range seems to be decreasing a lot

[footpump]

hello all I bought my vita uno with 10.4 ah bottle battery from lebc in march 2014 bike is similar to some in the kudos range I believe.

range would be 25-30 miles flattish mode 1& 2 out of three, last November I hade done about 22 miles, and then tried 2 local fairly steep hills which the uno went up ok.

the bike is kept inside, battery has not been alollowed to completely discharge, and I have done about 2400 miles.

what seems to be happening is that the handlebar led display will drop from 4 leds to maybe 2 when going up a very modest slope, although I have done hardly any milage?

charged battery yesterday 4.5hours, today 5 miles fairly flat first hill the led drops to 2 leds, other days do about 15 miles and hit a hill and the led may go from 4 down to one as I climb a fairly modest hill,

I am assuming that it is the battery on its last legs? if so at about £240 to replace my ebike experience would not be a happy one after some 20 months.

now to concerned to do any distance in case I run out of power on the local hills.


I live in Watford Hertfordshire is there a company somewhere fairly local that can test/repair bottle batteries.

thanks all

 

[Emo Rider]

hello all I bought my vita uno with 10.4 ah bottle battery from lebc in march 2014 bike is similar to some in the kudos range I believe.

range would be 25-30 miles flattish mode 1& 2 out of three, last November I hade done about 22 miles, and then tried 2 local fairly steep hills which the uno went up ok.

the bike is kept inside, battery has not been alollowed to completely discharge, and I have done about 2400 miles.

what seems to be happening is that the handlebar led display will drop from 4 leds to maybe 2 when going up a very modest slope, although I have done hardly any milage?

charged battery yesterday 4.5hours, today 5 miles fairly flat first hill the led drops to 2 leds, other days do about 15 miles and hit a hill and the led may go from 4 down to one as I climb a fairly modest hill,

I am assuming that it is the battery on its last legs? if so at about £240 to replace my ebike experience would not be a happy one after some 20 months.

now to concerned to do any distance in case I run out of power on the local hills.


I live in Watford Hertfordshire is there a company somewhere fairly local that can test/repair bottle batteries.

thanks all

When battery range decreases I always suggest checking tyre pressure, brake rub, chain and gear wear and spoke tensions. It is also getting colder and battery performance does drop as does the thermometer. If the bike has 2400 miles on it and has never been totally discharged, based on a charge every 20 miles, you have charged about 120 times. You can expect some loss of performance at this point but your battery is far from used up. Try seeing just how far you can get on a charge. If you are at 15 miles of travel and you are still on four lights when not under load, your battery is fine based on its age.

 

[Nealh]

Does your led's go back to 3 or 4 once you have finished the climb if so sounds like voltage sag this happens when current is drawn by the controller.

 

[Fatgadget]

I would say dodgy battery. Given bike is just over a year old?...make a bee line back to whoever sold it to you...not fit for purpose frankly.

 

[soundwave]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/24v-36v-48v-Electric-Bike-Battery-Repairs-Re-Fits-upgrades-/321911910241?hash=item4af371ef61:g:kDoAAOSwMmBV3eAh

 

[Emo Rider]

I would say dodgy battery. Given bike is just over a year old?...make a bee line back to whoever sold it to you...not fit for purpose frankly.

What factors are you basing this course of action on? The op has not replied with any of the answers to queries or comments. I know of a person that charged every 6 miles, twice a day, five days a week. They killed their battery in 1.5 years. Not the battery nor the shop's fault.

 

[footpump]

thanks all for replies
soundwave thank you for the link.
no point in taking the bike/battery back to seller as its out of warrenty (1 year)

I am aware range decreases in colder weather, last time I did a longish trip 22 miles 4 lights were showing on display when stationary at end of trip.

not had a chance to have a long ride since posting as the weather has been wet and very windy,

 

[flecc]

thanks all for replies
soundwave thank you for the link.
no point in taking the bike/battery back to seller as its out of warrenty (1 year)

I am aware range decreases in colder weather, last time I did a longish trip 22 miles 4 lights were showing on display when stationary at end of trip.

not had a chance to have a long ride since posting as the weather has been wet and very windy,

Capacity diminishes throughout their life causing the voltage drop slope to start earlier, so the hinge points at which the LEDs switch become earlier. This doesn't necessarily mean your battery is dud, only that it's ageing, and at 20 months that's to be expected. Not too long ago a two year life on lower cost batteries like yours was quite normal, and even now you'd do well to reach three years, especially in a hilly area where the battery has to work that much harder.
.

 

[footpump]

thanks all for replies
I have ridden 24.6 miles all mainly using level 1 of 3 , and some level 2 .
most of this is flatish tarmac road/cycle paths at about 10mph.
two climbs of steepish hill about a mile in total maximum and a longer 3/4 mile less steep route.

I seem to have 3 leds showing when peddling on the flat (12 miles approx. already ridden) which drops to 1 as soon as I hit anything like a modest hill.
3 leds showing at journeys end.
although my ebike has done 2400 miles not all this was using pas, December/January did hardly any milage went bus pass bashing.

the voltage sag definatly seems worse than a while back, and trip was far more modest than some I have done in the past as regards hills.

the ebay link for battery repairs etc, I phoned the contact number but line seemed dead?

if there is another site/company I could try.

thank you

 

[soundwave]

try send him a email as replied to all of mine i sent him

 

[Fatgadget]

What factors are you basing this course of action on? The op has not replied with any of the answers to queries or comments. I know of a person that charged every 6 miles, twice a day, five days a week. They killed their battery in 1.5 years. Not the battery nor the shop's fault.

Im sorry,but a rechargeable battery unless severely abused and used for a purpose it wasn't originally intended for should last longer than 18 months regardless how its charged and discharged in my book.

 

[Fatgadget]

Im sorry,but a rechargeable battery unless severely abused and used for a purpose it wasn't originally intended for should last longer than 18 months regardless how its charged and discharged in my book.

Would like to add,we imported some noname Chinese ebikes back in 2006 and most of them I subsequently encounter are to this day still on their original Lipo batteries.