Yamaha PW-X speed sensor error

Mike TowpathTraveler said:
Completely agree about parts availability in our country or Canada for that matter for the Yamaha ebike drive system. It's totally unsatisfactory.

Most everything about US ebiking is making the sale of the complete ebike. But when it comes to repairing your drive system, you have to invest alot of internet time looking for that ONE dealer who might carry the particular part you need. Chances are, you won't find it cause it's just not there. And should an internal motor or battery issue pop up, the drive component becomes a static piece of a paper weight.

No battery re-celling available for this drive; no BMS replacement part, no torque sensors, no internal motor circuitry boards to be had. People in the United States should not have to go to an European online bike supply dealer for a part that should have been long, long ago stocked by US Yamaha ebike drive dealers. Rant over.
Click to expand...

Good news, I am able to access that bolt on the drive side hiding under the chainring without having to remove the chainring, and the little plastic clip that the sensor wire feeds through is in fact split, so once I get the replacement cable I should be able to feed it through the clip.

I now have to source the cable. With shipping, buying it from Europe will cost $80 USD, which is rediculous.

After an extensive google search that produced few results, it appears this cable comes in a few lengths, as per Raleigh:


And the length I need for the PW-X is 650mm, which is sold at the RideIt shop that Mike linked too in Italy, and also here:

Yamaha E- bike Speed sensor without

✔ Yamaha electric bike speed sensor without magnet ➤ online shop
www.hibike.com www.hibike.com

I bought the bike from Crazy Lenny's less than two years ago, I will call them tomorrow to see if they can get a replacement from Yamaha. This will be interesting to see how their support is after the sale.

If they don't help, I will try local Giant dealers, as this should be the same cable on their SyncDrive Pro motors from a few years ago.

Worst case, I'll have to pay up and import from Europe. My next eBike will be a Bosch for the replacement parts issues that I now realize are endemic to eBiking in the USA.

In the meantime, is anybody aware of any YouTube videos for dropping a pw-x motor? I can find videos for the pw and pw-se, but not pw-x.

On the drive side of the bike, there is an 11nm bolt hiding under the chainring, another 11nm bolt just below the battery terminals, and five 3mm bolts around the skid plate.

On the non-drive side, there is a 22nm bolt near the back of the motor (by the rear wheel), another 22nm bolt under the battery terminal, and two 3mm bolts around the skid plate. There are also three bolts surrounding the part containing the Yamaha logo.

I am not sure which bolts require removal, but I believe I will do a better job taking my time than a local dealer will, and plan to do the job myself.

EADA728E-6BB5-4DE5-BCC0-AB218E00F4A7.jpeg


image.jpg



On a side-note, Mike, you mentioned that to remove the chainring from the spider I will need a special nut for taking out the PW-X crank. At some point that chainring will need replacement, as I am at 3000 miles on the bike.

I have never removed a chainring myself (on any bike), and am not sure how it disconnects from the spider, but if I need a proprietary part for the pw-x to replace the chainring, then this sounds like another guaranteed problem for down the road.
 
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The issues I observe about the Yamaha are the same with Bosch, Brose and Shimano. Read on the ebike forums about the awful track record of the new EP8 motor by Shimano over on MTBR. It's abysmal. Link: https://www.mtbr.com/threads/new-shimano-ep8-failure-anyone-else-out-there-with-a-warranty.1182976/

This is the special spider nut gear socket that you need to remove the spider: https://ebikemotorrepair.com/product/yamaha-pw-x-and-pw-x2-chainring-spider-nut-tool/

But first, you need to remove the crank arm and this is the crank arm puller that you need: https://ebikemotorrepair.com/product/crank-arm-puller/

The chain ring is by FSA and there is a US distributor. It is where I got my replacement outer big chain ring. That ring is held onto the spider with special nuts and bolts that you can get through FSA. There is a special tool you need to hold the backside chain ring retainer nut. Park Tools likely has that. Having these tools on hand means you don't have to pay some shop alot of bucks to repair what you can do at home. I did it and I've no doubt you can, too.

Those two items are carried by the US seller who is connected with Performance Line Bearings out of England. They also carry a motor bearing replacement kit for our Yamahas in addition to carrying the main bull gear inside the motor. Take a look at their site.

Parts are parts and parts are proprietary, exclusive to Yamaha or Bosch or Brose. So there is a price built in that we have to pay if we want to play!

If you have too much slack in that sensor wire, you need to tuck it into the motor bracket casing. Give enough slack for the shock to do it's thing without putting tension on the wire.
 
you should NOT need to remove the crank to remove that 36T chainring- anything over 34 T can be juggled around to slide over the crank . At least a 34 t race face slides off easily - nb a 32 t is VERY tight but at least a one up components 32 can just slide on....
 
bikeman242 said:
I'm waiting on the cable from Lenny's. Should have it soon.
Click to expand...

Would you believe my old giant threw a speed sensor issue last week, it's an $11 ( aus) part so I just grabbed one from the lbs , fixed within an hour . My 2018 full e pro has the wires running under the motor ( yamaha pwx) There is a bash plate providing "protection" -$12 sacrificial item... I just sat back and watched my 13 yo do the job. When I bought the bike, I thought running wires under the motor was a bad design - now I appreciate not having to drop the motor!
 
