Levo Gen 3 Power issues 22 Levo

[Crawford919]

How many people here have had a battery replacement under warranty or a power cable replacement? I have a 22 Levo with 500 ish miles that has had a sudden power loss issue for months. It is random but can be duplicated and has been at my local dealer. The first time I bought it back for this it was there for 2 weeks. They updated it and said it was fixed. Now it has been there 6 weeks and they replaced the TCU and said it still cuts off. Now they are going to replace the power cable. I have told them it’s the battery. I have 2 of these bikes and when it does this I can switch batteries and no issues. Then I install the faulty battery back in and it won’t cut on or you can ride it and will cut off. They are basically fighting me to the death about replacing the battery. Anyone have experience with this?

 

[James_C]

Yes several have had warranty batteries. Mine was tested on the specialized battery testing rig thing, and it passed. I had the 3rd flashing light symptom too. It would randomly not turn on, it never failed once on though.
Issue went away after a new warranty battery .

I don't see how they can argue over it, looks like you have proven it without doubt?

 

[Crawford919]

Yes several have had warranty batteries. Mine was tested on the specialized battery testing rig thing, and it passed. I had the 3rd flashing light symptom too. It would randomly not turn on, it never failed once on though.
Issue went away after a new warranty battery .

I don't see how they can argue over it, looks like you have proven it without doubt?

Thank you for your reply. Mine has passed their battery test also every time but I am very familiar with this as a automotive technician. Batteries fail on a load tester that are perfectly fine and pass when they’re won’t hold a charge for an hour all the time in my experience. I will post a video of a quick way a technician for the Specialized support truck for the GNCC series here in the US showed me to check if the battery has internal continuity. I’m not saying this is the end all be all test but mine will not do this when I’m having a no power issue and then will light up when it’s functioning properly.

 

[ReadyShreddy]

How many people here have had a battery replacement under warranty or a power cable replacement? I have a 22 Levo with 500 ish miles that has had a sudden power loss issue for months. It is random but can be duplicated and has been at my local dealer. The first time I bought it back for this it was there for 2 weeks. They updated it and said it was fixed. Now it has been there 6 weeks and they replaced the TCU and said it still cuts off. Now they are going to replace the power cable. I have told them it’s the battery. I have 2 of these bikes and when it does this I can switch batteries and no issues. Then I install the faulty battery back in and it won’t cut on or you can ride it and will cut off. They are basically fighting me to the death about replacing the battery. Anyone have experience with this?

My levo is currently having a replacement power cable fitted. My initial issue was the bike not turning on after it had been left off for a few hours. I could get around this by unplugging the battery and then plugging it back in. My bike shop diagnosed a power cable issue but specialized were on a backlog so it would take a few weeks to get the ticket approved. Luckily the shop let me keep the bike as I could still use it. Now I have the issue that once I get it to turn on it won't turn off without unplugging the battery. It will go off but then power straight back up. Tickets now approved so hopefully I can get the new cable and bike repaired soon. I just hope that the new cable sorts it out.

 

[Crawford919]

My levo is currently having a replacement power cable fitted. My initial issue was the bike not turning on after it had been left off for a few hours. I could get around this by unplugging the battery and then plugging it back in. My bike shop diagnosed a power cable issue but specialized were on a backlog so it would take a few weeks to get the ticket approved. Luckily the shop let me keep the bike as I could still use it. Now I have the issue that once I get it to turn on it won't turn off without unplugging the battery. It will go off but then power straight back up. Tickets now approved so hopefully I can get the new cable and bike repaired soon. I just hope that the new cable sorts it out.

Sounds like the TCU on your bike. It would have to be a major wire to wire short for the power cable to cause that issue. Sounds like the TCU is faulty and allowing constant power somewhere it shouldn’t. But anything is possible I suppose.

 

[Crawford919]

Thank you for your reply. Mine has passed their battery test also every time but I am very familiar with this as a automotive technician. Batteries fail on a load tester that are perfectly fine and pass when they’re won’t hold a charge for an hour all the time in my experience. I will post a video of a quick way a technician for the Specialized support truck for the GNCC series here in the US showed me to check if the battery has internal continuity. I’m not saying this is the end all be all test but mine will not do this when I’m having a no power issue and then will light up when it’s functioning properly.

