Ok so the Pint X has an XR sized battery within the battery box. A large 324Wh battery upgrade over its predecessor (original pint)148 Wh battery. There’s been buzz within the Pint X community that the battery balancing wires leading to the BMS are being pinched and in some instances causing error codes and board malfunctions.
With crimped or pinched battery leads, losing connectivity to the battery can happen and cause errors. Per Future Motion, they state they have heard concerns from customers about this due to this issue however in an email they state that its due to the Pint X Battery packs having the cable harness out of position causing them to be strained over time.
I’m not entirely sure if the battery wires leading to the BMS are actually out of place on these boards or because of the large battery, they sit very tight within the enclosure causing the battery balancing / thermistor wiring to be pinched. Remember, many issues with CBXR, JWXR Onewheels is that the wiring harness can be prone to pinching due to this issue. At this time, it does appear to be pinched due to the design of the battery box and the limited space to run wiring.
If you have a valid warranty and are experiencing an Error 16, 17, 21, 23 on a Pint X, notify Future Motion. If you want to be proactive and repair or lessen the potential damage, you will need to dissemble your Pint X, open the Battery box, repair the wires (if crimped or exposed), give them some added space and resecure the enclosure.
Report the Flaw to the Repository
As of now, this pinched wire issue is growing and appears to be affecting a wide spread number of Pint X Onewheels. There is a website to report your flaws which I would recommend doing so if you found this to be the case. While reporting the issue to Future Motion is step 1, I would also suggest reporting here. Perhaps if the riders that experience this issue do this, Future Motion may see that the issue is more wide spread than originally thought to be and maybe issue a recall or a replacement of some sort (wishful thinking). Check out Pint X Flaw to submit your flaw. This site is a central location for this specific issue.
Error 16, 17, 21, 23 on Pint X
Invalid hardware, out of range battery battery temperature, charger connected and incompatible hardware are the likely error codes you will get when its too late. If you have not modified a thing on your Pint X, likely the error is due to a short or loss of connectivity in any of the battery leads from the battery pack.
Assuming its beyond the warranty window, you can complete an inspection on your Pint X with the following tools: Please note that there is a gasket within the battery housing. These are typically deformed after opening and very difficult to reuse. I had cut the slack and used silicone to seal the gap. If you have time, it may be worth purchasing a battery box gasket for the Pint X.
- T20 bit – For bumpers, fenders and footpads (tools of Onewheel)
- T30 bit – For removing the wheel from the rails
- TS20 5 point security bit – For access to the battery box
- Rotary tool (Dremel) – For reshaping the battery box.
- Double sided foam tape
- liquid electrical tape (check price on Amazon)
- 3M VHB tape (check price on Amazon)
Time needed: 1 hour
Inspecting pinched Pint X Wires
- Disassemble bumpers and foot pads
Use a T20 bit and remove the bumper and foot pad.
- Remove wheel from the rails
T30 bit and pull the wheel away
- Accessing the battery box
Using a TS205 point security bit, remove the screws from the battery box.
- Inspect and repair battery wires
Use liquid electrical tape on any exposed wires.
- Dremel out area around battery to BMS wiring and secure with 3M tape
The goal is to insure there is no sharp edges and that the wires stay down. Use a rotary tool to groove out the area and tape down the wires. 3M tape areas around the box.
- Reassemble
Reverse the order and check status of the board.
The most challenging issue with reassembly is a worn gasket. They get loose and are very difficult to refit into the battery box groove. You can cut it a little and add a little liquid electrical tape to it in a worst case scenario.
If you have bare wires, you will have to individually coat them with liquid electrical tape. For the safety concern however, Future Motion does offer this service with a new battery for around $500USD. I would opt with Future Motion to complete the work if the wires are too crimped or pinched. Even if you are out of the warranty window. Inquire with Future Motion to see if anything is covered as this appears to be a design flaw causing problems with several Pint X riders.
Summary
If you are concerned with this issue and have yet to inspect, Its going to depend on how you feel about warranty coverage. If you open the box, Future Motion may (or will) void the warranty. If this error does happen as you ride, the board should give heavy pushback with flashing yellow or red (depending on what is shorting out). So don’t assume that it will just cut out. Future Motion states that they have engineered these errors so that an active ride will end with heavy pushback. Either way, if you get an error or random alerts like ‘Battery Overcharged’ or a ‘Battery Alarm’, it could be due to this error.
That being said, if it were my board and it was still in warranty mode, I would want to inspect the issue prior to it possibly shorting out. I personally would not worry about voiding the warranty. Send an inquiry into Future Motion immediately as well as the Pint X Flaw website and at least notify them of your concern. Perhaps notifying Future Motion prior to opening the battery box with retain the warranty.
If you receive an error code and are within the warranty period, send it back for repair. Otherwise, inspect it to see if your battery wires are causing the issue. This is a potentially dangerous issue, especially for heavier riders who may be putting more pressure on the battery leads but this can happen to any rider.
It is important for as many riders as possible to notify Future Motion about this problem. If enough reports are received, an official recall may be initiated. Currently, this issue appears to be potentially affecting all Pint X boards that have been issued to date, but further information is needed to draw a definitive conclusion.
