerida]

I have a very similar issue with my Range VLT, which stopped working yesterday after 10 months of frequent riding and no issues whatsoever. When I push the power button, the light comes on and then slowly fades out. The display does not come on at all. I have tried the 2 x slow presses and the 10 second long press, but it just won't boot up. I took the motor and battery out of the frame and all the connections look to be fine. Is it possible that the motor has simply died? Would the display come on if the motor was dead?

What was your issue in the end??

 

[TaeWook Jeong]

Please advise if you have solved the problem. I am having the same problem.

 

[socalty]

I'm experiencing the same issue with EP8 on Santa Cruz Bullit. Would greatly appreciate knowing root cause and resolution. Thanks

 

[HoosierFDaddy]

I'm experiencing the same issue with EP8 on Santa Cruz Bullit. Would greatly appreciate knowing root cause and resolution. Thanks

I also have same problem after botched fw update. can connect tho everything except the battery.

 

[socalty]

I also have same problem after botched fw update. can connect tho everything except the battery.

Bike shop just informed me that my ebike start issue was due to the remote power switch. The switch has a battery that if its level drops below 30%, disables the switch. The main battery charges the switch when riding. The bike shop had to reset the firmware in the switch to have it recognize that it’s being charged. Not sure how the switch’s battery dropped after only 2 weeks off bike. If it continues, shimano will replace it.

 

[HoosierFDaddy]

Bike shop just informed me that my ebike start issue was due to the remote power switch. The switch has a battery that if its level drops below 30%, disables the switch. The main battery charges the switch when riding. The bike shop had to reset the firmware in the switch to have it recognize that it’s being charged. Not sure how the switch’s battery dropped after only 2 weeks off bike. If it continues, shimano will replace it.

I have reset firmware on the motor, the remote switch, and the assist switch through direct connections. I can't update the computer because the pc app tells me there is an update but it's incompatible with Bluetooth LE, update via the mobile app. the battery is not being recognized by the app and only activates anything upon insertion then cuts off. and how could you charge the remote switch battery while riding if it doesn't turn on. odd design.

 

[socalty]

I have reset firmware on the motor, the remote switch, and the assist switch through direct connections. I can't update the computer because the pc app tells me there is an update but it's incompatible with Bluetooth LE, update via the mobile app. the battery is not being recognized by the app and only activates anything upon insertion then cuts off. and how could you charge the remote switch battery while riding if it doesn't turn on. odd design.

I agree it’s odd to have a power switch that requires separate power to function. I’d be ok with a light switch, but I’m sure shimano had better ideas.
My bike shop indicated that they had to reset the power switch firmware multiple times before the switch would recognize that it was being charged by the main battery. They didn’t mention needing to reset firmware anywhere else. That’s all the info they provided…keep us posted if you get your bike working.

 

[HoosierFDaddy]

I agree it’s odd to have a power switch that requires separate power to function. I’d be ok with a light switch, but I’m sure shimano had better ideas.
My bike shop indicated that they had to reset the power switch firmware multiple times before the switch would recognize that it was being charged by the main battery. They didn’t mention needing to reset firmware anywhere else. That’s all the info they provided…keep us posted if you get your bike working.

I had to reset everything else because of the bad upgrade. I'll try the power switch a few more times. I will definitely share if I get anywhere with it this weekend.

 

[OJMad]

Hello
I have a similar though not so drastical problem. After 2 years, both, my wife`s and my Merida e-one sixty only start by switching it on directly on the battery.
We can shut the bikes down by clicking the the normal switch. But when trying to switch the bikes back on, nothing happens. Keeping the switch pressed makes it blink every second.
Anyone ever having this problem too?
Might this need a reset of the switches by a servicepartner ?

 

[azzwethinkweiz]

Bike shop just informed me that my ebike start issue was due to the remote power switch. The switch has a battery that if its level drops below 30%, disables the switch. The main battery charges the switch when riding. The bike shop had to reset the firmware in the switch to have it recognize that it’s being charged. Not sure how the switch’s battery dropped after only 2 weeks off bike. If it continues, shimano will replace it.