Can’t get this video to post. But if you remove the power cable from the battery and touch the two middle terminals of the battery and the two rear terminals at the same time the charging indicator lights will light up and show current battery level and flash until you remove your finger. Mine will not do this when I’m having the no power issue and then will light up properly when it’s functioning correctly.

 

[ReadyShreddy]

Sounds like the TCU on your bike. It would have to be a major wire to wire short for the power cable to cause that issue. Sounds like the TCU is faulty and allowing constant power somewhere it shouldn’t. But anything is possible I suppose.

I'm hoping it's just the cable, but he did say if that doesn't solve the issue they will look at replacing something else

 

[Repsol]

I've had to have yet another cable replaced under warranty, they showed me why it had failed yet again, the plug had corroded and as a result, one of the pins snapped off inside the motor. Bike went back again for its 4th motor replacement and it not powering up.
Check the lead as I recon its that as mine did exactly what yours was doing, it would only power up by unplugging the lead off the battery connection.
In the past I had a battery replacement too asI was loosing power and range. It took alot of convincing the shop and specialized it was the battery and alot of comparison testing against my spare battery. With the old mission control you could test the power output on the battery whilst riding, it should be producing 20amp under full load, this new app is a complete pile of utter unless shite, same as the Brose motor reliability with its design flaws.
My motor is now out of warranty but I know full well it will fail yet again. When I does I'll be challenging specialized about having to pay for it replaced. They know FULL WELL these motors aren't fit for purpose and shouldn't be charging customers for having it fixed because of inherent design flaws that are for the cause of these failures.
I was absolutely shocked when I was shown the power cable that had corroded inside the motor connection. The bike is maintained and kept spotlessly clean yet this still happened.

 

[ReadyShreddy]

That's good to know, it's booked in for the cable replacement but they can't do it until the 24th of April. So will have to keep unplugging it until then.

 

[Mikerb]

are you guys referring to the short Rosenberger plug ended cable that connects the battery to the motor?
If so, that cable caused problems on the gen2 Levo and was replaced by a modified cable in early 2021. The issue was that the cable was too stiff which resulted in the plug at the motor end cracking and exposing the wire connections at the plug. That together with potential water ingress led to short circuits or HR disconnections. The cable is easy enough to remove and inspect. I applied for the new cable under warranty before my original gave any problems.........but I also stripped the sleeving off the original and rebuilt it so that it was more flexible and both the motor end plug and Rosenberger plug were properly sealed. The motor end plug has 2 green seals on its shank which is the protection a gainst any water ingress into the motor connection. Those seals should be occasionally lubricated with silicon lube to keep them flexible . I also packed lithhium grease around the connection when made. Despite a couple of unintentional full water insertions with that bike, I never had any issues with that connection.

 

[Crawford919]

Yes that’s what they are referring to and my shop is going to replace mine under warranty but I’m skeptical because of the symptoms mine has that aren’t like what described above.

 

[ReadyShreddy]

This is the cable I'm referring to, I do find that water gets into the downtime from somewhere, maybe from the cable holes. The guy in the shop said it's a good idea to open this up every so often to let air get it and dry it out. One of the electrical connectors is slightly discoloured, I've added a few images below.

 

[Mikerb]

your test does suggest a faulty battery but there is still a chance the power cable is responsible. On the gen 2 levo the 4 connections are + and - and 2 signal wires ( part of the CAN). I dont know exactly how the CAN operates but it is the CAN that enables amps to flow from the battery to the motor when the right conditions are met ( bike on/ torque sensed/speed sensed.....regulated by mode selection) so it may be the case that a faulty cable ( intermittent short or HR disconnection) is leaving the battery in the wrong state when the fault occurs......and that leads to you getting a different test response.

The think a bout specifically a high resistance disconnection ( HR Dis) is that the damaged wire will often transmit current until the system is switched off for a while. Anyway just a theory............ a new cable will prove it right or wrong.

