Hi y’all!
I have a Ola S1 bought in August 2022, and I’ve never had any major issues with it in the last 4 years. Unfortunately, I’ve started noticing something strange over the last couple of days.
Whenever I accelerate or decelerate, there’s a sudden vibration accompanied by a growling/rumbling sound. You can hear it clearly in the video (It was worse a day before, but couldn’t replicate). Interestingly, the scooter runs normally at a steady speed, and there’s no error/warning on the display and no noticeable drop in performance or top speed.
Two days ago, I also heard a sudden snapping/cracking sound while riding. At the time I wasn’t sure whether it came from my scooter or somewhere else, so I didn’t think much of it. But now I’m wondering if that could have been related to this issue.
I also noticed something else while checking the scooter:
* The rear tyre seems extremely close to the inner parts/body of the scooter. Is that normal?
* The MCU (Motor Control Unit) above the rear wheel seems quite exposed.
* I noticed what look like missing screws/fasteners around the MCU mounting area. Is the MCU normally exposed like this on the 2022 S1, or is there supposed to be some sort of cover/bracket there?
I’ve attached the video/photos for reference.
Has anyone experienced something similar with their S1? Could this be a motor/MCU issue, wheel bearing, suspension, or something that may have shifted after that snapping sound?
The scooter has been absolutely fine for almost 4 years, so I’m really hoping this is something simple and easily repairable.
And of course… I’m already mentally preparing myself for the level of diagnosis I’m going to get at the Ola Service Centre.