Issues with a couple Segways after winter charge

Moving Forward Rentals · 04-02-2009, 08:36 PM

After a couple of months of non use, I have started getting ready for the coming busy season. I have noticed a couple infokey batteries have died and I replaced them. All units stay plugged in as recommended when not in use.

A couple of units will not power on. All units are i2's and 2 years old. The infokey seems to not be able to communicate with the base (almost like they are out of range. Has anyone ever experienced this before? What can I do to re-communicate the infokey with the base?

Thanks for the help in advance.

bentbiker · 04-02-2009, 08:58 PM

Did you try to start with the unit plugged in? If it starts that way, it will turn off after a few seconds if you don't unplug it, but it will signal that the unit is suffering from the problem of the communications board not working correctly at low temps. If that is the problem, you can get a replacement board.

Moving Forward Rentals · 04-03-2009, 04:28 PM

I did unplug the units when powering up. The infokey is trying to power up the base but the base is not responding. I have never had this problem until now. Has anyone ever experienced this or heard of any such problems?

CovRob · 04-03-2009, 05:18 PM

As referred to by JK above, what sort of temperature are the units being kept at? There has been an issue with older gen 2 machines not reacting to infokeys when they are cold (up to 5 - 10 degrees centigrade). INC has a fix that involves replacing a radio board in the base that works at lower temperatures.

Without the fix, two ways of resolving:
1) Warm the storage location for a hour or so or;
2) Plug the machines in & switch on mains power. Activate the infokey again and they should then start, but sound an alarm. Disconnect the mains power and they should continue to run normally.

If this doesn't work your problem is not the cold start issue and something more serious.

I run 6 x2's & an i2 for my tour business here in northern England and through the winter my machines have been occasionally used, but when my garage was cold I heated it before tours were planned. I also found that continuously charging for months without use caused the infokey to show a partial charge when the Segws were switched on. I followed advice on here and now charge through a timer for an 8 hour period per day. I no longer get the partial charge indication when powering up.

Here's hoping your problem resolution is speedy & at minimal or no cost.

seglander · 04-04-2009, 04:19 AM

When yu press the power buttonon teh infokey, does the little wirless indicator show on teh display then disappear. If it does then it could be the cold start issue, it is limited to ceratin production range. We have had to replace a few radio boards to rectify the problem.

Cold start can be verified by turing the machine on while plugged in, if it comes on great. If that works send the serial number in and it can be seen if its from the run with issues.

I have seen 2/3 infokeys that will do nothng, no display, even after new batteriey installed. Looked like they were completly dead, basically got new ones and off we went.

C3RS · 04-04-2009, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CovRob

now charge through a timer for an 8 hour period per day. I no longer get the partial charge indication when powering up.

+1

Moving Forward Rentals · 04-05-2009, 10:10 PM

Thanks everyone. A couple of units had the cold start issue...now they are working fine. 2 units are showing issues with the rear batteries. The LED light on the bottom is not glowing green/red or blinking when charging. Does this mean the batteries have gone bad?

I plan to consolidate the 2 good batteries to one unit (I have heard the batteries are paired, is this true). Now, the 2 bad batteries are on one unit and when plugged in, I get no reading what so ever. The other unit with the "non-paired" batteries seems to be working fine to now.

These batteries are so temperamental! I had 2 batteries go bad (while still under warranty). Inc. replaced them with no questions asked but now what do I do? Before the LED was solid red, now I have no reading at all. Is this a separate issue all together?

bentbiker · 04-05-2009, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moving Forward Rentals

I plan to consolidate the 2 good batteries to one unit (I have heard the batteries are paired, is this true). Now, the 2 bad batteries are on one unit and when plugged in, I get no reading what so ever. The other unit with the "non-paired" batteries seems to be working fine to now.

The batteries are not "paired". INC suggests that you not put batteries of significantly different age together. The generally accepted reason for this (I don't think anybody REALLY knows) is that the range of a pair is limited by the worst battery. What you've done is fine.

On the two bad batteries, take a voltage reading. They are acting as if they somehow dropped in voltage to a level below the threshold value for charging. Don't know how that could have happened if they were charging the whole time, but my guess would be that somebody unplugged them at some point; the rear batteries evidently supply the the power for the communications board when the unit is off, because they always decline fastest (as yours appear to have done). The reading you take will give a good indication of whether that has happened. If you contact DrMarty, he can check them for you and charge you only if they are savable. If so, he'll give you a printout of exactly how the batteries fair as for as output under load.

emrnyc · 04-05-2009, 11:19 PM

I had the same problem as you did. I brought them to MTO Battery in PA and he had good luck bringing them back....
Martin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moving Forward Rentals

Thanks everyone. A couple of units had the cold start issue...now they are working fine. 2 units are showing issues with the rear batteries. The LED light on the bottom is not glowing green/red or blinking when charging. Does this mean the batteries have gone bad?