 

[Mikerb]

This is the cable I'm referring to, I do find that water gets into the downtime from somewhere, maybe from the cable holes. The guy in the shop said it's a good idea to open this up every so often to let air get it and dry it out. One of the electrical connectors is slightly discoloured, I've added a few images below.

View attachment 137606 View attachment 137607 View attachment 137608 View attachment 137609

On my 2019 Levo I wrapped the TCU with tape ( the TCU comprises a top and bottom half with no seal between them), used liquid gasket to create a seal between it and the frame, and wrapped the tail lead connectors in self amalgamating tape. Again, never had any electrical problems with that bike.

 

[ReadyShreddy]

On my 2019 Levo I wrapped the TCU with tape ( the TCU comprises a top and bottom half with no seal between them), used liquid gasket to create a seal between it and the frame, and wrapped the tail lead connectors in self amalgamating tape. Again, never had any electrical problems with that bike.

I think I will do this once the cable is replaced, will the liquid gasket give to remove the TCU when needed, then re seal? I've not used it before.

 

[Repsol]

are you guys referring to the short Rosenberger plug ended cable that connects the battery to the motor?

If so, that cable caused problems on the gen2 Levo and was replaced by a modified cable in early 2021. The issue was that the cable was too stiff which resulted in the plug at the motor end cracking and exposing the wire connections at the plug. That together with potential water ingress led to short circuits or HR disconnections. The cable is easy enough to remove and inspect. I applied for the new cable under warranty before my original gave any problems.........but I also stripped the sleeving off the original and rebuilt it so that it was more flexible and both the motor end plug and Rosenberger plug were properly sealed. The motor end plug has 2 green seals on its shank which is the protection a gainst any water ingress into the motor connection. Those seals should be occasionally lubricated with silicon lube to keep them flexible . I also packed lithhium grease around the connection when made. Despite a couple of unintentional full water insertions with that bike, I never had any issues with that connection.

DO NOT use lithium grease or silicone to seal the cable, I did that on my original and it caused the power to randomly switch on and off. The mechanic told me it was due to the grease migrating into the wire's and cau8a blockage/ resistance for the signl, use dielectric grease specifically for electrical connections.

 

[Mikerb]

DO NOT use lithium grease or silicone to seal the cable, I did that on my original and it caused the power to randomly switch on and off. The mechanic told me it was due to the grease migrating into the wire's and cau8a blockage/ resistance for the signl, use dielectric grease specifically for electrical connections.

I used lithium grease outside the connection which is a male female arrangement so no way that grease can migrate to the actual connectors. Its purpose is help water penetration so dialectric grease is of no benefit there. Indeed dialectric grease should not be used in any way it can come into contact with the a ctual metal connectors or it will do what it says on the tin!.......insulate! Dialectric grease is used where there is the potential for arcing from a positive terminal to a random earth due to damp. It has very limited use for the type of connections used on an EMTB.

 

[Mikerb]

I think I will do this once the cable is replaced, will the liquid gasket give to remove the TCU when needed, then re seal? I've not used it before.

Apply the liquid gasket to the frame and smear a little grease on the base of the TCU then fit the TCU. The smear of grease will prevent the liquid gasket sticking to the TCU.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

I've had to have yet another cable replaced under warranty, they showed me why it had failed yet again, the plug had corroded and as a result, one of the pins snapped off inside the motor. Bike went back again for its 4th motor replacement and it not powering up.
Check the lead as I recon its that as mine did exactly what yours was doing, it would only power up by unplugging the lead off the battery connection.
In the past I had a battery replacement too asI was loosing power and range. It took alot of convincing the shop and specialized it was the battery and alot of comparison testing against my spare battery. With the old mission control you could test the power output on the battery whilst riding, it should be producing 20amp under full load, this new app is a complete pile of utter unless shite, same as the Brose motor reliability with its design flaws.
My motor is now out of warranty but I know full well it will fail yet again. When I does I'll be challenging specialized about having to pay for it replaced. They know FULL WELL these motors aren't fit for purpose and shouldn't be charging customers for having it fixed because of inherent design flaws that are for the cause of these failures.
I was absolutely shocked when I was shown the power cable that had corroded inside the motor connection. The bike is maintained and kept spotlessly clean yet this still happened.

