LimboJim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
After 2250 joyous trail miles on my Commencal MetaPower eMTB with Shimano's e8000 motor, I've recently experienced the apparently common - and oft-dreaded - E010 error code. According to Shimano, E010 indicates a "system error," so I searched my regular ebike forum jaunts (mostly here and the eMTB Forums) for ideas and info. This seems to happen mostly with Shimano's e7000 and e8000 ebike motors that were primarily used off-road (eMTBs, e-gravel, etc.).
I thought maybe I could see if the off-road theory holds true with this survey. For anyone who wants more details, please read on.
My E010 code was preceded by the even more common W013 "warning" code, which means that the "initialization of torque sensor" failed. Most Shimano ebike owners know that this can usually be cleared by restarting the system, ensuring that no pressure is applied to the pedals as it boots up. The other day, however, it took me several tries but eventually worked - for about 3 miles. Then I got nothing but E010 codes from dozens of restarts, and (anaerobically) rode back to my car unassisted
A few days of trying, E010 will not clear.
After reading dozens of posts, watching a few videos, and reading those videos' comments on the matter, I gathered that some folks found solutions by adjusting battery mounts, cleaning ports, and other relatively simple remedies. Others, including me, did not. For us, it seems that the torque sensor's often at fault. Unfortunately, Shimano doesn't service motors at all, they just replace them under their 2 year limited warranty. This is true for pretty much all the major motor brands, though Yamaha covers battery and motor failures for 3 years. I got my MetaPower just over 2 years ago, so I'm SOL...
eBike Motor Repairs (EMR) recently began offering out-ot-warranty service stateside in collaboration with Performance Line Bearings - now eBike Motor Centre - in the UK. EMR fixed my noisy Bosch CX for less than half the cost of replacement this Summer. They'll also work on Yamaha, Brose, Panasonic and Impulse motors, but they won't even attempt repairs on Shimano motors for a litany of reasons. You can read a detailed explanation of the primary one from the proverbial horse's mouth here, but the gist is that Shimano's failure rate is exceptionally high, even after repair.
My best guess is that the torque sensors on these motors can only take so many pedal strikes, heavy downpours, deep puddle splashes, etc. If I'm right, I hope Shimano's latest off-road-intended motor, the EP8, has more robust torque sensors - here's a pic of the e8000's.
I've often touted Shimano's ebike systems, and when they're working, they perform amazing well. Now I'm telling folks to steer clear unless Shimano does a recall and/or warranty extension, similar to what Specialized did with their frequent failure rates on 2019/2020 Brose motors (video below). I won't hold my breath for that, however, and ordered a new motor for what equates to a month's mortgage payment for me. Way cheaper than buying a comparable eMTB, though, especially in the current marketplace!
I thought maybe I could see if the off-road theory holds true with this survey. For anyone who wants more details, please read on.
My E010 code was preceded by the even more common W013 "warning" code, which means that the "initialization of torque sensor" failed. Most Shimano ebike owners know that this can usually be cleared by restarting the system, ensuring that no pressure is applied to the pedals as it boots up. The other day, however, it took me several tries but eventually worked - for about 3 miles. Then I got nothing but E010 codes from dozens of restarts, and (anaerobically) rode back to my car unassisted
A few days of trying, E010 will not clear.After reading dozens of posts, watching a few videos, and reading those videos' comments on the matter, I gathered that some folks found solutions by adjusting battery mounts, cleaning ports, and other relatively simple remedies. Others, including me, did not. For us, it seems that the torque sensor's often at fault. Unfortunately, Shimano doesn't service motors at all, they just replace them under their 2 year limited warranty. This is true for pretty much all the major motor brands, though Yamaha covers battery and motor failures for 3 years. I got my MetaPower just over 2 years ago, so I'm SOL...
eBike Motor Repairs (EMR) recently began offering out-ot-warranty service stateside in collaboration with Performance Line Bearings - now eBike Motor Centre - in the UK. EMR fixed my noisy Bosch CX for less than half the cost of replacement this Summer. They'll also work on Yamaha, Brose, Panasonic and Impulse motors, but they won't even attempt repairs on Shimano motors for a litany of reasons. You can read a detailed explanation of the primary one from the proverbial horse's mouth here, but the gist is that Shimano's failure rate is exceptionally high, even after repair.
My best guess is that the torque sensors on these motors can only take so many pedal strikes, heavy downpours, deep puddle splashes, etc. If I'm right, I hope Shimano's latest off-road-intended motor, the EP8, has more robust torque sensors - here's a pic of the e8000's.
I've often touted Shimano's ebike systems, and when they're working, they perform amazing well. Now I'm telling folks to steer clear unless Shimano does a recall and/or warranty extension, similar to what Specialized did with their frequent failure rates on 2019/2020 Brose motors (video below). I won't hold my breath for that, however, and ordered a new motor for what equates to a month's mortgage payment for me. Way cheaper than buying a comparable eMTB, though, especially in the current marketplace!
