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My V8 just died


mezzanine

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Was heading for lunch at Burger King which is around 3km away from my home.  Got to the door and dismounted and turned off the wheel while attempting to turn off just the light.  Attempted to turn the machine back on and got no power.  I've noticed sometimes I can't immediately turn it on sometimes and usually in 30 seconds it functions normally again.  This time I attempted to turn the wheel on throughout my lunch and then conceded it wasn't happening.  The weather here today is cold and windy with light rain.  When I arrived back home I plugged the wheel into the charger hoping that might re-set things somehow, but no battery LED lights up.   

I purchased an Inmotion *precisely* because of their reputation for reliability and am very disappointed.  Any suggestions?

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Thanks for your response, meep.  Yeah, the unit itself is fairly new still.  I purchased it used, though, from someone who originally purchased it from a place in Vancouver.  My hope is that it will be possible to diagnose the issue and then determine a course of action from there.  I don't recall coming across this problem when reading about the V8 prior to purchasing it, but perhaps others have encountered it and I'm unaware.  I'll do some digging. 

My gut tells me this isn't going to be an easy fix.  I'm gutted.  :efee8c29ce:

 

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Certainly sounds odd. I've not had one hint of a problem with my V8 since I brought it. When you plug in the charger can you connect via Bluetooth? What was the charge level when you arrived at BK?

If you get nothing even with the charger plugged in then it rules out the power switch. If you get no further response form the wheel then the next option might be to disconnect the battery from the mainboard to reset it (yes I used to work in IT support and turning it off and back on again really does work). The V8 is built for "easy" battery swap so you could do this easily by just removing two screws and then rotating the side panel off. Then unplug the connectors for a hard reset. I would, however, wait for others to chime in first.

I'm not sure if a simple disconnect/reconnect would work or if you would need to press the power switch to discharge the capacitors (they may only be in line with the motor and therefore would not power the mainboard if it were disconnected form the battery). Also if the mainboard is locked up pressing the power switch may not open the relays/switches to discharge them anyway. If you do have to discharge the capacitors then you need to be careful reconnecting the battery as the sudden power surge can cause a big spark. Again wait for those with more experience first.

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30 minutes ago, WARPed1701D said:

Certainly sounds odd. I've not had one hint of a problem with my V8 since I brought it. When you plug in the charger can you connect via Bluetooth? What was the charge level when you arrived at BK?

If you get nothing even with the charger plugged in then it rules out the power switch. If you get no further response form the wheel then the next option might be to disconnect the battery from the mainboard to reset it (yes I used to work in IT support and turning it off and back on again really does work). The V8 is built for "easy" battery swap so you could do this easily by just removing two screws and then rotating the side panel off. Then unplug the connectors for a hard reset. I would, however, wait for others to chime in first.

I'm not sure if a simple disconnect/reconnect would work or if you would need to press the power switch to discharge the capacitors (they may only be in line with the motor and therefore would not power the mainboard if it were disconnected form the battery). Also if the mainboard is locked up pressing the power switch may not open the relays/switches to discharge them anyway. If you do have to discharge the capacitors then you need to be careful reconnecting the battery as the sudden power surge can cause a big spark. Again wait for those with more experience first.

 

Thanks for the effort and thought you put into your comments, it is hugely appreciated.  The charge level of the wheel was over 80% when I arrived at BK.  I've had a problem with my android phone and haven't been actively using it with my V8.  One of my first steps will probably be to try to get the phone working properly. 

Your suggestion about disconnecting the battery from the mainboard to reset it sounds like the most likely next step.  I'll hold off on taking any immediate action for now as you suggest. 

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14 minutes ago, KingSong69 said:

Not working at all?

First question as allways:

Does the wheel rotate freely like before? Or is it kind of stucked and hard to move? (Mosfet failure question)

Still rotates freely like before.  I can't help but associate some of the prior behavior I noticed with the power button prior to this final incident.  I've had occasions where I have tried to turn on the wheel, usually after just turning it off, where it hasn't responded to my presses of the power button, but would seem to start working again soon after.  I also think I remember reading about someone else having observing something similar and may go digging for that post. 

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5 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

I've had occasions where I have tried to turn on the wheel, usually after just turning it off, where it hasn't responded to my presses of the power button, but would seem to start working again soon after.  I also think I remember reading about someone else having observing something similar and may go digging for that post. 

I am also observing this occasionally, but I always succeed when trying again once or twice.

