"Error 30 Maintain" on RadRover

[Prophet]

Hi guys,

I was riding this morning and about half an hour into my ride my bike's motor and display turned off and the screen shows "error 30".

I was riding in light snow so my first thought is that some water got inside a cable. I've rode in worse conditions though, like heavy rain and much worse snow and slush and never had a problem before.

I checked the cables and they all seem to be connected properly and dry on the insides.

If I turn off the battery and then back on again, the controller will turn back on for about 30 seconds then give the same error.

Anyone got any ideas?

 

[mrgold35]

I get the same error; but, usually at start up several times a month. I have to let it blink its error and turn the bike back on using the handlebar button. It may do it once or up to 3 times in a row and then I'm good for the rest of the ride. It happened a few times when riding; but, I might of had too much pressure on the hand brakes while riding by mistake. Never got the error riding again once I loosened my grip on the brakes when riding.


I have a 2nd radrover and it has never shown this error. I had an issue with the controller for this bike and Radrover replaced it under warranty. The other bike that shows the "30 Maintain" error is the old firmware. I'm tempted to contact Rad Power Bikes to see if I can get the old controller re-flashed with the new PAS programming firmware to see if it will also fix the "30 maintain" error at start up. I like the new watts limited per PAS level firmware a little better than the older PAS watts determined by mph cutoff firmware.

 

[Scottv]

Hi Prophet,

Please send an email to [email protected]. The tech team will be more than happy to help you out!

 

[Prophet]

Hi Prophet,

Please send an email to [email protected]. The tech team will be more than happy to help you out!

Yep, I've emailed them this morning. Patiently waiting a reply.

In the meantime, it appears my theory of wet components isn't what's wrong. After getting to work (without the motor - holy crap this thing is heavy and hard to peddle when it's not assisting you!), I parked it in the heated garage and figured after about 9 hours it would dry up whatever water was there. I'm still getting the error though. So... an hour of peddling this 60 pound behemoth back home, I sit in wait for Rad's assistance. We'll see!

 

[Mdh01]

I'm having the same issue with my Rad Rover. I emailed tech support and below is their initial reply, if it helps anyone else. I haven't been able to verify this fixed my issue yet though.

"Thank you for emailing in. The error 30 is a communication error which leads me to believe that there may be a loose connection somewhere on the bike. Could you please double check a few electrical connectors on the bike? There are four which I'd like you to unplug, look to see that the pins are all straight, and then align and plug back in. The first is for the motor. This one is located about 6 inches down the cable that's coming out of the motor in the rear wheel. The second is for the wiring harness, and located under the bike frame, just in front of the pedals. It might be partly inside the frame. The third is the battery connector. This one is between the battery mounting tray and the controller. Finally, the last one is for the display. It's up by the handlebars, on the wire coming out of the back of the display. This connector is silver, and you have to unscrew it before unplugging it. If this does not help to remedy the issue then we can move on to checking some of the other components on the bike. "

 

[Prophet]

I'm having the same issue with my Rad Rover. I emailed tech support and below is their initial reply, if it helps anyone else. I haven't been able to verify this fixed my issue yet though.

"Thank you for emailing in. The error 30 is a communication error which leads me to believe that there may be a loose connection somewhere on the bike. Could you please double check a few electrical connectors on the bike? There are four which I'd like you to unplug, look to see that the pins are all straight, and then align and plug back in. The first is for the motor. This one is located about 6 inches down the cable that's coming out of the motor in the rear wheel. The second is for the wiring harness, and located under the bike frame, just in front of the pedals. It might be partly inside the frame. The third is the battery connector. This one is between the battery mounting tray and the controller. Finally, the last one is for the display. It's up by the handlebars, on the wire coming out of the back of the display. This connector is silver, and you have to unscrew it before unplugging it. If this does not help to remedy the issue then we can move on to checking some of the other components on the bike. "

Yea, they replied to me this morning with pretty much the exact thing.
I went back to check all the cables and everything seemed to be in order. They were all dry and securely connected. I unplugged and replugged them all but i'm still getting the same error. I guess the next step is to start replacing some components.

