My i170 seems to be developing a problem.

[eJM]

Just recently my Segway i170 has developed some kind of glitch that gives a feeling of a slight jerk or bumping sensation. It's almost like a gear is missing a tooth, but there is no metallic noise, especially no rattling or grinding sound that would indicate a loose piece of metal. Of course, maybe those parts are plastic and wouldn't make a noise like that.

I sometimes notice it when in power assist mode, as I am getting ready to roll it out of the back of my minivan. I twist the grip to bring the handlebar up and begin the wheels rolling and I feel a kind of bump. So, the glitch isn't always a turning or jerking left or right issue.

Going up hills, even slight ones, tends to minimize or eliminate the problem. On flat ground or down hill, the problem occurs. It's even more pronounced at slower speeds.

This morning I went to a car show at the local fairgrounds, where the grassy area was very bumpy (they've had an ongoing mole problem for years), which in itself is difficult to traverse in a crowd at very slow speeds. But when the machine seemed to lurch left or right occasionally (it's very slight, but unnerving), I had to concentrate more on control and couldn't enjoy the cars.

I first noticed this the other day and it was very slight and happened less often. It seems to be happening more frequently and the jerkiness is a bit more intense.

Any ideas how I can troubleshoot this or do any maintenance would be appreciated. Here are some pictures of the gearbox area (this is not from my Seg). Maybe this is the place I should look at?




Thanks,

Jim

[KSagal]

Have you checked the elastomers? They can deteriorate over time and give a symptom not dis-similar to what you describe.

They are the rubber like material that fits inside the hard plastic cup that is featured in your last two pictures.

If you look carefully, it is in the 2nd picture, where the image is looking into the cup as it sits on the transmission.

I think of this attachment point as sort of a spline, where there is a female outer plastic spline on the transmission, and a matching male spline on the output shaft of the motor. The elastomer is a filler between the two hard plastic (Nylon?) parts.

Many hear it as a clicking on level ground, but there are many ways it can manifest a problem. IF yours snapped, then perhaps when you have steady forward motion, like climbing a hill, or while accelerating, it gets pinched in place, but when there is a lot of motor forward and back, like slow gliding, uneven surface, and even standing still, then the machine on one side will have trouble making the fore and aft corrections it makes several times per second...

It is not a hard repair, and will be fairly obvious once you remove the tranny. (after removing the wheel and fender...)

Good luck. Keep us posted.

[eJM]

Thanks for the reply, Karl. This would be a part replacement then? It's called an "elastomer?" Is this a left AND right part (one part, fits both sides), or a left OR right part (2 different parts)? Oh wait, I found a reference to another topic about this and they pointed to a picture. I edited the image to make 2 and smaller:



That what you're talking about? Elastomeric coupling?

Jim

[KSagal]

Yes, exactly.

IF you never replaced one before (or had it done) you have gotten good mileage from yours. (Time plus miles)

The repair is easy. Takes more time to remove the tires and fenders, then transmissions, than to make the actual repair. They are kind of plug and play.

I think they are the same of both sides, but if you have a deteriorated one on one side, you most likely should replace both sides. Kind of like tires. If one is dry rotted, then time to replace them all.

Get a pair. If one is good and the other bad, the worst you will have is a spare. If one has fallen apart, I would guess the other is not in good shape. Unless you have a tendency to turn left all the time like a race car...

[eJM]

Thanks Karl. You've been very helpful. I'll give Steve (Segway of Oakland, where I got my Seg) a call. I have been needing to return a gift to another Segger down that way, so this will make the decision to go that much easier. Hopefully, the part is relatively inexpensive.

Thanks again,

Jim

[Tritium]

Jim, I had the same problem with mine while on vacation.
Thought I had dropped it too hard while unloading from the car.

Turns out one of the lug nuts wasn't tightened.
I laughed the whole trip.


Not saying this is going to be the case for you, but I'd take the wheels off and pop them back on.



Cheers!

[KSagal]

Jim,
Best to check the lugs, as suggested. Always go with the simple quick fix if you can. And all of us have been there, one time or another...

[Gihgehls]

i170s have a single lug holding the wheel on. If it was a loose lug, it should have been very, very obvious.

[eJM]

Yes, my lugs have a tendency to come loose and fall off unless I add a drop of Loctite Threadlocker Blue to the threads. It worried me enough several years ago to order a few extra lugs.

It's not the lugs this time.

Jim

[eJM]

I had to wait until today to get some LocTite. I removed the transmission from the left side...

For those who haven't done this before:

1. Remove wheel
2. Remove fender and fender frame kit, if any
3. Remove transmission attached to platform side with 3 lobed (star) cap screws
4. You should have to apply force to the part of the trans that hangs over the platform and then wiggle the tranny off
5. Replacement would be the same steps in reverse - be sure to align the sleeve pin in the hole to aid in matching the alignment

I took these pictures:

Click images for full-size.




I haven't removed the right side tranny yet, but I suspect it will be just as worn as the left side, maybe more.

I called Steve in Oakland and he has the parts in stock and will send them out right away.

I wonder if dropping the Segway out of the back of my minivan onto its tires could be causing this damage. I see videos of people dropping off curbs and going down steps (I've done this a few times myself), etc., so I assumed dropping my Seg out of my van riderless wouldn't be any more harmful. However, I do that quite often - prob'ly more often that anyone bumps down stairs or drops off curbs. I have had this Seg for 7 years now and have only replaced the batteries and the twist grip once, nothing else. I don't know how many miles I have on it (or how many it got as a security Seg at Oakland Airport before I got it). A LOT!

Jim