Motor related problems?

[Japuserid]

Really hoping that this will be a very short thread. ..................but who know's it is the newest motor by far and only time will tell .........

Anyone had any negative experiences so far

 

[Sharpy]

I'm Having problems with mine at the moment. Done 1300 miles and the motor has started shutting down about 6 times a ride (20m ish) I get the E010 code. bike usually boots back up ok but sometimes codes W013 during restart and can take a good 5 mins of reboots to clear it. There is no pattern to the shut downs and can do some rides with none at all. Its been back to the dealers who could find nothing wrong so its off back to Maddison now for a full check over.

 

[Kernow]

I'm Having problems with mine at the moment. Done 1300 miles and the motor has started shutting down about 6 times a ride (20m ish) I get the E010 code. bike usually boots back up ok but sometimes codes W013 during restart and can take a good 5 mins of reboots to clear it. There is no pattern to the shut downs and can do some rides with none at all. Its been back to the dealers who could find nothing wrong so its off back to Maddison now for a full check over.

Had that I was about put a heads up on the forum . Iam not surprised dealers don’t find it , The little connections on the side if the motor get dirt in them . The problem is the plastic cover on the left side allows dirt and water to get in on top of them .
Remove the cover and pull out the 3 conectors and clean out the connector holes , I used brake cleaner spray and compressed air , but I guess wd 40 would do it . I think it’s mainly the speed sensor connector that’s the main problem .
Grease the connectors to prevent corrosion . I used silicone grease , I also greased all around the tops to seal them , or for a more permanent job silicone mastic would possibly be better . Put the plastic cover back on and put some wide tape along the top edge to prevent water and dirt running down the gap . It’s also worth checking the main motor connection at the front behind the cover , lift the outside ring and it pulls off , again grease the terminals . The cover is the problem there’s no real way to seal it . I seem to have to clean it out every few months .
Second , the lower battery mount in the frame has two little rubber 2 pin seals , I found one was displaced after using a washer at a bike park that was too powerful , take them out and turn the bike upside down and spray in some wd 40 water can get in there . I can’t get the actual unit apart to check the inside as it needs a strange size Allen key I can’t find 3 mm almost works but will round off the screws so I’ve greased the seals to keep the muck out . Finally clean and silicone grease the battery conectors .
I also give the whole bike a good spray with silicone spray which not only helps lube suspension and seatpost but keeps water and dirt out

Error codes seem to range from w10 wo12 and wo13 for all these problems .

 

[OldBean]

Excellent advice ...these motors operate in quite extreme conditions and need to be sealed thoroughly ...as with many pieces of equipment the operator/user will know more about it in actual operating conditions than the manufacturer.
I’m off to seal the lot now.......pass the silicone grease please
Have fun

 

[Sharpy]

I've done most of the connectors, ran fine all winter then we get a month of dry weather and not been washed either for a month and it shuts down all the time. It'll be interesting to see what Maddison come back with.

 

[Kernow]

I've done most of the connectors, ran fine all winter then we get a month of dry weather and not been washed either for a month and it shuts down all the time. It'll be interesting to see what Maddison come back with.

Had the same a few dusty days at afan , combined with the powerful washer . There was quite a bit of dust in the conectors causing the intermittent fault codes , I think they use very small voltages from the speed sensor so it doesn’t take much to shut things down

 

[Sharpy]

just an update on this one.
Madison have had the bike 2 weeks and decided its a faulty motor.
, problem is they have no motors in stock until 21st july. thoughts?

 

[Doomanic]

problem is they have no motors in stock until 21st july. thoughts?

Loan bike, replacement bike or refund. In that order.

 

[drjarvis2003]

Good to know, mine is also in Madison and it's a common problem with the torque sensor, which I believe is deep inside the motor, error code e010 and w013. At least shop gave me another motor to use.

 

[Japuserid]

I would still put money on it being dirty connections.

 

[drjarvis2003]

Not that, was checked in the shop and as soon as new motor fitted, prob solved.

 

[Japuserid]

Not that, was checked in the shop and as soon as new motor fitted, prob solved.

Very pleased to hear your problem was resolved, you didn't actually say what problems you were experiencing but, we had exactly the same issues as Sharpy is having on Kernow's bike, cutting out, error codes, working not working, and in the end it turned out to be nothing more than, what really is more of a simple maintenance issue. You have to wonder what incentive dealers have to fault find when a warranty claim for a new motor must be far more lucrative.

 

[drjarvis2003]

My prob was that during a ride the motor cut out and never recovered after 3 days of trying to get it to start. That's when I took it back to the shop and put it onto the diagnostics to find no fault showing.

 

[Kernow]

I think what I have learned from this is error codes are a bit useless for diagnosing . The conector block on top of the motor collects tiny amounts of dust that get washed past the conectors , the dust or silt sits in the bottom of the conector hole until it builds up and creates a poor connection , and is almost always intermittent at first .
I used an aerosol brake cleaner to clean out the connector holes , had I not seen the tiny amount of muck that was blasted out I could easily have missed the problem , sealing the conectors is a must , iether temporary with grease or more permanent with silicone sealant .
The problem is the plastic cover , it’s a poor fit and allows water to run in the top , a simple piece of insulating tape along the top edge has worked here for me finally steer well clear of pressure washers , or be very aware when cleaning the left side of the motor

 

[drjarvis2003]

I hear what you saying and have got contact cleaner along with silicone grease too. The motor was checked for that problem and in this case was clear.