Everything ebike-part-related seems to be cheaper in the EU (and the rest of the world), but only if you're in the EU.
Otherwise you must pay shipping and VATs, which add up to around what USA retail prices are.
That's been my experience, anyway 🤷‍♂️
 
LimboJim said:
Everything ebike-part-related seems to be cheaper in the EU (and the rest of the world), but only if you're in the EU.
Otherwise you must pay shipping and VATs, which add up to around what USA retail prices are.
That's been my experience, anyway 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
Technically speaking, you could get VAT refund on import to the U.S (probably not worthwhile and complicated). I once bought an expensive DSLR camera in Norway (which is not in the EU) and got 25% refund on the purchase after I took the camera to Poland.

Bear in mind, we need to pay the VAT and shipping inside the EU. However, the benefit of the single market is you can buy from anywhere in the EU, and get the shipment pretty fast. I often buy spare bike parts (otherwise unavailable) in German online stores.
 
On two separate orders for Haibike battery stickers as well on 2 separate orders for Schwalbe Jumbo Jims and I can tell you that the VAT does not apply to deliveries destined to the USA. It was never charged on any of my 4 orders for stickers or tires.

Shipping for decals were pricey imo (I think I paid 40 bucks total for a shipment of 3 sets on one order, but such is life when the H-Bike USA distributor does not have those decals available to US H-bike owners).

The 2 Schwalbe Jumbo Jims I got from Spain and the UK exclusively, priced out not much more than had I bought them some 90 miles to the west of me in Lancaster, PA at Universal Cycles.

Obviously, @LimboJim 's experience with VAT is much different than what I found.
 
On another front somewhat related to dealing with Euro bike shops from a US customer perspective: I'd like to get my hands on one of those 745wh E-Bike Vision Yamaha batteries for my H-Bike. There are plenty of German bike shops on Ebay Germany with the battery in stock.

Not a one of them will ship to the United States.

This snubbing of a US customer is not exclusive to a pricey ebike battery. It applies to many, many, many other bike parts, automobile parts and so on.

I'm just thinking aloud as to when this economic war by Germany began against US consumers.....

Heck, it kinda helps explain maybe why Haibke USA got shafted out of the 2021 models and now, the amount of 2022 models has been severely cut back from previous years. Somethings going on and it goes beyond just one retailer not shipping to the US. It's the vast majority of them.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Sending batteries overseas seems a tricky business, don't you think Mike?
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I'm not sure, Stefan. We're talking new batteries that are in a discharged, deep sleep mode. Relatively safe and properly packed in accordance with international rules on shipping lithium ion batteries. And they would arrive by cargo ship, a hop, skip and jump across the Atlantic to the East Coast.

People on this forum seem to have absolutely no problem in dealing with Chinese ebike battery vendors (we even seem to know one by her English name, Jenny); why is it so completely opposite when it comes to Germany?

I own an old Opel GT. There is a vendor in Germany who deals often with US buyers for his reproduction parts and his service is excellent. Several others, as well. His business is the exception to the norm. If I were to go to ebay germany and look up parts for the Opel, more often than not, it's "Does Not Ship To US", over and over and over.

But back to @bikeman242 's dilemma: It should not take over 2 months (and counting) to wait for a simple sensor wire; from a US seller who sold hundreds and hundreds of these mid drive Yamaha powered ebikes. I'd like to know the backstory to that one.
 
Mike,

When you dropped the motor housing on your PW motor, which bolt did you use as your pivot, to keep the motor housing from falling off? On my PW-X, on the drive side, have an 11nM bolt hiding behind the chain ring, and another 11nM bolt closer to the battery terminal. On the non-drive side, I have two 22nM bolts, one near the rear and another near the battery terminal.

Any tips in general for dropping the motor housing? I don't want to mess it up.
 
bikeman242 said:
Mike,

When you dropped the motor housing on your PW motor, which bolt did you use as your pivot, to keep the motor housing from falling off? On my PW-X, on the drive side, have an 11nM bolt hiding behind the chain ring, and another 11nM bolt closer to the battery terminal. On the non-drive side, I have two 22nM bolts, one near the rear and another near the battery terminal.

Any tips in general for dropping the motor housing? I don't want to mess it up.
Click to expand...
Bill, the pics I posted there in Post #7 are self explanatory. But in your case, the clear access I needed for the top-forward part of the motor is not what you want.

If that were my BH, I'd take whatever screws there are off from the chain ring side; then remove the big bolt that is at about the 3-4 o'clock position on the non-chain ring side. Then.......loosen up the top left big bolt......that will act as your pivot. You can even then snug it up to keep the motor in whatever swung positon you want.

Of course, the skid plate and related screws comes off first.

Just be mindful to tuck all wires back in position with a careful emphasis that the wires are not squeezed by the motor casing/motor frame bracket; when setting the motor back into it's proper position.
 
bikeman242 said:
The cable is costing $65 from Lenny's. Not sure why the same cable can be imported from Europe for under 20 euros...plus 40 euros in shipping costs to ship to USA...
Click to expand...

Are you still talking about the speed sensor with cable, and did you check prices with giant?

I'm starting to wonder if my lbs got the price wrong - $11 aus seemed extremely cheap, especially when it came with a spare spoke magnet. They do sometimes give me discounts without me realising it, but there was no reason to discount this .
 
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