 

[Prophet]

I decided to go check the cables again hoping there was something I missed. I unplugged every cable I could find, and plugged them all back in one at a time, turning on the bike each time I plugged in a new cable, just to see what would happen. Error 30 all the way until I got to the brake cutoffs. Now instead of error 30, I get error 25. So I unplugged the cutoffs and the bike starts up normally without errors.
Now the other issue I have is that the throttle no longer works. Peddle assist works fine at least.

So in the end, I got the bike working but I don't have break cutoffs or throttle. It's not the greatest thing, but at least it works for now.

 

[vincent]

been a while but that may be the error i got on my mini, we replaced everything but it ended up being the wiring harness on mine

i wasnt smart enough to undo the brake cutoffs like you did and see if that helped

glad you are at least running , sure rad power will send you parts tomorrow

 

[mrgold35]

I decided to go check the cables again hoping there was something I missed. I unplugged every cable I could find, and plugged them all back in one at a time, turning on the bike each time I plugged in a new cable, just to see what would happen. Error 30 all the way until I got to the brake cutoffs. Now instead of error 30, I get error 25. So I unplugged the cutoffs and the bike starts up normally without errors.
Now the other issue I have is that the throttle no longer works. Peddle assist works fine at least.

So in the end, I got the bike working but I don't have break cutoffs or throttle. It's not the greatest thing, but at least it works for now.

Sounds like a plug might not be secured or a pin might be bent?

 

[mrgold35]

It ended up the same bike that had the old controller programming and the 30 Maintain error got worst over time. I ended up getting the error in the middle of a ride along with occasionally on Radrover start-ups. In the middle of the ride, only the error would be flashing on the LCD and it would still be providing power to the motor and go back to the regular LCD screen afterwards. I just had to be lucky enough to glance down to notice the error screen when it did this. Other times, the error would flash and shut off the power to the bike (you really notice the error when power shuts off at 17 mph). Sometimes it would happen in 3-5 minutes into a ride or it would take +60 minutes before the error would happened.

Emailed Rad Power Bikes and they had me take a video of the error. They sent me a new LCD screen, controller, and wiring harness last weekend. Going to try and get everything installed by the weekend to test on my Monday morning commute.

 

[Mdh01]

I had the same error 30 problem with my Radrover. Rad Power sent me a replacement controller and cables. All is good for me now!

While the quality of components on the RadRover may be low (which also keeps the price low), the support from Rad Rover has been outstanding.

 

[mrgold35]

I had the same error 30 problem with my Radrover. Rad Power sent me a replacement controller and cables. All is good for me now!

While the quality of components on the RadRover may be low (which also keeps the price low), the support from Rad Rover has been outstanding.

I still have until Aug/2017 before my warranty runs out. I wish Rad had an option for an extended warranty plan for 2-3 years.

I only had my two Radrovers since Sept/2016 and had a few issues and warranty claims already:
- left pedal crank arm with screw (damage during shipment, kept comming loose after a short ride, warranty fix)
- rear derailleur bent and caused chain to rub the tires, move my hand in proper alignment
- loose spokes, re-tighten myself
- front brake disk out of true, fixed an adjustable wrench
- new controller for my bike (warranty, PAS wouldn't re-engage if your mph drop the watts to 000 and you started to slow down)
- replaced battery pack (warranty, wouldn't charge)
- replaced controller, LCD screen, and wiring harness on wife's bike (warranty, 30 maintain error)

Stupid things I did and had to replace:
- handlebar stem after snapping two bolts and bending a 3rd wrecking on muddy patch in a tight turn
- left pedal crank arm (see above wreck)
- cracked in the little red plastic case for the cadence sensor near the crank when a tree limp popped up and struck it just right. I was able to move the plastic wheel with the magnets true and move the cadence sensor back in proper alignment to get the PAS to work again. Haven't contacted Rad Power Bikes to order a replacement yet.

