'Dead' Sirocco CDL

Background: I last used this bike on Monday 21st December. I had recently replaced the KingMeter battery, but all went well to and from work, a distance of 16 miles. It was raining on the way home, but no worse than the previous weeks. I put the bike on charge and forgot all about it until last Monday.

 

I got ready for the ride to work and unhooked it from the charger. However, when I went to turn it on, nothing. Completely dead. I tried the battery switch, but that made no difference either. Fearing a dodgy CR2032 battery, I just put in another one. Nothing.

 

OK, I should have unplugged it from the charger, I suppose, but it has been left with it attached for long periods in the past with apparently no ill effect. The battery appears to be fully charged when I push in the button on the back of the battery.

 

Any ideas or suggestions?

Check first with a volt meter that you have 41V at the battery output port.

Let us know.

The battery is stuck in the holder and has been since I bought it. Turning the key makes no difference. Any advice on that?

unlock the battery and pull it out. You'll see the output port where the battery contacts the pins on the controller side. Check the two outside pins (battery side) with a volt meter - or it can be the two middle pins. If there is a switch, switch the battery on.

It is stuck. I have been unable to remove it since buying the bike secondhand...

can you still turn the key in the lock? 180 degrees anticlockwise unlocks it.

Wiggle the battery to loosen it. You can drip a little WD40 along the join with the controller box to make the two boxes not sticking to one another.

Right, a determined attempt found a hex screw jamming the battery underneath the rack. I've no idea whether that's been there all along.

 

Anyway, it's off now and I'm getting 39V, which isn't bad considering it was last charged last weekend.

the CR3032 silver battery is for keeping the clock on the LCD, it won't be the cause of your problem. It's a bit worrying that the voltage has dropped to 39V. Between 41.5V when full to 39V, that's about 20% charge, 10 miles ride. Put a bit of grease in the battery contact to make sure that the contact will work properly when you put the battery back. Lock the battery again and try switching on the LCD. Is it working now?

I didn't think it would, but it was the only change I've made to the bike since it was working OK. I'll try some grease on the terminals to see if that helps...

 

...Nope, still as dead as a dodo.

You may feel that it's time to contact support at woosh for help. If you want to go on, then next step is to pull the battery out, remove 4 screws that hold the battery connector on the controller box side and open it. You will have access to the controller. You see a red and a black wire coming from the battery connector to the controller. You need to check that the battery voltage is there, reaching the controller. The LCD is connected to a 5-pin JST plug. Make sure it's not pulled. You will need to reconnect the battery to the plate you unscrewed earlier and use the volt meter to check the battery voltage.

Hmm, apart from the fact that it's now dark and cold in the garage, I don't really feel confident enough to start delving too deeply into the gubbins. I can fettle most things on a 'normal' bike, but this is out of my depth. I'll see if Woosh support have any ideas. Thanks for the input Trex.

I had a similar issue 18 months ago. It was in fact the king meter which was replaced by Whoosh.

Woosh got back to me very rapidly with a response to my issue, so lots of credit for that. Anyway, I need to check the wiring out, but I suspect something similar to John5001's problem, as the bike was stood still with no disruption for two weeks, and was working fine up to the problem I have now.

you should tell them what John said.

Still unresolved, but I have to take my hat off to Andy at Woosh support. He's got back to me quickly every time I've written. I've been given some good advice and, I'm hoping, a solution. Given that the bike is two years old and I didn't buy it direct from Woosh, I'd say that's good service.

Yes Hatti and Andy are very good.

Yes, the advice and help has been very good. However, the bike has only done 1100 miles and I am now being asked to stump up £70+ for parts that should not have failed in that time. Of course, I'll have to pay, but I have let them know my disappointment at this.

what do you have to buy?

The King Meter, cabling and, on a sale or return basis, the controller.

they don't all die at the same time. The most expensive item is the LCD then the controller. The cable is the cheapest. Let's hope it's just a damaged cable. You can always detach the LCD and/or the controller and send it/them in for testing, it'll save you having to advance the cash.

I had a similar issue but this was after an accident. My findings with this bike is you basically get what you pay for.

I changed the saddle and tyres, and was advised by my local shop the gears and brakes were of the lowest level quality wise.

I have had the bike 3 years and it cuts out sometimes. The brakes also need constant adjustment.

Well, I did get the bike cheap on eBay, but it was immaculate and only had 200 miles on the clock. Since buying it I too have replaced the saddle and seatpin, the wheels and tyres and the lights. I also replaced the front disc brake with a very powerful Avid BB7. I am tempted to upgrade the gears. I fitted cassette hubs, so I could fit an 8-speed set up, but I'll hold fire until I'm sure the bike's going to last and make the change worthwhile.

 

The suspension fork is horrible. A real clunker and heavy as well. I've got a rigid fork to swap over, but, again, I'll wait to see if it's worth bothering.

 

I appreciate that it's built to a budget, and it's not a bad machine when it's going, but I'm disappointed that major control componentry has proved so vulnerable in only 1100 miles. Were I the original buyer with more consumer rights, I'd be looking for at least a contribution from Woosh for the repairs.

 

Having said that, they have been very quick to get back to me, so the customer service is rapid to respond.

Well, I did get the bike cheap on eBay, but it was immaculate and only had 200 miles on the clock. Since buying it I too have replaced the saddle and seatpin, the wheels and tyres and the lights. I also replaced the front disc brake with a very powerful Avid BB7. I am tempted to upgrade the gears. I fitted cassette hubs, so I could fit an 8-speed set up, but I'll hold fire until I'm sure the bike's going to last and make the change worthwhile.

 

The suspension fork is horrible. A real clunker and heavy as well. I've got a rigid fork to swap over, but, again, I'll wait to see if it's worth bothering.

 

I appreciate that it's built to a budget, and it's not a bad machine when it's going, but I'm disappointed that major control componentry has proved so vulnerable in only 1100 miles. Were I the original buyer with more consumer rights, I'd be looking for at least a contribution from Woosh for the repairs.

 

Having said that, they have been very quick to get back to me, so the customer service is rapid to respond.

 

 

Yes customer service is first class but a shame you need to talk to them so often.

 

IMO Its better to pay more for a quality bike, and have peace of mind. I don't regret buying this bike new, as I have had reasonable usage and genuinely enjoyed my rides.

 

Next bike will be German though. Tiger tank quality!!

OK, an interim update: I bought a refurbished display, cabling and controller from Woosh. £72 all in. The controller was on a sale or return basis.

 

Andy from Woosh sent me some instructions which came in useful. I fitted the display and cable and fired it up. Unfortunately I got an error 30 message. Not wanting to wait around for more instructions (though Andy has been quick to get back to me) I assumed this meant a borked controller, so swapped it. The snap-on connectors made this a simple task. I fired it up again and no error message. I'm hopeful this has fixed things. Hopeful, because when I went for a test ride, the battery was as flat as a pancake. It's charging as I write. Fingers crossed.

 

One issue I encountered was that the old cable would not pull through the frame, so I have had to cable tie the new one under the crossbar. Luckily it's a black cable on a black bike, so it's relatively unobtrusive, but there is a coil of cable behind the controller box, because that routing is much shorter than through the frame.

try the old cable and LCD - they may still be OK.