High Rock Ruti
My 21 levo is in for hopefully its fourth motor (under 2K total miles). The controller on the left side handlebar stopped working, the bike runs on for 2 to 3 seconds. I've heard this is a torque sensor issue, so of course the handlebar controller must be the culprit.....WTF? If they replace the motor, that would make 10 motors across 3 Levo's include two full refunds. >>>"NOT FIT FOR USE" indeed!<<<

Warm Regards Ruti

 

[Binhill1]

How many people here have had a battery replacement under warranty or a power cable replacement? I have a 22 Levo with 500 ish miles that has had a sudden power loss issue for months. It is random but can be duplicated and has been at my local dealer. The first time I bought it back for this it was there for 2 weeks. They updated it and said it was fixed. Now it has been there 6 weeks and they replaced the TCU and said it still cuts off. Now they are going to replace the power cable. I have told them it’s the battery. I have 2 of these bikes and when it does this I can switch batteries and no issues. Then I install the faulty battery back in and it won’t cut on or you can ride it and will cut off. They are basically fighting me to the death about replacing the battery. Anyone have experience with this?

Goes to show local dealers not always the best to buy from . You wonder nobody likes anyone trying to tell them how to do their job either. Like you say its got to be battery if other one works . Ive had 3 power cables there are actually 3 versions at least this last one spot on . Only thing that's been ok on my levo is my battery 2019 Levo still 100 percent after 9500 miles.

 

[stumpydumpy]

Hi Crawford and all others,

If you have 2 of the same bikes, then you can easely cross-change the bateries. If 1 battery gives the exact problem on 2 bikes, what is ther more to say. Only, be prepared that Specialized will denie untill their death.

May I bring this under your attantion:

Levo Gen 3 Power cutting issues?​

• Thread starterRenton
• Start dateFeb 19, 2024
• TagsNone

The problem there was slightly different. Those bikes where with a healthy battery, but turned itself off during the ride.
My bike gen3 didn't like bumpy downhill-rides.
At last I was perfectly helped out by my LBS. ( NO, Specialized didn't feel responsable for its 2-3 months old Levo. )
My whole bike is replaced.
With that the reason for the failures were never found.
Although, the cable between battery and motor has always been under suspicion. An other issue of suspect for me was the shock-messuring feature for the jump-stats, but this is never proven.
Good luck with your bike.

 

[Binhill1]

Hi Crawford and all others,

If you have 2 of the same bikes, then you can easely cross-change the bateries. If 1 battery gives the exact problem on 2 bikes, what is ther more to say. Only, be prepared that Specialized will denie untill their death.

May I bring this under your attantion:

Levo Gen 3 Power cutting issues?​

• Thread starterRenton
• Start dateFeb 19, 2024
• TagsNone

The problem there was slightly different. Those bikes where with a healthy battery, but turned itself off during the ride.
My bike gen3 didn't like bumpy downhill-rides.
At last I was perfectly helped out by my LBS. ( NO, Specialized didn't feel responsable for its 2-3 months old Levo. )
My whole bike is replaced.
With that the reason for the failures were never found.
Although, the cable between battery and motor has always been under suspicion. An other issue of suspect for me was the shock-messuring feature for the jump-stats, but this is never proven.
Good luck with your bike.

I wonder if sales comes in to it as well. My mate had a bike business and i remember him on about his grade 1 status dropping to 3 as he wasn't selling as much of certain brands.

