Known Issues & Problems with Specialized Products + Help, Solutions & Fixes

[eagamer80]

I should have posted this in the "total mileage" instead, but I consider this an issue rather than an achievement. Is this bike not supposed to last more than 10.000km? I wonder WTF where thinking when they designed the LCD screen. After 9999 kms / miles the s*it goes back to 0 and gets stuck in there. The LCD of the Turbo bike is one of the worst things I've ever seen in in a "high end" bike like this. In any case, I'm surprised the battery lasted that long without any issues.

 

[ROJA]

I should have posted this in the "total mileage" instead, but I consider this an issue rather than an achievement. Is this bike not supposed to last more than 10.000km? I wonder WTF where thinking when they designed the LCD screen. After 9999 kms / miles the s*it goes back to 0 and gets stuck in there. The LCD of the Turbo bike is one of the worst things I've ever seen in in a "high end" bike like this. In any case, I'm surprised the battery lasted that long without any issues.

View attachment 24704View attachment 24703

@eagamer80 Congrats on getting to 10k km! I'm wondering if changing the display to miles might be a good way to extend the odo another 40% or so (but at the cost of having to learn our newfangled system of measurement)!

 

[eagamer80]

@eagamer80 Congrats on getting to 10k km! I'm wondering if changing the display to miles might be a good way to extend the odo another 40% or so (but at the cost of having to learn our newfangled system of measurement)!

Thanks. Changing it to miles it does the trick. With the diagnosis tool I was able to reset it to 0. Actually the counter was 10.165 km when I connected the bike to the software, but the display was unable to display it. So the only way to fix this is by using your dealer and reset it for you.

 

[Ktcrowe]

On only my 2nd ride of my newly purchased used 2018 Levo Comp Carbon, the battery drained quickly within 2.5 miles after a climb & descent. It wasn’t fully charged but went down over the course of the day seemingly even when not riding. It only has 435 miles on it. MC app shows battery as Healthy and it charged fine when back home with no red lights. Bike works fine today up driveway but worried about next ride. Ideas?

 

[rede]

On only my 2nd ride of my newly purchased used 2018 Levo Comp Carbon, the battery drained quickly within 2.5 miles after a climb & descent. It wasn’t fully charged but went down over the course of the day seemingly even when not riding. It only has 435 miles on it. MC app shows battery as Healthy and it charged fine when back home with no red lights. Bike works fine today up driveway but worried about next ride. Ideas?

The battery will drain more quickly if you ride with Turbo set at 100%, or close. When the bike is not being used, the battery drain should be near enough zero, even after months.
If the battery drains when not being ridden, there must be a short or other load. I think if you fully charge it, and leave the battery unplugged from the motor and control, you should be able to ascertain if there’s a drain somewhere, as there would be no possible load.

 

[presto]

I rode my Como 3.0 in the rain yesterday and the there was a grinding sound the seemed to come from the engine. Anyone experience this? It happened while riding up a steep hill while it was pouring rain. it stopped when i laid of peddeling. it happened a few times on my ride

 

[Lawrence lanes]

I rode my Como 3.0 in the rain yesterday and the there was a grinding sound the seemed to come from the engine. Anyone experience this? It happened while riding up a steep hill while it was pouring rain. it stopped when i laid of peddeling. it happened a few times on my ride

I'd been having some grinding sounds In my Vado 3.0 for several months, gradually getting worse. had it little over year with about 1200 miles on it. Mentioned it several times to my shop, but they shrugged, said engine was sealed, no lube possible. couple of weeks ago, it got much louder going up a hill to my house and pedal effort increased. when I got off the bike, I was unable to roll it backwards at all. it was like the motor had seized up. Brought it to local dealer who immediately contacted Specialized and got auth for new motor. He told me that he thought Specialized was having problems with their motors as this was the 4th he himself had replaced in the last few months. Replaced under warranty, but tech was unclear if motor would have new 2 yr. or if it would still be under the existing. Upgraded firmware as well, but I see no option for connecting to app. Oh well, at least with the new firmware, my display stopped freezing up. Bike is running like new!

 

[Dennie Fleetfoot]

Hi.

Long term lurker and Vado 3 owner.

My Bloks display had been acting funny for a while and yesterday it finally went belly up with the screen freezing constantly. So I popped into my local Specialized store in Harrogate (great team there by the way). Soon as I mentioned the problem they said straight away that Specialized were replacing all Vado Bloks displays as a warranty repair, so it’s booked in for a replacement next week.

