Trek RIB Battery Alignment Procedure

[GL1]

Well I thought I'd post an update:

I have the bike back from the Trek Store / Shop. I would say they were helpful overall. They acknowledged the issue with these and agreed the best approach was ordering the battery truss and a new connector. All good. They were willing to give it to me as a warranty if I had ANY kind of receipt etc., even knowing I am the second owner. I was honest about that and I do not have a receipt at all so I was okay paying. The cost was around $150 for both of those parts and the labor. So all that was good.

They stayed in touch fine enough and I did tell them I was not in a hurry. Still, they had the bike for 6 weeks and at one point there was a mix up with the wrong truss being sent etc. Again, they let me know all of this and since this is really the bike my Father-In-Law rides (and he'd been out of town) and I have my Spec, I didn't care much. But, if it had been my main bike that would have been a long time to wait although if that had been the case they also may have been able to get it done quicker. But, the other thing I did not like is that they made the decision to replace the front rotor and pads, saying it would be a safety issue to let it leave the store that way. Well, that tacked on an additional $150 between the rotor, pads and labor that I really did not feel needed done (I ride a TON and am a former mechanic and the rotor still had enough life to go quite awhile and even the pads were not completely gone; I have the old parts to prove it.) So, this felt a bit like a car mechanic scheme to squeeze a bit more out of me. I didn't argue it much though as it had already been done and I honestly just wanted the bike back at that point.

Now the verdict? I'm not sure yet. So far my Father-In-Law has mostly only ridden it around on the roads up by his house and it's been fine. It would cut out even doing things like that and now it's not so that's a good sign. I rode it around and intentionally was riding it over a bunch of bumps and chop and it did seem to stay connected so I'm hopeful. I'll post more after I get some proper off-road miles on it.

So, while my experience with Trek warranty was okay I have to honestly say it just didn't quite match up to Spec. I've had a battery and motor done on my Levo and all my other friends with Spec have had issues too and they are just a lot more responsive. All of us had a week turn around, no charge, no questions and a bike ready to go. So to be sure, Spec has had their issues too (the motors for 2019-2020 especially,) but they made the warranty so easy it was basically a non-issue. That's what I'm looking for in an eBike warranty. So while I do like the Trek overall, this battery issue has been really annoying and maybe even more than a motor going out on my Spec because that's such a black and white issue while this thing has drug on for the better part of a year. The Spec service is just hands down better and, honestly, that Levo setup mullet is the best riding bike I have ever had. So, unless I got a screaming deal on a Trek eBike (kind of like I did buying this one used,) all things equal, I'd go Spec over Trek all day long.

 

[Peter rhymes]

Hi, I have the same cut out issues with my 2020 Rail 7 . I have tried to down load the Alignment
pdf but I end up back on the original link page . Can anyone advise how I should align the plug and socket ? Or do I need to upgrade to the alignment bracket ?

 

[Peter rhymes]

now at one month after following the battery alignment procedure posted by Doomanic and not one power outage. I repeat it is fairly straightforward to do and only required one specialist tool (security torx) to be purchased. Sorted

Hi where can I find the alignment procedure ? My Rail 7 is cutting out on rough downhills .

 

[GL1]

Well I thought I'd post an update:

I have the bike back from the Trek Store / Shop. I would say they were helpful overall. They acknowledged the issue with these and agreed the best approach was ordering the battery truss and a new connector. All good. They were willing to give it to me as a warranty if I had ANY kind of receipt etc., even knowing I am the second owner. I was honest about that and I do not have a receipt at all so I was okay paying. The cost was around $150 for both of those parts and the labor. So all that was good.

They stayed in touch fine enough and I did tell them I was not in a hurry. Still, they had the bike for 6 weeks and at one point there was a mix up with the wrong truss being sent etc. Again, they let me know all of this and since this is really the bike my Father-In-Law rides (and he'd been out of town) and I have my Spec, I didn't care much. But, if it had been my main bike that would have been a long time to wait although if that had been the case they also may have been able to get it done quicker. But, the other thing I did not like is that they made the decision to replace the front rotor and pads, saying it would be a safety issue to let it leave the store that way. Well, that tacked on an additional $150 between the rotor, pads and labor that I really did not feel needed done (I ride a TON and am a former mechanic and the rotor still had enough life to go quite awhile and even the pads were not completely gone; I have the old parts to prove it.) So, this felt a bit like a car mechanic scheme to squeeze a bit more out of me. I didn't argue it much though as it had already been done and I honestly just wanted the bike back at that point.

Now the verdict? I'm not sure yet. So far my Father-In-Law has mostly only ridden it around on the roads up by his house and it's been fine. It would cut out even doing things like that and now it's not so that's a good sign. I rode it around and intentionally was riding it over a bunch of bumps and chop and it did seem to stay connected so I'm hopeful. I'll post more after I get some proper off-road miles on it.

