Posted also on ww but reposting here for more visibility.
Been using it for 1 year no issues.
This morning my Bolt v2 didn’t pick it up. I changed the battery, same issue. I calibrated it manually (I never do it since it has auto calibration) and the torque returns was -32700! I tried with the AXS app, same story. I rebooted it by using the pliers method (as explained in the Quarq documentation) but didn’t fix it. I emailed Quarq support, let’s see. Warranty is 2 years, but I am annoyed as I need it for training and a few races in a few weeks.
Do you know what it might be? I have 2 other Quarq PMs and they have been very reliable.
Yesterday I washed the bike. Coincidence? No water pressure, just hose and sponge.
I don’t think this will apply you since you mention you were eventually able to connect to it for calibration (on phone?) but I had intermittent connectivity once with my dzero (gxp type). There is a leaf-spring inside that held tension on one of the battery terminals but the screw holding the it in place came loose. I think road chatter would sometimes cause it to unseat and lead to unstable operation. Opening the battery compartment up and fiddling with it would usually get it back into stable contact for a while. Once I realized the issue, tightening the screw down solved it for good.
+1 on tightening the screw in the middle of that battery spring. I was having issues, including dropouts before it died completely. Tightening the screw fixed it all. Your issues sounds like different symptoms, but still worth a try, 30 second thing.
I had a similar recent issue with an Quarq AXS PM (4 bolt/107BCD.) Worked great on a long, rough race, next day it would connect and report cadence, but would either not report power or intermittently report CRAZY power (3000+ watts). I did all the things you did (new battery, checked the screw holding the battery spring was tight, checked firmware.) Calibration returned crazy offset values, still didn’t work.
TL/DR, it’s currently being replaced under warranty. Still no idea what prompted this; I did wash the bike (as you did), but I’ve done that dozens of times with this and other bikes, and these should be fully waterproof anyway.
This did prompt me to pick up some PM pedals, which I’ll use on my MTB but can of course be swapped onto any bike in minutes. Handy for travel, and also currently being used on the PM-less bike while warranty proceeds.
What brand of batteries did you use? Quarq / SRAM support specifically told me that Quarq power meters are NOT compatible with Duracell coin batteries due to the coating that Duracell puts on the batteries to keep kids from eating them.
I believe you can remove the coating with rubbing alcohol. Can choose non-duracell brands for now, but I suspect we’re going to see more pressure for all coin batteries to be coated. Also, the coating doesn’t taste that bad
Duracell! Where is it written? I will buy Panasonic or Varta and see if it work. First time I hear this since my Stages (Stages recommended not to use Duracell for this reason in their official documentation).
Thanks all, I bit the bullet and bought a new crank to also try out a size smaller (170 vs 172.5).
I will have to send the faulty one to SRAM via my LBS. I assume I will be without it for a few good weeks and I can’t as it’s on my main bike. I will sell whatever they send back and call it a day.
Does anybody know how long it takes for this claim to be completed (Quarq back to me) and what the likely outcome will be (new unit vs refurbished vs repaired)?
I’m awaiting a new unit; it’s been a week since I dropped my non-functional one at my LBS. Expect the new one by end of the week, so turnaround is pretty quick it seems.
As it happens, Quarq CS replied to my email. They said to follow this instructions, and yes, also said not to use the Duracells.
I unscrewed the battery compartment screw by 1/4 of a turn, then screwed everything back and magic, it works. Calibration shows a healthy 20. I am puzzled. How is this fixing the issue I have no idea. I asked them if this is a temporary or permanent fix, too esoteric for my liking.
FWIW mine has been sent back to SRAM and they declared it a replacement under warranty. Annoying they are “out of stock” for like 6 weeks, which is odd because they are very available from many different online stores. I’ll probably just buy a new one and sell the warranty unit when it arrives.
It scuffed up the battery going through the ‘icky taste’ layer? I’ve used Purell wipes, or those wet workshop wipes that come in the big jugs. Never had a battery problem. I get the Duracell 2032’s at Costco because I can get a whole big card of them for a decent price, and they are coated so the wipes seem to remove enough of it that I’m not having issues. (I’ve never tasted them, before or after. They are heavily controlled in Australia, which makes sense. Having a coin cell burn a hole through your kid/pet wouldn’t be a great way to get a trip to the hospital, or morgue)
That is the exact behavior mine was having and it was the loose screw on the battery spring. I didn’t review the thread, but have you tried tightening it?
If that screw gets loose, the spring’s electrical connection becomes inconsistent. It seems like sometimes it would just shut down, other times just acting weird (likely due to voltage drop).
I have 1 year warranty left. Do you know if this screw thingy fixes the issue permanently or if it’s a patch? It works fine now, and I don’t mind redoing this trick every year, but I would get it replaced under warranty if it’s safer and allowed and prevents a more serious defect once I am out of the 2 year warranty.
