Focus Jam2 display not coming on

[steve_sordy]

Just switched on the bike, got the blue light, but no display. The two cables that plug into the back of the display are firmly engaged. Everything else seems OK, nothing dangling. I put it on charge for 10-15 mins and that seemed to work as normal. Took it for a ride (without power obvs). Nothing.

The first workshop guy I spoke to at the supplier (JE James) had no clue. He said that he would ask the other technicians and if he came up with nothing he would email Focus. So that's my weekend gone! Beginning to wish that I hadn't sold my last clockwork bike!

Any clues or tips anyone?

 

[R120]

Have you checked the cable from the display is plugged in to the motor correctly?

 

[steve_sordy]

Have you checked the cable from the display is plugged in to the motor correctly?

Thanks for the reply @R120
That will require more intervention than I am comfortable with on a bike that is less than six months old. Is this an easy job? ie just a few screws to remove the cover, and the connections are right there to be seen? Or is it a drop the motor and ferret about with other stuff kind of job?

 

[R120]

Yes just pop off the cover and check the connections

 

[steve_sordy]

Yes just pop off the cover and check the connections

In that case I'll have a go. The worst that can happen is that I still lose the weekend.

 

[Peaky Rider]

I had the very same on my Jam2.
My problem was a broken cable from display to motor (broken where it emerges from the frame at the top of the motor).
£26 on line and fitted in 30 minutes. Motor and battery out job though.

 

[steve_sordy]

I had the very same on my Jam2.
My problem was a broken cable from display to motor (broken where it emerges from the frame at the top of the motor).
£26 on line and fitted in 30 minutes. Motor and battery out job though.

Many thanks for that. I hope it isn't though.

 

[Peaky Rider]

Many thanks for that. I hope it isn't though.

At least it would be a simple fix which even J E James should be able to sort.

 

[steve_sordy]

I checked the motor end of the cables and all seemed fine. The cables were securely connected. I took the bike to Rutland Cycling. They are not only a Focus dealer, but are only 30 mins away from me. I should have bought my bike from them instead of JE James three times further away (on a good day).

The technician Lee said give me an hour, but ten mins later reported that it was fixed! He had connected the display to his laptop and it came on. I was in the middle of expressing a very grateful level of surprise when the display winked out! I turned the bars and it came back on! Loose connection then! Lee took it away and later on revealed that at the motor end of the Di2 cables from the display, one of the cables was a dodgy connection. It would click into place OK, but a good connection was not made. Any tension on the cable and connection would be lost. No explanation as to why it took until now to manifest itself.

So, a new 1.6m cable required, that had to be ordered. Available in two days. Just glad that I wasn't deep into a long ride before it went wrong.

 

[Peaky Rider]

What I found with mine was that whilst there was no visible breakage in that cable the internal conducting cable had fractured as it is very thin. On other e-bikes I've looked at the corresponding cable is much thicker. I keep a spare one in stock now.

Wouldn't be surprised if that isn't what had actually happened to yours.

Either way, it's fixed and presumably under warranty.

Can only assume that James' gave some sort of deal to stop you buying from a very reputable company like Rutland Cycles, who are on your doorstep..

 

[steve_sordy]

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

Can only assume that James' gave some sort of deal to stop you buying from a very reputable company like Rutland Cycles, who are on your doorstep..

The deal was 15% off and a TEC pack at cost. That was in Dec'18 for a 2019 bike and it was delivered in early Jan. With hindsight I should have taken that deal to Rutland Cycling and asked them to match it. But the 15% off bit was a Rutland Cycling deal that I had taken to JE James in Sheffield and they topped it with an at cost TEC pack. I didn't have it in me to keep going back and forth like that. I knew enough about emtbs to insist upon going to a UK supplier, but I didn't know enough to insist upon a very local supplier. If the bike had been a clockwork bike it wouldn't have been a problem at all, But the benefits of a local guy to deal with your warranty work was under appreciated by me. JE James themselves have been very good indeed, really helpful and supportive ; it's just that they are 90 minutes away!

The deal that was very good in December is now bettered pretty much everywhere, but I've had my emtb for six months now!

I was only in JE James to kill time while my towbar was being fitted By the Towbar Depot nearby. They sold me a 2018 bike initially but I took it back and really messed them around, but they stayed cooperative and easy to deal with. I thought they had earned their sale. I have no criticism of JE James, just praise.

 

[Peaky Rider]

You got a good deal at the time then and life's always easier with the benefit of hindsight.

 

[steve_sordy]

Ahhh hindsight! There's a few decisions I've made that, upon reflection, I wished I hadn't....

But hey, life's too short to dwell on regrets!

The key thing is to actually make a decision!

 

[steve_sordy]

Update:
I phoned Rutland Cycling this morning and the new cable had just been delivered. The nice man in the workshop agreed to make it their first job and to put the bike on charge for me afterwards. Many thanks to Rutland Cycling.

I'll be collecting the bike at noon and seeing as I'm there; for the first time, I will ride all the way around Rutland Water.

 

[steve_sordy]

As it was a warranty claim for a bike not sold by them, they charge £35 for pursuing it. So if it was a motor or a battery, nothing more to pay. I think that's fair.

