Frustration

[BJ]

I'm a new "kid" on the block and I have a "p" about one month old,
which does a safety shutdown after about 30 to 40 minutes of gliding.
There is still plenty battery power and I've tried the disconnecting and reconnecting the batteries thing with no joy. If I wait 10 minutes I get another 10min. gliding time.
I am light years away from my nearest dealer so I e-mailed Segway twice, as yet no reply. I noticed "gkorsgard" had a similar problem but I never heard what the cause was.
Any suggestions??
BJ

[ZoliHonig]

Try taking off the control shaft, diconnect and then reconnect the wires.

Also try tapping the key in the keyport very rapidly.

I hope this helps you out.


[8]-Zoli[8]

[SegwayUtah]

BJ,

How many miles do you go before the safety shutdown?

Two thoughts:

1. Do not start the machine and ride it again after a low-battery shutdown. You can (or may have already) harmed your batteries.
2. Follow the NiMH battery conditioning procedures for your machine. Do them _5 times_ (at least 3). See what that does. You may be _very_ surprised.

Also, how far can you go if you ride "commuter-like" (as in, not playing around, but going somewhere?) A 200lb. person may get as little as 5-6 miles (40 minutes) of straight riding on a battery, and the gauge may still show power remaining.

Chris

[Sailor]

BJ,

In case you aren't aware, the NiMH batter conditioning procedures SegwayUtah mentions above are detailed here:
http://www.segway.com/support/docs/battery_care_booklet.pdf

- Griffin

[BJ]

Thanks Zoli,Griffin & Chris.
I will try all these suggestions and then post the results.
Chris, it does happen after 5-6 miles, but I'm only 167lbs.
BJ

[Stan671]

I think 5-6 miles for a 167 pound rider on the p-Series is pretty good. What kind of range were you expecting? Are you spending most of that 5-6 miles at full speed?

Stan Dobrowski

[ElectraGlide]

Stans right , I've been driving a "p" since they first came out...I'm one of the first users, and have owned several since, so I'm quite familar with more than one machine or their quirks. I've never had a safety shutdown , and only once had to remove the CS to disconnect and re-boot when starting one machine on a return trip from the bank when it wouldnt start. Thats the worst thing that happened owning 3 machines!!!
You may be exceeding the remaining battery power by aggressive riding for those first 4,5 or 6 miles, and not having enough power left for the same style riding for much longer, hence the shutdowns . Try cruising slower, your range will improve dramatically, and avoiding jack rabbit starts, and avoid maneuvering or wasteful motion while you wait to cross streets etc. The "p" is a great machine, but batteries being what they are need the attention and care as best you can give. 30 to 40 minutes of high speed gliding is probably the problem , and that is good, because it only takes a riding style change to fix ! Try taking the others advice about reconditioning the batteries and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Good luck.....please let us know the results!

Steve

[Stan671]

BJ, what is the battery level when you get the shutdown? The battery guage is very rough estimate and gets less accurate the lower the level.

Stan Dobrowski

[woodenapple]

Steve explains it well. I also have been riding a P since before they were officially released. If you are going 5-6 miles that is not really bad.

The official range specifications from Segway LLC for the P are 6-10 miles depending on terrain and riding style. If you didn't follow the initial battery conditioning procedures, I am sure your range is not what it could be. But following the procedures that Griffin linked to above, can help a lot.

Since the gauging of remaining battery power is not a very accurate science, don't be surprised if there appears to be a bar or two of battery power left when the machine starts doing low-power shutdowns. And the last few bars will probably go faster than the first few, just like on most automobile gas gauges. It will just take some time and experience on your own individual machine to learn how to more accurately interpret the bars on your battery gauge.

Many people on this forum have reported how their range increased over the first couple of months as their gliding skills improved and they learned to be more efficient with their riding style.

Rodney

May all your days be Segway days!

[Burke]

Forty minutes on a p series sounds pretty good to me, too. Are you pushing the limiter a lot? Remember that it uses a lot more juice when you're riding against the limiter.

And are the tires inflated properly? Takes more juice to move it if the tires are soft.

Janice

[BJ]

Yep, maybe I was pushing the limiter a bit too close to max, although the battery indicator registers just under half. I'll slow down and take Zoli & Chris advice and post the results.
Thanks
BJ