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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Cybex 500C Upright Stationary Bike Repair

Our Stationary bike stopped working suddenly. One day it just failed to light up when it was pedaled. I let it sit for several weeks before doing anything about it - I wasn't sure where to start.

Finally, I started searching for posts like this one, but I found no accounts of owners' experiences in troubleshooting and repairing Cybex 500C upright bikes. I did find sites that sold repair parts, though. All of these sites offered a replacement sealed lead acid battery. This seemed like a likely candidate for an electrical failure, especially since one site indicated that you could expect an 8-year useful life from these batteries, and my bike was 11 years old.

I didn't think my bike had a battery, though. It started generating electricity when you pedaled, and it shut down when you stopped pedaling, so why would it need a battery?(I guess it must help to smooth out the variable flow of electricity that comes from pedaling). Anyway, I removed the side cover from my bike and did in fact see a battery such as the one pictured on the parts sites.

I found the battery available for about $26 -$66 dollars plus shipping at various sites, but I wasn't sure if these replacement batteries were the same quality as the original. After removing my battery, I found a manufacturer's name and model number: Hawker Energy 0819-0012.

When I searched for that, I found the battery available from an Amazon affiliate for $21 ($27.65 with shipping). I ordered it on a Sunday night and received it the following Friday.

It took less than an hour to remove and replace the battery, and the bike worked fine afterward. The shop where I bought the bike wanted $150 plus parts to come out to my house and repair the bike, so I figure I saved $150 plus whatever markup they would have charged on the battery itself.


Removing the right side panel:

1. Insert a small screwdriver and pry up under both sides of seat-post boot to release the 2 small clips that connect it to the side panels.



2. Remove 9 Philips-head screws from right side panel.

3. Align right pedal with seat-post and gently work the panel to slide it upward in the direction of the seat-post until it clears the pedal. (This may take a few tries).




Removing the Battery:

4. Remove the wires from the battery terminals. (Be careful when replacing these wires on the new battery as the terminals seem to bend easily).

5. Remove the 2 nuts and screws that hold the battery to the frame. You will need to find a Phillips-head screwdriver that you can fit in to the limited space, as the screw will turn when you try to loosen the nut. Be careful not to damage the circuit board while turning the back nut.




13 Comments:

Blogger Wray Davis said...

Good work!

Were you tempted to try to modify it when you had it apart, to produce a current strong enough to run something else in the house?

4/25/2011 5:14 AM  
Blogger phdendron said...

No, I never got that ambitious. I was just glad it worked again!

4/26/2011 9:14 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Cool

4/27/2011 4:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm having the same problem.what amazon affiliate store did you get the battery from?I think I'll do the same you did.

10/08/2011 3:08 PM  
Blogger strides13 said...

Thank You for posting your helpful step by step instructions.

10/16/2011 9:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your instructions are PERFECT! OMG, we did it! Thank you so much. In this economy, it is so nice that you took the time out to save us money!

10/24/2011 5:33 PM  
Anonymous jake said...

Thank you so much for your clear instructions on behalf of myself and other unknowing persons like me.

3/24/2012 3:40 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Yeah, you really do write very clear, helpful instructions. I like reading your writing.

2/19/2013 12:04 PM  
Anonymous elliptical service said...

Great Content.I have appreciate with getting lot of good and reliable information with your post.......
Thanks for sharing such kind of nice and wonderful collection......again, beautiful :) I love reading your posts. They make me happy .

2/22/2014 8:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you! I had already bought the battery from a vendor recommended by Cybex (Fitness Resource out of Plainview, NY) which cost me $45+ $12 shipping. So now that I know I can get it cheaper next time, I will.

Replacing the battery was NOT easy, but I couldn't have done it if I didn't refer to your post. I was going crazy trying to figure out how to separate the seat in order to take the panel off. So thanks for the tip to use the screw driver. The wires were difficult to remove from the battery. I had to use pliers and a lot of giggling.

The only tip I have which is pretty obvious is to test the bike after connecting the wires to make sure the bike works before putting everything else back together.

8/23/2014 9:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This appears to be an old post, but I sure am glad I found it. I just replaced the battery in my wife's Cybex and it works great. I was stopped at the under seat clip. Your instructions and photograph made it clear. Many thanks, even at this late date. March 24, 2018

3/24/2018 2:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Thank you so very much for these accurte detailed plans. I have just installed my new battery following your instructions and I’m thrilled my bike is working again!! Thanks again!

8/17/2018 8:11 PM  
Blogger Gym Doctors said...

Good one! Such a nice post thanks for sharing with us. If you want to service for Cybex Repair so you can contact us.

9/05/2022 1:09 AM  

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