Halfords Carrera Crossfire e Battery cutting off...

[egroover]

Well I just tried to start it this morning and it wouldn't turn on.... I held the battery button for 10 seconds and suddenly it turned on :/ So odd.

The battery goes to sleep after 24 hrs, you have to hold down the battery button before the button on the display

 

[MiffyWiffy]

So I think I've sussed it, the bike hates going off road and/or it hates the wet. Every morning I go to work and it cuts out along the same part where it's very bumpy and the grass is long and wet.

So I have to turn off off while I go through there... makes me think something is loose or exposed.


What I will say though is that Suntour SP-NCX Seatpost is AMAZING! It's made the bike so comfortable and whoever did that review of the Seat rubbing and causing damage is a moron. There is no possible way your seat can rub against it as it moves with the seat... unless it's loose, at that point it is your own fault.

Really nice bike apart from the cutting out, I wish the motor would go to 18mph though as that's where I seem to sit happily with it. Although it is nice because I do get a bit of exercise, I just think 16.5mph is a bit short... though I can push it to about 25mph with effort, but it's so heavy. I also wish I had another gear because I cannot get more speed than 32.5mph going downhill before my pedals won't do anything.

 

[Nealh]

Blimey a fair weather only bike .
And one that doesn't like bumps , rues our most road surfaces then .

 

[redcup1999]

Unfortunately my Crossfire-e was not fit for purpose as regards commuting in Traffic around North Bristol. So I got a refund.

My GF puts up with hers cutting out periodically. It makes no difference if it is the old or new style display by the way.

Shame - as they are a great bike when they work.

 

[philliptjohnson]

I've only had a cut off three times in about 250 miles and it's not been enough to spoil my experience of the bike... Notably the first time I got it was straight after I accidentally dropped the bike onto it's side... No damage to bike but literally as soon as I started pedaling it cut out. Had to take battery off and re insert it to get it working again. Another time was after I had been standing at a traffic light for ages that was broken and didn't turn to green.

Anyway... If you have a look through the reviews on Halfords website somebody claims to have fixed the problem by sticking some sort of layer of padding under the battery so it's more snug in it's fitting when slotted in. Somebody else on you tube claims that taking off the Velcro cover near the back wheel, fiddling with the connection and re attaching the Velcro really tightly helped with theirs (interestingly I cut off a cable tie here closest to the wheel as it would have stopped me fixing a puncture in the back wheel if I got one).

I've not messed around too much as it's not really an issue for me but I appreciate if it's happening every time for you it's more of a problem.

 

[LeighPing]

I wish the motor would go to 18 mph though as that's where I seem to sit happily with it. Although it is nice because I do get a bit of exercise, I just think 16.5 mph is a bit short... though I can push it to about 25 mph with effort, but it's so heavy. I also wish I had another gear because I cannot get more speed than 32.5 mph going downhill before my pedals won't do anything.

The 2.5 mph, from 15.5 to 18 mph, really does make a big difference in the feel of riding a bike at speed. Unfortunately, you're never going to see that on a standard Carrera.

There have been many high end ebikes that I've liked and considered. But in the end, for me at least, it's always come down to that one thing. Tweakability.

 

[MiffyWiffy]

I find it really annoying I have to hold the battery down to get the bike to turn on, the on button on the display should be enough. I think it is bugged as well because sometimes the Bicycle will not start and you hold it down and it still won't start, you have to do it a few times before it kicks in. The other day I pressed the display and it turned on, then after 100metres it turned off for no reason, I had to hold the battery button down again and it worked... then it cut off again three times.

I've only gone 200miles on it and the thing has cut out about 20 times.

I've taken it back to Halfords, they've looked at it, they've replaced the battery and nothing has worked.

Now I'm trying to get a refund, but they've palmed me off to their legal team.

 

[MiffyWiffy]

Also I bought the GTech Bicycle as I found Gears rather useless on an electric Bicycle.... it actually works and is a lot nicer IMO. I just whacked the Suntour suspension on it and it's a bit more comfortable... though I wish the front forks were Carbon.

What I will say about the Gtech is it's so much lighter, I actually don't struggle between 16.5mph to 20mph like the Crossfire... I can pedal with ease. The Gtech is a much faster Bicycle, with the Crossfire you will want to sit at 15mph, but the Tech feels much more like my Road Bicycle, only I don't struggle up Hills... which is what I wanted.

The battery life actually ends up being about the same as the Crossfire... mainly because I'm cycling faster than the limit most of the time. Where on the Crossfire I was draining the battery so fast because I just wanted to sit at 15mph due to the weight.