Process takes about an hour apparently with the new unit completely wireless so the cables leading to the cradle will be removed. I’d imagine then given that the unit is powered by a standard watch battery that it won’t be illuminated because of battery size, which seems a shame. However it’s fully compatible with the app already on the Apple store I’m told because it’s the same unit as the Levo line uses.

Obviously you need proof of purchase and preferably registered the bike with Specialized but not a deal breaker I’m told. I’d purchased mine online at Tredz.co.uk but that’s not a problem according to the shop.

Not sure how Specialized are planning to inform existing Vado owners but the replacement programme is at least known about at a shop level so I’d inquire there or contact Specialized directly.

 

[jrcsheffield]

Originally posted elsewhere. Jan 8 2019

Hi, having had my "Friday Bike" 2016/2017 LevoFSR replaced by Spesh/LBS after 14 months for a 2108 Comp FSR, I have had faultless riding for 7 months...amazing and great fun!

However - I am now experiencing one of the above faults reported by other users - 23 charges only and Battery Health down to 90%.

To date I have been advised that it is "incorrect battery firmware" – since corrected but made no difference, and "just a feature of Lithium battery technology",
Hmmm, I have produced on a spreadsheet for Spesh the details of my expected battery life expectancy.
This is based on performance figures so far- (595 days, 58 charges, should be minimum of 730 days or 300 charges whichever sooner for warranty claim)
Has anyone else seen this and what was the resolution from Specialized?
Will keep you posted.
Specialize have finally agreed to loan me a battery and take mine back to their workshop for further tests.


Updated: Feb 9 2019,,,,
This battery is fitted to a 2018 FSR Comp Levo (504 Watt?)
Battery Firmware has been upgraded.
LBS have tested "all cells ok"
Now at 28 charges

Battery Health is at 89% and now battery only charges to 90% (one green LED permanently not lit)

Battery with Spesh.
Will let you know what happens.

John

 

[jrcsheffield]

Still awaiting Spesh but loan battery from Spesh - displays a different story.
(Apparently they tell me that only full charge cycles - flat to fully charge are recorded under charge cycles on Mission Control - which would account for low value (12) on loan battery???)

.......................... My Battery.............Loan Battery
Firmware.............. A.17.1....................2.17.1
Charge Status.........88%...................... 99%
Battery Health........90%......................100%
Odometer.............1003 miles..........1767km ( 1098 miles)
Charge Cycles...........29..........................12

 

[jrcsheffield]

Spesh have finally replaced battery under warranty - saying they they found a fault.

If it helps anyone I have pasted the details of what they have found below.
I would state the bike and battery is stored in a cool integrated garage that never gets beyond 22C even in a hot summer. It has never been kept in a shed and only transported on the outside of my car.
From a Customer Service point of view It's a pity it took the best part of 3 months to resolve.
Spesh's comments............

• The battery cells of which there are 48 are perfectly balanced and are performing well.
• The battery has now got 89% battery health this will show as 90% on the Mission Control App as it rounds to the nearest 10%
• between July and September 2018 it dropped a significant amount of battery health
• In the last 15 Charge cycles it only dropped 1%

We've noticed that battery health can be damaged when the battery is subjected to excessive heat and fully charged this happens because when the battery is fully charged the increase in temperature increases the amount of energy stored in the battery and with 100% charge the excess energy has nowhere to go which results in some damage to the battery health. We wouldn't know for sure but this could explain the drop in battery health between July and Sept 2018 as it was a hot summer and many places where hotter than usual, this could be inside a car or shed or another location that could be affected by the sun. We'd always recommend keeping your battery stored below 100% charge so that if there is a rise in temperature your battery wouldn't be overcharged causing damage to the health, 80% may be a workable amount of charge to leave in your battery topping up the charge before your ride. If you do keep the bike in a room which has a lot of variance in temperature then perhaps it would be best to keep the battery outside of the bike in a different room with a more constant temperature. This is just our estimate of what may have caused the issues, perhaps you'll have a better idea of what may have caused the loss in battery health at that time if you have any other ideas that could have been the cause do let us know.

The fact that the battery has only dropped 1% in the last 15 charge cycles and the cells are balanced shows us that your battery is working well now and isn't draining battery health at an alarming rate. I've tested the battery with regards to the charge levels it will reach and it does appear there is a problem like you mention with it only reaching 90% charge, it could be that it was damage that happened to the battery at the same time as the drop in battery health between July and Sept 2018 that has now shown in the behavior we are seeing in the battery.

I've come to the conclusion that it will be best to replace the battery for you as your customer satisfaction is certainly important to us and we have found a fault in your battery

 

[pedalpower]

Hi.

Long term lurker and Vado 3 owner.