I plan to consolidate the 2 good batteries to one unit (I have heard the batteries are paired, is this true). Now, the 2 bad batteries are on one unit and when plugged in, I get no reading what so ever. The other unit with the "non-paired" batteries seems to be working fine to now.

These batteries are so temperamental! I had 2 batteries go bad (while still under warranty). Inc. replaced them with no questions asked but now what do I do? Before the LED was solid red, now I have no reading at all. Is this a separate issue all together?

04-02-2009, 08:36 PM	#1
Moving Forward Rentals New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Servicing Sea Isle City, the South Jersey Shore, and Philadelphia Posts: 13	Issues with a couple Segways after winter charge After a couple of months of non use, I have started getting ready for the coming busy season. I have noticed a couple infokey batteries have died and I replaced them. All units stay plugged in as recommended when not in use. A couple of units will not power on. All units are i2's and 2 years old. The infokey seems to not be able to communicate with the base (almost like they are out of range. Has anyone ever experienced this before? What can I do to re-communicate the infokey with the base? Thanks for the help in advance.

04-02-2009, 08:58 PM	#2
bentbiker Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: SoCal Posts: 1,795	Did you try to start with the unit plugged in? If it starts that way, it will turn off after a few seconds if you don't unplug it, but it will signal that the unit is suffering from the problem of the communications board not working correctly at low temps. If that is the problem, you can get a replacement board. __________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ John Kuhn

04-03-2009, 05:18 PM	#4
CovRob Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lake District, England Posts: 549	As referred to by JK above, what sort of temperature are the units being kept at? There has been an issue with older gen 2 machines not reacting to infokeys when they are cold (up to 5 - 10 degrees centigrade). INC has a fix that involves replacing a radio board in the base that works at lower temperatures. Without the fix, two ways of resolving: 1) Warm the storage location for a hour or so or; 2) Plug the machines in & switch on mains power. Activate the infokey again and they should then start, but sound an alarm. Disconnect the mains power and they should continue to run normally. If this doesn't work your problem is not the cold start issue and something more serious. I run 6 x2's & an i2 for my tour business here in northern England and through the winter my machines have been occasionally used, but when my garage was cold I heated it before tours were planned. I also found that continuously charging for months without use caused the infokey to show a partial charge when the Segws were switched on. I followed advice on here and now charge through a timer for an 8 hour period per day. I no longer get the partial charge indication when powering up. Here's hoping your problem resolution is speedy & at minimal or no cost. __________________ Rob

04-04-2009, 04:19 AM	#5
seglander Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Ireland Posts: 109	When yu press the power buttonon teh infokey, does the little wirless indicator show on teh display then disappear. If it does then it could be the cold start issue, it is limited to ceratin production range. We have had to replace a few radio boards to rectify the problem. Cold start can be verified by turing the machine on while plugged in, if it comes on great. If that works send the serial number in and it can be seen if its from the run with issues. I have seen 2/3 infokeys that will do nothng, no display, even after new batteriey installed. Looked like they were completly dead, basically got new ones and off we went. __________________ Martin

04-03-2009, 04:28 PM	#3
Moving Forward Rentals New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Servicing Sea Isle City, the South Jersey Shore, and Philadelphia Posts: 13	I did unplug the units when powering up. The infokey is trying to power up the base but the base is not responding. I have never had this problem until now. Has anyone ever experienced this or heard of any such problems?

04-05-2009, 10:10 PM	#7
Moving Forward Rentals New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Servicing Sea Isle City, the South Jersey Shore, and Philadelphia Posts: 13	Thanks everyone. A couple of units had the cold start issue...now they are working fine. 2 units are showing issues with the rear batteries. The LED light on the bottom is not glowing green/red or blinking when charging. Does this mean the batteries have gone bad? I plan to consolidate the 2 good batteries to one unit (I have heard the batteries are paired, is this true). Now, the 2 bad batteries are on one unit and when plugged in, I get no reading what so ever. The other unit with the "non-paired" batteries seems to be working fine to now. These batteries are so temperamental! I had 2 batteries go bad (while still under warranty). Inc. replaced them with no questions asked but now what do I do? Before the LED was solid red, now I have no reading at all. Is this a separate issue all together?

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