Error 640 on Bosch Powertube 500 battery after 1000 hours of use

M

Marcparis

Active Member
My 3 Bosch Powertube 500 batteries are having issues.
They each have about 600 cycles, that is about 1000 hours of use for each battery.
- The first issue is that the batteries shut down frequently while I cycle. The intuvia display then gives me an error code 640.
- The second issue is that I am having difficulties recharging them. When I plug the battery to the charger, it starts charging for about 10 seconds and then stop. The charging resumes sometimes but not always when I reset the on/off button bly pressing on it for at least 10 seconds.
I am currently riding in a country that do not have a Riese und Muller or a Bosch ebike dealer.
Any idea what I can do to fix them?
 
Given they are both doing it, could be dirty contacts on bike, batteries and charger. Check male pins on bike and charger, clean with cotton bud and alcohol. If they were dirty plug charger in turned off with pins damp with alcohol, remove clean and repeat. Its about only way I can think of cleaning female pins of battery.
 
Marcparis said:
My 3 Bosch Powertube 500 batteries are having issues.
They each have about 600 cycles, that is about 1000 hours of use for each battery.
- The first issue is that the batteries shut down frequently while I cycle. The intuvia display then gives me an error code 640.
- The second issue is that I am having difficulties recharging them. When I plug the battery to the charger, it starts charging for about 10 seconds and then stop. The charging resumes sometimes but not always when I reset the on/off button bly pressing on it for at least 10 seconds.
I am currently riding in a country that do not have a Riese und Muller or a Bosch ebike dealer.
Any idea what I can do to fix them?
Click to expand...
Hopefully cleaning the contacts will solve the issue. If, not, I'd try to arrange a remote Bosch diagnostic test which will target both installed battery and motor. I'm fairly sure it can be done using your laptop and a usb cable to the intuvia. Or maybe you will have to download some software for your laptop. I don't remember, but I had the process described to me once by a dealer many years ago, when few Bosch-certified shops existed.

640 indicaates an internal error, usually a faulty cell. That you're experiencing this with all three PowerTubes is your ray of hope. OTOH, if the problem originates with a faulty motor controller, then all three batteries could be affected as well.

Another possibility is a faulty charger. I recently had a bad charger take a PowerPack with it. Can you locate another charger to test with or outright purchase another one?
 
Marcparis said:
My 3 Bosch Powertube 500 batteries are having issues.
They each have about 600 cycles, that is about 1000 hours of use for each battery.
- The first issue is that the batteries shut down frequently while I cycle. The intuvia display then gives me an error code 640.
- The second issue is that I am having difficulties recharging them. When I plug the battery to the charger, it starts charging for about 10 seconds and then stop. The charging resumes sometimes but not always when I reset the on/off button bly pressing on it for at least 10 seconds.
I am currently riding in a country that do not have a Riese und Muller or a Bosch ebike dealer.
Any idea what I can do to fix them?
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear of your predicament Marc.

A couple of questions:

Did the problem occur with all three batteries at the same time?

Is there any difference in outcome when charging the batteries in the bike versus each separately removed from the bike?

All the best.
 
peterh_nz said:
Sorry to hear of your predicament Marc.

A couple of questions:

Did the problem occur with all three batteries at the same time?

Is there any difference in outcome when charging the batteries in the bike versus each separately removed from the bike?

All the best.
Click to expand...
The problem occured first on one battery. A few weeks later, the problem appeared on the 2 other batteries.
I haven't tried yet to charge the batteries while in the ebike.

I purchased a second charger 6 months ago, but my charging problem appears with both chargers.

I have to admit that since I purchased the batteries 5 years ago, the batteries and charger connections have never been cleaned.
76000 km in all kinds of climates and road conditions.

Today, I am gathering the tools for the cleaning. I will clean the 2 male pins of the chargers, the 2 male pins of the ebike and the 3 female pins of my batteries. I will also clean the connections between the Intuvia display and its support.

It seems that Bosch recommend adding technical vaseline to the pins after the cleaning.
Can anyone of you confirm it is a good thing to do.

Also, any suggestion on how to access the female pins of the batteries for cleaning.
Can I spray electric cleaner in these female pins?
 
