I just got a new set of Vector 3 (dual sensors) but power is lower than my calibrated Kurt Kinetic In-Ride by over 50%. Yes Kurt Kinetic In-Ride may not be 100% accurate (no power meter is) but the Vector 3s are not even in the ballpark.
Also to clarify, this issue is not isolated to Zwift, I’m getting same innacurate numbers on my Garmin Fenix 5s but seeing if anybody here has had similar issue.
I spoke to Garmin support already and said just to send them back for a new set but just want to make sure i’ve given it my best before throwing in the towel on this problem.
I have already:
- Synced with Garmin Connect
- Entered proper crank arm length (170)
- upgraded firmware to latest (3.00)
- torqued pedals to 34 N.m
- Calibrated on Fenix w/ no errors
- Confirmed on Fenix that both left and right pedals are connected under “About” field.
It almost seems like it’s only giving me half power despite Fenix confirming both pedals are connected and Garmin Connect showing them properly linked.
When riding at steady 150W based on Kurt Kinetic In-Ride, the Vectors are returning 70-80W. I’m healthy 34 male and can run sub 20min 5km and based on Kurt kinetic my FTP is around 200W after a 8 months of consistent training. To get my Vectors over 100W for a few minutes has my heart rate up in Zone 4 so I’m certain they’re wrong.
Any body else w/ similar issue or is it time for me to just turn them in for a new pair?
I should also mention that the signal seems to drop completely 1-2 times a minute and “battery status” in garmin connect is “good”. Perhaps it’s just reading battery status for 1 pedal?
If Garmin says to send them back for a new pair, then I would suggest doing that.
Hey Philip, are you able to post into that Garmin Forum?
I logged in and follows all registration procedures but can’t seem to post/reply to anything hence why I asked in zwift forums.
There was one lady who had similar issue to me but seems the issue just went away for her on its own. I found that mine also go back to correct power after riding for a minute or two but there are still times where I can ride for over 5mins and the power is 50% of what it should be.
I’m still getting 50% power drop-outs for 3-10 seconds while i’m riding as well. And still no clue what’s causing it or if i just have a faulty pair.
Nathaniel I have exactly the same issue with Zwift. I do not get the same issue on my Fenix 5 or Wahoo Bolt.
Please post if you find a solution. I will do likewise.
Stuart
The issue is with the right pedal. I disabled my right pedal in Garmin Connect app so now I essentially have a Vector 3s for the cost of a Vector 3 which is pretty crap. But it’s fixed all my issues. Accurate power, no drops, no spikes but also no cycling dynamics and $400 missing from my bank account.
If you read around in the Garmin Vector forums it sounds like tons of people are having the same issue. The new firmware ( 3.3) was supposed to have fixed the right pedal problem but I’m even having issues upgrading the firmware. And people who were successful in upgrading still seem to have problems so I think it’s time to throw in the towel.
I’m going to return the pedals. Garmin really dropped the ball on designing these. Right pedal not working, lots of people breaking the battery door which Garmin has admitted to was a bad design and working on a fix.
I love all my other Garmin products (Fenix 5s, foot pod, HRM etc…) so was a bit surprised that they would release something with this many problems, especially given Vector is on it’s third generation.
But anyways, if you’re okay running just power reading from your left pedal, it will fix the issue and if you’re patient enough and God willing, Garmin will fix the issue at some point. But i’m going to get my money back, wish garmin the best of luck in fixing it and get a pair of Powertap pedals.
FYI it seems my Firmware update to Ver 3.3 actually went through properly. I re-paired my right pedal and just did a 1hr ride with no drops, no spikes and consistent power the entire time.
Two things now though:
- Power feels 10-15W too low after update. My Kurt Kinetic In-Ride power was previously right on top of my Vectors but now it’s 10-15W higher than Vectors. My perceived effort feels a bit harder for same Watts too now.
- My Left leg / Right leg balance in Cycling Dynamics for post-update ride was 66% Right 34% left which seems completely off. Previously i was always around 49% / 51% which made more sense.
Post-Update Ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2650217613#
What I (and a lot of people according to Google) have found, is the pedals have some inherent design flaws with the batteries.
I’m using firmware 3.3.
My pedals would read low and after looking at the ride files, the LR balance would tend towards 100/0. Observing the balance while on a ride, 100% RHS pedalling with my left foot unclipped would result ona 0W reading. 100% LHS would result in a 100% lhs reading. When the RHS pedal was being pickedup, say 20%, the signal would drop out and then be 100% LHS again.
Taping around my batteries did not fix the drop outs (suggested Google solution 1)
My solution wound up being put a small bit of foam under the twin battery prongs inside the pedal. Since then, the pedal readings have consistently been around 45-55 LHS/RHS balance. (suggested Google solution 2)
It’s a bit rough hardware mods are needed for a $1500 bit of equipment to make it work!