So, while my experience with Trek warranty was okay I have to honestly say it just didn't quite match up to Spec. I've had a battery and motor done on my Levo and all my other friends with Spec have had issues too and they are just a lot more responsive. All of us had a week turn around, no charge, no questions and a bike ready to go. So to be sure, Spec has had their issues too (the motors for 2019-2020 especially,) but they made the warranty so easy it was basically a non-issue. That's what I'm looking for in an eBike warranty. So while I do like the Trek overall, this battery issue has been really annoying and maybe even more than a motor going out on my Spec because that's such a black and white issue while this thing has drug on for the better part of a year. The Spec service is just hands down better and, honestly, that Levo setup mullet is the best riding bike I have ever had. So, unless I got a screaming deal on a Trek eBike (kind of like I did buying this one used,) all things equal, I'd go Spec over Trek all day long.

Okay, I wanted to post an update. My father in law has had the bike and ridden a few hundred miles on just roads around his house. No issues, but not a great test. Today I got a solid 23 mile, tech ride in and it is indeed fully fixed. So the truss plus the new connection plate did the trick for now. I rode it all day, switching modes, through serious tech and no cutouts!
So I guess the Trek Store fixed it with the combo of that truss etc.

I'm still not taking the battery out much if at all because it stands to reason that the more you do that and mess with the alignment and the connections the more you're asking for trouble.

Anyway, very happy to get this resolved for now and the bike is up around 2600 miles and the motor and many other components are going strong.

If you have this issue AT ALL, I wouldn't mess with any home remedies. I'd go straight to a Trek dealer / store and ask them for the truss and a new connector plate and if you have ANY paperwork at all they will probably warranty it and if not it shouldn't be too expensive and is worth your time messing with it yourself. If they give you any flack just tell them you're heading to the closest Specialized dealer to look at new Levo's!

PS - My personal opinion...there are some things about the Powerfly I genuinely like and the Bosch motor. In some ways I think the Bosch motor is a bit more of a reliable workhorse than the Brose. It's also quiet and fairly intuitive as to engagement. The Powerfly feels planted and is a good trailbike. I enjoy riding it. BUT, unfortunately I'm going to have to say the ride of the Levo wins out. It's just a lot more fun and nimble especially when setup mullet. And of course, the 700w is just a huge difference in how far or how much assistance you can have compared to the 500w but I know that's apples to oranges. So IDK...I do have fun on the Powerfly for sure and for the right price I'd buy another but if I was buying just one ebike or buying new, I'd go Levo. This is after extensive time on the Powerfly and a Bulls. Neither compared to the ride of the Levo.

 

[rsidedown]

Well, mine started doing this but after 2500 miles. Cutting out; meaning screen goes dead; on choppy descents. Sometimes it also would just go from whatever mode I was in to off but the screen would stay on. Annoying as all get out.

I did the adjustment (and nearly stripped one of the frame security bolts in the process but got it out and replaced them with small similar sized allens which yes, I can tighten and manage way better.) Anyway, I did that and ALSO tried some foam on the inside of the frame (like 1mm thick.) That seemed to really firm it up in the frame and so far so good. I also added a little dielectric grease to the contacts.

I will say though, one thing is that if I get this working again where it's not cutting out, I'm going to try to NOT take the battery out much from here on out and just charge it with it in the frame. In the winters I like to take it out to store it inside so we'll see but temps are warmer from here on out.

Nice info. I am new to the eMtb. Picked up a used Rail 7 and have a couple of rides on it. At first I thought I was hitting the controller and shutting off power, then I realized it was just cutting out. Will try the alignment and verify that all is good that way (will also look to replace torx security bolts with proper allen keyed bolts. I also like the idea on the foam as I hate rattle noises when riding.

 

[GL1]

Nice info. I am new to the eMtb. Picked up a used Rail 7 and have a couple of rides on it. At first I thought I was hitting the controller and shutting off power, then I realized it was just cutting out. Will try the alignment and verify that all is good that way (will also look to replace torx security bolts with proper allen keyed bolts. I also like the idea on the foam as I hate rattle noises when riding.

Yes, but see the evolution of my attempts to fix this myself. I had little to no luck with all the solutions I tried. It finally got resolved when I went to the Trek store and they installed the battery truss and a new connector plate. So I'm recommending to everyone with this issue to go directly to their Trek dealer / store and ask specifically for those two items. Sooner than later is best depending on warranty and even if it's out of warranty it should only be a few hundred dollars at most to get this done. With you being a second owner if you got ANY paperwork at all from the original owner they will probably warranty it for you. If not, you may have to pay as I did. Either way, I would not waste my time with the home remedies. You really need that truss and likely a new connector plate. Also, once fixed, I would advise not taking the battery in and out much as this puts more wear on the connectors and can cause more alignment issues over time.