Help! Help with faulty bike - What can I do with it?

[noktivus]

Hi all, please let me know if this is the right forum or not!

Please note that I don’t really know anything about e-bikes. I went to Halfords assuming I could get a decent one from there and went in pretty much blind - big mistake, I know. The reason I wanted an e-bike is because I have arthritis in my knees and I assumed the assistance would help with pedaling.

I ended up with a Carrera Vengeance for around £1300. I’ve only used it a handful of times because of constant errors that come up on the screen (error 21 and error 00). I took it back to Halfords to get it “fixed”, both times (once at Leicester, the second time at Sheffield) the errors came back within a month. I think I still have all the paperwork and stuff for that, and can provide more info if needed. I think it’s errors to do with the wiring or something though.

It’s just been sitting in our shed for years at this point as I can’t use it. I’m wondering what my options are at this point. I know I got sold a faulty bike and I should have done more back when I was trying to get it fixed but life happened and yeah.. Looking up things in retrospect, it seems like I shouldn’t really have gone to Halfords in the first place but I can’t fix that now.

What is the best thing to do, in your opinion? Should I try again to get it fixed? Is anyone familiar with those particular errors? Or should I be selling it for parts or scrap? I’m on low income and this was supposed to help me get to work and save on bus fees. So if it costs a ton to really fix it, I don’t know what to do.

If anyone knows of any good places that might buy it or fix it in the Leicester area, that would be great too. I’m just at a loss and really disappointed about this whole thing.

 

[matthewslack]

Is it still under warranty?

Edit: ok, I reread and see 'in shed for years' so not.

Use search on here for 'vengeance' and you might find useful info, otherwise wait and knowledgeable help should arrive.

 

[saneagle]

It's a shame we can't change the past. The electric system is closed. You need special equipment to deal with faults. Only Halfords and some other dealers have that equipment. You have three options:
1. Get Halfords to fix it and pay whatever it costs.
2. Rip out most of the electrics and replace with common Chinese stuff, which might cost a shed load of cash, and you need some knowledge, tools and capability to fix it. The minimum cost would be about £50 to £100, depending on how nicely you want it to work.
3. Sell it as it is. You might get £300 for it.

Can you give more precise info about it's present state? Does anything work? Maybe there's some simple problem. Known causes are:

• Motor connector stretched too tight
• Motor connector kicked loose
• Removeable LCD connections dirty
• LCD too loose in holder
• Battery not clamped tight enough because of poorly adjusted clamp.

 

[thelarkbox]

Google tells me a '00' error is a controller fault and on your bike can be caused by water getting into the controller? and error 21 is :

Error 21. The error can appear if the bike has been pushed to work harder than recommended by Rad Power Bikes for optimal performance (such as throttling up a large hill or exceeding weight capacity).
-rad power bikes..

So did the bike get ridden through water? or jetwashed? and has it been pushed hard uphill? or do these errors occur randomly or when you first turn on the bike after a no trouble ride before?

the fixes suggested are removing the battery and forcing the system to reset in the case of an error 21 and for the 00 error stripping the controller out and blowing with a hairdryer..

But i guess you have been there?? If not i would start with the 00 error being down to water ingress as if correct the error 21 may just be an erroneous side effect. inspecting and drying, and resealing may be all thats required??

 

[saneagle]

Google tells me a '00' error is a controller fault and on your bike can be caused by water getting into the controller? and error 21 is :


So did the bike get ridden through water? or jetwashed? and has it been pushed hard uphill? or do these errors occur randomly or when you first turn on the bike after a no trouble ride before?

the fixes suggested are removing the battery and forcing the system to reset in the case of an error 21 and for the 00 error stripping the controller out and blowing with a hairdryer..

But i guess you have been there?? If not i would start with the 00 error being down to water ingress as if correct the error 21 may just be an erroneous side effect. inspecting and drying, and resealing may be all thats required??

00 is the infamous communications error, which means no data between the controller and LCD. There are many different causes of that, so is the hardest to trace.
21 is the torque sensor. When the chain comes off it can damage the cable. If you use the bike in dirty condition, the dried dirt can lock the moving part to the fixed part of the chainwheel/torque sensor mechanism so that the torque sensor turns with the chainwheel, which breaks of its retaining lug, then pulls the wire and rips it out. Also, dirt can get into the optics of the torque sensor, which prevent it from working solved by cleaning out. If the torque sensor is broken, you can buy a replacement for about £40. If its wires were damaged, it would most likely give code 00 because any short on the 5v will stop communications.

 

[Nealh]

E00 is a comms error, so controller is not communicating with the display correctly.
E021 is torque sensor error could be wiring or sensor.

The best advice is to diy the electric system and replace all bar the motor for a KT controller system, cost is about £80 - £100 though some solder skills are needed.

 

[Nealh]

d8veh beat me too it.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Battery not clamped tight enough because of poorly adjusted clamp.

A member noted this as a problem for his Vengeance in a recent thread and advised how to correct it here: two other Vengeance owners also replied to say it solved their issues too, so it's easy to check and eliminate as a first step.

 

[AntonyC]

Use search on here for 'vengeance' and you might find useful info...

I thought this was your option 0 until I clicked on the photo

 

[AuroraBorealis]

spam removed by admin

 

[matthewslack]

While you are waiting in Portugal, the rule of 90 days from Schengen applies to your situation; however, there is a noteworthy exception that comes with applying for the Golden Visa.

When you apply straight to AIMA - SEF for the Golden Visa, your situation is a bit unclear; it's possible that during your stay in Portugal NT, Schengen regulations might not fully apply to you.

Think about this small piece of information: Some people say that if your GV application is still being looked at, you might be allowed to stay longer than the normal 90 days in Portugal. But remember, it's not a sure thing and it may change depending on your own situation.

I suggest you speak directly to SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) for the most correct details. They are in charge of this issue and they have the power to make final decisions. If you find any clear documents or explanations about this matter, please share them. It is very helpful to have reliable information for other GV applicants.

Reported.

 

[noktivus]

Whoa, thanks for all the help, guys! It sucks to see that other people have had the same issue with this bike. Looking at the suggestions, I'm wondering if some water did indeed get into it.

A member noted this as a problem for his Vengeance in a recent thread and advised how to correct it here: two other Vengeance owners also replied to say it solved their issues too, so it's easy to check and eliminate as a first step.

I'll try this, thanks!

 

[saneagle]

Whoa, thanks for all the help, guys! It sucks to see that other people have had the same issue with this bike. Looking at the suggestions, I'm wondering if some water did indeed get into it.


I'll try this, thanks!

Start by checking the wire that runs from the back of the chainwheel to the bottom of the battery. Then look at the torque sensor itself, which is screwed to the back of the chainwheel(black plastic thing. It should stay still when you move the pedal backwards and forwards. If it moves, a retaining lug is broken off. It's very easy to fix.

This is what it looks like. You can see the two lugs on the top. There's a peg on the frame that goes between the lugs to stop it rotating round with the chainwheel:

Pardon our interruption...

 

[thelarkbox]

Fwiw i have an ebike and like tinkering Mr @saneagle is a fully fledged guru on the subject.. if something i say is in contradiction to @saneagle (with respect to ebikes..) follow what @saneagle says, I would..

 

[Saracen]

You would think that with the amount of Complaints about Halfords bikes people would stop buying them

You only have to google "halfords e bike problems"

You left it unused for a year well that's the Guarantee gone