USB blowout?

Radicali · April 10, 2022, 09:49:03 AM

Just went to pick up my new Rad City 5 Plus from the bike shop. Everything was ready and supposedly working fine but for some reason the installer decided to wait to add the Rad USB connector. I watched as he added it inline. As soon as the connection was made there was a loud screech. The installer pulled the USB and the sound stopped. He then checked the power and the bike wouldn't power up. The battery had full juice but the LED panel wouldn't light up. I left him with the dead bike. Since it's the weekend he doesnt think he will have answer until Monday.

The installer didn't look very experienced with Rad. He needed to read the instructions. He told me he had to call Rad because he has no idea what happened or how to resolve.

I searched online but didn't see a similar situation. I may have missed something. Anyone experience this before?

Appreciate the help!

JimInPT · April 10, 2022, 10:18:24 AM

Did the shop power up and test the bike before trying to add the USB dongle? If it was working fine prior to that, my first thought is that the dongle had a manufacturing problem and was miswired or internally-shorted. Just plugging in one of those should be a low-risk no-brainer.

If designed properly, there should be no way to plug the dongle in wrong (notches, tabs and pin gender to make sure the connector is aligned properly before making electrical connection). Likewise, it should cause no harm to install a dongle with the battery installed, but the bike turned off at the controller - does the instruction sheet for the dongle make any mention of removing the battery before installing? (That would be a good idea anyway.)

Good luck and hope it works out quickly and easily, at least for you. Note that I have a MiniST with no dongle, so don't have firsthand experience with those.

Tony · April 10, 2022, 02:47:41 PM

I know nothing about the City as I have a mini. Does this bike have the integrated battery that can't be turned off ? So was this a live cable he was fitting the usb into ?

Radicali · April 11, 2022, 07:22:34 AM

Thanks all. I was told that the bike was fully up and running prior to the USB install. The semi integrated battery was in and fully charged. The bike was powered off. The installer did open a few of the lines to check where this one should be added. He did put it in the correct connector. And agreed, the color coding and pins make it very hard to make a mistake. Not sure if the other lines were connected or not when he added the USB. It does appear like there was a short out. If there was, what shorted? The drive? The electrical system? The battery still showed full bars after the incident. Just no power on the LED. Still waiting to hear from Rad.

FL-GK · April 11, 2022, 07:26:33 AM

Quote from: Radicali on April 10, 2022, 09:49:03 AM
Just went to pick up my new Rad City 5 Plus from the bike shop. Everything was ready and supposedly working fine but for some reason the installer decided to wait to add the Rad USB connector. I watched as he added it inline. As soon as the connection was made there was a loud screech. The installer pulled the USB and the sound stopped. He then checked the power and the bike wouldn't power up. The battery had full juice but the LED panel wouldn't light up. I left him with the dead bike. Since it's the weekend he doesn't think he will have answer until Monday.

The installer didn't look very experienced with Rad. He needed to read the instructions. He told me he had to call Rad because he has no idea what happened or how to resolve.

I searched online but didn't see a similar situation. I may have missed something. Anyone experience this before?

Appreciate the help!

Sounds like the controller got shorted out (probably very rare, but things happen). I had a bad controller but it was throwing a error 30; they sent me a new one (well several actually because they sent incorrect ones) and it went in easy (now I have a spare for my wife Rad City 5P ST and one for my future Rad Rover 6 P -

).

Radicali · April 11, 2022, 07:58:05 AM

Wow. Thanks. I hope they send it, or whatever it may be, quickly. And I'm guessing the USB part needs to be replaced too. I'm trusting that Rad will make it all good. They seem to have a pretty high happiness rating.

My experience has been riding a sturdy Trek for 25 + years with no major issues and that remains in really good shape.

FL-GK · April 11, 2022, 12:44:56 PM

They have been very responsive; however, I wish they would get a parts shipping WH on the east coast, there was a little stumble and it took two weeks!

JimInPT · April 11, 2022, 01:13:23 PM

I'm still wondering why, if they're designing a new series of bikes, they didn't design-in or insist the manufacturer include a USB port like we've had on all Rad LCD displays for years? Were they so cheap as to not want to spend an extra couple of dollars at most on the displays to include that and try to charge extra for the dongle on a $2,000 bike? And IIRC, the new two-display system results in the left-grip display being dimmer and harder to read than the center one - is that still the case?

But that pales in comparison to a "key lock" that can't lock out power to the bike when "locked" (another thing we've always had until now), so any random person can just come along and turn on the bike.

Did Rad lose all the product managers with common sense along with a sense of model history?

Radicali · April 13, 2022, 04:14:35 PM

I don't know the answers to all these good questions. I don't know Rad long enough to give them context. But it seems that my issue is fairly uncommon according to the installer and to Rad. My searches didn't come up with much either. Rad's has decided to send a new controller and USB part to resolve the issue. Waiting on these. Hoping for the best. I'm sure it will work out. Just need some patience. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.

Radicali · April 21, 2022, 02:47:07 PM

Update: New controller came in and now we have power up on the LED but it shows Error 24 which I'm told is the motor. So now we need to put a claim in for that and hope Rad will process asap and send the replacement parts quicker.

Radicali · April 21, 2022, 08:34:04 PM

And yes, the bike is still with the bike shop who is dealing with the Rad's pro division.

Radio Runner · April 21, 2022, 09:51:49 PM

Thanks for the update. What a pain.

Radicali · April 22, 2022, 08:10:13 AM

Thanks for your support. The bike shop let me know that Rad will be calling me directly because the part we need is not in stock. I called Rad on my own to get a jump on this and a message said they are all off today to celebrate Earth Day. Laudable but I wish they were more down to earth with their support.

If anyone from Rad follows this forum please DM me!

JimInPT · April 22, 2022, 09:36:12 AM

Quote from: Radicali on April 22, 2022, 08:10:13 AMI called Rad on my own to get a jump on this and a message said they are all off today to celebrate Earth Day. Laudable but I wish they were more down to earth with their support.

Not exactly laudable - more like pandering to fashionable fantasies instead of tending to their customers on a normal workday, especially when customers (and potential customers) need information and assistance now more than ever. I regard Rad's support as good-to-excellent in the past, but stuff like arbitrary closings makes me wonder.

Jay West · April 22, 2022, 07:34:41 PM

Good luck on getting the motor Radicali. I've been waiting seven(7) months to get a replacement for my Rad City 5 Plus. Still Waiting.
My Rad City runs Ok but I can't use the throttle and Pedal together. Crazy but I still like the bike even though I had to change my way of riding it 1500 miles. I also have a 2018 Rad City Step Thru.

News:

USB blowout?

Radio Runner