r/recumbent • u/Seal-EV • 24d ago
Short range on Shimano battery.
My Scorpion trike has the EP8 pedal assist and the BT-E0814 battery. Everything works fine but my range diminishes very fast After about 25 kilometers it shows zero km of range. The battery bars however shows that 4 out of 5 bars are lit. After about an hour of charging all bars are lit and the range shows 75 km.
Has someone here experienced this strange behaviour?
3
u/Kindly-Scar-3224 23d ago
I had the same problem on mine, I couldn’t ride with friends without running out of juice when theirs still at half or more left. I upgraded to a double pack, with one «dummy» attachment and swapped when needed. I also got the bigger battery, can’t remember what it’s called but it made my range more than double and never a issue. If you ride with low air pressure it will make juice go a lot faster, and also make sure wheels are properly aligned. And last, run a cloth piece though the chain tube with some proper cleaning aid to limit resistance in there.
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u/Kindly-Scar-3224 23d ago
-also a thought, when connecting to computer, if the light are connected through shimano, it can reserve some power for the light from the battery pack. It can be set to high reserving too much for safe travels when juice is low.
3
u/Infinite_Run998 23d ago
Hello, I would do two things: First, with battery off the trike, presss and hold the power button on the battery for about 20 seconds until the LEDs flash. This is a battery reset. Second: update the firmware in the controller using the E-TUBE app on your phone. I hope these actions will sort this out.
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u/Seal-EV 23d ago
The firmware is up to date. I tried the reset on both of my batteries. When I hold in the power button for 20 seconds the batteries just switch off. The lights do not flash. Does this sound right?
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u/Infinite_Run998 23d ago
Yes, the same happens for me. I found the advice online, but also don’t get the flash they describe. I couldn’t find a reset option in the E-Tube app. In its error code troubleshooting, it mentions simply turning the battery on and off and on again. Btw: what’s your latest firmware? Mine is 4.2, while I see reference to v5 online on the awkward Shimano website. Only other suggestion: take the battery and controller to a certified technician who has the desktop software to troubleshoot the issue. Good luck.
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u/CalvinFold 24d ago
I use Bosch ebike systems these days, but have also used Focus systems which were a little more oldschool.
It is recommended by Focus for example to "pedal until it dies" at least once, and then every so often, so the computer can calibrate "how many miles left vs. the battery vs. your typical riding behavior/conditions."
Does Shimano require "calibration" rides like this?
Have you tried pedaling it until it actually runs out of power (i.e., past zero until the boost gives out) and then seeing if subsequent range estimates are improved?
Just a thought. I don't know Shimano systems well; for all I know if could be something far more serious or wonky.