I know this is a bit of a thread revival but I suspect more and more people will be stumbling onto this issue in the coming future. I just dealt with it myself so hopefully more people can find this thread.

If you look through the manuals for the Shimano EP8 system it mentions nothing of this battery in the power switch (and the exploded parts diagram on Shimano's site shows it as an assembly so you can't see a battery in there). I stored my bike (equipped with EP8 system) for about a month and half and recently when I went to ride it for the first time again I couldn't get it to power on even though my battery was showing full charge. Fortunately the bike shop found this exact thread and was able to solve the problem by charging it through the PC dongle.

The manual really should make a mention of this, really all it says is to store the MAIN battery around 70% and not to let it discharge too low so you should keep the battery topped up every couple months or so via the charger. The problem is the battery in the satellite power switch only charge when the bike is powered on, so it will not stay topped off the main battery when the bike is powered off. So you really need to leave the bike powered on every once in awhile as well to ensure the power switch battery doesn't die... Seems like a silly design.

I know this issue probably isn't a problem for many people, but if you live in a state that actually experiences winters where you might not be able to ride for long periods of time; I feel like this issue will be cropping up a lot.

I also found a couple threads where people mention that the EP8 display also has an internal battery but have not been able to confirm.

 

[James1290]

Hi all,

Can someone clear something up for me. Is the Shimano On/Off button meant to stay illuminated when the bike is switched on and in use?

My button is working at the moment when powering the bike on and off, but the green light fades out a few seconds later after the bike has been turned on.

Just wondering whether it’s meant to stay illuminated during the whole use of the bike or if the battery is dying, hence the light fading out.

Thanks,

James

 

[Scm90]

Hi all

Just found this thread and hoping for it to be a life saver….

Have a 2022 Heckler which doesn’t want to turn on. Darfon smart plus charger is flashing orange which obviously means error, the battery appears to be charged and I’ve tried it in and out of the bike. When you press the battery to check the charge it flashes 1x bar a few times, then full bar, then every other bar before stopping …. Strange.

Reading above, the switch battery rest sounds interesting but how are you meant to actually do this with your laptop? Simply connect a usb c or do you need a shimano adapater kit like the SM-PCE02? Does it work with a mac?

Any help appreciated! I’m guessing it’s the switch as the charger is fairly new… bike is hardly ridden too.

 

[InternationalBiscuit]

I just had the power on issue on my GT Amp (E8000) and after a bit of hunting found this... Shimano T.E.C.: Log in to the site. You need to register an account (can name any bike shop as your 'employer') but this descibes exactly the switch issue and what you can do about it. Straight from Shimano...

 

[Jamie78]

I just had the power on issue on my GT Amp (E8000) and after a bit of hunting found this... Shimano T.E.C.: Log in to the site. You need to register an account (can name any bike shop as your 'employer') but this descibes exactly the switch issue and what you can do about it. Straight from Shimano...

I couldn't get into the Shimano site as you need a shop number from Shimano as well. Any suggestions to bypass this?

 

[InternationalBiscuit]

Maybe it's country specific on what it needs. I selected Switzerland and it just accepted the shop name (I guess has to be a real shop!)