My Bloks display had been acting funny for a while and yesterday it finally went belly up with the screen freezing constantly. So I popped into my local Specialized store in Harrogate (great team there by the way). Soon as I mentioned the problem they said straight away that Specialized were replacing all Vado Bloks displays as a warranty repair, so it’s booked in for a replacement next week.

Process takes about an hour apparently with the new unit completely wireless so the cables leading to the cradle will be removed. I’d imagine then given that the unit is powered by a standard watch battery that it won’t be illuminated because of battery size, which seems a shame. However it’s fully compatible with the app already on the Apple store I’m told because it’s the same unit as the Levo line uses.

Obviously you need proof of purchase and preferably registered the bike with Specialized but not a deal breaker I’m told. I’d purchased mine online at Tredz.co.uk but that’s not a problem according to the shop.

Not sure how Specialized are planning to inform existing Vado owners but the replacement programme is at least known about at a shop level so I’d inquire there or contact Specialized directly.

I'm a new Vado 6.0 owner (this being my second post on the forum, my first post was an hour ago...). I have a new Vado bought from the dealer and it's last year's model.

Would you be able to refer me to a link or documentation as well as how I initiate the process to upgrade the head unit? Anticipating the shop might push back, I would like to approach them with all the details.

I was disappointed to learn it's not possible to connect my bike to the app. Interestingly enough my phone connects with the bike via bluetooth, but not the app.

Thanks!

 

[staryslon]

Hi, I'm new here, so I want to say hello.
And I have a question now.
My battery won't turn on when I turn it on and the application reports an error.
My battery is SBC-B04-15Ah / 562Wh with Bluetooth in Specialized Turbo S 2014/15
Has anyone else had or had a malfunction?
Can anyone advise how to unlock this fault?
My second battery is working in the bike.
Image translation: chyba=error
Thank you for your good advice.

 

[jrcsheffield]

One for Specialized techies I think.

 

[eagamer80]

Hi, I'm new here, so I want to say hello.
And I have a question now.
My battery won't turn on when I turn it on and the application reports an error.
My battery is SBC-B04-15Ah / 562Wh with Bluetooth in Specialized Turbo S 2014/15
Has anyone else had or had a malfunction?
Can anyone advise how to unlock this fault?
My second battery is working in the bike.
Image translation: chyba=error
Thank you for your good advice.

I read rather about battery cells that inverts its own polarity (when you don't charge your battery and leave it in low voltage for long periods of time) and spreading that behaviour to the whole pack, ruining the whole battery, but never about one single cell having an overvoltage (which it may indicate that that particular cell is faulty due to degradation). You can try sending the battery to your bike dealer to see if making a FW update can somehow unlock you from this situation (remember that if you make a firmware update you loose your odometer counter and settings go to default).

 

[bikeman242]

One major concern is news that Specialized will not continue manufacturing batteries for the Turbo S series (691Wh). As Specialized has put all smartness into the battery (and it is a sealed box) it is not obvious that it can be rebuilt by a 3rd party, essentially rendering a completely useless bike once the original battery is exhausted.

This post concerned me about buying a new turbo. Is this practice common with Specialized? How long will they continue supporting 2020 models?

Now I am thinking about Bosch.

 

[jonathanhgf]

Hi, another EBR newbie here.
I’ve got a 9 month old Vado 3.0 and have now got problems switching the power on and off.
A few months ago I started finding that if the battery had been left in place for several hours, I could not switch the power on. I would have to take the battery out of the bike frame and slot it back in to sort of re-boot the system. After doing this the power switch works ok. If a freshly charged battery is put in place, say the night before a ride, and left in the frame overnight, the next morning I can’t switch the power on without a re-boot. Same thing happens during a long ride. After several hours of being in place the switch on function develops a fault. It matters not whether it is a full or partially charged battery.
Now also I’ve got problems switching the power off!! After and even during a long ride, when I power the battery off, if I don’t take it out of the frame, after 10-15 mins or so, the bike turns itself fully on. It doesn’t matter whether the LCD control panel is in place or not.
I’m not a believer in poltergeists so wonder if anyone has got any ideas of what the problem might be
Thanks

 

[Quadracer]

Hi, another EBR newbie here.
I’ve got a 9 month old Vado 3.0 and have now got problems switching the power on and off.
A few months ago I started finding that if the battery had been left in place for several hours, I could not switch the power on. I would have to take the battery out of the bike frame and slot it back in to sort of re-boot the system. After doing this the power switch works ok. If a freshly charged battery is put in place, say the night before a ride, and left in the frame overnight, the next morning I can’t switch the power on without a re-boot. Same thing happens during a long ride. After several hours of being in place the switch on function develops a fault. It matters not whether it is a full or partially charged battery.
Now also I’ve got problems switching the power off!! After and even during a long ride, when I power the battery off, if I don’t take it out of the frame, after 10-15 mins or so, the bike turns itself fully on. It doesn’t matter whether the LCD control panel is in place or not.
I’m not a believer in poltergeists so wonder if anyone has got any ideas of what the problem might be
Thanks

