Specialized Turbo Issue

[Marko]

It definitely is an issue especially since it gets dark early these days and I have no idea on what my remaining battery life is if riding in the evening.

You can still get a rough idea of the battery charge status by looking at the four leds. Presumably under 25% the last led will turn off.

 

[jwdkhan]

I was never really able to read the display at night. Maybe I need to set a backlight... When I touch the joystic at night the red lights it up but I still can't really read the LCD.

Hi Brambor, I noticed the same thing on my display when the backlight stopped working. Where originally the joystick would glow red for a few seconds to indicate it had been pressed, now it would just stay red for the duration of the ride but the backlight remains off. If you have not already turned the backlight feature on, you can give it a try. I believe by default the backlight turns off after a few seconds but under settings you can make it stay on for as long as the battery is on.

Settings: With battery off, press rear brake lever and press/hold the joystick towards the left. Now turn battery on with other hand while the joystick/brake remain pressed. The display should go into Settings mode and you should see the option to turn on backlight or keep it off. This info is provided in the Turbo's manual.

I did contact my dealer and he has already requested for a replacement computer to be shipped from Specialized. Other than this minor quirk, the bike's been handling fine. I have quite a few steep hills around where I live and get to do long downhill rides often but fortunately have not experienced any of the power failure issues reported by some folks here. Have had the bike for six months now and still love it like the day I got it.

 

[jwdkhan]

You can still get a rough idea of the battery charge status by looking at the four leds. Presumably under 25% the last led will turn off.

Thanks Marko. I usually cut it very close to the 20% mark by the time I return home so I try to mix and match my Turbo vs Eco modes depending on the gradient of my return journey home. There's 3 steep climbs near my home and I try to save the Turbo mode for those climbs. This involves looking at the display regularly to get an accurate reading of my remaining battery life.

I spoke with my local bike dealer and he has already ordered a replacement part.

 

[GeePee]

Hi......again.
Just thought I would give an update. The issue persists but I have to say that Specialized have been really helpful, helpful to the point of having the engineers in Switzerland call me to discuss. We still can not work out what exactly is causing it but it looks like software or at least a computer glitch.
It's not heat....how do I know that? Because if you hold the joystick to the left for 5 seconds it gives you an engine temp display and i have had the motor to 65 degrees Celsius on a day with no headwind and there was no problem. I have had the engine at 45degrees Celsius and a headwind and the bike switches out of turbo.
If I disconnect the computer I have no problems or issues at all, no matter how strong the headwind. Remember the issue only ever happens in a headwind after 20 minutes or so.
As for the comments about the bike being crap......I would strongly disagree and I would bet that the comment comes from someone who A. Doesn't own one and B. Has never ridden one. This bike is brilliant, it is so much fun that if I didn't love this bike I wouldn't be going to such lengths to try and get it sorted.
It will get sorted in the end.

 

[biknut]

Hi......again.
Just thought I would give an update. The issue persists but I have to say that Specialized have been really helpful, helpful to the point of having the engineers in Switzerland call me to discuss. We still can not work out what exactly is causing it but it looks like software or at least a computer glitch.
It's not heat....how do I know that? Because if you hold the joystick to the left for 5 seconds it gives you an engine temp display and i have had the motor to 65 degrees Celsius on a day with no headwind and there was no problem. I have had the engine at 45degrees Celsius and a headwind and the bike switches out of turbo.
If I disconnect the computer I have no problems or issues at all, no matter how strong the headwind. Remember the issue only ever happens in a headwind after 20 minutes or so.
As for the comments about the bike being crap......I would strongly disagree and I would bet that the comment comes from someone who A. Doesn't own one and B. Has never ridden one. This bike is brilliant, it is so much fun that if I didn't love this bike I wouldn't be going to such lengths to try and get it sorted.
It will get sorted in the end.

If it's not heat, it sounds like it could be something like a over current cutout? The current would be higher going into the wind.

 

[MarcD]

GeePee - Just a quick question - are you riding the original Turbo S or the new Turbo?

I've never run into that situation in personal experience, and I am a 260b rider, I have done rides with 3,000+ ft of climb and similar headwinds to what you describe and have never run into the issue with my 2013 Turbo S.

Good luck in getting it sorted.

 

[Marko]

GeePee mentioned getting the temp reading by holding the joystick to the left for 5 secs (presumably you have the 2014 model). I have no joystick. Does anyone know how to get the temp on the old version or maybe it is not possible?

Sounds like some control computer bug in GeePees bike if it can temporarily be sorted by disconnecting the comp.

 

[jwdkhan]

My local dealer received the replacement display from Specialized within 5 days and installed it for me. The display is a small separate piece that comes off from the brake/gear lever assembly and is connected by a wire. Display back light working again as expected.

 

[Allan47.7339]

I had the backlight stop working too so the dealer replaced display. When I got it back the backlight worked but if I used the headlight it would repeatedly drop into regen mode. Apparently it was a known issue due to a firmware mismatch. They had used a display model part to get the bike back to me quicker. When I took it back they had the new part had arrived and the tech test rode the bike to make sure it was fixed. No issues on my 40 mile RT commute.