 

[Crawford919]

So to update they replaced my TCU and power cable after 7 weeks being at the shop. Rode it for an hour and it was fine. Went to ride it the next time and it lost all power 5 minutes in. The power display cuts off and you have no assistance. It would not turn back on. I pulled the plug at the battery and touched the terminals and the battery would not light up for about 30 seconds. Then it would light up and blink and then I plugged up the cable and it turned back on. Rode it another mile and did it again and then would immediately turned back on and I rode it back home with no issues. I looked at the power cable and TCU that came off the bike and it was perfect with no rubbing or corrosion. It has a bad battery.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

High Rock Ruti
My 21 levo is in for hopefully its fourth motor (under 2K total miles). The controller on the left side handlebar stopped working, the bike runs on for 2 to 3 seconds. I've heard this is a torque sensor issue, so of course the handlebar controller must be the culprit.....WTF? If they replace the motor, that would make 10 motors across 3 Levo's include two full refunds. >>>"NOT FIT FOR USE" indeed!<<<

Warm Regards Ruti

Update High Rock Ruti

Bike is completed, new handlebar button controller. I'm told that the bike no longer
"runs-on", skeptical!

Warm Regards Ruti

 

[Crawford919]

Got this code today finally. Has been months since it showed this code. Would not charge today and is blinking at the display when it turns on and again lost power while riding a couple days ago. They have ordered a speed sensor for it. But now hopefully they will get a battery on the way.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

Update High Rock Ruti

Bike is completed, new handlebar button controller. I'm told that the bike no longer
"runs-on", skeptical!

Warm Regards Ruti

Update (2) 4/17/2024
High Rock Ruti

Skepticism Confirmed; motor continues to run on...until motor lost drive after 4 miles. Motor spins but now slips without forward drive, motor sent blue exclamation "!" error code to display. That makes ten motors failures across three bikes in 8 years, good thing they've updated that Brose motor, in fairness this last motor on 2021 carbon pro ($13,000) lasted about 600 miles a new record, the others 4 motors on this one bike lasted around 250 to 350 miles. As some else commented "not fit for use".

Warm Regards Ruti

 

[Crawford919]

Update (2) 4/17/2024
High Rock Ruti

Skepticism Confirmed; motor continues to run on...until motor lost drive after 4 miles. Motor spins but now slips without forward drive, motor sent blue exclamation "!" error code to display. That makes ten motors failures across three bikes in 8 years, good thing they've updated that Brose motor, in fairness this last motor on 2021 carbon pro ($13,000) lasted about 600 miles a new record, the others 4 motors on this one bike lasted around 250 to 350 miles. As some else commented "not fit for use".

Warm Regards Ruti

Yep they are garbage for sure. As we speak my oldest son is at a Wednesday night series race leading the ebike class and his brother is watching on the sidelines because this POS I’ve been posting about won’t turn on an hour before we left to go race. And Specialized won’t listen to a thing I’m trying to tell them. On a side note I too had a 22 Levo Carbon that would overrun sporadically. But the last time it did is was at the face of a big double and I crashed big time and broke all kinds of crap on the bike. Got cut up myself but nothing broken. They updated it and said it was fixed but I never had confidence In that bike again. Im going back to my Stumpjumper.

 

[Binhill1]

I used to have to take TCU and cable in every couple of months to dry out in the heat .To be honest it's been ok for a couple of years now, dare I say. Taped it up and I used to put vaseline on the tape. The amount of crap that goes in through the cable holes is horrendous. I only need a few rides and the top headset bearing is filthy.

 

[ReadyShreddy]

So my levo finally went in to have the TCU cable replaced yesterday. That didn't solve the problem or replacing the TCU itself. They then replaced the battery thinking it maybe the controller in the unit as it's not waking up. It's worked so far and they will let me know tomorrow if it wakes up after going into full rest mode.

 

[Binhill1]

So my levo finally went in to have the TCU cable replaced yesterday. That didn't solve the problem or replacing the TCU itself. They then replaced the battery thinking it maybe the controller in the unit as it's not waking up. It's worked so far and they will let me know tomorrow if it wakes up after going into full rest mode.

Not good enough really is it. Quite a few motors and batteries have issues. Im waiting for a Fazua powered bike to be delivered im getting paranoid with all the stuff im reading about them. Two lads I know Shimano motors went within 30 minutes of each other under a year old. Lad on here on 3rd Bosch motor. My battery is the only bit on my levo that's been trouble free. Good luck