Display unit or controller fault?

[RobG_UK]

Hi all,

First-time poster here. I’ve had my ebike just over 2 years and in that time I’ve covered nearly 4,500 km. I absolutely love riding it; it honestly feels like some of the best money I’ve ever spent.

My bike is an Eleglide M1 Plus (see here – it seems to have now been renamed the Mopride M1 Plus). It’s a Chinese import that’s very much at the budget end of the scale but it was all I could afford at the time and I’ve mostly been very happy with it.

I was all set to go out for a ride last weekend when I encountered a problem: as soon as I switched the bike on, the handlebar-mounted display came on but the charge level indicator showed zero despite the battery being fully charged. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting the battery and also the connection between the handlebar-mounted display and the battery, to no avail. I tested the battery’s output voltage using a multimeter and confirmed that the battery was indeed fully charged.

I rode the bike round the block, which confirmed that the rear hub motor still activated. However, the speedometer reading on the display remained at zero (as did the charge level indicator). I was able to cycle through the five available assist levels on the display but I have no idea whether this actually affected the power output by the motor.

I also have an app on my phone which connects to the handlebar-mounted display via Bluetooth. This has always worked without a hitch but now will not recognise or connect to the bike.

My initial assumption was that the handlebar-mounted unit has failed. No problem, I thought: a replacement unit only costs £27. Unfortunately the website shows it as being out of stock. I’ve been in touch with Eleglide by email and they’ve confirmed it’s out of stock, with an estimated restock time of two months. I wondered whether I might be able to source a compatible third-party model. (Eleglide said there are no such compatible models but I don’t know whether to believe them.) I did a bit of googling and quickly realised that’s not necessarily a straightforward question to answer.

It then occurred to me that it could conceivably be the controller that has failed rather than the handlebar-mounted unit. (My suspicion remains that it’s the handlebar-mounted unit because that’s the bit that’s Bluetooth-capable, and the Bluetooth connection with the app is no longer working.)

The controller is integrated into the battery cradle. The product page for the controller is here, and here’s a pic of it on my bike, together with a pic of the label:



The product page for the handlebar-mounted display is here, and here's a pic of it on my bike:



So, my first question is this: is there any reliable way to establish whether the problem lies with the controller or the handlebar-mounted display unit?

Very grateful in advance for any help.


Rob

 

[saneagle]

Hi all,

First-time poster here. I’ve had my ebike just over 2 years and in that time I’ve covered nearly 4,500 km. I absolutely love riding it; it honestly feels like some of the best money I’ve ever spent.

My bike is an Eleglide M1 Plus (see here – it seems to have now been renamed the Mopride M1 Plus). It’s a Chinese import that’s very much at the budget end of the scale but it was all I could afford at the time and I’ve mostly been very happy with it.

I was all set to go out for a ride last weekend when I encountered a problem: as soon as I switched the bike on, the handlebar-mounted display came on but the charge level indicator showed zero despite the battery being fully charged. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting the battery and also the connection between the handlebar-mounted display and the battery, to no avail. I tested the battery’s output voltage using a multimeter and confirmed that the battery was indeed fully charged.

I rode the bike round the block, which confirmed that the rear hub motor still activated. However, the speedometer reading on the display remained at zero (as did the charge level indicator). I was able to cycle through the five available assist levels on the display but I have no idea whether this actually affected the power output by the motor.

I also have an app on my phone which connects to the handlebar-mounted display via Bluetooth. This has always worked without a hitch but now will not recognise or connect to the bike.

My initial assumption was that the handlebar-mounted unit has failed. No problem, I thought: a replacement unit only costs £27. Unfortunately the website shows it as being out of stock. I’ve been in touch with Eleglide by email and they’ve confirmed it’s out of stock, with an estimated restock time of two months. I wondered whether I might be able to source a compatible third-party model. (Eleglide said there are no such compatible models but I don’t know whether to believe them.) I did a bit of googling and quickly realised that’s not necessarily a straightforward question to answer.

It then occurred to me that it could conceivably be the controller that has failed rather than the handlebar-mounted unit. (My suspicion remains that it’s the handlebar-mounted unit because that’s the bit that’s Bluetooth-capable, and the Bluetooth connection with the app is no longer working.)

