Common E-bike Battery Problems and How to Fix Them
There’s nothing worse than having to spend hundreds or thousands on an eBike only to have problems with its battery. Don’t get me wrong; e-bike batteries are built to last. but they’re still prone to failure if they aren’t adequately taken care of during their lifetime.
What happens if your battery fails?
Well, in this article, I’ve covered some most common eBike battery problems and how to fix them. So, if you’d like to know more. keep scrolling!
Ebike Battery Problems
When it comes to eBike troubleshooting, there are a couple of things that might be causing your battery problems, including:
- eBike battery pack swelling
- eBike battery not charging
- eBike battery not running for very long
- eBike battery pack not holding a charge
- eBike not turning on
- eBike not speeding up
Don’t worry, though. I’ll walk you through each one here!
eBike Battery Pack Swelling
If your eBike battery pack is swelling up, well, you likely have a pretty serious problem with one. or more. of the lithium-ion cells.
Some electric bike models use flat pack cells. and these are known to swell if they suffer some damage. On the other hand, the 18650 lithium-ion cells are far more resistant to swelling and, in turn, more reliable.
If you notice that your eBike’s battery pack has a bulge in it, be sure you turn off the power and carefully remove the battery from your eBike. It’s a good idea to recycle the battery; most cities have a place where you can do this.
Now, some eBike battery packs are positioned inside the bike’s frame. That makes it somewhat harder to notice if you have a swollen battery pack.
The only way to check if the battery is swollen is to drop the lower plate and take out the battery pack. Note that you’ll have to disconnect some cables before you do this.
eBike Battery Not Charging
If your battery isn’t charging, start by checking the following:
- Is the power turned on at the outlet?
- Is the charger working and outputting over 36 Volts?
- Is the battery hot?
- Is the battery charger port full of dirt?
- Has the battery been left discharged for several months?
- Has the fuse blown in either the eBike battery pack or the charger?
eBike Battery Not Running For Very Long
Lithium-ion batteries generally have a life of 700 charge cycles. They usually tend to lose full charge capacity over this mark.
That is entirely normal. and will, unfortunately, only get worse as time goes on.
Still, if you’re charging your bike every few days, you should be able to get many years out of your electric bike before you begin to notice the capacity of your battery is starting to degrade.
If you notice your eBike battery isn’t running as long as it used to, check the following:
- Is the battery pack being charged to 100%?
- Do you have a dragging of a disc brake?
- Is the terrain uphill?
- Are you assisting your battery by peddling?
- Are your eBike’s wheel bearings freely spinning?
- Do you have a short circuit in the battery, wiring, or motor?
Any of the scenarios mentioned above could lead to your battery discharging rather quickly.
eBike Battery Pack Not Holding A Charge
Lithium-ion batteries are good at holding a charge. However, like any other type of battery, they will slowly discharge over time.
If your eBike hasn’t been charged for a more extended period, it would be a good idea to give it a top-up. and see how it goes.
If you notice that you’re charging your battery, but it still discharges quickly without being used, you might have a short circuit somewhere or a faulty battery at your hands.
Here’s a quick test that can detect the problem:
Remove the battery pack from your eBike and charge it up on a bench. Once it’s fully charged, test the battery by leaving it off the bike.
If it holds a charge, the issue will be your electric bike. most likely a short circuit in the bike’s wiring or the motor. However, if it doesn’t hold the charge, your lithium-ion cell is faulty.
How Do I Know If My Bike’s Battery Is Charged?
Your battery charger will probably feature a LED light indicator that changes states depending on the bike’s battery level. It’ll go from red to green when the battery is fully charged in most cases.
However, in some chargers, the LED light will turn off completely when the battery is charged.
Either way, the point remains the same. you’ll have a way to track the progress while charging the battery.
Remember not to leave the battery pack on the charger longer than 24 hours, though.
Lithium-ion batteries don’t prefer being left on the charger. In the short term, this won’t hurt. but after a while, the battery’s capacity will go down.
You’ll also have an indicator of the battery’s current level on the battery pack itself or the speed controller. Some will use a 0-100% range, while others have a series of LED lights, depending on the model.
eBike Not Turning On
Let’s start with the obvious solution:
If your e-bike isn’t turning on, be sure to check if the main switch is in the “On” position.
Next, check the fuse for the battery pack. This fuse is usually located on the side and could blow up because of short circuits, vibrations, over-current, or old age.
If the fuse is in good condition and the battery pack is fully charged, check if the speed controller is in good condition, as well. The speed controller is the component that sends signals to turn on the battery pack.
These speed controllers could malfunction if damaged. either by dropping your bike or allowing water to get into them.
Hold the bike’s “On” button for about 10 seconds to force the speed controller to turn on. Some speed controllers are turned on by pressing the “M” button. Again, it depends on the e-bike model you have.
