Electric Scooter Troubleshooting, Tips On How Fix The Different Parts
Electric scooters are gaining popularity pretty rapidly. As it contains a lot of mechanical and electrical parts, there is always a possibility of malfunctioning.
Some basic knowledge of electric scooter troubleshooting might help you fix the problem right away. But for that, you need to know the basic structure of an e-scooter. This will help ensure that you do not damage any parts during the process of fixing it.
It’s not necessarily an easy task to repair an electric scooter. To help you with that, let’s take a look at some tips and guide on how to fix an electric scooter.
Electric Scooter Troubleshooting - Table Of Contents
- Tips and Guide How To Fix An Electric Scooter
- How to reset the controller on an electric scooter?
- How do I know if my electric scooter is charging?
- How do you fix a scooter battery that won’t charge?
- How to test the controller on your electric scooter?
- How do you fix a pulse on a electric scooter?
- Why isn’t my e-scooter going fast?
- Why won’t my electric scooter hold a charge?
- Electric scooter troubleshooting
- Inspect The Motor Thoroughly
- Check the Battery Issue and Charger
- Check the Fuse or Circuit Breaker
- Electric Scooter Throttle Control Not Working
- Test Power Switch or Key Switch in a Proper Way
- What if the Motor Runs but Scooter Does Not Move
- What if the Speed Controller Does Not Work
- What can I do if the belt fell off of the rear wheel or the motor?
- What if the Key is Lost
- What to do if Batteries Loose Power too Quickly
- What to do If the Fuse or Circuit Keeps Blowing Out
- What to do If the Brakes Do Not Function Properly
- What If the Motor Runs Constantly
- What to do if the Battery Does Not Take Charge
- What to do if the Chain Falls Off Rear Wheel or Motor
- What to do if the Motor Runs Slowly
- Final Thoughts
How To Fix An Electric Scooter, Repair guide
Resetting an e-scooter is not that complicated. You just need to press down the reset button to reset the circuit completely.
You should have a clear idea of why your electric scooter gets overloaded and requires a reset.
There is a certain battery capacity in which your electric scooter can function properly. But if you carry too much weight, that can cause issues. Also, the main problem creates from unsuitable riding conditions which will cause battery damage.
For that, you should always ride on flat and dry roads. That should help to give the scooter a bit more advantage in its capability to hold pressure.
Another thing that can create issues is the improper adjustments of the brakes. You have to consider looking at the user manual for guidance on how to adjust the brakes properly.
Remember, you should never overload your scooter. It will ensure that your scooter is at its optimal state and has more longevity.
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1. How to reset the controller on an electric scooter?
It’s not that complicated to reset an electric scooter. You just need to press down the reset button to reset the circuit completely. But it’s best to avoid overloading the scooter in the first place.
You should have a clear idea of why your electric scooter gets overloaded and requires a reset.
There is a certain battery capacity in which your electric scooter can function properly. But if you carry too much weight, that can cause issues. Also, the main problem creates from unsuitable riding conditions which will cause battery damage.
For that, you should always ride on solid and dry roads. That should help to give the scooter a bit more advantage in its capability to hold pressure.
Another thing that can create issues is the improper adjustments of the brakes. You have to consider looking at the user manual for guidance on how to adjust the brakes properly.
Remember, you should be careful not to overload the scooter. It will ensure that your scooter is at its optimal state and has more longevity.
2. How do I know if my electric scooter is charging?
It’s pretty easy as almost all the electric scooters come with a battery indicator. The indicator light tells you if your scooter is actually charging or not.
When you connect the charger properly, you’ll see the indicator light glowing. Typically, the color would be red, and it might be flashing. As it gets fully charged, the indicator will turn into green light.
The scooter will require at least 3 hours to fully charge. But it won’t take more than 12 hours at most. The charging time is depended on the type of battery and its size.
The majority of manufacturers use Lithium-Ion batteries. Check the user’s manual to see how long you should charge your electric scooter’s battery to extend its lifespan.
A voltmeter can be used. It’s a versatile tool for checking voltage and diagnose charging problems. This will indicate whether or not the battery is charging properly. A faulty charger could also cause a charging problem. But as scooters take a couple of hours to charge, you should wait before messing with it.
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3. How do you fix a scooter battery that won't charge?
The first step is to thoroughly inspect the scooter. Check for any loose wire connection. If all of the wires are properly connected, the problem is most likely caused by the battery.
First, figure out how long the battery has not been charged. A long period of time, such as six months or so, could degrade it and cause it to die.
In this scenario, you should charge it for at least 8 hours. If the dead battery does not charge, it is defective, which clarifies why it isn’t taking charge at all.
You can certainly do a double check. Just plug the battery to another e-soccer. If it runs, then you know, some other parts are broken inside.
You may need to replace the battery and buy a new one at this point. Before purchasing it , make sure it matches the model you have. Invest in a higher-quality battery, as it will help you to get more mileage out of your electric scooter.
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4. How to test the controller on your electric scooter?
This might be a tricky test to run. You can’t just test the controller separately, like other issue.
The entire e-scooter is controlled by an electric controller, which is called the heart, as it transfers power from the batteries to the motors.