Last edited:
Hello all,

Thank you for your comments.
I have been implementing your suggestions but I still have the problem. I cleaned all male and females pins with alcool and electric cleaner. I tried to charge the batteries from the ebike instead of directly to the battery. I use 2 chargers, so I don’t think the charger is the issue.

The batteries often shut off at the start of a downhill when I stop pedaling.

I have been doing about 600 km on the island of Borneo since I implemented the suggestions with regular resetting of the batteries to get going again.

dblhelix mentioned a possible faulty motor controller. I have been carrying a new Bosch motor in my panniers for some time. Would it be worth trying to swap the current motor with the new one to check if the motor controller is the problem?
 
Marcparis said:
Hello all,

Thank you for your comments.
I have been implementing your suggestions but I still have the problem. I cleaned all male and females pins with alcool and electric cleaner. I tried to charge the batteries from the ebike instead of directly to the battery. I use 2 chargers, so I don’t think the charger is the issue.

The batteries often shut off at the start of a downhill when I stop pedaling.

I have been doing about 600 km on the island of Borneo since I implemented the suggestions with regular resetting of the batteries to get going again.

dblhelix mentioned a possible faulty motor controller. I have been carrying a new Bosch motor in my panniers for some time. Would it be worth trying to swap the current motor with the new one to check if the motor controller is the problem?
Click to expand...
It is relatively painless and should take only about an hour, assuming you have tools. So, yes.
 
In light of the fact all three batteries are doing this, I'd be concerned about the power line voltage and frequency (typically 60 Hz.) in the country that you're traveling in.
I'm just grabbing for straws here but the line voltage and AC frequency along with the charger is the one thing that's common to all three batteries.
 
w4clm said:
In light of the fact all three batteries are doing this, I'd be concerned about the power line voltage and frequency (typically 60 Hz.) in the country that you're traveling in.
I'm just grabbing for straws here but the line voltage and AC frequency along with the charger is the one thing that's common to all three batteries.
Click to expand...
60Hz is US, most of the world is 50Hz.
 
dblhelix said:
60Hz is US, most of the world is 50Hz.
Click to expand...
YES You are100% correct, I'm getting old.... Haaaa Haaaa Forgot that was the case in many countries, you're right.
Was just grabbing for straws trying to find a reason for this issue you're having. Worked in 2-way radio most of my life and we had some issues dealing.
with Japanese radios as their source is 100v over there, UK and places are 220v. It gets confusing after a while.
One thing worthy of noting, most of these battery chargers are like the the BOSCH charger I have in my hands. Years ago power supplies had large transformers in them, nothing like we have today small, regulated switching supplies. This BOSCH supply is a SWITCHING power supply, no big transformers in these things.
Input voltage is 110v~220v - 50-60Hz. Seems to me short of changing the wall plug these things are versatile and can be used just about any place in the world.
 

Attachments

  • List of Worldwide AC Voltages.pdf
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Bosch chargers convert AC to DC before using DC-DV converter to isloate and drop voltage. This is how 99.9% of power supplies work these days. Hz don't matter and in lot cases will handle 110-240AC.

The old heavy reliable transformers are long gone. They were Hz and Voltage specific.
 
TrevorB said:
Bosch chargers convert AC to DC before using DC-DV converter to isloate and drop voltage. This is how 99.9% of power supplies work these days. Hz don't matter and in lot cases will handle 110-240AC.

The old heavy reliable transformers are long gone. They were Hz and Voltage specific.
Click to expand...
Not true for the Bosch 6A "fast" charger, which consequently is not available for the US market.

I tried one out using a heavy transformer but decided on another solution for my needs. The only nibble I've had when putting up the transformer for sale was some guy considering purchase of an antique phonograph from the UK.
 
My Bosch 6A charger specifically states 240 VAC 50Hz. There are no voltage nor hertz ranges. Since Marc's bike is also an RM Supercharger I presume he has a similar charger.

Marc: is the above correct? If so, has your charger been recently used on AC supplies that deviate markedly from those specs?

(I suspect you may have chosen to use the possibly more flexible standard charger on your trip.)

Cheers
 
Last edited:
Marc just spitballing here but do you carry a spare Intuvia display that you could try to see if you get the same error? It seems crazy that all three batteries would have the same problem at the same time.
 
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