Connection Failure Kick R Core

Bugs and Support
1

I use Zwift on a laptop with the latest version of windows loaded.

I have this issue where the Kick R Core shows as connected to Zwift in the pairing screen but does not show power, cadence or speed readings when I’m in a new ride on Zwift.
I have attached two screen shots to show what I’m seeing.

Screenshot 2022-02-09 073927
Screenshot 2022-02-09 0739271898×1078 232 KB

Screenshot 2022-02-09 073804
Screenshot 2022-02-09 0738041897×1067 111 KB

I have disconnected the bluetooth connection for the Wahoo app and Zwift Companion app and no difference.

The trainer will connect to the Wahoo app and show readings without any problems so I don’t think it’s an issue with the trainer.

The problem is only happening via the laptop. It was working perfectly for a long time but I took a two month break where I cancelled and when I returned this week this problem has cropped up.

I have tried all the fixes that come up online and nothing seems to work?

Any help will be greatly appreciated

2

Try using the companion app as a bridge. You may need to change the setting on the pairing screen as well, the small gear icon in the upper right corner.

Also, power cycle everything even the trainer.

3

Hi @Frank_Quattrone

Welcome to the Zwift Forums!

In my experience, one of the most common reasons why a trainer will disconnect is due to wireless signal interference. For troubleshooting, see this article.

You’ll also want to make sure the KICKR Core has updated firmware and is calibrated. See this article.

Barring those things and if basic troubleshooting like unplugging the KICKR for several minutes, then plugging it back in doesn’t help, I’d suggest contacting our tech support team is issues persist. You can reach us here.

4

Thanks. Will do this and post results here

5

Thanks

What do you mean by power cycle everything?

6

Turn things off, unplug

7

Ah OK, I’ve done that numerous times.

In any case…

A big thank you Mike_Rowe1

Your suggestion of using the Companion app as the bridge worked. It seems to be connecting without any issues now.

Clearly something in the laptop bluetooth setup is not willing to play nice so while I haven’t really fixed that issue I can get around it via the companion app.

Many thanks for taking the time to help.

1 Like
8

I had a similar connection failure error for my Zwift pod recently and it was caused by my fan being on and creating a field that interfered with my BTE connection btwn my Apple TV and foot pod. Bluetooth headsets can also cause issues.

Here is my post on a separate thread.

Ok folks, I spoke with Zwift help desk and they helped me solve the issue (see article links below). I went through the list of possible interference for BTE and saw fans and headsets listed. Apparently fans create a field around them which can interfere with BTE. I moved my fan to 5 feet away from my Apple TV and not inbtwn me and my Zwift Pod to Apple TV and presto, no more Connection failure.

Also, I used to use AirPods with my iPhone which was also running the Companion app - as soon as I stopped using my BTE headsets, I had no more connection failure issues. I just put a Google nest mini in a plug behind my treadmill to minimize interference and still have music during my run and I can use voice commands which is awesome. The only bummer is this means I won’t be able to use my laptop with my BTE headset while walking on Zwift with the companion app on my iPhone connected to the Apple TV during Zoom calls (as it seems impossible to avoid getting a connection failure msg with all the BTE signals crossing).

I hope this helps!!!

———

Hi Katy,

Thank you for reaching out to us! My name is Patrycja and I’m with the technical support team here at Zwift. I’m sorry that we missed your chat earlier and you’re having issues with your RunPod but I’m happy to help you.

From what I understand, recently your Zwift pod has started to have connection failures despite being full bars on battery and being shown as connected on the pairing screen, right?

I understand how frustrating it must be!

First of all, thanks for trying to troubleshoot this issue by yourself!

What is more, please check out our article for steps on troubleshooting your runpod.

Furthermore, from what I can see in our system, there are many disconnections and errors in connecting to BLE and this may be the reason why you’re having issues with your RunPod. The usual cause for BLE dropouts is wireless signal interference.

Check out this article​ for tips on how to prevent this from occurring.

Please give these steps a try and let us know how it goes.

Ride On.
Patrycja S
Member Experience Agent
Zwift

9

I’m having this issue with my new Kickr Core as well. My old Kickr (RIP) never had this connection issues.

Signal strength is shown with 4 bars, so pretty good, but once connection is established it flaps.

Pairing it via Bluetooth Bridge fixes everything. So what seems to be the issue? Placing the Laptop nearer doesn’t improve anything.

10

Probably means you should disable onboard Bluetooth in the laptop and put a USB dongle on a 2m extension cable. This is not a rare problem and though that fix is not guaranteed, it very often does work. Dongles I can personally recommend are the Edimax BT-8500 (same chipset as TP-Link UB500) and the TP-Link UB400.

11

Thanks, I forgot to mention that it’s only working when the mobile is very near the trainer. Otherwise it’s not working at all.

I tried to check the signal strength using that Bluetooth app from the wahoo support document (LightBlue) and it shows -80db strength, when the mobile is around 30cm away from the trainer. This is way to low. Where my laptop is, at around 1,5m distance, it almost doesn’t show any signal.

I had a Kickr18v4 at the same location and there hasn’t been any signal or connection issues with Zwift. It was rock solid, despite WiFi and other Bluetooth devices.

So I assume that I got a faulty unit.

12

Could be faulty, or could be external sources of interference. In either case I would still be interested in trying a dongle since it’s so cheap to have an extra way to troubleshoot pairing issues. If you can replicate the problem in the Wahoo app, that would probably help you in a conversation with Wahoo support.

Zwift’s suggestions for interference troubleshooting: BLE and ANT+ Interference Troubleshooting Tips

What is the phone you’re using? Some of them do not have great Bluetooth performance, though most of the decent models do.

13

Connection is flappy using wahoo app as well. I have to be very near in order to get a connection with the wahoo app as well. Phone is a Pixel 6 Pro.

Yes, I agree that a dongle might and probably will help, but since the Core is a fresh bought unit I’d rather have it fixed instead of working around it.

14

That is a good phone. I would not expect it to have sucky Bluetooth. Interference could still be a factor, but it would be good to log a support case with Wahoo to get the process started if it turns out to be a bad trainer. If none of the interference troubleshooting helps then working around it is just a way to keep riding until you get it resolved through the support engagement.

1 Like
15

Would you rather go for the UB500 Nano or Mini with its antenna? Personally, I’d go for the Nano and use a USB extension cable to get it closer to the Kickr.

16

I don’t know which chipset is in the UB500 Plus model that has the external antenna and I don’t have any experience with it. Its Bluetooth capabilities differ from the UB500 Nano so it probably doesn’t use the same chipset. The older UB400 and the Edimax BT-8500 are two that have worked well for me so those are easy recommendations. I believe the UB500 uses the same chipset as the BT-8500 and I’ve heard from others who reported it works. There aren’t many different chipsets used in these products so there are probably many reasonable choices.