The controller is what controls the speed of your scooter. To identify what’s wrong with it, you’ll need to check every individual wire that’s connected to the controller and see if they are working in order.
If every parts attached to the controller is working fine, it means that the controller itself doesn’t have a problem. But if any of the parts doesn’t work properly, it might be caused by one particular piece of the controller.
Either way, you’ll need to fix this to make the e-scooter functional again. That might require a replacement. Or a professional mechanic might be able to fix the issue.
5. How do you fix a pulse on an electric scooter?
It is very simple to repair a pulse on an electric scooter. You Just need to ride it like a regular kick scooter for a few minutes. Sometimes if all the parts and mechanisms are ok, the scooter might just need a little bit of push to go.
While you are moving the e-scooter, turn on the power button. It will start the motor. If it doesn’t start right away, give it more time. Therefore, run it manually a bit longer.
But again, if the whole electrical mechanism is not ok, then this method will certainly not work. As the pulse issue is mostly seen on scooters that haven’t been used in a while.
For that, check every single part individually. You might need to fix or replace some defective pieces.
First of all, the battery should be functional, along with all the other vital parts. Motors, circuits, charging port etc. are the critical parts you should check. If those are working correctly, you can use the shown method. Hopefully, it will help you fix the issue.
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6. Why isn't my e-scooter going fast?
A lot of things come into play when you ask why your scooter is going slow.
The main reason for that kind of lack of speed is a weak and old battery pack. A worn-out battery will never be able to provide enough power to the motor to achieve the desired speed.
Additionally, the lack of battery power makes electric scooters operate quite slowly. It’s optimal to keep your battery at more than 10%. Anything less than that might slow down your ride drastically.
Another thing that can make your electric scooter go slow is the motor. It might not give the output necessary for getting the desired speed, But for most cases, the motor is typically not the issue causing the lack of speed.
The throttle can also be another reason that slows down the scooter. But it’s an extremely rare scenario. The magnet inside the throttle controls everything. If it comes off, that might lead your ride to be super slow.
But in these cases, the throttle will seize to work completely rather than slowing down your ride.
Finally, the speed controller of your e-scooter can create the issue of low speed. But again, it’s not likely to happen. Like the throttle, it will completely stop working. If the controller overloads, it will create identical problems like that. Likewise, it will not able to transmit power into the motor.
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7. Why won't my electric scooter hold a charge?
Any type of charging issue is mainly caused by a faulty battery or a faulty charger.
As batteries get older, they lose capacity of holding charge. Also, they wore out and becomes weak. It’s recommended to replace the battery after an extended period of usage. That keeps things fresh and working at its best.
A defected charger can also affect how long your scooter can hold the charge. Simply use a charger that supports the right voltage.
If you charge the batteries with less voltage, it won’t be as nearly effective. And if you charge it with too much voltage power, that will create problems. Both of those will damage the battery in the long term. And of course, your electric scooter won’t be able to hold a charge.
That doesn’t guarantee that a moderately new battery pack won’t lack the ability to hold charge. Sometimes there is a leak in the battery cover that can cause this issue. It’ll be enough to replace the just cover in this case. If you have warranty, that would be great.
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Electric scooter troubleshooting
Now that you know the reasons behind your electric scooter not running, the troubleshooting part would be much easier. In most cases, you’ll be able to fix the mechanical issues all by yourself, which saves you money that you don’t have to waste on repairing it.
You would not be able to fix everything on your own. That’s why you may need to take it to a professional mechanic from time to time. However, it is useful to know the basics.
As you can tell, it’s not the best idea to mess with an e-scooter if you don’t know its mechanism. Let’s go over some of the basic techniques that you can use for troubleshooting.
But first of all, you’ll need to identify which part is causing the issue. That would make it easier to fix afterward.
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1. Inspect The Motor Thoroughly
The motor runs the whole electric scooter. And typically, this is where you’ll find most of the issues. It’s powered by the battery. And the speed controller supplies power into the motor.
The most common problem with the motor is overheating, which can cause some of the wires to melt or burn. Those melted wires can cause short-circuit and damage the motor.
These short-circuit can permanently defect the whole motor. But in most cases, changing the wiring would work. So, first, you have to look out for any wires that are burned or melted inside the motor.
If some wires are burnt, that indicates that your motor is taking too much pressure from the speed controller. Thus, any short circuit inside the motor can also burn out the speed controller as well.
So, be sure to look precisely at every wire. Look at the circuits and see if there is anything messy. Those are pretty complicated stuff to fix by yourself. Consider taking it to a professional as they will repair it without damaging the motor further.
However, if it has already been damaged beyond repair, you may need to replace the motor of your electric scooter.
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2. Check the Battery and Charger
A multi-meter is required to test the battery. Attach the multi-meter to the battery. You should get an even indication. If it bounces back and forth, you know the battery has defected somehow.
Also, the voltage level indicated in the multi-meter should be above its rated voltage level. That is the condition in a good battery.
Even if it was fully discharged, or it was in storage for a long period of time. A good e-scooter battery jumps up above the rated voltage level after the scooter is turned on.