 

[mrgold35]

I got the new LCD screen, wiring harness, and controller installed over the weekend. Ended up getting the 30 maintain error immediately every time power was applied with the throttle or with by PAS. Started trouble-shooting by re-checking all the connections and ensuring no bent pins and there was no change in the immediate error message when power was applied. Decided to change the LCD screen back to my old one since that was the easiest thing to swap and test. No 30 maintain error with old LCD+new wiring harness+new controller. Took the bike on a 30 mile ride on Sunday and no errors the entire time. So far, no errors on my work commute on Mon & Tues.

 

[daemonsquire]

I just had this "Error 30 Maintain" show up, this morning, for the first time, on my two month old, <200mi ridden, RadWagon, and I'm pretty sure I just fixed it, too. The problem, for me, arose after having mounted the bike on a car rack, returning from a weekend trip. I'd placed one of the rack's clamps, unwisely, directly across the cable connector that's strapped to the underside of the top tube. When I removed the bike from the rack, the connector came open. When I tried to reconnect it, it didn't seem to fit flush, the way it had before, and riding it again, for the first time, this morning, the error message showed up, a few seconds after activating the display. Without interrupting my relatively short, flat, no-electric-strictly-necessary ride, I could tell that, by turning the battery off and on again, I could get a few seconds of power, then the error message would flash, and power would stop.

With time to address it, this afternoon, I could see that 2 or 3 of the pins in the connector had been splayed out of their pattern. I delicately pushed them straight, with a thin tool, and the connector fit together, flush, once again. When I turned the battery and display back on, I briefly got the "error 25" message, Prophet mentions above. But then it returned to normal, and it appears that I have both pedal assist and throttle power operational. I'll bring it up here again, if problems return, but it seems that aligned pins, and a flush connector fit has solved the issue.

 

[Ann M.]

Good diagnostic skills, @daemonsquire! It is critical that connectors with those thin pins are mated correctly. Sometimes a bent or misaligned pin in a connector can cause serious problems. We had a customer bring in an ebike that would randomly turn itself on and go. This bike would also randomly burst into 30mph speed while riding! All from a bent pin that didn't seat properly.

 

[daemonsquire]

I'd be lying, @Ann M., if I didn't say I wish I could figure which pins to cross to get me a 30mph burst, on command!

 

[Diploneis]

I've got a RadWagon with about 2800 mi on it, and I've also had intermittent error 30 issues. I checked all connections for moisture and bent pins, worked with the kind folks at RadWagon for various replacement parts, and still it persisted. I did notice some delays in the error after disconnecting and checking the wire connector that runs along the top tube. I decided to concentrate harder at this connection, and after spraying copious WD-30 into both sides of the connector, and leaving it to dry overnight, the error finally disappeared. I don't know if that work work for other folks, but it's easy to try.

 

[KenPurcell]

Just after my 5th ride, the infamous error 30 showed up. I have not ridden in water, nor on trails. RADCity 2018. Rad Power bikes is sending me a new controller. When I pulled the motor connector apart, and powered up, the error 30 went away. They said it must be the controller.

 

[coconan]

Error 30? I was 3 or 4 miles into the woods on a very rugged path when "Error 30" popped up. Pushed/carried/rode (downhill) the bike for 2 1/2 hours. Finally came to a swamp which was impassable. Tried to bushwhack around the swamp but eventually had to abandon the bike and walk out as I was extremely exhausted. I've been back twice searching for the bike but now realize it is probably a lost cause. I love my Rad Rover but I doubt my next bike will be Rad, I can't afford it?

 

[mrgold35]

Error 30? I was 3 or 4 miles into the woods on a very rugged path when "Error 30" popped up. Pushed/carried/rode (downhill) the bike for 2 1/2 hours. Finally came to a swamp which was impassable. Tried to bushwhack around the swamp but eventually had to abandon the bike and walk out as I was extremely exhausted. I've been back twice searching for the bike but now realize it is probably a lost cause. I love my Rad Rover but I doubt my next bike will be Rad, I can't afford it?

Are you still under warranty if you ever find your bike? My last 30 maintain error was about 700 miles on my Rad. I've been error free with +2800 miles on the same ebike with the new controller.