Hi Jonathan
I too had the same issue especially in the rain. Turned out there was a problem with the original display and mount on the earlier versions , this was a known issue and mine was replaced with an updated bloks control and mount. Get yours checked at your lbs. They may even change yours to the latest display now available so you can connect to your phone via mission control app. Mine is getting changed this week.

 

[nickbikes]

Hey there,

I very recently bought a (barely) used 2017 Turbo Vado 3.0 (≈240 miles on odo). At first the bike was great, but a few things were odd and the "eco" assist seemed pointless (wasn't working really at all) yet I was seeing on here how people would use that a lot to extend battery life. I rode the bike about 200 miles in a week or two (commuting/errands) and then the motor started going in and out, off and on, and kind of intermittently working. Then I noticed that most of the time when this symptom would occur that the lights would automatically turn on for some reason (maybe the whole thing was resetting itself accidentally?)

Well it got real bad and then I took it to the shop and the battery wouldn't even turn on for them. It was dead. Warrantied that, got a new battery and a new battery "shim" thing that I read about on here. With the new battery all the sudden the "eco" mode works great, the motor feels constant and great, etc. I put about 100 miles on the new battery then the problem came back with the motor not feeling full strength or more so turning on and off and not feeling constant. The lights were kicking on and off (especially if I bumped it into "turbo" and then hammered a little to see if maybe some extra torque would kick it back on).

So in my mind it appears either

1. There is a short somewhere in my bike that is cooking the battery and turning the thing on and off (is there like an ECU for this that they can replace?)
2. Am i hammering to hard on this thing? I'll ride it on sport for about 30 minutes with little breaks downhill and if there are any flats I'll put it on eco mode? I would be shocked if they did not design this thing to be hammered on full turbo for the full length of the battery in rain, granted this wouldn't make the bike last forever but they should have tested this (worked in the outdoor industry).

Any help with this would be appreciated. I've seen that some people clean the battery contacts as well which I can try, but I don't think that is going to be my magic fix here.

Thanks!

 

[Quadracer]

Hey there,

I very recently bought a (barely) used 2017 Turbo Vado 3.0 (≈240 miles on odo). At first the bike was great, but a few things were odd and the "eco" assist seemed pointless (wasn't working really at all) yet I was seeing on here how people would use that a lot to extend battery life. I rode the bike about 200 miles in a week or two (commuting/errands) and then the motor started going in and out, off and on, and kind of intermittently working. Then I noticed that most of the time when this symptom would occur that the lights would automatically turn on for some reason (maybe the whole thing was resetting itself accidentally?)

Well it got real bad and then I took it to the shop and the battery wouldn't even turn on for them. It was dead. Warrantied that, got a new battery and a new battery "shim" thing that I read about on here. With the new battery all the sudden the "eco" mode works great, the motor feels constant and great, etc. I put about 100 miles on the new battery then the problem came back with the motor not feeling full strength or more so turning on and off and not feeling constant. The lights were kicking on and off (especially if I bumped it into "turbo" and then hammered a little to see if maybe some extra torque would kick it back on).

So in my mind it appears either

1. There is a short somewhere in my bike that is cooking the battery and turning the thing on and off (is there like an ECU for this that they can replace?)
2. Am i hammering to hard on this thing? I'll ride it on sport for about 30 minutes with little breaks downhill and if there are any flats I'll put it on eco mode? I would be shocked if they did not design this thing to be hammered on full turbo for the full length of the battery in rain, granted this wouldn't make the bike last forever but they should have tested this (worked in the outdoor industry).

Any help with this would be appreciated. I've seen that some people clean the battery contacts as well which I can try, but I don't think that is going to be my magic fix here.

Thanks!

I think your issue is the original bloks display. I had the same issue with my 2017 vado 3 in the rain. The bike would turn on by itself then I coulded turn it off without taking the battery out. The display mount was changed to a upgraded bloks mount and this issue went away. My bike has since been upgraded to the latest display so it can be connected to the mission control app. I have nearly done 10000km on my bike in all weather and in all power modes. I would get your display mount changed or if you can upgrade to the latest version display. Specialized were upgrading the display on 2017 bikes under warranty but not sure how this effects your bike being second hand. Hope this helps!