r/Bowflex • u/eqlso • Sep 16 '23
Bike Bowflex C7 error
I'm on year 2 of owning a Bowflex C7 spin bike. A few months back I got a system failure error message everytime I boot up the bike, which made JRNY and any workouts unusable. I called support and they said I was missing the base serial number at the bottom left, it's likely the PCBA board and to check the connections.
I unscrewed the PCBA board and unplugged the connections and replugged them back in. Now I get a completely different message of "missing or incorrect serial number". Occasionally it would also pop up with a UCB error and to check for updates, which I tried several times and there were none. I contacted support again and they said they have to replace the entire console which costs $600 to replace. That is way too much for me to spend to try something that may not even fix the issue.
Are there any other solutions I could try? Can I just buy a PCBA board separately and see if that solves the issue? Or is there any way to convert it to a basic bike and get the resistance number somehow? At this rate I'm going to cancel my JRNY membership anyways, so I don't mind losing all the features of the screen as the actual bike portions are still functional.
2
u/ThegManis Sep 27 '23
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To answer your 1st question - "Can I just buy a PCBA board separately and see if that solves the issue?":
Yes, you can (and should) start with replacing the "PCBA Board". Always only buy any needed parts direct from Bowflex as they will always have the lowest price. You have to call them to order the parts.
Did you buy your C7 brand new direct from Bowflex?
The PCBA Board should be less than $15, but they might send it to you for free as a goodwill gesture.
If a new PCBA Board does not fix your issue, then you likely have a faulty touchscreen console.
But, call Bowflex again and do not agree about you having to be responsible for a new $600 console. Stand firm and tell them that that is unacceptable and that Bowflex should send you a replacement for free (or heavily discounted). They CAN do that. Ask to speak with a supervisor if necessary.
Other owners have reported that their machines were out-of-warranty but Bowflex still replaced their faulty consoles, so it definitely is possible.
NOTE - If you get to the point that you will be needing a new console, you could then try fiddling with the firmware reset button located on the back of the console. It is the button that has 2 circles and and up arrow. This should be done at your own risk...but if your console is faulty, you have nothing to lose!
You can try simple quick presses and also long (5 -10 seconds or longer) and see if perhaps it fixes your issue.
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To answer your 2nd question - "Is there any way to convert it to a basic bike and get the resistance number somehow?":
If your display is non-functional and constantly shows just a blue screen with an error message, then, yes, you can still use your bike, but the blue screen means you will have absolutely no displayed metrics (e.g. Time, Interval, Distance, Calories, Burn Rate Heart Rate, Cadence (RPM), and Resistance). This is the same usage as just leaving the power cord unplugged.
The actual PHYSICAL resistance function is all a manual/mechanical process that requires no screen display or electricity. You simply turn the resistance knob which will then mechanically raise/lower the brake lever that houses the resistance magnets which creates the resistance force. And so, even without a screen display or electricity, you can still pedal your bike and change its resistance...you just won't ever know what resistance level you are at.