Electrical/electronic rubbish

[Dave G]

Well, I have now had my Specialized turbo Levo 3 months and I have to to say what an appalling pile of rubbish. Yes, the bike whilst performing without inherent issues is fine, but who in god's name decided to use the Rosenberger charging system, that, having read numerous reports on both this and other forums is clearly unsuitable. I have had nothing but trouble with this system regarding placing on charge, and when completed, replaced the connection only to find the bike does not power up. Not a peep. All connections cleaned and electrical contact cleaner applied. Replug, ooh it works! Oh no it doesn't! Oh yes it does, oh no it doesn't etc. It's like a British pantomime, in short, a farce. LBS had it for 2 hours got it working saying they had sprayed with electrical contact cleaner and it worked, which it did. 5 days later charged up the battery, replaced the plug, made sure it was fully home, and.........nothing........again.
Having spent a number of years in the electronics industry I am appalled at the lack of thought that has gone into this system, clearly suffered by many others who have spent their hard earned money on what is rubbish. Specialized and others using this system need to get a grip and get it sorted, as it clearly has issues, and does nothing for those who have the same issues, and lose confidence in the product accordingly.

 

[Mikerb]

there is nothing wrong with the Rosenberger connection per se. I had a 2019 Levo ( same plug different overall connection design) and provided it was kept clean it gave no trouble at all. I would suspect your intermittent connection has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the plug but rather something a bout the new connection design with the "door" , preventing a firm connection. I would check that the seal on the plug is lubricated with silicon lube to keep it pliable and stop it preventing a good connection, as well as checking for any other part of the design holding the plug away from fully home.

 

[Dave G]

there is nothing wrong with the Rosenberger connection per se. I had a 2019 Levo ( same plug different overall connection design) and provided it was kept clean it gave no trouble at all. I would suspect your intermittent connection has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the plug but rather something a bout the new connection design with the "door" , preventing a firm connection. I would check that the seal on the plug is lubricated with silicon lube to keep it pliable and stop it preventing a good connection, as well as checking for any other part of the design holding the plug away from fully home.

Thankyou for your response, and yes, all that you have suggested has been done.
My concern is the comments from both LBS and the various forum contributors concerning water/moisture entering, that should not be happening (providing the individual has not ridden the bike submerging it in water) Electrical/electronics have been O ringed sealed for years and keep water away from the vulnerable parts even at depth, so there is no excuse for having water entering into these areas. The door I think is suspect, and would benefit from a seal around the edge that would keep out any water ingress.

 

[Tooks]

Both my e-bikes have the Rosenberger connector, and in the case of the Focus it‘s well over 4 years old now and hasn’t missed a beat. I’ve also used the connector to make a couple of extender packs, and have again found no issues.

My Turbo Levo isn’t yet a year old, and whilst I don’t use it much compared to the Focus it has never played up either.

I guess it‘s easy for the LBS to point at the connector, but if you‘re getting intermittent power problems then they should be doing more than just spraying some contact cleaner on the socket and calling it fixed. Sorry if I’m doing them a disservice there, but have they investigated all the other potential problem areas such as the motor end, controller, and top tube controller etc?

I work with aircraft as my day job, I know that electrical faults can be notoriously difficult to track down and root causes not always obvious, but after you’ve checked the obvious It must be something else. e-bike wiring and electronics are barely automotive grade, never mind aircraft grade, and I totally agree most manufacturers should pay much more attention to water ingress than they do.

 

[steve_sordy]

Both my e-bikes have the Rosenberger connector, and in the case of the Focus it‘s well over 4 years old now and hasn’t missed a beat. I’ve also used the connector to make a couple of extender packs, and have again found no issues.

..........................

I agree 100% with that.
I had a Focus Jam2 for over three years and rode all through the winters. I did not have a single problem.

