Specialized (old) Turbo stuck in throttle mode

[RayU]

Help! I have a 2014 Specialized Turbo-X that I purchased a replacement battery for. The battery is the latest version available for this model; 691Wh/19.2Ah - SBC-B05 - bluetooth. It took the dealer a great deal of time, working with Specialized, to get it programmed to work. Everything is Ok except that it is stuck in throttle mode and I can't turn it off. The normal sequence in the manual to turn throttle mode on and off does not work. I do have Mission Control on my iPhone but there does not appear to be any settings for throttle mode there.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

RayU

 

[jigglyjamster]

Sounds like you need to work with an authorized bike shop and Specialized tech support. I don't understand why you're left to solve the problem on your own. And, I doubt anyone here has the ability to do advanced diagnostics, or the system re-programming required. Take it back to the dealer.

 

[RayU]

When I purchased the new battery last summer it took the dealer six weeks to get the bike working. Apparently, there is a single guy at Specialized who knew enough about the older Turbos and he was busy. So I am hoping that someone out there has had a similar problem and came up with a fix. If I have to, I will take it back to a dealer and hope the Specialized folks are more prompt this time. On the plus side, riding my regular bike will keep me in better shape.

 

[jigglyjamster]

6 weeks is beyond excessive. Why not try another bike shop? I can't even get Specialized to pickup the phone. It's not under warranty either way, so you can shop around. I hope someone here can help you, I'm just trying to get you results ASAP.

 

[Allan47.7339]

When I purchased the new battery last summer it took the dealer six weeks to get the bike working. Apparently, there is a single guy at Specialized who knew enough about the older Turbos and he was busy. So I am hoping that someone out there has had a similar problem and came up with a fix. If I have to, I will take it back to a dealer and hope the Specialized folks are more prompt this time. On the plus side, riding my regular bike will keep me in better shape.

I was not aware the throttle mode would even be retained on next start up. I've only used it once in the years I've owned a Turbo S. Have you've gone to the archive section of the Specialized website and downloaded the user manual and also the battery set up manual? The battery set up manual page is for the dealer but at least you can follow along. I assume you have the version 2 Turbo controller (aka Clean cockpit)? Are you able to switch screens with the joystick to see if it is a controller switch problem? If your model had a light can you still turn it on and off by pushing the joystick? Are you able to get into the settings menu etc? Mission control is limited on the 2014 models and the only thing you will see is the battery diagnostics. It wasn't until the last model 2016 that they added BT to the motor. As far as I know some parameters are stored in the motor and some in the battery.

 

[RayU]

I was not aware the throttle mode would even be retained on next start up. I've only used it once in the years I've owned a Turbo S. Have you've gone to the archive section of the Specialized website and downloaded the user manual and also the battery set up manual? The battery set up manual page is for the dealer but at least you can follow along. I assume you have the version 2 Turbo controller (aka Clean cockpit)? Are you able to switch screens with the joystick to see if it is a controller switch problem? If your model had a light can you still turn it on and off by pushing the joystick? Are you able to get into the settings menu etc? Mission control is limited on the 2014 models and the only thing you will see is the battery diagnostics. It wasn't until the last model 2016 that they added BT to the motor. As far as I know some parameters are stored in the motor and some in the battery.

I do have the user manual; I have not referred to the battery set-up manual. The controller is the Clean Cockpit version. It is recently replaced and reports that is running Version 4. I can access all the screens the manual has; the instructions on how to turn throttle mode on and off just don't work. Mission Control on this bike is a mixed bag. For example it will accurately report the Eco setting %, but I can not set that setting from the app. In general, it seems to report settings on the bike but is unable to change them. I have found a more local dealer who is willing to hook the bike up and then touch base with the Specialized folks. It is very odd that the default mode, for my bike, is throttle mode. I believe the original throttle mode limited itself to 12 mph. In my current set up it will take the bike, on the flat, from a standstill to 26 mph with no pedaling.

 

[Allan47.7339]

The throttle mode should be limited to 12 mph and only when you have your thumb on the joystick. It wasn't really intended for constant use. I have the SBC-03 and SBC-05 and do not have any issues swapping between them but when I upgraded to the SBC-05 it was a current model and the shop was familiar with the programming.

According to this thread the battery does have motor control settings which I was not aware of:

Replacement Batteries for 2013-2016 Turbo (non-Levo/Vado)

There has been a lot of discussion recently about replacement batteries and availability for the Specialized Turbo. I wanted to start this thread as an informational post targeted at the "facts" of what batteries are available, compatible, and what upgrades and/or replacements are possible...

electricbikereview.com

For your reference the person who posted that thread had quite a few other threads/posts on the older Turbo model and searching his posts will lead to the other older posts of other active Turbo users between 2015 and 2017.

 

[RayU]

I am familiar with Doug Ruby's battery thread and it is the best source of info on the batteries for the older Turbos. I have not found anyone posting with the problem I have been having. It may be because so few 2014 models are running the SBC-B05 battery. I am hoping Specialized steps up and figures this out and reimburses the bike shop for their time since it is a safety issue.

 

[RayU]

For the record. I was not able to fix this stuck-in-throttle-mode issue. Specialized, after some dancing around, was not interested/capable in helping. Their support for their ebikes is 5 years; after that you (and their dealers) are on your own. With my son a computer whiz, I asked if we could obtain a copy of the PC software used to program and troubleshoot their older ebikes. Specialized said no. They did say that the Specialized dealer could make a claim to the Specialized Retail Care team and they might offer an assisted replacement coupon that would reduce the cost of a new Specialized Turbo.