Specialized Vado 5 rear light not working

[999nutta]

Evening all.
Went to check on the bike this evening before an early cycle to work in the morning, the integrated rear light was very dim and flickering. It then turned off completely and won't turn back on.
Bike powers up fine and front working.

Any ideas please

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Sorry to say it but a visit at your Specialized LBS would be recommended. Is your Vado on warranty?

 

[999nutta]

Still under warranty. I was hoping it may be a simple fix.
I've booked it in for the weekend so will have to use another rear light

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It could be a simple fix were you inclined electrically. You know, a multimetre, soldering iron... I'm not myself anymore!

 

[Rich W.]

I bought two Teros and had the fenders/lights/rack kit installed on both. One had a faulty tail light and they had to send it back and replace it. It was a shop job because (they say) any owner access to the electircal system of the bike voids the warranty.

 

[Allan47.7339]

Another place to check, remove the rear wheel and look at the wire routing along the inside of the fender and also check where it goes from the frame through the fender. You might have picked up a rock and nicked a wire or abraded one of the wires with the tire. Since you already have an appointment at a shop it's probably easier to let them do the checking. I know when you use it for commuting it is a nuisance to have to go to the shop.

 

[gpburdell]

As @Allan47.7339 suggests, check the wiring in the fender. See if it's perhaps come out of the channel and been abraded by the tire.

Even if so, it'd still be a job best left to the shop to repair though since the wire size can be a little tricky to solder if you don't have a good low power iron and appropriate waterproof shrinkwrap to seal the repair. Even replacing the cable is probably more than I'd suggest the typical owner do; in addition to removing the wheel, fender, and rack you'd also need to remove the left crank arm and motor cover. While not overly difficult, it is fairly involved.

@Rich W. strictly speaking - in the US at least - warranties aren't monolithic, existing as a binary Valid or Void status. Yes, if your actions or an aftermarket part causes a problem the repair won't be covered, but otherwise the manuf hasn't a basis to do such a denial. Particularly for unrelated issues. c.f. Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

Tip - three or four pieces of gaffer tape along the wire channel helps ensure the wire remains in place.

 

[Allan47.7339]

If you really want to protect the wiring inside a fender use aluminum foil HVAC duct tape. It's very durable and will not come off as long as you've cleaned the surface. It's a little more expensive and has a peel off layer to expose the adhesive so you can easily use scissors to cut it to size and fit first.

 

[999nutta]

Bike went in and they think it was loose connections. Seemed ok when i collected it......at least it comes on now.
However it is still flickering and not right.
Can anyone tell me how to remove the light part please

 

[gpburdell]

Can anyone tell me how to remove the light part please

Light is held in place by the two screws that attach the reflector bracket (varia bracket on a 5.0) to the rack.

You’ll probably need to remove the rear wheel and fender to get to the plate which holds the wire to the channel in the bottom of the rack in order to have enough slack to pull the light out.

GLOW - Spanninga Bicycle Lights

The GLOW stands for the integrated rearlight designed for the COMMUTER CARRIER concept developed in collaboration with other international experts.

spanninga.com

https://spanninga.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GLOW-XE-instruction-manual-1.pdf