Now to check the charger, you won’t need any special tools. Just plug it into a power socket. Take a look at the illumination indicator light. That should stay stable for the entire time.
If you find that it’s blinking on and off or the light doesn’t lit up at all, you now know that the charger is defective.
At times, the charger can also cause issues if it’s not properly sending power to the battery. To check that, you can use a multimeter. You see, multimeters are a very useful tool when it comes to running any kind of check on your e-scooter.
So, use your multi-meter and check the output voltage. It should be a little bit above the battery charger rated voltage. But if the voltage is not accurate, that can cause your battery not to charge. It will even damage the battery over time.
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3. Check the Fuse or Circuit Breaker
Overloading or excessive heating can cause fuses to burn out often. Some short circuits can also burn the fuse of the circuit breaker.
You can’t track down every burnt out fuse of the circuit breaker. If you want to check those, multi-meters are your best friends.
Electric Scooter Throttle Not Working
A properly functioning electric scooter’s display turns on when you twist the throttle. But if that’s not the case, you might have an issue with the throttle. Just remember that it also can be caused by the loose connection between the controller and the accelerator.
A malfunctioning throttle can stop your e-scooter from starting completely. Or it can create issues while you are riding it.
4. How to Test the Throttle
To check, you need to turn the scooter off first. After that, simply remove the switch from it. You should give it the most priority because it ensures maximum security in the first hand.
After that, you need to lift up the back wheels. Connect a 4.3 volts DC positive wire to the red wire of the throttle. Then you need to connect the wire that is black to the ground. There would be a green or a blue wire that you need to fix along with the black wire.
Then you can put the fuse back and start the engine. Twist the throttle, and you should see that the motor should be turning and functioning properly. If not, then the battery might be the issue that’s causing the throttle not to work.
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5. Test Power Switch or Key Switch in a Proper Way
It’s fairly simple to run a basic test of the power switch or the key switch. Just turn the switch on and off several times. You will see a pop motion each time you do it. It should snap. If you feel that the switch is loose, it might be defective.
It’s worth it to check the switch with a multi-meter, whether the switch snaps or not.
6. If the motor is still not working, just go through the following steps.
First of all, turn on the power switch. Then have a look at the fuse and the circuit breaker to see if anything is damaged. You also should check the brake lever switch after that.
Now, you have to check the battery. The charging port is another important thing to look at if that has any kind of defects. After a thorough checkup, charge the scooter for a couple of hours.
7. What if the Motor Runs but Scooter Does Not Move
This problem has nothing to do with the motor of your scooter. That’s usually caused by the power transmission system. Also, check if the chain is in place. If not, put it back.d.
8. What if the Speed Controller Does Not Work
Simply inspect each component that is linked to the controller. The voltage of the battery may also have an impact. Check that and push the scooter while turning the throttle on. Surprisingly, that sometimes works.
9. What can I do if the belt fell off of the rear wheel or the motor?
You can simply put it back in place. If it’s damaged, you might have to change it. Just make sure to select the right sized belt.
To do that, first, measure out the whole length and width. That will help you get the replacement properly.
10. What if the Ignition Key is Lost
For that, you must get a key replacement.
11. What to do if Batteries Loose Power too Quickly
The charger, charging port, and the voltage of electricity provided can also affect the battery life of your scooter. If you find any leakage, that might be another reason for the quick draining of power.
In this case, you must replace the entire battery pack.
12. What to do If the Fuse or Circuit Keeps Blowing Out
Overloading is the main cause of fuse breakdowns. Check to see if the voltage is optimal. It is essential to have a consistent and even voltage running through the controller and motor.
13. What to do If the Brakes Do Not Function Properly
First of all, you need to take a look at the brake pads. Read the user’s manual and see what’s the best cable settings for your model.
Then simply adjust the tension of your brake cable. That will fix brake issues for you. Brake pads tend to lose adjustment at times. You should be mindful of that and do proper maintenance from time to time for optimal performance.
14. What If the Motor Runs Constantly
Usually, the issue comes from the speed controller. In order to fix this, you must check the speed controller. In some cases, it might need to be changed.
15. What to do if the Battery Does Not Take Charge
If the battery is working properly, the problem could be the charger or the charging port. Change the charger as well as the port.
It is recommended that the battery be charged for at least 8-10 hours.
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16. What to do if the Chain Falls Off Rear Wheel or Motor
Aligning the chain isn’t that difficult. However, if the chain is damaged and frequently falls off, you should consider replacing it.
17. What to do if the Motor Runs Slowly
A weak battery might be the main cause of the motor’s poor operation. As it cannot provide the necessary energy.
It can also be caused by brake pad displacement. You should adjust the brake cable tension. Unless the motor is defective, this should solve the problem.
Final Words
Now you know all the basics of electric scooter troubleshooting . As you saw, some of the problems have pretty quick and easy solutions.
But you should never mess with any of its parts if you don’t know what you’re doing with it.
Going for professional repairs and fixes are the best way to go. They will fix all the problems you have within a short period.
However, you can see from the tips and guide on how to fix an electric scooter, you will be able to use them the next time your shooter requires basic repairs.