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Well guys, my patience wore thin and I decided to open up the case and do as Warp suggested and disconnected/reconnected the battery.  I'm delighted to be able to report that the wheel is able to power on and off seemingly normally again. :cheers:

I'm still concerned about what could have caused the initial problem, but am very relieved that there was a remedy that didn't involve anything serious.  That was a traumatic few hours thinking that I would be wheel-less for the foreseeable future. 

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That's a little bit disconcerting that there is an intermittent fault occurring.  :mellow:  I wonder if there could be a potential problem with the power circuitry on the control board.  Is it turning off and on consistently now?  Did you check the power switch wiring to the control board for any loose contacts?  Sometimes a flaky contact might be the culprit.  Best to track it down before ending up stranded 15 km away from home in winter time if you plan on riding through the colder season.

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1 hour ago, mezzanine said:

Well guys, my patience wore thin and I decided to open up the case and do as Warp suggested and disconnected/reconnected the battery.  I'm delighted to be able to report that the wheel is able to power on and off seemingly normally again. :cheers:

I'm still concerned about what could have caused the initial problem, but am very relieved that there was a remedy that didn't involve anything serious.  That was a traumatic few hours thinking that I would be wheel-less for the foreseeable future. 

Well done! :clap3:

Like most things now, the button is a soft switch relying on a responsive electronic circuit to monitor the signal change when you press it and this is usually monitored by firmware at some point. It is disappointing that you had the issue but nearly all firmware has bugs that for whatever reason can appear and haunt the system until reset (as you have now done). With no physical off switch or reset button physically removing power is the only way. With luck you have nipped this pesky problem in the bud and with a fresh hard reset of the board you won't see any other issues but monitor it closely and if it plays up again you might want to invest in a replacement board for peace of mind. Lets see what happens.

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2 hours ago, mezzanine said:

Well guys, my patience wore thin and I decided to open up the case and do as Warp suggested and disconnected/reconnected the battery.  I'm delighted to be able to report that the wheel is able to power on and off seemingly normally again. :cheers:

I'm still concerned about what could have caused the initial problem, but am very relieved that there was a remedy that didn't involve anything serious.  That was a traumatic few hours thinking that I would be wheel-less for the foreseeable future. 

I'm very happy to hear it worked out for you. You should really get the app working, there is a self diagnostic routine in the IM app.

My limited experience with IM-wheels (V3) still points at a difference in design-philosophy compared to most others. For example disconnecting the wheel from charging by pulling the plug from the wall before it was at 100% caused a "battery failure"-alarm to go off, that could only be fixed by a hard reset. There seem to be more of a software "buffer" between the user and his/her wheel...

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Well, I checked the wheel a couple of times last night to see if it would turn on/off without issue and it seemed to be responding normally again.  This morning I went out again for my Burger King lunch and found that the power button wasn't responding to my presses again.  After about 15 seconds of pressing it finally powered on.  I was able to get to BK and back and it turned on/off again normally when I tested it.  I had crossed my fingers that maybe yesterday's problem had been solved, but it seems like this could be a continuing issue I'll have to address.

I've only had the wheel for a brief time, but having it act up on me quickly made me recognize how much I've come to depend on it already. 

 

 

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3 hours ago, mezzanine said:

Well, I checked the wheel a couple of times last night to see if it would turn on/off without issue and it seemed to be responding normally again.  This morning I went out again for my Burger King lunch and found that the power button wasn't responding to my presses again.  After about 15 seconds of pressing it finally powered on.  I was able to get to BK and back and it turned on/off again normally when I tested it.  I had crossed my fingers that maybe yesterday's problem had been solved, but it seems like this could be a continuing issue I'll have to address.

I've only had the wheel for a brief time, but having it act up on me quickly made me recognize how much I've come to depend on it already. 

 

 

I think you should contact your seller and discuss the problem, it may be that it needs some servicing - like re-flashing the firmware or some such, that you really can't do yourself.

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4 hours ago, Scatcat said:

I think you should contact your seller and discuss the problem, it may be that it needs some servicing - like re-flashing the firmware or some such, that you really can't do yourself.

Inmotion wheels can be flashed by the user with the app but I think the V8 only ever had a single firmware so there is probably nothing to update plus the wheel was used but originally purchased from a local reseller I think. Maybe the original owner has a receipt that could be used to gain warranty access in case it is a mainboard issue.

