Crank noise Vado Sl

[mjh5]

I noticed recently a whistling noise when pedaling my Vado Sl 4.0. No noise when coasting and the noise occurs with the motor on or off. The noise does not seem to
increase with pedal speed. I've attached a link to a video in hopes that someone can identify the noise. I did clean and lube the chain and the noise is the same. The noise seems to be where the crank meets the motor housing. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Marty

 

[Prairie Dog]

I noticed recently a whistling noise when pedaling my Vado Sl 4.0. No noise when coasting and the noise occurs with the motor on or off. The noise does not seem to
increase with pedal speed. I've attached a link to a video in hopes that someone can identify the noise. I did clean and lube the chain and the noise is the same. The noise seems to be where the crank meets the motor housing. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Marty

A similar topic was brought up in another thread about a week ago. I experienced the same squeal in the drivetrain of my Creo two years ago. It may have been resolved by perhaps lubricating the seal but the dealer/Spec decided to simply replace the motor which was covered under warranty.

Definitely worth having your LBS/dealer check it out.

 

[mjh5]

Thanks,
The noise is very similar. I only have a bit over 1000 miles on it but it is about 4 months past the two year warranty period. I don't hear anything though when turning the cranks backwards. How many miles did you have on yours when the noise started?

 

[Prairie Dog]

Thanks,
The noise is very similar. I only have a bit over 1000 miles on it but it is about 4 months past the two year warranty period. I don't hear anything though when turning the cranks backwards. How many miles did you have on yours when the noise started?

I had 2800 km or roughly 1700 miles logged at the time. The new motor came with a full fresh warranty which has since passed. I dropped it off at the shop which was out of town and was back riding in less than a week. My wife’s motor suffered the same demise a month later and was quickly resolved in the same manner as mine. She had 1955 km or 1200 miles on her bike.

 

[mjh5]

If it is my motor that would be ironic in that I average less than 1% battery use per mile in my rides which is an indication of how little my motor has run. I rarely even use the Turbo setting. I don't ride in the rain and only ride on paved roads. Your wife's motor made the same noise as yours? Sounds like Specialized had a bunch of defective motors.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If it is my motor that would be ironic in that I average less than 1% battery use per mile in my rides which is an indication of how little my motor has run. I rarely even use the Turbo setting. I don't ride in the rain and only ride on paved roads. Your wife's motor made the same noise as yours? Sounds like Specialized had a bunch of defective motors.

Your motor is not necessarily defective, Marty. You should pay a visit to a good Specialized store for a diagnosis.
For one, I could not hear anything alarming in the video you sent. It sounds to me like something related to the drivetrain. Is your chain properly aligned with the chainring? Is the derailleur aligned? Do you clean and lube the chain at least once a week?

There is 15,780 km on the odometer of my 2021 Vado SL. There was a time when I was changing the chainring and used a slightly too short a chain. I could hear a similar noise, especially when I was in big cassette cogs. Post chain replacement, the noise disappeared. I had a similar noise when the derailleur was misaligned, too. Later, I changed the entire drivetrain (10 to 11 gears). I maintain the chain on a regular basis. I take care the derailleur is aligned. No issues.

You should not assume your motor is bad when there are many many reasons behind any bike/e-bike noise...

@Prairie Dog said the motor on his e-bike was sound, only the LBS decided they wouldn't need to think or do a proper work if Specialized was ready to replace the motor, right?

 

[Sparky731]

I noticed recently a whistling noise when pedaling my Vado Sl 4.0. No noise when coasting and the noise occurs with the motor on or off. The noise does not seem to
increase with pedal speed. I've attached a link to a video in hopes that someone can identify the noise. I did clean and lube the chain and the noise is the same. The noise seems to be where the crank meets the motor housing. Any ideas would be appreciated.

I had a similar sound from my crank and it turned out to be the sole of my wet shoe rubbing on the crank! Squeak on every revolution, no squeaks while coasting.
Mine was a very high tech solution. Ha!

 

[Prairie Dog]

If it is my motor that would be ironic in that I average less than 1% battery use per mile in my rides which is an indication of how little my motor has run. I rarely even use the Turbo setting. I don't ride in the rain and only ride on paved roads. Your wife's motor made the same noise as yours? Sounds like Specialized had a bunch of defective motors.

I can’t say what caused the squealing as the shop never even entertained the thought of cracking open the motor housing. They simply informed me that the noise was not normal and consulted with Specialized after I submitted the video. The service manager wasn't sure about the issue either and these were the first two motors to pop up at the shop. Some here would say that it might be a simple matter of replacing seals or applying grease to the internal gears without even offering any advice on how to do so. Unless you know what you're up against that's a task that I would prefer to leave with a seasoned tech. I would first look into consulting with the shop where you purchased your Vado and go from there.

 

[mjh5]

Your motor is not necessarily defective, Marty. You should pay a visit to a good Specialized store for a diagnosis.
For one, I could not hear anything alarming in the video you sent. It sounds to me like something related to the drivetrain. Is your chain properly aligned with the chainring? Is the derailleur aligned? Do you clean and lube the chain at least once a week?

There is 15,780 km on the odometer of my 2021 Vado SL. There was a time when I was changing the chainring and used a slightly too short a chain. I could hear a similar noise, especially when I was in big cassette cogs. Post chain replacement, the noise disappeared. I had a similar noise when the derailleur was misaligned, too. Later, I changed the entire drivetrain (10 to 11 gears). I maintain the chain on a regular basis. I take care the derailleur is aligned. No issues.

You should not assume your motor is bad when there are many many reasons behind any bike/e-bike noise...

@Prairie Dog said the motor on his e-bike was sound, only the LBS decided they wouldn't need to think or do a proper work if Specialized was ready to replace the motor, right?

Stefan,
Those are good points and I'm not assuming it is the motor. But the sound is very similar to what Prairie Dog posted. I assume dealers don't replace motors if there is an easier or cheaper fix. In a sealed motor it is unclear how one would even add lubricant, or why it would be necessary. I intend to take it in to the dealer to get checked out.

 

[OnEdge]

Thanks,
The noise is very similar. I only have a bit over 1000 miles on it but it is about 4 months past the two year warranty period. I don't hear anything though when turning the cranks backwards. How many miles did you have on yours when the noise started?

Specialized may still take care of you, my buddy with a Cyberbike got a new motor even further out of warranty ending. A visit to your local Specialized dealer is your best bet