The controller is integrated into the battery cradle. The product page for the controller is here, and here’s a pic of it on my bike, together with a pic of the label:

View attachment 64368 View attachment 64369

The product page for the handlebar-mounted display is here, and here's a pic of it on my bike:

View attachment 64370

So, my first question is this: is there any reliable way to establish whether the problem lies with the controller or the handlebar-mounted display unit?

Very grateful in advance for any help.


Rob

This is the situation for most Chinese bikes. I'd need to see your wiring to confirm that it's the same for yours:

The LCD works independently from the controller, though when you operate the switch to switch on the LCD, the LCD then switches on the power to the controller. In other words, the LCD is the switch for the controller. Once the controller is switched on, the two devices share information, so the selections you make on the LCD are sent to the controller and the controller sends info about current, voltage and speed to the LCD.

If the controller is fully functional, the bike will still work without the LCD connected as long as you bridge the red and the blue wires in the connector. In that mode, you get level 1 pedal assist and normal throttle operation (if you have one).

Bearing in mind the above, it looks like the LCD is not receiving info from the controller, which indicates that either the Rx wire has been pulled off the LCDs PCB, or it's broken in the cable, or you have water in the LCD interfering with that function. If the LCD has screws to dismantle it, it would be worth looking inside it.

The LCD will be a standard catalogue item, not specific to Eleglide. Look on the back of it to see if there are any intentification marks.

 

[Nealh]

Even if one found the same display , it will unlikely be compatible as the firmware/software/programming will be different.
A broken wire also may be the fault, it isn't uncommon for one to break or become detached inside the display.

If the controller failed then the hub wouldn't work.
The Bt App fault will be with the display as this is where commands are sent t to and from the controller.

 

[Tony1951]

There are far better informed experts around here than me (I'm a user not an expert) but if it was mine, I would examine and wiggle every connector in the wiring harness and make certain that they are fully plugged in and look like they have good connection. If there is a line on any of the plugs - especially the motor connector, make sure that it is plugged in right up to the line, if there is one. I have seen a lot of weird faults of all kinds in postings here from new users which were solved by that one action - making sure the motor plug is fully home and right up to the line.

From what you say this is likely a communications fault, so maybe a dirty plug or one where a bit of water has got in, might be the first line of investigation. We have likely all seen electrical issues in our lives that just required a socket or connector to be wiggled and pushed snugly home to clear up the symptoms.

None of that is highly technical or beyond any user, so try the suggestion and let us know what happened. Report anything you notice that is incompatible with good electrical contact such as water ingress, corrosion of contacts etc.

EDIT: This post crossed with saneagles and Neil's. I wouldn't have posted if theirs had been here when I started typing. The suggestions are simple to carry out and are probably worth a try though.

Reading the OP's post though it looks like communications to the display are compromised.

 

[Nealh]

An incidental tug on the display cable may cause a wire to become detached.
A twist of the bars and a tight cable another scenario.

 

[Tony1951]

An incidental tug on the display cable may cause a wire to become detached.
A twist of the bars and a tight cable another scenario.

Yes -

Also possible cable damage from over tight zip ties, breaking the inner cable or the outer plastic shielding and letting water inside.

 

[RobG_UK]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.

If the controller is fully functional, the bike will still work without the LCD connected as long as you bridge the red and the blue wires in the connector. In that mode, you get level 1 pedal assist and normal throttle operation (if you have one).

This may indeed be the case, since if I ride the bike the motor does indeed activate. (The bike did come with an optional throttle but I didn't install it.)

Bearing in mind the above, it looks like the LCD is not receiving info from the controller, which indicates that either the Rx wire has been pulled off the LCDs PCB, or it's broken in the cable, or you have water in the LCD interfering with that function. If the LCD has screws to dismantle it, it would be worth looking inside it.

The LCD will be a standard catalogue item, not specific to Eleglide. Look on the back of it to see if there are any intentification marks.

From memory there are neither screws nor distinguishing marks on the LCD. I'll confirm this once I've had chance to have another look tomorrow morning.