 

[Edd]

Hi I hope someone can help as i'm new to this Electric Mountain Biking.
Ive recently bought a Canyon Spectral:ON CF 7.0. it operates the Shimano E8000 motor with the battery housed in the frame. i got the bike shipped to me so put it together and had a quick go before putting the bike on charge (everything was working at this point!) by a quick go i was on the bike for 1 minute just up and down the road to ensure everything was tight i.e. brakes and gearing. i charged the bike for roughly 6 hours then went to go for a ride on it and the bike wouldn't power up. when i pressed the power button it illuminates for roughly a second then goes out. there is a screen on the handle bars which feeds information to you, this would start up as if it was powering on when the power button was pressed but turns off after about 5 seconds. i tried numerous things like making sure the cables were plugged in wherever i could see them and pressing and holding the power button but nothing would work. i left it on charge over night but again the same problem the next day. im sure the bike was charging as when i plug the bike in the power block on the charger would illuminate orange.
I hope someone can help!
Thanks

I had a similar symptoms with a Merida e160 with the e8000 motor. From my reading of this post and others, I was convinced that the remote power button was the issue, however, my issue was slightly different in that I could not turn the bike on using the battery button, (access through the frame hole). Anyway long story short, I found it wasn't the switch after all, it was the data cable connector to the motor (the inner rear one) . This cable refuses to connect firmly and click in place. (and Yes I'm using the proper cable connector tool). I can connect and it works but if I give the cable a small amount of side pressure it will come loose again. So, if you have the issue where you press the power button, it flashes momentarily and then nothing, or sometimes the screen lights up for a moment, but then turns off, just check that connector.
Also, been getting the occasional E10 errors lately too, maybe they were related to this issue......need to wait and see?

 

[zez3]

I found it wasn't the switch after all, it was the data cable connector to the motor (the inner rear one) . This cable refuses to connect firmly and click in place. (and Yes I'm using the proper cable connector tool). I can connect and it works but if I give the cable a small amount of side pressure it will come loose again. So, if you have the issue where you press the power button, it flashes momentarily and then nothing, or sometimes the screen lights up for a moment, but then turns off, just check that connector.
Also, been getting the occasional E10 errors lately too, maybe they were related to this issue......need to wait and see?

I can confirm the same issue with the power connector. The small control pins are the main issue as they don't seem to connect properly to the plug. Very carefully, i've bend them sideways and now everything seems to work again.

 

[zez3]

Another issue with the same behavior. E20 E10 error codes.
The space between the battery and the upper lock mechanism / bracket had too much play.
I used a million dollar solution by placing some wood shims in between )

 

[sledgy]

First of all - Great post.

I just had this issue come up on my 2020 heckler with E8000 shimano motor.
After sittign for 4-6 weeks maybe.. (...got a new orbea wild..) the bike would not turn on, the start button would light up and go dark, the bike stayed off I went thru the hold it for 10 - 20 etc seconds and all that did was make the button flash several times yet nothing. I eventually had to take it to an authorized Shiman service center to have the firm ware updated or reflashed... $75 and it was working again... .seemed like alot of $ to plug in a computer hit execute on a program and unplug it.. I'd have expected a $40-$50 charge but here we are.

Apparenlty the rechargeable start button battery as it gets older (im on 5y now) starts to lose capacity and cant hold a charge for as long as when it was new. esp If the bike is unridden for a long time. The main battery charges the Start button battery when the bike is on/being ridden...(Also, this battery is not a replaceable part, there is no way to open the start button assembly to replace a dying or dead start button battery...).

FWIW this bike was purchased and literaly left unridden for 18 mo br. new by a friend, he bought it and almost immediately after, moved from LA to Washington state, and despite the glorious riding oppty up there he just was too busy and never touched it. After 18mo. I finally told him he's killin the battery ffs, if not gunna ride it sell it to me, give me a number.... a month later he came down to LA and brought me the bike.. it had 6.8 km on the odo. ; -) ive ridden the shit out of it since and am now looking ateithert a motor rebuild service or an upgrade to EP8 moptor i just found a brand new one one locally. stunned to find one available,... Now im trying to decide what is the better option ? all I really want is a bit of an improvement on the range i have no issues withthe power available or the way it rides etc. im just a phat ass and I get shitty range (15-18 miles) on the 504 battery where i live with some good steep climbs...
I've NEVER stopped cursing Santa Cruz for not bothering to produce a goddamn battery extender for their at the time flagship and only resurrected Heckler ebike.