B&M Ixon IQ Premium is flashing

[deejayen]

I have a little-used Ixon IQ Premium. I used it on an audax a few years ago, and I think it was okay then and afterwards. I used non-rechargeable Energiser Lithium batteries.

I'm trying to use it again, and have tried it with alkaline and standard rechargeable batteries. I've also bought some new rechargeable Lithium batteries which are rated at 1.5V. I charged these last night and put them into the light. However, the light itself is flashing in time with the flashing red indicator light. It's not possible to switch it off using the button. Even if you open the battery compartment and then close it after a short while the light continues to flash. The flashing red indicator light suggests low battery power, but the batteries I've tried are fresh. Perhaps it is just a battery thing, but there's no mention of the light flashing in the manual, which says the light is supposed to gradually dim as the batteries are depleted.

Has anyone seen this before? Is my light broken?

[plancashire]

Are you sure your lithium cells are 1.5V? Wikipedia gives several voltages but none as low as 1.5V. I have the earlier Ixon that does 40lux; yours I think is the 80lux model. Mine works fine with four Eneloop NiMH cells which are nominally 1.2V. The B+M web page specifies either NiMH or non-rechargeable AA cells, but they omit to mention that these must be zinc-carbon chemistry. Could it be that you are seeing an undocumented overload indicator?

In German forums blinking of the main light (not the red/green indicator) has been attributed to damp getting inside. Trelock lamps have a flashing mode activated and deactivated by holding the switch for 30s - maybe B+M used the same chip? Another problem in the past was a failed switch, which B+M repaired. Your lamp might be too old for a free repair.

[deejayen]

Thanks very much.

Yes, the Lithium rechargeables are made by Xtar and need a dedicated charger. They're supposed to give 1.5V constant, then when they're flat they drop to 1.1V so that devices see that as lower than the 1.2V of batteries such as the Eneloops. Here's where I bought them from https://www.batteries1st.co.uk/products ... gLr3PD_BwE

I've also used Eneloops in the light, and they didn't work either.

I've put the Xtar batteries in an old Philips light, and that's currently shining brightly, so my B&M is probably faulty. Maybe it's got damp. I'll try cleaning the battery contacts to see if that helps.

[plancashire]

...
I've put the Xtar batteries in an old Philips light, and that's currently shining brightly, so my B&M is probably faulty. Maybe it's got damp. I'll try cleaning the battery contacts to see if that helps.

Some later Ixons have contact problems with some cells, particularly those with flat negative ends. There's a very long post in German I found with photos of all the parts and contacts (scroll down). The photos might help and a web site translator could give you a rough idea of what's going on, although it might struggle with the colloquialisms.

[deejayen]

That's very helpful, thanks.

For now, I've cleaned the contacts and treated them with some DeoxIT. I'll see if that makes any difference, but it sounds like there's more to it than that. I may have to look at the battery holder and its inner contacts, or (possibly more likely) the switch.

I've not had much success over the years with AA battery-powered StVZO front lights - mainly down to problems with the design and/or build quality.

[Brucey]

... Is my light broken?

if your light doesn't work with the same kind of batteries as last time, it might be.

[Jdsk]

I have had two B+M dynamo headlamps with USB charging fail. Both after getting drowned. One flashed and I couldn't stop it.

i recommend discussing it with the company... I had some joy on one of them.

Jonathan

PS; There is some discussion in the archives of DIY repair and improving the sealing. But I think that was all about the design where they split along a horizontal line.

[edocaster]

Flashing in line with an indicator light that is meant to flash does suggest a short somewhere. Is the low battery flashing light now always flashing (even with very fresh batteries)?

[rjb]

I had a b&m lumotec front lamp that failed. Some models were not robust enough to withstand rough riding. When I looked inside mine a chip had become detached from the circuit board and was floating loose inside. I stripped the electronic circuit out and rebuilt it with a simple rectifier to run it from a dynamo. Bit of info here.
viewtopic.php?t=3832&start=1590#p1395829

[deejayen]

Cleaning the contacts hasn't helped.

I emailed B&M with a description of the problem, and they said it sounds like the circuit board is faulty, but it said it's a part that neither they or me could replace.

I'll have a read through the German forum thread plancashire linked to, and see if I can work out how to dismantle the light and replace the switch to see if that will fix it.

[andrew_s]

Comment:
Some rechargeable Lithium AA cells are somewhat dodgy to use in a bike light, since the light can turn itself off with no advance warning.

The lithium cell inside is the normal 3.7V (ish), regulated down to 1.5V, and what you get is the full 1.5V, right up to the point where the regulator decides that the lithium cell is getting too close to run out (at about 3.0V), and turns the cell off.

I can state from personal experience that having your light turn itself off at 40+ mph, leaving you unable to see anything whatsoever isn't to be recommended.

[deejayen]

I'm not keen on lights\batteries that do that either!

The Xtar batteries are supposed to drop down to 1.1V when they go flat, so some lights will detect this as low power and will bow out gracefully.