Something about e-bikes in walkable cities makes people feel like they’re living in the future.
In the past twenty years, e-bikes have garnered massive popularity due to their speed, convenience, and environmental friendliness.
E-bikes have motors and batteries that make them much quicker than some of the other commuting options.
With the introduction of e-bikes, we have also seen infrastructure and laws being created to cater to them. Thus, e-bikes seem to be a successful addition to the fabric of society.
However, like any artificial invention, some issues may arise when you frequently use e-bikes to get around.
The most obvious problems with e-bikes revolve around batteries and motors. These problems recur throughout the e-bike’s life, and are something you must take care of.
Sometimes, your e-bike may not be charging even when connected to the charger. Read on as we tell you why this may be happening.
E-Bike Battery Not Charging
The bike battery not charging is a very common issue. However, that doesn’t render your bike useless. For many people, e-bikes not charging means they can use their bikes in a normal manual mode.
However, if you need to get somewhere on time, an e-bike battery not charging may be the most inconvenient thing.
Electric bikes are bulky because they require batteries and motors. These batteries and motors will amplify the weight of the e-bikes, which means that if your e-bike battery isn’t charging, it becomes more difficult and inconvenient to work the bike.
Common E-bike Battery Issues
E-bike batteries may not be charging due to a wide variety of issues. We have listed some of these below to help you identify ways to fix your battery.
- E-Bike Battery Pack Swelling
If your E-Bike pack is swelling up, there may be issues with the battery itself.
Many batteries have a lithium-ion cell. Some electric bike models may use cells that arrive in a flat pack, which can swell if they suffer damage.
However, if you have Lithium-ion cell batteries, you may find them a lot more resistant to swelling; thus, these are unlikely to get swollen and stop charging.
If your battery isn’t charging, you may look into the e-bike battery pack and check for swelling. If there is swelling, it may be time for you to switch to Lithium-ion batteries for better battery life.
Some battery packs are inside the bike frame. For these battery packs, you must remove the pack from the frame and then check for swelling.
- Capacity Issues
If your battery is too old or has some fault, it won’t be able to hold a charge for a long time.
There may be problems with the battery and how it charges that can prevent its ability to hold a charge.
The performance and range may thus be affected, and your battery could not charge fully.
- Charger Not Responding
Before you start looking for problems with the battery, you must ensure that the charger is working efficiently and that you have attempted to charge the battery completely.
Sometimes, we may not even realize it, but the fix can be as simple as replacing a charger. To check your charger, you must test it. You can get a test screwdriver that indicates the current in any component.
It could also be that your charger is not compatible with your battery.
Sometimes when we buy new chargers, they may not work with our e-bikes, because e-bikes can be very specific in their makes and models.
Thus, it’s necessary to check whether your charger is responsive.
- Electricity Outlet Problems
You may have also not connected to the outlet correctly, or your electrical outlet does not work.
Most outlets have LEDs that indicate when they’re supplying electricity. However, sometimes the LEDs can be broken or dimmed, so you may not know if you’ve hooked the battery properly.
For this matter, you should check the outlet first by using another appliance. Another appliance you may use can include a vacuum or even a lamp that could indicate the power supply from the outlet.
It may seem very basic, but sometimes people forget to check whether their power supply outlet is even working.
Once you’re clear that your charger isn’t working due to electricity outlet problems, you can switch to a different one.
- Overheating
Sometimes you may have left your battery on for too long, which may have caused it to overheat.
If you have done this multiple times, your battery will not respond the usual way. Your battery will give up and stop charging.
In certain batteries, overcharging and heating will fry the network connections, so you won’t be able to use the charger again.
Once the battery is damaged, all you can do is replace it because chances are that you will never be able to charge it to the same degree again.
- BMS Problems
Every battery has a Battery Management System or BMS that checks the charge coming in and protects the chip in the battery from going through any major ruin.
This BMS will stop the battery from overheating due to overcharging.
It also protects the internal cells or components if any harm may come to the battery. If the BMS gets damaged, then it’s very likely that your battery will not respond the way you require it to.
If the BMS is ruined, the chip inside your battery will also get ruined, which means that you may not be able to charge your battery properly. The simple way to recover your battery is by replacing the BMS.
- Problems With Charging Fuse
Another reason that your battery may not be charging could have to do with the charging fuse. You may not be able to charge or discharge the fuse, making charging difficult.
The fuse exists so the electric current does not pass a certain limit. If you want to confirm the issue with the charging fuse, then you may have to measure the battery voltage at the discharging port.
If there’s no voltage, you may find that the fuse is damaged, so your battery will not charge.
- Physical Damage to the Battery
Sometimes the battery gets damaged physically and thus can no longer charge as necessary.
Drops from high places or even exposure to moisture can sometimes lead to reduced performance in the battery or complete failure. Thus, you must avoid any major damage to the battery.
Ways to Fix an E-Bike Battery that Won’t Charge
- Check Connections and the Socket
The simplest way to fix a battery problem in your e-bike is by looking at the connections.
You also want to verify that everything is working perfectly and that the wall socket delivers electricity in the way you want.
Checking connections means ensuring that the charger and switch both have LEDs that are lighting up. It’s a basic fix and may be why your battery is not charging.
- Use the Correct Charger
Sometimes the charger you’re using is not appropriate or doesn’t have the wattage that your e-bike needs. For this reason, it would be necessary for you to get the correct charger before attempting to charge your battery.
- Check the Battery Voltage and Replace
Some batteries won’t charge completely, possibly because they can’t register the voltage to the same level again.
You can check how the voltage works by using multimeters and measuring the voltage compared to the number written on the pack.
If the battery voltage is less than that written on the battery exterior, it may be time to replace it.
- Check the Battery Contacts
The battery may have become dirty or corroded, so it’s necessary to check that the part with the connection connects to the battery.
If they aren’t clean, you can clean the contact with a clean cloth and a battery cleaner.
- Let the Battery Cool Down
If the battery has become too hot, it likely will not charge. Instead, you can unplug it for a while and leave it in a cool room so that it can dispel some of its heat.
Once properly cooled, you may see how the battery reacts to charging again. If it heats up again, it may be time for a replacement.
- Reset the BMS
We talked about the Battery Management System and its importance for the battery’s integrity. If you find a problem with the BMS, you can reset it.
However, this process can be complicated, so you want a professional to do this.
Final Thoughts
E-bike batteries not charging is an extremely common issue. However, there are many reasons that this may be happening.
It could be as simple as using the wrong charger and supply outlets, to more complicated issues like a problem with the BMS.
Once you know the issues, you can troubleshoot and fix the problems with ease.
To ensure your battery continues charging, you must conduct the appropriate maintenance and charge it effectively.
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