Super Soco error codes (TC Max, TS, CUx, CPx): the 86 to 99 list decoded

Super Soco, the electric motorcycle and scooter brand of China's Vmoto Soco, has its own way of reporting a fault: the dash shows "Error" followed by a two-digit number, and those numbers count down from 99. The highest concern the controller, the next ones the battery, the lowest connectivity. The table we use here comes from the official TC Max user manual; the TS manual gives the same definitions for the codes it lists. For the CUx and CPx, we found no published table: the principle is the same, but check your manual.

The full table, from 99 to 86

One detail of the manual is worth pointing out: codes 96 and 95 carry the same label ("controller hall sensor error"), but the fix given for 95 is to check the throttle plug. The throttle grip also uses a Hall sensor: it is very probably what 95 refers to, whereas 96 refers to the motor. So on a 95, start with the grip.

Reading the table in three blocks

• 99 to 95: the controller and its surroundings. Except 98 (protection, often temporary) and 95 (throttle plug), these are workshop repairs.
• 94 to 88: the battery and charging. Half of these codes are protections: heat, cold, charger. They clear once the cause is gone.
• 87 and 86: connectivity. They concern the app and GPS tracking, not the drive.

98, the most common

98 means the controller has put itself into safe mode. The manual lists four reasons: overcurrent, motor blocked, under-voltage, overheating. In practice it happens after a long loaded climb, a hill start at full throttle, or with an almost-empty battery. Stop, switch off, rest a few minutes, restart. If 98 comes back cold, on the flat, with a charged battery, it is no longer a protection: it is a fault to have diagnosed.

Winter: 88 and 89 are not faults

Lithium batteries dislike the cold, especially when charging. The manual is clear: on an 88 or 89, you bring the vehicle somewhere warm and wait. Charging a frozen lithium battery damages it; the BMS therefore refuses to charge, and that is a good thing. If you park outside in winter, the removable battery on models that have one gets charged indoors, at room temperature.

The manual also covers the battery beyond codes

The TC Max manual's battery troubleshooting section lists a few code-free situations worth knowing:

• Range dropping overnight: the ECU, controller and alarm draw a little current all the time. That is normal, but a bike stored for weeks must be kept charged.
• Battery stored too long that will not wake up: deep discharge, one for the dealer.
• Charger hot while charging: normal, its metal case dissipates the heat.
• Battery that has taken in water (fording, bike down in the rain) or cracked case after an impact: stop using it and have it checked.

The TC Max belt drive

The TC Max drives the rear wheel by belt. The manual gives a wear chart (hairline cracks, missing tooth, edge damaged by a stone) and a rule: do not check the tension of a belt that is wet, washed within 24 hours or hot; and if the belt has run more than 8,000 km (5,000 miles) in a damaged state, replace the belt and both pulleys together, by a professional. A missing tooth means immediate replacement.

Buying a used Super Soco: what to check

A used electric hides fewer things than a petrol bike, but it does hide some. Before you pay:

• Switch on the dash and leave it a few minutes: a code that appears on its own is free information.
• Ask to see it charge: an 89 or a 92 in midsummer, with the original charger, is not normal.
• Look at the battery case: a crack, impact marks or dried mud on the contacts often say more than any sales pitch.
• Do a test on a hill: a 98 that pops up on the first climb with a charged battery is a warning sign.
• On a TC Max, inspect the belt: teeth, flanks, edges.

Diagnosis: cheapest first

1. Note the code, switch off, wait a few minutes, restart.
2. Check the battery charge and temperature (codes 88 to 91).
3. Check the accessible plugs: battery (94), throttle (95).
4. Try another original charger if codes 92 or 93 appear while charging.
5. For 87 and 86, move into the open with good coverage.
6. Dealer for 99, 97, 96 and any 98 or 90 that persists.

Battery safety

A Super Soco battery is a high-capacity lithium battery. Do not open it, do not charge it if it has been dropped, swollen, got wet or got abnormally hot, and charge it on a non-flammable surface, away from the house if possible. If there is smoke, move away and call 999.

Going further

Other Chinese electrics have their own logic: NIU error codes, Surron Light Bee. For the choice between electric and petrol in daily use, see which delivery scooter to choose, and for longer trips, range and charging on an electric motorcycle.

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A used Super Soco is judged first on the state of its battery. To find out its value, value your motorcycle; for a code missing from this table, ask the assistant.