How to detect faults on your electric bike?

Has your electric bike stopped working? Is it malfunctioning? Does the battery on your EAB lose range, look damaged, or is the charger defective? These are just some of the major and minor problems that can affect your electric bicycle.

But don't panic! Here are the different breakdowns you can spot and some tips to remedy them!

The battery is considered the most vital part of an electric bicycle. It is the most susceptible to damage due to its location and method of operation.

The damage often suffered by the battery is, in fact, the result of improper use of the electric bicycle. Another reason for some of the problems is the washing methods. Pressure washing, for example, can cause moisture to build up throughout your EAB.

There are several signs that your electric bicycle battery may be malfunctioning. Here are the main ones!

This is a more common problem than you might think! As you probably know, the battery is the power source of your EAB. It provides power to all the electronic components, without which your bike would not be very useful.

If your electric bicycle does not start on a full charge, the battery must be defective.

Your bike lights up normally. However, you notice a loss of autonomy, that is to say that even fully charged, it keeps only a small percentage of its autonomy, it is clearly a battery failure.

It is not uncommon for electric bicycle batteries to remain discharged for months at a time (e.g., an entire winter). This long period of inactivity then prevents the battery from recharging to 100%, resulting in a loss of range. To avoid this, store your battery in a safe place or plug it into a power outlet regularly.

On the other hand, if you notice a loss of autonomy when your EAB has been used and recharged daily for several years, this is perfectly normal. Your battery has probably reached its limits. It's time to change it, or recondition it!

The lights are off despite several hours of charging and the battery level does not increase? Don't look for it, the battery is to blame!

You've charged your battery and are about to hit the pavement? But once you start pedaling, your battery dies after a few meters. Sometimes it starts up again, but only for a short distance.

Bad luck! Your battery is too weak to power your electric bike. Obviously, it is out of order.

Generally, it takes only a few hours to fully charge your battery. But then, when you are ready to use your electric bicycle, you can't see any range. The diagnosis is simple: the battery is defective. The power supply circuits no longer accept the electrical charge.

To verify that the problem is really with the battery, you can use a multimeter to measure the voltage on its connector.

Perhaps your battery is deteriorating rapidly due to the use of a defective charger? Don't hesitate to test the voltage of the charger as well. A charger that does not work should be replaced.

There are a few things you can do to make sure the battery is working properly! 

Do you have any doubts about whether your battery is working properly? Start by checking the voltage! It will give you some indication of its state of health.

First, all the lights should come on. If not, the battery may not be charged or the fuse may be blown.

You can use a multimeter to check the voltage of the two-wheeler. Simply connect the pins to the positive and negative poles of the battery pins.

For example: for a 36V battery, the voltage must be between 28 and 36V. If the device indicates a lower measurement, the battery is defective. It is therefore preferable to check if your EAB is still under warranty.

However, if the load read by the multimeter is within the norm, the problem comes from another component.

You should also check the battery charger. You do not need any tools to do this check. Simply plug the charger into a power outlet and check to see if one or more of the indicator lights are on.

If it doesn't light up when the charger is plugged in, or if it flashes occasionally, then you're dealing with a faulty charger. To test the output voltage of the battery charger, use a multimeter.

The voltage reading should be a few volts higher than the battery charger's rated voltage. If the reading is less than or equal to zero, the charger is defective.

Does your electric bike keep losing power? One of the most common causes is battery failure.

If it chokes under load, the problem may lie in the battery management system. It shuts down to protect it from overcharging.

Typically, if the battery management system detects that the battery energy is being consumed too quickly and is below a certain safe level, it will shut off the power.

There are many reasons for this failure: aging, too frequent charging cycles, poor battery management or a manufacturing defect.

The battery can also fail due to a heavy load. One way to solve this problem is to lower the assist level and pedal slightly harder when going up a steep hill. This should reduce the load on the battery.

The battery failure may be due to an incorrect pin arrangement. If this is the case, the circuit cannot be completed and no electricity is transmitted.

Using a wrench, you can easily solve this problem by bending the pins slightly to realign them in the right position.

Some electric bikes are equipped with a wheel hub motor. One of the most common problems can be motor noise. This is a common malfunction that occurs if the motor has gears, a disc brake or worn bearings.

Sometimes a loose bolt can also be the cause of the rattle. Replacing the worn part may solve the problem. If it persists, it is likely that the motor bearings need lubrication and the noise is due to friction.

Another recurring problem is that the motor may stop running. This indicates that there is a problem with the controller. It may be a loose or non-existent connection, which is why the motor is not receiving the electricity it needs to start. To solve this problem, check to see if your controller is functional and connected to the motor.

If your electric bicycle does not turn on, first check that the battery is fully charged and in place when you press the power button.

Everything is in place but it still doesn't work? You will need to do a more thorough test on the battery: check the voltage, the charger, the management system, the pins, the motor, the connector,... You can also go to a professional.

• A stop or discontinuous operation of the EAB after the full charge.
• Lights out after a full charge.
• Lack of autonomy after a quick charge of the battery or little autonomy after a long period of non-use.
• A lack of power at start-up.
• Abnormal heating of the battery and charger.