Can you repair your electric bike battery?

Electric bicycle battery is one of the most critical components of electric bicycle. Once the battery is no longer working properly, the motor and many other functions will be restricted. When something goes wrong, the first reaction of many electric bike riders is to try to repair the battery, because repairing the battery you have seems to be cheaper than buying a new battery.

Although it is possible to repair eBike batteries, especially if you only have minor performance issues, the reality is that most eBike batteries are not worth trying to repair them. This is especially true when the battery is severely damaged. Attempting to repair it may cause you injury.

However, due to problems with electric bicycle batteries, we would like to divide the guide into two parts. First, we want to explain some simple techniques that can solve the most common problems people encounter when using electric bicycle batteries. If none of these suggestions work, then you are in a better position to replace the battery than try to repair it.

We hope that our guide will solve your e-bike battery problem, or at least explain why it is better to buy a new battery instead of trying to get the old battery to work.

Common fixes for e-bike battery problems

Tip #1: Perform a full 24-hour charge cycle

Like other batteries, the battery sometimes enters a faulty, negative or non-existent state of charge, that is, the battery cannot maintain the fully charged state shown on the display. This is one of the most common problems with electric bicycle batteries. This can happen when you do not use the battery for a long time, when you transport the battery, or when you only charge the battery for a few minutes, or when you charge randomly.

Fortunately, this is one of the most direct problems solved by using electric bicycle batteries. All you have to do is to leave the battery plugged in for about 24 hours. The continuous power supply throughout the day can remove any false or negative energy accumulated in the battery.

This also helps the BMS (Battery Management System) clear any malfunctions it may have. When your battery does not perform as expected, letting it charge for 24 hours is one of the best things you can do.

Tip #2: Clean the battery, charging and frame ports

If you have a removable battery, you usually remove it from the frame to charge the battery indoors. Although this is a great feature, it usually causes critical battery and frame ports to be exposed. The exposed battery ports will begin to accumulate dust, dirt, and other debris, which can prevent the battery from installing properly. This is why when not being able to connect is the real problem at hand, you may think that your battery is not working properly.

If you think the battery is improperly installed, please clean the frame ports and battery connection points to try to solve the problem. Since you will use electrical components, make sure to use a safe or rated cloth for electrical equipment.

Usually, when the charging and battery ports get dirty, we clean it with a dry microfiber cloth. Although we usually avoid spraying anything on our cleaning cloth, a small amount of smearing or spraying a general cleaning solution can make cleaning easier. If you think the charger is incorrectly connected, be sure to follow the same tips!

Tip #3: Use a multimeter tool to check the battery voltage

If you have tried the above steps and still don’t know what’s wrong with your battery, there is a way to check if it’s worth trying to fix it. Use a multimeter to measure the tool, connect the battery to the device to get the voltage reading of the electric bicycle battery.

If the recommended voltage of your electric bicycle battery is between 80% and 85%, then it is in a good enough working condition, and the problem is probably not the battery itself.

If your voltage is lower than 80%, your battery may have been burnt, and your battery is not worth trying to save at this time. Although only a few batteries may be burned out, installing a new battery paired with an old battery can cause serious performance differences, from uneven charging to a large number of battery failures. If your battery is still less than 80% after being fully charged in 24 hours, please consult the electric bicycle manufacturer for warranty coverage.

Why you shouldn't try to fix advanced e-bike battery issues

Reason #1: It is very difficult and requires multiple tools to complete it correctly.

Reason #2: This is a very expensive process.

Reason #3: You may experience persistent battery issues

So, if your battery is broken, consider upgrading instead of repairing