 

[Japuserid]

My prob was that during a ride the motor cut out and never recovered after 3 days of trying to get it to start. That's when I took it back to the shop and put it onto the diagnostics to find no fault showing.

Hell, that certainly sounds more cut and dried than the norm, not at all intermittent more completely terminal glad you got it sorted.

 

[drjarvis2003]

Hell, that certainly sounds more cut and dried than the norm, not at all intermittent more completely terminal glad you got it sorted.

Just to let people know, I got the error code w013 intermittently for a few weeks, but a reboot always fixed it, so it looks like it was a warning that I should have looked at before.

 

[Kernow]

Just to let people know, I got the error code w013 intermittently for a few weeks, but a reboot always fixed it, so it looks like it was a warning that I should have looked at before.

That’s what I was trying to say , the error codes although they are supposed to point to a certain fault or sensor seem to get confused , just touch the pedals or move the bike as you switch on can give a wo13 , I was getting 10 12 and 13 codes intermittently , usually cured by a reboot until it finally stopped and wouldn’t reboot . I think it depended which plug was being effected by the dirt in the connection as that’s where the sensors all to converge . The first time it happened I was convinced I had an internal sensor gone . Now cleaning the connections is just part of a service routine . And the tape on the top of the cover really seems to be helping

 

[drjarvis2003]

Back my previous post, motor was swapped over and problem cured, reinstalled old motor problem back, so nothing to do with connectors, it's the torque sensor.

 

[drjarvis2003]

Ment to say that original motor was put into a brand new bike and didn't work either.

 

[drjarvis2003]

New Shimano motors now in UK. Mine is at the shop.

 

[Bob lakin]

New Shimano motors now in UK. Mine is at the shop.

That’s what I was trying to say , the error codes although they are supposed to point to a certain fault or sensor seem to get confused , just touch the pedals or move the bike as you switch on can give a wo13 , I was getting 10 12 and 13 codes intermittently , usually cured by a reboot until it finally stopped and wouldn’t reboot . I think it depended which plug was being effected by the dirt in the connection as that’s where the sensors all to converge . The first time it happened I was convinced I had an internal sensor gone . Now cleaning the connections is just part of a service routine . And the tape on the top of the cover really seems to be helping

If possible can you show photo of the connector and the fix you did.

 

[Kernow]

The three round holes you can see here on top of the motor , one has a blanking plug, the front one with the slot is the speed sensor , a tiny amount of dust has got washed into these every time I’ve had the error problem , mainly the speed sensor connector with the slot . simply cleaning them out has cured the fault . I sealed them with grease , but have now sealed with silicone sealant .

You can see the main conector lower down with 2 pins , this hasn’t been a problem and is well sealed

 

[Seric]

I did have an issue with Tourque sensor-error when the bike was new. But not a problem after updating the firmware. Does however come back when I have preassure on the pedals while turning the motor/battery on. Foot off and restart, and problem gone. I've also had an errorcode popping up after a very long and steep climb. Motor overheats. Should say that it was a warm day (30Celsius), and was running boost all the way. However, I have only experienced this ones.

Thanks for the tips on cleaning out the connectors. Will take that into account when I do my service.

 

[Kernow]

I did have an issue with Tourque sensor-error when the bike was new. But not a problem after updating the firmware. Does however come back when I have preassure on the pedals while turning the motor/battery on. Foot off and restart, and problem gone. I've also had an errorcode popping up after a very long and steep climb. Motor overheats. Should say that it was a warm day (30Celsius), and was running boost all the way. However, I have only experienced this ones.

Thanks for the tips on cleaning out the connectors. Will take that into account when I do my service.

Never had any heat issues , what bike do you have. Just thinking maybe some allow more air to motor and battery than others . Touching the pedal while switching on is easily done I often get that error .

 

[EddieJ]

I have read two reports of heat issues when using the Shimano E8000 system in alpine climbing situations. The system seemingly cuts out or automatically reduces assist to prevent damage. From my understanding though, it isn't something that is probably likely to affect UK users. I recall that any issues relate to heavy rider weight, and using unnecessarily high power settings.

I enquired about this issue to one of the riders that made the report, and if I can find the reply I shall post it. I do know that Shimano have disputed the claim, but as one of the people concerned is someone reasonably high profile within the mtb/emtb world, and also someone that I have immense respect for, I tend to believe him more than Shimano.

edit.. I too have been experiencing a sensor error code (W013) on the review Scott, but I think that it may be down to me, rather than the system. I suspect that I have pulled away on several occasions from first starting the system, before the system can load itself properly . So in my case, user error.

 

[Kernow]

That’s why I asked what bike it was , I wonder if some enclose the motor more than others , or if it’s an integrated battery heat issue . I’ve often pushed acoustic riders up some quite long hills using highest power and thought that may have induced an overload but it never has so far , even in the recent heat , kills the battery fast though

Error code from too fast startup is certainly something you need to get used when turning on the shimano

 

[Al Boneta]

Let me preface this by saying that overall the Steps E8000 is my favorite motor

Having said that a good friend of mine has been having terrible problems with his Pivot Shuttle.

It ended up being dust in the connections after spending an hour on the phone with a Shimano tech

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

Looks like your motor and the Brose motors have clearly not been designed for the UK's unique weather conditions

Hopefully someone from the motor design area regarding ebikes may read this someday and realise a rethink is needed on plug position placement and water/mud/dust ingress prevention to limit/prevent water/mud/dust ingress issues in the near future.

 

[ccrdave]

We build diving equipment that can stop the ingress of water at pressures up to 500m depth,
Surely they could manage a simple o-ring sealed cover to go over the plug ports