Be sure to check that your battery pack has at least two bars of power. An extremely low battery power level can lead to your electric bike not turning on, by the way.
Another thing to check here is that the electrical cables are correctly connected. Sometimes, the dirt roads can dislodge the cable connections; this is often the case with mountain electric bikes.
Water can find its way into these connections, too. Pull them apart and ensure the connection is tight.
eBike Not Speeding Up
There are numerous reasons why your electric bike isn’t speeding up.
often than not, the feedback magnets. positioned on the pedal crank or the rear wheel hub. for the proximity switch get dirty. Clean them with a rag, and you should be good to go.
This common eBike battery issue is often wrongly diagnosed.
Most quality electric bikes feature a switch on the back and front brakes to stop the drive motor. In some cases, these switches can get stuck. leading to their failure. Activate both brake levers a couple of times to try and free up the switch.
To check the limit switch, though, you might have to remove the whole rear or front brake lever. That’s another reason why you should avoid leaving your eBike out in the rain.
Also, while it might sound obvious, be sure to check if you’re in the proper mode. for example, pedal-assist, throttle-only, or pedal-only. I’ve sometimes found myself in the wrong mode, and I couldn’t figure out why my eBike isn’t speeding up.
There is typically a minimum speed that will activate the drive motor. That is just a safety feature. and it’s usually around 1.8 mph.
What Speed Are eBikes Limited To?
eBikes are limited to 25 km/h. or 15.5 mph. to conform to the majority of road rules around the globe. Once the motor reaches this speed limit, it will stop providing power further.
Of course, you can still pedal faster than 25 km/h, but you won’t get any assistance from the main motor.
Once the speed controller recognizes that you’re under 25 km/h, the battery management system will again supply power to the main motor. That is a standard component on most electric bikes. and, again, its role is to ensure that you conform to road rules.
Is 250Watts Enough For An eBike?
In most standard cases of use, 250W is more than enough power for you to ride your eBike on asphalt or dirt roads casually. A 250W drive motor is usually limited to 15 mph and can handle up to 240 pounds in rider weight.
If that doesn’t sound impressive, remember that you can always assist the main drive motor by pedaling.
You can always upgrade your bike with a Bafang conversion kit, though!
Conclusion
We can agree that e-bikes have come a long way since their first appearance. Granted, battery problems can occasionally happen, but most can be solved easily and quickly.
Hopefully, the tips I’ve outlined above will help you keep your eBike running fast. and for a long time. And remember:
The most significant danger to batteries of eBikes is excessive heat and low voltage. Make sure you keep your eBike battery topped up. and it will last for a very long time.
About the author
Emma was born and raised in the UK, studied in Amsterdam (where she discovered her passion for biking), and is currently living in Ohio. Her main passion is cycling, that’s why she is always looking for an amazing new e-bike to make her journey even more unforgettable!
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Hi I just bought a new e bike First time i have used it all was fine When i wanna charge it for 1st time there has been no charge sept by the battery. The charger la good but the battery don t keep charge The fuses(2) are good and electricity crosses the battery but don t keep charge. The company replaced the battery without see it but i liked To know if it s something To do with that problem Best regards
My ebike will cut out. I then have to remove the battery and then put it back in. The bike will run ok for a minute or two but cuts out again. I remove the battery and put it back in. It cuts out again after a minute or so. The battery still shows 2-3 bars full. Is my 4 year old battery bad, or is it some other component?
This just happened to mine. Did you resolve your issue? any suggestions? It had 2 to 3 bars when it cut out. Took battery off and back on and it powered up but quickly cut out and never powered on again. My battery seems to charge. Gonna try again, but worried it will give out again.
I have a new bolt pro ebike. At times it’s fine oother times it’ll just die on me. Today I charged it. I rode it it was fine then it would stop. The green lights wouldn’t come on. I go home put charger unn port for battery they say it’s fine. I’m getting angry maybe I should get a new battery but it’s pretty new. I come home charger is red for 30 minutes I leave it’s fine then it dies. What is rhis should I get a new charger,?
I have a rear motor hub kit 1000W 52volt and I’ve had it for about 2 years no issues untill few months ago I got a 03 error code on my ktlcd3 screen which after reading in the manual pointed to hall sensor issue, so because the sensors were only about a dollar each I just changed all three rather than testing anything and I was back on the road 100%. No just a few days ago I got the same error code so I changed the sensors again only this time I’m still getting the code 03 error. I checked out every wire took everything apart made sure everything was good nothing was touching anything it shouldn’t be I changed the sensor in the throttle. Now when I plug everything back in I’m not getting the 03 error anymore but I’m also not getting any power from the throttle and on the screen is not recognizing any battery power even though I have two battery packs both 52 volt fully charged. What could I have done I never had an issue with the battery before showing on the screen as always been accurate. I’m going to keep checking everything again I just needed to take a break before I go crazy luckily for me I’m in Ontario and it’s freezing cold outside so it’s not that big of a deal but I was wondering if you had any ideas something I could check or do to get this thing going again. Thank you for your time have a nice day
Electrek review: The Jetson Bolt electric bicycle is a 399 steal of a deal
One of the things I love about electric bicycles is the extreme variety of options in the market. From electric cargo bikes to mini e-bikes to 10,000 street e-bikes, there’s a bit of everything on the spectrum.
