Bosch Motor shutdown, Error 503, get you home only.

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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Electric Transport Shop

Official Trade Member

Nov 13, 2018
Hi Soundwave,
I hope you're keeping well and enjoying your e-bike.
I just noticed your post suggesting that e-bikeshop are the only dealer that will fit dongles and honour warranties and because you're a very active member just wanted to let you know that this is also the case for us at electricbikesales.co.uk
In fact we've been providing fast ebikes for commuting and fun loving e-bikers since 2005.

I hope you don't mind me contacting you about this.

What are your thoughts about the FlyOn models? We will have demos in all of our stores. They use a different speed sensing method....

All the Best.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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and try email martin at ebike shop he will say the same thing.
 

Amoto65

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 2, 2017
807
502
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Cheshire
and try email martin at ebike shop he will say the same thing.
Fair enough if that is the case although they also say it will void your warranty, as quoted on The Electric Transport Shop website.
Can derestricting my e-Bike, cause problems?
Although we have had no reported technical issues due to using this dongle by using it you risk voiding your manufacturer warranties. We will continue to offer the free labour warranty that we offer with all e-bikes bought from us but if your e-bike manafacturer discovers a way to tell that you have unlocked your electric bike system they may void your bike warranty.
 
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Prefect

Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2020
32
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I am expecting to pay!
By theway my dealer told me Bosch apply the three knock rule!
Ever heard of it?
 

Amoto65

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 2, 2017
807
502
61
Cheshire
I am expecting to pay!
By theway my dealer told me Bosch apply the three knock rule!
Ever heard of it?
Never heard of it, can only assume they mean if the error comes up 3 or more times on their diagnostics they conclude the engine has been tampered with.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
I am expecting to pay!
By theway my dealer told me Bosch apply the three knock rule!
Ever heard of it?
yes. They did warn customers on their website.
Error 503 is caused by your method (magnet on crank), error 504 by Badass (and others) dongles.
If you have access to diagnostic tools, you can still reset for now but may be no longer true.

 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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Fair enough if that is the case although they also say it will void your warranty, as quoted on The Electric Transport Shop website.
Can derestricting my e-Bike, cause problems?
Although we have had no reported technical issues due to using this dongle by using it you risk voiding your manufacturer warranties. We will continue to offer the free labour warranty that we offer with all e-bikes bought from us but if your e-bike manafacturer discovers a way to tell that you have unlocked your electric bike system they may void your bike warranty.
bosch can not tell for sure if a dongle has been fitted from factory reports.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Bosch gradually roll out their anti-dongle measures. First, they force the dongle makers to replace their hardware - it's a cat and mouse game, Bosch changes the firmware, old versions of dongles stop working. People like Badass update their code to get round it or release new hardware. The cycle then starts again.
Second, every time you update the firmware on pre 2019 bikes, the new code contains some more anti-dongle measures.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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the bad ass dongles have no programming its just a electronic magnet powerd buy a batt for a flash light
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
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BazP

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 8, 2017
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Sheffield
I had moved the sensor to get it to pick up a magnet on the pedal which worked very well.
I had to put it back to standard when the motor strted creaking in the frame apparantley not torqued correctly at the factory. It was when i went to refit my previously sucess mod that I cocked it up.
So as I said it was my fault. I knew nothing of draconian control measures and error modes, I do now!
I thought I could do what I like with it after I bought it! Doh!
So if I replaced the back wheel with a propellor and made a jet ski out of it would you still expect Bosch to honour the warranty?
I can’t think of any item where messing about and altering it doesn’t void a warranty.
Also applies to hub motors
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
it's not as if Bosch had put a sticker on the speed sensor ''Berühren Sie diesen Radgeschwindigkeitssensor nicht!"

the OP has already accepted that he'll pay for the mistake.
What else do you want him to do?
 
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BazP

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 8, 2017
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Sheffield
it's not as if Bosch had put a sticker on the speed sensor ''Berühren Sie diesen Radgeschwindigkeitssensor nicht!"

the OP has already accepted that he'll pay for the mistake.
What else do you want him to do?
But Bosch has put out warnings against using the speed sensor.

I want him to stop moaning about Bosch not wanting to cover his mistakes.

I suspect that you would react the same as Bosch if I purchased a new hub motor from you then fiddled with it and broke it then expected you to pay for all the repairs.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
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Southend on Sea
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of course I would but the OP didn't break anything.
All he did is akin to one of my customers derestricting their bike. It will void the guarantee on a bike with crank motors but not on bikes with hub motors.
Bikes with the hub motor won't assist at more than 20mph-21mph while a crank motor can go much higher speed thus likely to break the motor prematurely.
You can see why I prefer making bikes with hub motors.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,973
6,292
of course I would but the OP didn't break anything.
All he did is akin to one of my customers derestricting their bike. It will void the guarantee on a bike with crank motors but not on bikes with hub motors.
Bikes with the hub motor won't assist at more than 20mph-21mph while a crank motor can go much higher speed thus likely to break the motor prematurely.
You can see why I prefer making bikes with hub motors.
the only difference between my motor and the s class version is the speed limit set in the software.

so a dongle will just unlock the speed limit the motors were designed for in the first place.

99% of the time it is a faulty bearing over time what is normal wear and tear and the most damage is done when water has got inside and then corrodes everything it touches.

the inside of my motor is like new and even peter said he has not seen one that old in that good condition and i use a dongle.

if you get a faulty motor from new a dongle wont make any difference at all.
 

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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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BazP

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 8, 2017
358
174
74
Sheffield
of course I would but the OP didn't break anything.
All he did is akin to one of my customers derestricting their bike. It will void the guarantee on a bike with crank motors but not on bikes with hub motors.
Bikes with the hub motor won't assist at more than 20mph-21mph while a crank motor can go much higher speed thus likely to break the motor prematurely.
You can see why I prefer making bikes with hub motors.
The fact of what he did is irrelevant He knackered up the software. If this is not possible on a hub motor then there must be other things that a customer can bodge that you would be unhappy to put right for free.
I understand why you prefer making bikes with hub motors because I repair instruments and would always recommend ones that I can look after easily but user damage in the warranty period is not something I would be happy to absorb.
I also understand that the OP is prepared to pay for this but if there is some overriding reason he has chosen a Bosch motor then he must accept their terms of backup. I purchased a bike with a CX motor and have been very happy with it for three years but I bought it knowing of my LBS’s limitations.
Genuine unrelated question: can you repair hub motors at component level with assessable parts or are they swapped out?
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
The fact of what he did is irrelevant He knackered up the software.
he triggered a trap. That was it.
Now he has to pay the dealer to get out of the trap.

If this is not possible on a hub motor then there must be other things that a customer can bodge that you would be unhappy to put right for free.
the main gripe I have is some customers do not keep their bike clean and the tyre pressure up.
 
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