Home › Diagnosis › VanMoof battery not charging or bike dead: what you can check, what you cannot, and your options
VanMoof S3, X3, S5 and A5 integrated battery: elimination flow
BatteryVanMoof S3 / X3 / S5 / A5
The VanMoof battery is built into the downtube and cannot be removed by the rider, so most of the diagnosis happens through the charger LED, the matrix display, the app and the error codes. This flow tells a charger fault from a sleeping or deep-discharged pack, a BMS fault, and a bike-side fault, and lays out the post-bankruptcy repair routes.
Warning: Do not attempt to remove or open the downtube battery; it requires the frame to be opened by a trained workshop and the pack has no user-serviceable parts. If the downtube is hot to the touch, smells sweet or chemical, or is deformed, stop, move the bike outdoors and read the swollen/hot battery flow.
What you need
- the VanMoof charger for your model (S3/X3: 36V charger with round plug; S5/A5: newer charger with its own plug; they are not interchangeable)
- the VanMoof app logged in to the account that owns the bike (or the successor app after the 2023 takeover)
- a well-lit place to read the matrix display (S3/X3) or the halo display (S5/A5)
- 2 hours for the deep-discharge step
LED patterns and what they mean
| Charger LED off with the charger plugged into the wall and nothing else | No mains, or the charger is dead. |
| Charger LED green with nothing connected, stays green when plugged into the bike | Charger sees no battery: charge port, harness or BMS charge side off (sleep, deep-discharge or fault). |
| Charger LED red/orange when connected | Charging. S3/X3 matrix display shows a charging animation while charging; S5/A5 halo fills. |
| Charger LED alternates red and green | Charge error: temperature out of range or BMS refusing. Warm the bike to room temperature and retry. |
| Matrix display (S3/X3) shows a battery outline with a number, or a wrench with an error number | The number is the VanMoof error code; see step 1. |
| No display, no charger reaction, bike does not wake on the button or by the app | Deep-discharged pack, dead main controller, or a blown internal fuse; only the charger wait and a workshop can separate these. |
Step by step
1. Read and classify the error code
Wake the bike (button on the top tube, or the app). On S3/X3 the matrix display shows an error number when you press and hold the button; on S5/A5 the app shows it. VanMoof uses short numeric codes; the ones that involve the battery are in the low teens and relate to charging, battery temperature, battery communication and cell voltage. Look your exact number up on this site's VanMoof error page and note whether it is listed as battery, motor, or controller.
If OK: No error, or the bike will not wake at all: go to step 2.
If not: Battery-classified code: complete steps 2 to 5 before drawing a conclusion, most battery codes also appear with a charger or a charge-port fault. Motor or controller code: this is not a battery flow; use the VanMoof motor/controller page.
Wake the bike (button on the top tube, or the app). On S3/X3 the matrix display shows an error number when you press and hold the button; on S5/A5 the app shows it. VanMoof uses short numeric codes; the ones that involve the battery are in the low teens and relate to charging, battery temperature, battery communication and cell voltage. Look your exact number up on this site's VanMoof error page and note whether it is listed as battery, motor, or controller.
If OK: No error, or the bike will not wake at all: go to step 2.
If not: Battery-classified code: complete steps 2 to 5 before drawing a conclusion, most battery codes also appear with a charger or a charge-port fault. Motor or controller code: this is not a battery flow; use the VanMoof motor/controller page.
2. Charger and socket
Plug the charger into a socket you know works, with nothing else connected, and look at its LED. Then plug the round connector fully into the bike's charge port (S3/X3 on the downtube near the bottom bracket, S5/A5 on the downtube) and watch the charger LED and the display for 2 minutes.
If OK: Charger LED turns red/orange and the display animates: charge is flowing. Leave it 1 hour and go to step 5.
If not: Charger LED dead on a good socket: charger fault, verdicts. Charger LED stays green when connected: go to step 3.
Plug the charger into a socket you know works, with nothing else connected, and look at its LED. Then plug the round connector fully into the bike's charge port (S3/X3 on the downtube near the bottom bracket, S5/A5 on the downtube) and watch the charger LED and the display for 2 minutes.
If OK: Charger LED turns red/orange and the display animates: charge is flowing. Leave it 1 hour and go to step 5.
If not: Charger LED dead on a good socket: charger fault, verdicts. Charger LED stays green when connected: go to step 3.