There was an Inmotion contact on here recently who left his e-mail ( @King Ma - INMOTION ). I'd try to contact him for suggestions as to what could be the issue.

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1 hour ago, WARPed1701D said:

Inmotion wheels can be flashed by the user with the app but I think the V8 only ever had a single firmware so there is probably nothing to update plus the wheel was used. Plus the wheel was purchased used but from a local reseller I think. Maybe the original owner has a receipt that could be used to gain warranty access in case it is a mainboard issue.

There was an Inmotion contact on here recently who left his e-mail ( @King Ma - INMOTION ). I'd try to contact him for suggestions as to what could be the issue.

To me it seems the V8 is the Ninebot P.:unsure:  It looks like a high performance wheel. Less problems, all the speed and more range.  Plus more features like the trolly handle and cutoff button.  But the Kingsong still looks very good, and also the Gotway.

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Is there a wheel temporary cutoff switch under the handle on the V8 like the V5F?  I wonder if it might be engaging preventing the power switch from working.  In a working wheel, if the unit is off, what happens if you trigger the handle cutoff and then try to power on the wheel?

Did you check the cutoff switch to see if it might be jammed?

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18 hours ago, Scatcat said:

like re-flashing the firmware or some such, that you really can't do yourself.

@mezzanine, Whilst any manner of horrible things might have happened, the simplest thing is most likely so it could just be nothing more than a dodgy power switch. Soft switch or not - it is still a mechanical switch that can fail. Disconnecting the battery may, just possibly, have done nothing more than allowed the switch to make contact again temporarily due to moving it about.

My guess would be that the switch plugs into the main board, if it stays failed, try checking it is plugged in OK and testing it with a meter to see if it makes contact ok when pressed.

My KingSong 14C was less than two weeks old when its power switch failed. Thankfully I had bought it from @Jason McNeil so a new switch was fitted for me very promptly.

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Yes, there's a cut off button under the handle on the V8.  I'll do some experimenting later on and report back if observe anything of note.  I noticed that the wheel will only turn on if it is in an upright position, which is something I hadn't realized before. 

I haven't been encountering the problem since I last reported on it.  I agree with scatcat, though, and will look into getting in touch with someone who may know more.  I'm also working on getting my phone set up to be able to use the app. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Just now, Keith said:

@mezzanine, Whilst any manner of horrible things might have happened, the simplest thing is most likely so it could just be nothing more than a dodgy power switch. Soft switch or not - it is still a mechanical switch that can fail. Disconnecting the battery may, just possibly, have done nothing more than allowed the switch to make contact again temporarily due to moving it about.

My guess would be that the switch plugs into the main board, if it stays failed, try checking it is plugged in OK and testing it with a meter to see if it makes contact ok when pressed.

My KingSong 14C was less than two weeks old when its power switch failed. Thankfully I had bought it from @Jason McNeil so a new switch was fitted for me very promptly.

 

@Keith Yeah, I think you're probably right about the power switch.  Good suggestion about how to confirm the source if the problem recurs. 

It's a totally different experience owning an EUC from a country outside US/UK.  That's where this community fills in the gap that others would probably rely more on their dealer for support on.  As cool as the devices are, I wouldn't have bought one without the group here. 

When I was walking my V8 back from BK I felt like I was on an island with this thing, in terms of trying to map out a way to fix it.  I can understand why the manufacturers think they can help avoid that problem with their aliexpress decision. 

Ultimately, I think I'm going to have to get willing to do some of my own repairs.  Probably not with the V8 so much as with future wheels. 

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27 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

Is there a wheel temporary cutoff switch under the handle on the V8 like the V5F?  I wonder if it might be engaging preventing the power switch from working.  In a working wheel, if the unit is off, what happens if you trigger the handle cutoff and then try to power on the wheel?

Did you check the cutoff switch to see if it might be jammed?

The V8 powers on as normal if the cutout switch is depressed, it just powers up with the wheel in the cut-out state where the wheel will not turn.

I have also tested plugging in the charger with both the cut-out and then separately the power switch depressed (held). In both cases the battery indicator lights up and the wheel begins to charge as normal. Under both these situations I am also able to connect via Bluetooth (buttons still pressed after charger inserted).

Given that in @mezzanines situation he had a completely non responsive wheel to power button presses and charger connecting (no power up, no battery charging indicator, no bluetooth connection) I'm inclined to say I do not think this was a switch issue and is more likely a mainboard problem resulting in it becoming non-responsive until the electronics were reset.

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