Author Topic: Hit a Bump then System Fault  (Read 993 times)

shocker

  • Ride Softly and Carry a Big Wattage
  • Enciter
  • **
  • Posts: 37
    • View Profile
    • My YouTube Channel
Hit a Bump then System Fault
« on: March 16, 2014, 10:59:45 PM »
I was doing 65-70 MPH on the highway the other day, nothing special about the day other than a cool Colorado spring day, at about 55 degrees.  SOC was more than 50% IIRC, and the bike had been running 20+ miles already.  I then hit a bump and my Empluse faulted out and lost all power.  I panicked but was able to coasted my way across 3 a lanes of traffic into a stop.  The bike was able to restart after a complete power cycle.

How do I read my error code to figure out what had happened?  I couldn't do any diagnosis while I was between the side of road and an entry ramp, as I knew it is not the safest place to figure out the problem.  Also, what kind of fault it could it had been possibly, for merely hitting an average sized expansion joint bump?

BrammoService

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 13
    • View Profile
Re: Hit a Bump then System Fault
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2014, 11:18:44 PM »
Shocker, I am sorry to hear that you experienced a fault on your Empulse. Please contact your local dealer. They will be able to help you with this fault.

Brammo Service
Adam

Jeff

  • Empulse Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 194
    • View Profile
Re: Hit a Bump then System Fault
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2014, 12:28:45 AM »
Were you on the throttle when you hit the bump?  Also, have you been updated to the latest firmware?

Prior to the latest firmware update I could pretty reliably get the bike to throw errors by getting the rear wheel off the ground while hard on the throttle (Bay Bridge commutes are really exciting, seriously).  As I understood it, it was something about the speed sensor being like "WHOA THERE you were going 60 mph and now all of a sudden the wheel is spinning 1 kajillion mph???  SOMETHING IS WRONG AAAAAAAAA."

If the revs shot up (i.e. airing the rear wheel) and then the bike shut off, that's probably what it was.  FYI you CAN do a rolling restart -- key off, key on, starter switch, all while coasting.  I haven't had to do that in a while, but if you are in a situation where the bike throws some code like that it is possible to do.

shocker

  • Ride Softly and Carry a Big Wattage
  • Enciter
  • **
  • Posts: 37
    • View Profile
    • My YouTube Channel
Re: Hit a Bump then System Fault
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2014, 01:29:48 AM »
Thanks Jeff, I think my situation was like what you had described.  I was in for the tail recall, but I am not sure what firmware is current.  It says v02.05.

Jeff

  • Empulse Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 194
    • View Profile
Re: Hit a Bump then System Fault
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2014, 02:22:25 AM »
I think my dash says 2.05 as well, but I believe that's just the version of the dash display software -- there are a few different pieces of firmware in the bike, and you can't necessarily know which are currently installed on yours by looking at the dash.

I'd email the USB drive logs over to your dealer; they'll be able to tell you for sure what's up.

In the meantime, haha I sort of got in the habit of rolling off the throttle slightly when approaching a sharp bump (or railroad crossing, or something else that might kick up the rear wheel) at higher speeds.  Downtown SF in particular has lots of stupid construction metal plates covering the road and cable car tracks and all kinds of various crazy edges that used to do it to me -- I'm sure it didn't help that my default Empulse urban riding mode is Pin Throttle And Zoom Around Like Idiot.

Shinysideup

  • Brammovangelist
  • *****
  • Posts: 1423
    • View Profile
Re: Hit a Bump then System Fault
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2014, 11:11:59 AM »
I had this happen only twice: hard acceleration up a SF hill with a washboard surface and once after a particularly nasty bump on the freeway. Hasn't happened since I got the latest firmware update,  but whenever I go up that hill, I keep a steady throttle.