3. Charge port
With the charger unplugged, shine a torch into the charge port. Look for bent pins, dirt, corrosion and water. Check the rubber cap is not pushing the plug out. Try the plug with gentle sideways pressure while watching the charger LED; a flicker means a worn port.
If OK: Port clean, plug seats firmly, no flicker: go to step 4.
If not: Damaged or intermittent port: charge port replacement at a workshop. This is a common S3/X3 fault and does not mean the battery is bad.
With the charger unplugged, shine a torch into the charge port. Look for bent pins, dirt, corrosion and water. Check the rubber cap is not pushing the plug out. Try the plug with gentle sideways pressure while watching the charger LED; a flicker means a worn port.
If OK: Port clean, plug seats firmly, no flicker: go to step 4.
If not: Damaged or intermittent port: charge port replacement at a workshop. This is a common S3/X3 fault and does not mean the battery is bad.
4. Temperature
VanMoof refuses charge below 0 C and above 40 C. A bike stored in a cold shed or left in the sun will show the alternating charger LED. Bring the bike inside for 2 hours and retry.
If OK: Charging starts at room temperature: temperature protection, no fault.
If not: Still refused: go to step 5.
VanMoof refuses charge below 0 C and above 40 C. A bike stored in a cold shed or left in the sun will show the alternating charger LED. Bring the bike inside for 2 hours and retry.
If OK: Charging starts at room temperature: temperature protection, no fault.
If not: Still refused: go to step 5.
5. Deep-discharge wait
A VanMoof that has been left flat (alarm and tracking keep drawing power) drops into deep-discharge protection and the whole bike goes dark. Connect the charger and leave it 2 hours at room temperature without touching the bike. Then press the button.
If OK: Display or charger LED comes alive within 2 hours: recovered. Charge to 100%, then check the battery health readout in the app (step 7).
If not: Still dark after 2 hours with a charger that works: the BMS has locked out, the internal fuse has blown, or the main controller is dead. You cannot separate these at home; see step 6.
A VanMoof that has been left flat (alarm and tracking keep drawing power) drops into deep-discharge protection and the whole bike goes dark. Connect the charger and leave it 2 hours at room temperature without touching the bike. Then press the button.
If OK: Display or charger LED comes alive within 2 hours: recovered. Charge to 100%, then check the battery health readout in the app (step 7).
If not: Still dark after 2 hours with a charger that works: the BMS has locked out, the internal fuse has blown, or the main controller is dead. You cannot separate these at home; see step 6.
6. Bike side vs battery: what the app tells you
If the bike wakes but reports a battery error or 0%: open the app while connected by Bluetooth. If it shows motor battery percentage, firmware version and can lock/unlock, the main controller and its small buffer battery are alive and the fault is on the motor battery side. If the bike wakes only from the button and the app cannot connect, the controller or its buffer battery is the issue, not the main pack.
If OK: App connects, everything works except charge or range: battery, charge port or BMS. Go to step 7.
If not: App cannot connect although the bike lights up: controller/electronics, not the battery. The VanMoof controller page applies.
If the bike wakes but reports a battery error or 0%: open the app while connected by Bluetooth. If it shows motor battery percentage, firmware version and can lock/unlock, the main controller and its small buffer battery are alive and the fault is on the motor battery side. If the bike wakes only from the button and the app cannot connect, the controller or its buffer battery is the issue, not the main pack.
If OK: App connects, everything works except charge or range: battery, charge port or BMS. Go to step 7.
If not: App cannot connect although the bike lights up: controller/electronics, not the battery. The VanMoof controller page applies.
7. Battery health in the app
In the app, the bike settings show battery percentage and, on newer firmware, a health or cycle indicator. Note the full charge percentage the app reaches, and compare the real range with the original 60 to 150 km (S3/X3) or 55 to 150 km (S5/A5) claims, halved for real-world riding. A pack that charges to 100% but gives under half of the original range has worn cells; a pack that stops at 80 to 90% has a cell group at its limit.
If OK: Range at 60% or more of the original and the app reads normally: nothing broken; your earlier symptom was charger, port or deep-discharge.
If not: Range under half, charge stalls below 100%, or the app cannot read the battery at all: pack or BMS. See verdicts.
In the app, the bike settings show battery percentage and, on newer firmware, a health or cycle indicator. Note the full charge percentage the app reaches, and compare the real range with the original 60 to 150 km (S3/X3) or 55 to 150 km (S5/A5) claims, halved for real-world riding. A pack that charges to 100% but gives under half of the original range has worn cells; a pack that stops at 80 to 90% has a cell group at its limit.
