u/1cedric2

Hey guys,

I’ve come across a local listing for a VanMoof S3 that is cosmetically in great shape, but the seller mentions the "skull" icon is showing on the display.

It still takes a charge and powers on, but the buttons are totally unresponsive and it obviously won't ride.

I’m pretty handy with tech and DIY repairs, so I’m considering grabbing it as a project bike if it's fixable.

A couple of questions for the experts here:

1. Does the skull + unresponsive buttons definitely point to a dead E-shifter, or could it be the Smart Cartridge itself?

2. If I can't get official parts easily, how viable are the third-party fixes or the manual hub conversions these days?

3. Am I walking into a nightmare, or is this usually a straightforward fix for someone comfortable with a soldering iron and some troubleshooting?

I'm not looking for a daily driver immediately, but at that price, I would love to finally put my hands on a VanMoof if the repair isn't too crazy.