Common e-bike battery problems and how to solve them

When you own an e-bike or e-bike kit, you know that there is nothing worse than spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on an e-bike or kit only to have the battery fail. I don't mean anything else, we just want to tell you that e-bike batteries are built to last, but they are still prone to failure if they are not adequately cared for over their lifetime.
You may ask what kind of battery failures can you expect? And how do you go about fixing it? Well, I'm sure this article will help you, so if you want to know more, then read on!

Electric Bike Battery Problems

When it comes to e-bike troubleshooting, there are several factors that can cause problems with your battery.
- Swollen e-bike battery pack
- E-bike batteries not running for long periods of time
- Electric bike battery not charging
- E-bike battery pack not maintaining a certain charge level
- Electric bicycle does not accelerate
- Electric bicycle won't turn on
But don't worry, we're here to tell you how to deal with each of these situations.

Swollen e-bike battery pack

If your e-bike's battery pack swells up, then you probably have a fairly serious problem with one - or more - of the lithium-ion batteries. An e-bike battery is a battery pack made up of several cells and is generally smooth in appearance throughout. If your battery has suffered some damage then it may swell up and once it does then you need to be careful with your battery.
If you notice a bulge in your e-bike's battery, the first thing you should do is turn off your power and carefully remove the battery from your e-bike. If you are sure that your battery is no longer usable or repairable, then it is a good idea to recycle it - most cities have a battery collection point and you don't need to worry about it.
Of course, you might argue that with many of the e-bikes on the market today, the batteries are integrated into the e-bike frame, making it somewhat difficult to notice if your battery pack has expanded. You can therefore get a professional to check it for you. Regular checks are essential and of course many batteries can be removed, but it is worth reminding you that before you do so, remember that you must disconnect some power sources to prevent danger from arising.

E-bike batteries not running for long periods of time

Lithium-ion batteries have a typical life span of 700 charge cycles. Generally speaking your battery will not be fully charged to its full capacity within this time period. But over time your e-bike battery will get worse and worse, but you don't need to worry about it at all because by the time you notice that your e-bike is getting shorter and shorter between charges, your e-bike should have been in use for years and this is normal aging for e-bikes.
If you find that your e-bike's battery is not running as long as it used to, then please double check the following points.
* Is your e-bike battery pack being charged to 100%?
* Do you have a dragging of a disc brake?
* Do you have a short circuit in the battery, wires or motor?
* Are the wheel bearings of your e-bike spinning freely?
* Is the terrain you are riding on uphill?
* Are you assisted by pedaling?
Any of the above conditions can cause your battery to drain very quickly, so you need to know that it is not the case that any time your battery causes you not to travel further than you can, it is a judgement call based on the conditions that are not used.

Electric bike battery not charging

If your e-bike battery appears not to be charging, you should first check the following.
* Is the power on at the socket turned on?
* Is the battery hot?
* Has the battery been left uncharged for several months?
* Is the charger working and is the output voltage accurate?
* Is the battery charger port full of dirt?
* Has the fuse in the battery pack or charger of the e-bike been blown?
All of the above points may to cause your battery to appear to not charge, if your battery is not charging please follow the above points strictly to check each one.

E-bike battery pack not maintaining a certain charge level

The lithium-ion batteries in electric bicycles have a good rechargeability. However, like any other type of battery they may not have such a good charging capacity and they will slowly discharge over time. If you have left your e-bike for a long time without charging it, then you would be wise to charge your e-bike battery and see how it is.
If you notice that when you charge your battery it is still discharging rapidly without being used, then it may have a short circuit somewhere or the battery may be faulty.
We have provided you with a quick test tip that will help you spot the problem. Remove the battery pack from your e-bike, then charge the battery and leave it off your e-bike for testing. If the battery holds a charge, then the problem is with your e-bike and is most likely a short in the bike's wiring or motor. But if the battery does not charge and discharge, then your Li-Ion battery is faulty and you will need to repair or replace it.
Electric bicycle does not accelerate

There are many reasons why your e-bike doesn't accelerate. Sometimes it may simply be that the pedal crank or on the rear hub motor has become dirty, causing you to struggle to pedal, and you simply need to clean them with a rag.
In addition to this, we find that most high quality e-bikes are equipped with a switch on the front and rear brakes to stop the drive motor, in some cases these switches can get stuck and cause them to fail, this can also cause your e-bike to accelerate insignificantly and in order to check the limit switch you may have to go and remove the entire rear brake lever or front brake lever, this is why you should Another reason to avoid leaving your e-bike out in the rain.
There are also a number of reasons why your e-bike may not be accelerating and we would remind you to check that your e-bike is in the correct mode, such as pedal assist, pedal only or throttle only, sometimes you may not be sure what mode you are in and therefore there is no way to figure out why your e-bike is not accelerating.
It's also worth noting that e-bike motors usually have a minimum speed that you can activate by pedalling or throttling, but different cities have different traffic rules, so the maximum speed limit for an e-bike varies from area to area, and once the motor reaches the maximum speed limit it will stop further power, although of course if you are perfectly capable of pedalling faster yourself, you can still pedal faster than that. But the motor won't give you the help you need to raise it any higher.
These are the ideas we have provided for you to check against to see what conditions will cause your e-bike not to accelerate.
Electric bicycle won't turn on

If your e-bike doesn't turn on, then the first thing you should do is check that your main switch is in the 'on' position. Next, you will want to check the fuse for the battery pack. As the battery is usually located in the rear tailstock or frame section, it can be blown due to short circuit, vibration, over-current or over time, so you will need to check the condition of your fuse and if it is in good condition and the battery pack is fully charged, check that the speed controller is also in good condition. The speed controller is the component that sends the signal to turn on the battery pack and if it is damaged then the speed controller may be faulty, so you will need to check them all in order.
In addition, you will need to check that your battery pack is fully charged, if your battery is low it will also prevent your e-bike from starting. Another check you need to make here is to check that the wires are connected correctly. Mountain e-bikes often have wires that have shifted at the connections, so you need to check them carefully.
Conclusion
We have to admit that with the gradual improvement and progress in the e-bike market, the problems that arise with e-bike batteries have come a long way. It is true that problems do occur occasionally, but most of them can be solved easily and quickly.
We hope that our tips above will help you to maintain your e-bike and keep it running quickly and for a long time.
Finally, we would like to remind you that the main dangers of e-bike batteries are overheating and low voltage, so you need to make sure that your battery is always sufficiently charged.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and we'll be happy to talk to you!