Problem - assistance cuts-out intermittently

D

Deleted member 4366

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The problem is that it uses CAN-bus communications between various parts. Bionx is the same. There's very little you can do to self-diagnose. Only an authorised dealer would have the equipment to read the errors. As a pure guess, maybe you've got/had water in your display.
 

shemozzle999

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 28, 2009
2,826
686
Hi williec79,

As d8veh has said your bike has a USB port on the control panel which can be used to access your bikes software for diagnostics but you need the diagnostic software program to access it.

You will have to do some further digging for information if you want to fix the existing bike.

The company website is still up and shows the dealer network contact details and it might be worth trying to telephone the old dealers to see if they have the program:

http://www.veloscoot.com/revendeurs-velos-electriques

The site also shows a telephone contact number for reporting stolen bikes it might be worth seeing if that is still live:

+33 5 49 49 10 00

You have probably already found the assembly video:


It shows the names of the MFC employees involved with the production of your bike it might be worth trying to find out their email addresses and email your problems directly to them regarding spares and maybe diagnostic software.

There is also some videos with Veloscoot employees - also names shown on screen :




I could not find a user manual for your bike but have found one that has the control panel you have - it says on page 20 that it should show a fault code number on the bottom of the display next to a yellow warning triangle, have you noticed one after it fails?

http://rosaire-a.org/que_choisir/Notice-Plios-Urban-SAD2-3032651834366-AB.pdf
 
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williec79

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 15, 2015
19
3
79400 France
Hello d8veh & shemozzle999,

I bet you thought what an ungrateful twit for not replying to the last two postings. I have been in UK for the last 2 weeks or so on family matters, & although I checked emails, there were no notifications of new postings (no idea why), but regrettably I did not think to check the pedelecs web site.

As I only got back home very recently, I have not yet the time to check out all the points made in the last two postings. However, the web site for "revendeurs" is not available (error 404) & the all telephone contact lines are dead.

What I have decided to do, is making a visit to MFC in Machecoul tomorrow (some150k) with the bike on the carrier. They have not responded to the two emails, but it's worth a try.

Once again many thanks for your continued assistance & I will keep you posted on the outcome of tomorrow's visit.
 
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williec79

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 15, 2015
19
3
79400 France
Hello d8veh & shemozzle999,

This is a follow-up to my posting of last Wednesday when I said that I had planned to visit MFC the following day, Thursday 1st October.

On one aspect, the visit went well, insofar as my wife and I were made welcome, and the Directeur Géneral (no less) & a Commercial Assistant came to talk to us. After listening to our tale of woe, the DG said that the current state of "administration" of Véloscoot had caused huge difficulties for his company, (presumably including unpaid invoices for the assembly work). He would not elaborate except to say that around 1500 bicycles were affected. He also said that MFC did not possess any of the rights to any of the parts of the Véloscoot bikes - these rights remained with Véloscoot and MFC had been purely contracted to assemble the bikes. Therefore MFC itself could offer no direct assistance to us.

He asked how we knew of MFC's involvement, & we produced copies of the bike label showing the MFC name & the Machecoul address, as well as a copy of the label attached to the controller, which gave its reference numbers. We mentioned that someone had told us that the controller had been manufactured in China, and the Commercial Assistant went off to check the Controller reference numbers. She returned & said that some Controllers had indeed been made in China, but ours had been made by a French company situated in the south of France. She gave us detailed contact names & email addresses at that company & suggested that we contact it with all the details. The DG said that he did not know the situation as regards the ownership rights of the Controller, but it would be worth following up.

The DG finally said that the French court is now expected to report on the future legal status of Véloscoot sometime this month (October 2015).

Incidentally the MFC set-up is very impressive (it claims to be the largest bike manufacturer in France), and has a factory, a large administration/R &D building, with a showroom on the second floor, and a factory shop outlet all on the same site.

I have e-mailed the French company & will let you know the outcome.
 

shemozzle999

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 28, 2009
2,826
686
Hi williec79,

Glad you followed up with the visit to MFC albeit without any tangible result.

Good luck with the controller manufacturer although as it was marked up as a MFC product I would have thought that any part warranty/responsibility would remain on their doorstep although I am not sure about the French consumers rights - perhaps you could find out about them.

If it were me I would make copies of the videos showing their involvement in the product just in case they get taken down.

Look forward to the outcome of your email.
 

Brad Allen

De-registered
Oct 6, 2015
4
0
United States
You're not providing us a lot to go on. It'll be a opportunity in a thousand if any community participant knows what you have. You could begin by offering some images.

spam removed
 
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Croxden

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2013
2,134
1,384
North Staffs
Have you ever seen Brad Allen & d8veh in the same room together?
 
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Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
Brad Allen is an idiot. I'm also pretty sure that he's a peadophile and that his genitals are smaller than avarage.

There, I've said it.