But as it was an electrical wire that failed (£23), they also charged me for that. I asked "if it is warranty why am I am being charged for the cable?" The answer was that, based upon experience, they would claim for the cable from Shimano, who would inspect the cable and say that it had been pinched and refer them to Focus. Focus would refer to the previous battery replacement under warranty and say that the people who fitted the replacement battery must have pinched the cable. So RC would go to JE James who fitted the replacement battery and, even if they accepted it was them, would not actually cough up to a competitor. And on top of that, at £30/hr it's not worth chasing a £23 wire through those channels.

They gave me the old cable and suggested that I try to get the money back from JE James. Which I will. (EDIT: They paid up without a problem ).

The alternative was for me to not say it was a warranty claim and they would charge me the time taken at £30/hr. (at least 2.5 hours, and that was just today, not including the time taken on Sunday to diagnose the problem).

I pushed it with RC because I'm thinking that for £35, it's better to go to them for warranty work than all the way back to JE James!

 

[Peaky Rider]

Yes, I'm afraid it's a bit of a design fault with the Jam2. If not positioned absolutely correctly the cable gets pinched between the motor and the frame (as happened with mine) and the metal core of the cable fails. Have now fitted an outer casing around mine.

 

[steve_sordy]

@Peaky Rider I wish I'd seen that before I spoke to Rutland Cycling this morning, I would have asked them to do that.

 

[S D]

Just read this thread with interest ,
Whilst turning right this evening my display seemed to blink and quickly come back showing the shimano steps screen as if it was being switched on from scratch .
Does this sound like the wire issue you mention?

 

[Peaky Rider]

Could be something as simple as a dodgy connection where the cables go into the back of the display.
Use the special tool that came with your bike to take them out, clean them and use the same tool to put them back in carefully.
Other than that, check the display wires for stretching/trapping.
If it is at the motor end I don't see how turning the bars would affect it.

 

[S D]

Could be something as simple as a dodgy connection where the cables go into the back of the display.
Use the special tool that came with your bike to take them out, clean them and use the same tool to put them back in carefully.
Other than that, check the display wires for stretching/trapping.
If it is at the motor end I don't see how turning the bars would affect it.

I did pull both plugs and give them a Quick blast of contact cleaner when I got home , hopefully you are right .
my dealer wasn’t very fourth coming with bits and bobs when I got the bike , I didn’t realise there was a tool for plug removal ?
Thankfully I had already read on here not to pull at the wires , just the plugs .
I’ll give it another run tomorrow.
Thanks

 

[Peaky Rider]

The tool looks like a small black plastic pencil that would have been with your bell and spare reflectors and the like. you might not even have realised what it was.
It really does make cable removal safe.

 

[S D]

The tool looks like a small black plastic pencil that would have been with your bell and spare reflectors and the like. you might not even have realised what it was.
It really does make cable removal safe.

Next time I visit the dealer I better ask about ,
The tool
The bell
The reflectors
Etc , there must be a big black market for such things as I never received any of it ?

 

[Gee tomac]

Yes, I'm afraid it's a bit of a design fault with the Jam2. If not positioned absolutely correctly the cable gets pinched between the motor and the frame (as happened with mine) and the metal core of the cable fails. Have now fitted an outer casing around mine.

Hi Peaky Rider, I’m looking at prevention rather than cure . Do you have any photos of said wire that causes this issue? Much appreciated.

 

[S D]

Hi Peaky Rider, I’m looking at prevention rather than cure . Do you have any photos of said wire that causes this issue? Much appreciated.

Got mine on the stand now for a look this afternoon, presumably it’s the one thin wire from the display to the motor , the other goes straight to the controller on the bars.
I’ll post a pic later .

 

[Peaky Rider]

Hi Peaky Rider, I’m looking at prevention rather than cure . Do you have any photos of said wire that causes this issue? Much appreciated.

Just take the plastic cover off the motor (three phillips screws).
There is one very thick cable and two thin Di2 cables.
It is these two thin ones that are susceptible to damage where they go through a small gap between the motor and frame.
I just got a short piece of cable sheathing off some old cable, slid it over them and glued it to the Di2 cables.
You may never have a problem, but I did, before I understood e-bikes and it cost me £50 for a repair.

 

[S D]

Just take the plastic cover off the motor (three phillips screws).
There is one very thick cable and two thin Di2 cables.
It is these two thin ones that are susceptible to damage where they go through a small gap between the motor and frame.
I just got a short piece of cable sheathing off some old cable, slid it over them and glued it to the Di2 cables.
You may never have a problem, but I did, before I understood e-bikes and it cost me £50 for a repair.

Here you go , found the wires but I’m struggling to see where they need attention?
is this a motor drop job ?

 

[Gee tomac]

Just take the plastic cover off the motor (three phillips screws).
There is one very thick cable and two thin Di2 cables.
It is these two thin ones that are susceptible to damage where they go through a small gap between the motor and frame.
I just got a short piece of cable sheathing off some old cable, slid it over them and glued it to the Di2 cables.
You may never have a problem, but I did, before I understood e-bikes and it cost me £50 for a repair.

Thanks for the info , I’ll check mine later .

 

[S D]

I can move the two small wires in and out of the gap shown in the pic above the motor , but I wouldn't say that they move freely .