So I'm trying to send the Crossfire back, if not I'll just sell it and ignore Halfords for life. Also gears on an Electric Bicycle, like I said before are just useless... I don't see the point and I think Gtech got it right, reduce the weight as much as possible, the motor can power you u the hill alone, you don't need gears.

 

[redcup1999]

Now I'm trying to get a refund, but they've palmed me off to their legal team.

That is shocking.

They know full well that there is an inherent design / manufacturing fault that causes these problems.

I received a refund due to this without any questions.

An electric bicycle that regualrly cuts out is simply not fit for purpose. I used to find it regularly cut out whilst going up hill and turning right on a busy road - this was a safety issue for me and was a used to push for a refund.

 

[Amoto65]

I also took mine back and got an instant refund, mind you there were a couple of people looking at the Carrera with regards to buying and i advised them not to so i think they wanted me out of the store pretty quickly as the manager was ultra helpful.

 

[Benjahmin]

So I'm trying to send the Crossfire back, if not I'll just sell it and ignore Halfords for life.

'Unfit for purpose' are the code words you need. Keep repeating it, politely, getting louder the longer you are in the store. That should sort it.

 

[oggie]

I thought I was lucky in having no cut out problems in 600 miles. Guess what at 610 miles! yeah, 6 cut outs in a few hundred yards of flat country roads. Reset after reset, go a few yards and off again.
The last reset saw the bike go another 10 miles back home with no problems.
I won't take the bike back unless it gets to be a regular issue

 

[Deleted member 4366]

'Unfit for purpose' are the code words you need. Keep repeating it, politely, getting louder the longer you are in the store. That should sort it.

I think "dangerous" would be a better word to use, because if they fob you off and you have an accident, they could go to jail, as it's a criminal offence. Not fit for purpose is easy to argue against and is a civil matter.

If you were pedalling up a hill or turning when the motor cut, the sudden unanticipated change in speed could easily cause a motorist to run into you. That's the point I'd make.

 

[redcup1999]

I think "dangerous" would be a better word to use, because if they fob you off and you have an accident, they could go to jail, as it's a criminal offence. Not fit for purpose is easy to argue against and is a civil matter.

If you were pedalling up a hill or turning when the motor cut, the sudden unanticipated change in speed could easily cause a motorist to run into you. That's the point I'd make.

Agree 100% - this is how I got my refund.
And it is flipping dangerous when you are going up an 8% hill on a busy B road and have moved out to the right to turn into traffic when loaded up with panniers and the motor cuts out - happened to me several times.

 

[mike killay]

Also I bought the GTech Bicycle as I found Gears rather useless on an electric Bicycle.... it actually works and is a lot nicer IMO. I just whacked the Suntour suspension on it and it's a bit more comfortable... though I wish the front forks were Carbon.

What I will say about the Gtech is it's so much lighter, I actually don't struggle between 16.5mph to 20mph like the Crossfire... I can pedal with ease. The Gtech is a much faster Bicycle, with the Crossfire you will want to sit at 15mph, but the Tech feels much more like my Road Bicycle, only I don't struggle up Hills... which is what I wanted.

The battery life actually ends up being about the same as the Crossfire... mainly because I'm cycling faster than the limit most of the time. Where on the Crossfire I was draining the battery so fast because I just wanted to sit at 15mph due to the weight.


So I'm trying to send the Crossfire back, if not I'll just sell it and ignore Halfords for life. Also gears on an Electric Bicycle, like I said before are just useless... I don't see the point and I think Gtech got it right, reduce the weight as much as possible, the motor can power you u the hill alone, you don't need gears.

I don't think that you could get up the sort of hills where I live without gears.

 

[oggie]

I thought I was lucky in having no cut out problems in 600 miles. Guess what at 610 miles! yeah, 6 cut outs in a few hundred yards of flat country roads. Reset after reset, go a few yards and off again.
The last reset saw the bike go another 10 miles back home with no problems.
I won't take the bike back unless it gets to be a regular issue

Update. Talking to a Halfords technician who has successfully repaired this fault, the rear connector located lower rear frame left side, needs to be well secured to the frame. (looking at mine the location is where the heel of my trainers sometimes catches that part). I added a wide plastic tie wrap to the connector. Completed 30 miles with no further cut outs.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Are you talking about the motor connector?

 

[oggie]

Are you talking about the motor connector?

That's the one, I placed the extra tie wrap across the connector, the heal of my trainer kept catching it, might of interupted the connection. Theory anyway, no cut outs yet!

 

[LeighPing]

That's the one, I placed the extra tie wrap across the connector, the heal of my trainer kept catching it, might of interrupted the connection. Theory anyway, no cut outs yet!

Let's hope that you're onto something with this mod. Nice job.

 

[oggie]

Completed 150 miles since placing a tie wrap around the connector with no further cut outs, hope it stays good