And like any spectrum, you often find the really interesting stuff on the extreme ends. Cue the Jetson Bolt, an ultra-affordable 399 electric bicycle. This little thing is a surprisingly capable bike, as I found out by riding it around for a few weeks. Read on to see my full review.
First of all, let’s address the elephant in the room. The Jetson Bolt has no pedals, so I’m not sure if this is technically a “bicycle”.
I’d consider it more like scooter functionality in a small bicycle form. But that’s a lot of words, so I’ll keep calling it a bike.
Jetson Bolt electric bicycle tech specs
The Jetson Bolt e-bike is definitely small, tipping the scales at just 34 lbs (15.4 kg). It has a weight capacity of 250 lbs (113 kg), meaning even though it’s small, it can still handle larger riders.
Video review
The rear 250 W motor doesn’t sound like much, but it has surprisingly good torque. The little motor gets me up to the bike’s top speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) quite quickly. Keep in mind that there are no pedals, so that acceleration is entirely unassisted.
The range is rated at 17 miles (30 km), but I got around 2/3 of that before performance started to become sluggish. I’m not sure where they got 17 miles from, unless those are downhill miles. Still, 12 miles or so isn’t bad for this tiny e-bike. Considering it is meant for city riding, I can’t imagine riding much farther than that.
With a 36V and 5.2 Ah (187 Wh) battery, the Jetson Bolt isn’t meant to be a long haul e-bike.
Braking is accomplished via a single mechanical disc brake in the rear. It’s great for hardcore power slides (ask me how I know).
A twist throttle, battery meter, cruise control button, on/off switch and horn button adorn the handlebars.
Front and rear LED lights are built into the frame and are powered by the main battery pack.
The Jetson Bolt folds down to 20″ x 40″ x 28″ (51 cm x 102 cm x 71 cm). It folds at the handlebars, not in the middle, but it still becomes fairly small. Definitely small enough to fit in any trunk.
Jetson Bolt ride quality
This little e-bike is actually pretty fun to ride. The first day or two I kept blindly feeling for pedals with my feet when I would takeoff. But I soon got used to the whole “no pedals” thing, and it eventually felt normal.
With a decently torquey motor and small 12″ diameter wheels, the Jetson Bolt gets up to speed quickly and I never felt like I needed to assist it.
The only time I missed having pedals was on hills, where it would slow down a bit.
I didn’t do a full range test because the lack of pedals meant I would have had to walk it back when it finally ran out. That’s probably the main downside to not having pedals.
But there are upsides too. The whole bike is super lightweight without a bunch of heavy bike components like pedals, cranks, chain, chain ring, cassette, derailleur, etc. Plus, you don’t have to worry about maintaining or adjusting those parts, and there are fewer things to break.
And with fewer bike parts, the price of the Jetson Bolt can come down without sacrificing the quality of the electrical components.
I would have loved to have some suspension to smooth the ride a bit, but of course you couldn’t hit this weight or price point with suspension. And with the relatively wide tires and plush seat, the ride isn’t as harsh as you might expect. You could always add a suspension seat post if you really wanted some extra comfort.
My Takeaway
For the price (399), the Jetson Bolt e-bike is an awesome ride. It can do everything an electric scooter can do, but lets you sit down like on a bicycle.
It’s not an amazing e-bike by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve ridden e-bikes that go faster and farther and with more features. But I’ve never ridden one as affordable. And considering that this bike is decent quality, it offers quite good bang for your buck.
Until now the best mini e-bike I’ve ridden has been the 489 Swagtron EB-5. But if you can do without pedals and want to save nearly 100, the Jetson Bolt gives the EB-5 a real run for its money.
I think the Jetson Bolt e-bike would be best for city riders or students on a college campus. It’s small, easy to stow or carry up stairs (especially with the built-in carry handle) and is just an all around fun little e-bike.
As a last-mile vehicle, it’s perfect. If you need a way to get from your home or work to the train or bus, this could be it. It folds, allowing it to board many forms of public transportation, and could turn a half hour walk into an 8 minute joy ride.
If you’ve been considering an electric bicycle for commuting but haven’t wanted to invest much money, this could be your answer.
What do you think of the Jetson Bolt? Could you see yourself scooting around on this little e-bike? Let us know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below.
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