But I'm also pretty sure he's a bot.
 

Croxden

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2013
2,134
1,384
North Staffs
Brad Allen is an idiot. I'm also pretty sure that he's a peadophile and that his genitals are smaller than avarage.

There, I've said it.

But I'm also pretty sure he's a bot.
What a terrible thing to say, accusing him of being a bot!
 
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williec79

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 15, 2015
19
3
79400 France
Hi Shemozzle999& d8veh,

An update after I contacted the French company which apparently made the controller for our Véloscoot. Having received no reply after a week or so, I E-mailed the second name I had been given at the same company. The following day I received a reply from the first contact to say that they could not help me "at this time" but requested that I keep in touch with them on a monthly basis. It would appear that whilst Véloscoot is under the jurisdiction of the French court system that these two companies (MFC & the controller manufacturer) are prohibited from any dealings involving Véloscoot.

I cannot see what else can be done, until the French court system decides on the future of Véloscoot, which, according to the Directeur Général of MFC is expected to be announced later this month.

Once again many thanks to Shemozzle999 & d8veh for your helpful contributions to our problem.
 

williec79

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 15, 2015
19
3
79400 France
Hi there shemozzle999,

Many thanks for your posting & for keeping a watchful eye on Veloscoot developments. I have been keeping in touch with MFC & their latest information (some 2 weeks ago just after liquidation was announced), was that by early to mid December, they ought to be in a position to help me. Coincidentally, I called the contact today to ask for news but she was not in today. I shall keep you posted.
 
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shemozzle999

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 28, 2009
2,826
686
Hi there shemozzle999,

Many thanks for your posting & for keeping a watchful eye on Veloscoot developments. I have been keeping in touch with MFC & their latest information (some 2 weeks ago just after liquidation was announced), was that by early to mid December, they ought to be in a position to help me. Coincidentally, I called the contact today to ask for news but she was not in today. I shall keep you posted.
Hi williec79,

Hopefully your patience will reap rewards and if they can solve your problem it would generate some excellent PR for them. Fingers crossed for you.
 

williec79

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 15, 2015
19
3
79400 France
Hi There Shemozzle999,
After all this time, good news at last.
Two separate but related things eventually happend towards the end of March.
One of the companies I had been pestering (Arelec) who manufactured the controller for Veloscoot, eventually replied to say that an Association had been created by a former Veloscoot user to try to assist users like of myself. I contacted this user group & the man explained that whilst Arelec would NOT supply parts to private individuals (a typical French way of doing business), but they were willing to supply parts to Cycle Retailers. The problem was now to try to find a sympathetic retailer who would work on my behalf.
I approached one local shop who said he would consider it over the next week or so.

The second event occurred before I had heard b
 

williec79

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 15, 2015
19
3
79400 France
Hi There Shemozzle999,
After all this time, good news at last.
Two separate but related things eventually happened towards the end of March.
One of the companies I had been pestering (Arelec) who manufactured the controller for Veloscoot, eventually replied to say that an Association had been created by a former Veloscoot user to try to assist users like of myself. I contacted this user group & the man explained that whilst Arelec would NOT supply parts to private individuals (a typical French way of doing business), but they were willing to supply parts to Cycle Retailers. The problem was now to try to find a sympathetic retailer who would work on my behalf.
I approached one local shop who said he would consider it over the next week or so.

The second event occurred before I had heard back from the local bike shop. I had a telephone call from MFC (the company who had undertaken the assembly of the last batch of Veloscoot electric bikes, before it ceased trading). They said they were eventually in a position to help, although of course not under any warranty condition. For the price of 140€, they would uplift the bike from our home address, deliver it to their factory near Nantes (around 200km away), & carry out a re-programming of the electrics. They would contact me for the go-ahead to fit any new parts required, with such costs being given. The bike would then be shipped back to my home address.

We took up this offer, and the bike was duly uplifted and returned within 2 weeks with no new parts being required.

Due to both my wife and I having health issues, our use of the bike since its return has been limited, but our neighbour (who has an identical bike), has given it a 30k 'road test' and she believes it is better than new, and indeed better performing than her own.

So it would appear to be 'a happy ending' afterall.

Once again many thanks for all your detective work and support and to the other forum members who offered assistance.

Regards,

WillieC79
 
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shemozzle999

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 28, 2009
2,826
686
Hi WillieC79,

I am so pleased to hear that you have finally got the bike back on the road.

It looks like you and other Veloscoot users now have a means of support.

I admire your calm determination to finding a solution to your problem and was also pleased that the Pedelecs community and MFC was able to help you in your quest.

Just one of the advantages of sharing information and I hope you keep posting and let us know how you get on once you and your wife's health situation improve.

All the best for the new riding season.

shemozzle999

It might help other Veloscoot users if you request the moderator to add "Veloscoot" to the beginning of thread title so that it will have a wider presence on the internet
 
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