If OK: Range at 60% or more of the original and the app reads normally: nothing broken; your earlier symptom was charger, port or deep-discharge.
If not: Range under half, charge stalls below 100%, or the app cannot read the battery at all: pack or BMS. See verdicts.
8. Repair route
Since the 2023 bankruptcy and the takeover by Lavoie (McLaren Applied), official service exists only in a few cities and parts supply is limited. Independent VanMoof specialists and the community repair scene can replace the S3/X3 battery, re-cell it, or fit a higher capacity third-party pack. Get a quote from an independent specialist first; ask whether they open the frame or replace the whole downtube module, and what happens to the app pairing.
If OK: A specialist can confirm the pack by reading the BMS through the service connector, replace the charge port, or re-cell. You now know which and can compare it with the bike's value.
If not: No specialist within reach: the bike is a candidate for the used-parts market; do not attempt a home battery swap.
Since the 2023 bankruptcy and the takeover by Lavoie (McLaren Applied), official service exists only in a few cities and parts supply is limited. Independent VanMoof specialists and the community repair scene can replace the S3/X3 battery, re-cell it, or fit a higher capacity third-party pack. Get a quote from an independent specialist first; ask whether they open the frame or replace the whole downtube module, and what happens to the app pairing.
If OK: A specialist can confirm the pack by reading the BMS through the service connector, replace the charge port, or re-cell. You now know which and can compare it with the bike's value.
If not: No specialist within reach: the bike is a candidate for the used-parts market; do not attempt a home battery swap.
What you now know for sure
- Charger fault: Charger LED dead on a good socket, or a borrowed VanMoof charger charges the bike immediately. → Replace with the charger for your model. Third-party 36V chargers with the right plug work on S3/X3; S5/A5 need the newer type.
- Charge port: Charger LED flickers when the plug is moved, or the port shows damage; the bike wakes and the app reads the battery fine. → Charge port replacement at an independent VanMoof workshop. A common, moderately priced repair; not a battery.
- Deep-discharged, recovered: Bike came alive within 2 hours on the charger after being dark. → Keep it above 20%, charge at least monthly when not ridden, and turn off tracking and alarm in the app if the bike will be stored. Check range over the next weeks.
- Battery cells worn: Charges to 100% and the app reads it, but real range is under half of original, or charge stops at 80 to 90% every time. → Re-cell or replacement pack through an independent specialist; some fit a larger third-party pack. Official replacement is limited to the cities with Lavoie service.
- BMS or internal fuse: Bike stays dark after 2 hours on a working charger through a good port, or the app connects but cannot read the battery at all. → Only a workshop can tell BMS from fuse from controller by opening the frame. Get a diagnostic quote before agreeing to a battery.
- Controller, not battery: Bike lights up but the app cannot connect, or the error code is classified as motor/controller. → Use the VanMoof controller and error code pages; the battery is not the first suspect.
Manuals and video
Videos found on YouTube and checked automatically; they are other people's work, not ours.
- How to fix VANMOOF S3/X3 batteries error reset and fuse replacement VANMOOF BATTERY NOT CHARGING Razspareparts
- VanMoof S3/X3 Smart module dead 💀, manually charge the battery inside the module Razspareparts
- VanMoof S3⧸X3. How to remove the Main Battery. VANMOOF-PRO
Frequently asked
Can I remove the battery from a VanMoof S3 to charge it indoors?
No. The S3, X3, S5 and A5 have a battery fixed inside the downtube. Only the small PowerBank accessory was removable. To charge indoors you bring the whole bike in, which is also the right thing to do in winter.
Is my VanMoof battery still covered after the bankruptcy?
The original warranty claims against VanMoof B.V. were largely lost in the 2023 bankruptcy. Lavoie, the new owner, took over service in a limited number of locations and on its own terms. Check the current service page for your country; for most owners the practical route is an independent specialist.
Which VanMoof error codes are battery errors?
VanMoof used short numeric codes, and several of the low-teen numbers cover charging, battery temperature and battery communication. The exact list differs slightly between S3/X3 and S5/A5 firmware, so check the code on this site's VanMoof page rather than assuming; a charging code with a charger that works usually means the charge port.
Still stuck? Take a photo of the display and show it to a local e-bike workshop. Bring the bike's system name (e.g. Bosch Performance Line CX) and the exact code; that saves diagnostic time and money.