Common Electric Bike Battery Problems and How To Fix Them

Everybody likes a good thrilling ride on electric bikes but things take a messy turn when you run into a technical problem with your e-bike. Most of the time it is the e-bike battery that gives you a tough time. It is because the battery is the most complex part of an electric bike and requires regular maintenance to be able to run properly. And even then, you might end up with mysterious problems with it every once in a while.

Now, for a technical guy, diagnosing these kinds of problems is no big deal but for most of us, it is pretty much a great deal to understand these matters. And that is where I come to your rescue. I will be your guide and enlighten you with some of the most common electric bike battery problems and how to fix them in a jiffy. By the end of this article, you will at least know how to check your battery in case it breaks down on the road.

Major Electric Bike Battery Problems and Guide to Fix Them

Who knows, you may even be able to completely revive your battery depending upon your previous knowledge of such electric bike problems and how well your mind adapts to all this knowledge that I am about to bestow upon you. In any case, it is going to be an interesting read for you all!

1. Battery Pack Swelling Problem

One of the most common problems that an electric bike battery runs into is the swelling in the cells of the battery. It happens because some of the older batteries have flat pack cells that are more prone to internal swelling due to the slightest damage. The newer battery models are less likely to have these swelling problems because they no longer use flat-pack cells any more.

Fixing electric bike battery pack swelling

In any case, there is nothing much you can do about this problem other than to disconnect it instantly from the bike and take it for repairs. You can not repair it yourself as it involves chemicals and all. You may also want to electric bike battery weight.

2. Battery Not Charging

The battery not taking up the charge is yet another problem that you will definitely come across at some point. There could be multiple reasons behind that for instance, it could be because of some damage caused to it.

Reasons of battery not charging

So, you should check out if the battery is hot, whether or not it is swollen, whether the charger is working properly, whether the charging port of the battery is clean, and also consider how old your battery is.

Fixing e-bike battery not charging

If the port is dirty, clean it up, if the charger is faulty, get a new one, but if the battery is swollen or getting hot then you should probably consult a professional. Also read about ebike battery BMS reset.

3. Short Battery Life

Every battery has a specified number of charge cycles over which it starts to lose its discharge capacity and hence its battery life starts to deteriorate. However, it won’t happen until your battery has been running for years.

Fixing short battery life problem

So, if you are facing the problem then your electric bike battery must be very old and probably needs to be recycled or replaced depending upon the nature of the damage. You may also want to keep your use of the bike in check while it still has the short-life problem going on. For instance, riding uphill consumes more battery power so you might as well avoid that. If your electric bike battery have short time, you should have spare e-bike battery with you.

4. Battery Pack Not Holding A Charge

The problem of your Lithium batteries not holding a charge is seldom but not impossible. It happens in older batteries or malfunctioning ones. However, you must perform a test to ensure that it is really the battery that is malfunctioning and not the bike itself causing trouble with some short-circuiting wires.

Fixing battery pack not holding charge problem

So for that, you must remove the battery from the electric bike and charge it fully. Then run it while still unattached to the bike. If it discharges normally, then there is something wrong with your electric bike. However, if the battery does not hold the charge then you need to get your battery replaced.

You may also want to know Why does my eBike battery spark when I connect it

FAQs about E-Bike Batteries

How do you fix an eBike battery?

There are multiple ways in which you can diagnose the problem with your battery and ultimately fix them on your own without any professional help. One of the simplest ways to do it is by letting it be for a day or so. Seriously, it works wonders! You just have to leave your battery plugged in for at least twenty-four hours and the problem will disappear. Well, it is not that simple, the fact is that when you leave your battery plugged in, it releases all the negative built-up energy that will disappear leaving the battery fresh and ready to roll!

How do I know if my e-bike battery is bad?

One of the ways in which you can tell if your battery is bad is by checking its voltage. Just charge your battery fully and then connect it to a voltmeter. It could show a voltage of around 36 V to 42 V. Anything below that is a piece of bad news. A zero voltage reading on the voltmeter means that your battery is dead.

Final Thoughts about EBike Battery Issues

So, this was all from my side. I hope you could successfully diagnose the problems with your bike. If not, then I would recommend you to stop your experimentation at once and take it to a electric bike professional because batteries are dangerous if not handled with care.

You could seriously end up hurting yourself or your kids in the process. However, if you were able to find the cause of the fault in your batteries then I would heartily congratulate you on your success. Just a little word of advise before we part ways: batteries have toxic chemicals that must not be ingested.