E014, E024, E044, rocking' shaking of the Leansteer until emergency shutdown of the Segway PT!

Possible cause of error: rotary encoder (Leansteer sensor)

In total, the Segway PT is an easygoing vehicle. Every 1500 km once Couplings and elastomers change, more you do not have to do, so the Segway i2/x2 or seat Segway works reliably his service.
For this reason, many users do not know that there is another, safety-relevant "wear part". This sensor sits in the so-called pivot unit.

The rotary encoder or Leansteer sensor

It converts the mechanical steering motion into an electrical signal for the Segway PT's electronics. The sensor has mechanical components that wear out after many thousands of steering movements. When this happens, the Segway PT may bounce (especially on Segway-based wheelchairs) and generate error codes E014, E024, lean bar shudder, or a sudden emergency shutdown. This is not completely harmless.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to give kilometers or time after which an encoder is worn out. It is also not possible to check how far wear has already progressed, as is the case with couplings and elastomers. The wear component in the encoder is not visible.
However, wear is often announced by error codes such as E014, E024, E044, but also by a rocking or shaking of the leaning rod. Even though the Segway often drives again after an emergency shutdown or the error code, action should be taken. The encoder may work again for a short time by extreme steering when the Segway is dropped or parked. Over a short rather than long period of time, failure will occur again. This can lead to dangerous situations.
The encoder sensor is a component that will most likely only need to be replaced once in a Segway's lifetime. Depending on what type of encoder is installed in your Segway (IP 54 or IP 65). The IP 54 encoder will most likely need to be replaced every 4000km to 5000km. The IP 65 will last much longer.
But of course this also depends a lot on your driving behavior. (Segway wheelchairs will probably do a lot more steering per km than stand-up Segways).

How can I detect that the Leansteer sensor needs to be replaced?
There are clear signs where there is no doubt

• The Segway immediately goes into emergency shutdown when steering or when shaken.
• and or the Infokey shows the error code E 014 or E 024
• In rare cases, error code E 044 may also be displayed

The mechanical pivot unit in which the sensor is installed could also have a problem, causing these error codes to be displayed. However, this is very rarely the case. In case of an emergency shutdown and one of these error messages, it is clear, the Segway must go to the workshop!
These error codes are often caused by a change in the Segway's or Segway PT-based wheelchair's handling characteristics.
The process is gradual. The professional knows the signs and can interpret them well. But a layman often misinterprets the signs and can not be assigned. Mostly we hear as a statement:

• the steering behavior is strange
• the Segway reacts in a strange way during steering movements
• the handlebar often shakes
• the Segway reacts slightly delayed to the steering movement
• the Segway turns to one side when stopped (caution: this can also be caused by unequal tire pressure!)

In most cases these symptoms lead to the diagnosis that the encoder sensor has to be replaced.
The design of the sensor is low wear but not wear-free. Moisture or wetness, temperature differences, dust and mechanical influences have a considerable influence on the lifetime of the encoder. Rotary encoders with IP65 classification withstand these influences very well and for an extremely long time. A service life of more than 10 years is almost normal here.

Encoders on stand-up Segways:
A rotary encoder is usually only replaced when the Segway shows the signs mentioned above. In this case, it is easy to react in the event of an emergency shutdown and the driver's dependence on the vehicle is not as high. This is still the most sensible and economical solution.

Encoders in Segway PT-based wheelchairs such as Genny, Freee F2, My Frankie, Apache, Bi-Go, Mobility Cube, AddSeat
Here the situation is a bit different:

• The dependence on the vehicle is much greater. Without their beloved Segway seat, many users are no longer truly mobile.
• The wheelchair is much more difficult to disassemble and therefore more expensive to ship.
• The effort for a repair is higher, because the seat has to be disassembled first
• And a main reason for an early change is that the situation of an emergency shutdown is always a significant stress situation for a seated rider with physical limitations, which people like to avoid.
• If the wheelchair has a malfunction, the person is no longer mobile on site. Which leads to further problems.

PT Pro advises to always install IP65 encoders for Seat Segways from the beginning. We at PT Pro go even further and improve the inertia of the encoders for better and more controlled steering. This special adaptation to the lighter and shorter leaning rods of the Seat Segways has proven very successful in use. The higher level of inertia reliably prevents the leaning rod from rocking when stationary and improves the steering behavior of the wheelchairs. In addition, the backrest bar can be slightly weighted to remove even the last tendencies to rock. PT Pro has been using this knowledge in all their comfort models for a long time. This can be used to prevent the occurrence of error codes E014, E024 and E044 on the Segway PT in the long term.

Caution! The installation of these encoders is extremely delicate as the plug connections are easily torn off. The self-installation requires extreme caution and expertise! Therefore, we explicitly warn against it in advance!
No exchange! No return! The repair of the component in case of damage is liable to pay costs! The installation may only be carried out by specialized workshops and is at your own risk!

Attention:
Electronic components are basically excluded from return, revocation and exchange, because these are specific single productions by the respective programming of the component or by customer-specific optimizations. Complaints can only be accepted if the component has been installed by a trained PT Pro technician. In case of self-installation any form of warranty or guarantee expires. We refer here to § 312g paragraph 2 BGB additionally apply: I. Exclusion already before the start of the production of the goods II. Exclusion only in the event of significant economic disadvantages for the entrepreneur.

Text is about error Errorcodes: E 024, E 014 and E 044 Rocking or shaking of the leaning bar, turning of the Segway without steering movement.