 

[Dave G]

Both my e-bikes have the Rosenberger connector, and in the case of the Focus it‘s well over 4 years old now and hasn’t missed a beat. I’ve also used the connector to make a couple of extender packs, and have again found no issues.

My Turbo Levo isn’t yet a year old, and whilst I don’t use it much compared to the Focus it has never played up either.

I guess it‘s easy for the LBS to point at the connector, but if you‘re getting intermittent power problems then they should be doing more than just spraying some contact cleaner on the socket and calling it fixed. Sorry if I’m doing them a disservice there, but have they investigated all the other potential problem areas such as the motor end, controller, and top tube controller etc?

I work with aircraft as my day job, I know that electrical faults can be notoriously difficult to track down and root causes not always obvious, but after you’ve checked the obvious It must be something else. e-bike wiring and electronics are barely automotive grade, never mind aircraft grade, and I totally agree most manufacturers should pay much more attention to water ingress than they do.

I was a commercial diver back in the 80’s and used all manner of electronics equipment down to depths of 1200ft, with no issues, but as has been pointed out here the wiring was industrial grade, unlike these bikes have.

 

[Dave G]

I agree 100% with that.
I had a Focus Jam2 for over three years and rode all through the winters. I did not have a single problem.

It may well be I have a Friday afternoon bike

 

[Dave G]

One other point, I have gone through the diagnosis system on the app and explained the issue, then sent this to Specialized. How does this work? Do they just log it, or will they respond?

 

[Dave G]

Just been looking back at some previous entries on this subject, and there are a good number of persons with this problem. I think for those with earlier models generally are ok, it seems to be models from 2021 on. So I stand by my earlier first post Specialized need to get this sorted.

 

[Mikerb]

OK here is a way to eliminate the Rosenberger plug as your problem............and it is something I do on every bike with any sort of charger port.
I use neoprene cut to shape and fixed to the bike with HD double sided velcro. It provides a first layer protection for the port and means there is less reliance on the seal. The 2019 Levo I mentioned a bove was on one occassion completely submerged in a deep puddle..........I was as well!! No problem apart from me being a chilly afterwards!! My current bikes are Whyte and the charger port is sat just a bove the motor and sealed with a rubber cap..............it is in a fairly well protected area but I still use my Neoprene cover design with both bikes.
With the Rosenberger magnetic design connection it is also advisable to fit a cap on the charger lead to protect it from foreign metallic objects whilst not in use. The cap off a small butane gas bottle fits with a bit of cloth inside it to bulk it out a bit.
The Rosenberger plug has a number of unique advantages most especially in terms of preventing damage if the connector is hit. This is because the connection is made by magetic attraction and the 2 main power pins are both spring loaded and short enough not to bend if the connection is hit. You do need to ensure that those spring loaded pins are free moving however. A common problem is some sort of foreign material in the plug that prevents those pins from moving freely.

 

[Tooks]

Just been looking back at some previous entries on this subject, and there are a good number of persons with this problem. I think for those with earlier models generally are ok, it seems to be models from 2021 on. So I stand by my earlier first post Specialized need to get this sorted.

The Rosenberger connector itself hasn’t changed since 2021, so not sure what’s going on with your bike?

Specialized do seem a company that stand behind their products, perhaps the outlier here is your LBS?

Go looking for stuff that backs up your view and you’ll find it, doesn’t really sort your current issue with your bike though.

 

[randycpu]

The Rosenberger connector itself hasn’t changed since 2021, so not sure what’s going on with your bike?

Specialized do seem a company that stand behind their products, perhaps the outlier here is your LBS?

Go looking for stuff that backs up your view and you’ll find it, doesn’t really sort your current issue with your bike though.

Rosenberger came out with these C series connectors in 2013, and the design has not materially changed

 

[Mikerb]

Good idea with cap on magnet plug.
Any tips how to clean magnet connector from metal dust before put cap on.

. a brush..something like a toothbrush. Then occasional spray with electrical contact cleaner.