So whether you want to get to work or just go for a ride with your electric scooter, it refuses to work. Unfortunately, when it's your daily means of transport, it can quickly become very disabling. Know now that when the scooter does not turn on at all, it is rarely a good sign and the breakdown will probably require electrical skills to be repaired. So, without waiting, discover why your electronic scooter does not turn on anymore? And how to fix the fault?

Why is your electric scooter not working?

When your electric scooter no longer works, the problem will unfortunately almost always be linked to a hardware failure. Indeed, the scooter is made from various more or less fragile electronic components. Through use, the components can suffer potentially serious damage and end up generating a general breakdown overnight on your scooter. Components that may have failed are the car's battery performance, charger, fuse, engine, electronic card et the switch. These elements can break down due to natural wear and tear, but also to shocks and bad weather.

For example, it is inadvisable to drive in heavy rain or take sidewalks, otherwise water may infiltrate and damage the battery and motor, which are particularly exposed. Moreover, the battery, which is often responsible for the failure you encounter, is a fragile element and with a limited lifespan. By dint of charging and discharging, its cells end up losing their autonomy and all the more so if certain conditions of storage and use are not respected:

  • Recharge the battery before it drops below 20%.
  • If you don't use the scooter for a long time, charge the battery between 50% and 75% to avoid deep discharge.
  • Store and charge the scooter in a place where the temperature is between 15°C and 25°C. Protect it from sun, frost and rain.
  • Do not use the electric scooter in bad weather. Check that the battery contacts are not wet. Dry them if necessary.
  • Avoid shocks and therefore take the sidewalks.
  • Always use the original charger or an equivalent charger of the same brand.

To find why your electric scooter does not work, so you will have to test potentially failed components.

Read also: My electric scooter squeaks, what should I do?

What to do when your electric scooter no longer turns on?

To identify the problem and solve it effectively, you will need to test the components one by one, then replace the defective one. For this, we will proceed from the easiest failure to solve, to the most difficult. Note, however, that solid electrical clearances are required for most manipulations.

Electric scooter not working, what to do?

Important :
– Every electric scooter is different. The manipulations remain very general. If in doubt whether or not the operation is suitable for your model, we advise you to call on a professional.
– If your scooter that no longer turns on is under guarantee, contact the after-sales service of the brand for repair or replacement free of charge. Do not disassemble the machine or you will lose eligibility for your rights.
– If you are not competent for the manipulations, call on a professional. Risk of electric shock and irreversible damage to the device. Always work off.

Test the charger of the electric scooter that no longer starts

When your electric scooter not working, the first thing to do is to check if the charger is working. Indeed, if it no longer charges the battery of your scooter, the latter will not have sufficient voltage to start.

First of all, check that the battery has been charged on a working power socket and that you have sufficiently charged your electric scooter before trying to turn it on. If you haven't used it for a long time, put it on long charge, that is for at least 5 hours.

Then visually check the charger for damage. If so, the current is probably no longer flowing. You can confirm the fault, either by using another compatible charger to charge your scooter, or by checking its charging voltage. For that :

  1. Plug the scooter charger into a working electrical outlet
  2. Put the multimeter on direct current voltmeter
  3. Measure the voltage across the terminals of the charger output plug (watch out for a short circuit with the multimeter!)

If the voltage is good, ie similar to the battery voltage (depending on the model, often between 35V and 42V), the charger is working. Yes the voltage is zero or less, this indicates that it is faulty and therefore explains that your electric scooter no longer turns on. You will then need to replace it with a new one. To avoid incompatibility issues and damage to the battery, it is best to replace it with an equivalent new charger and therefore from the same manufacturer. In all cases, check that it is compatible and therefore has the same nominal load current.

Check the battery of the electric scooter

In the vast majority of cases, when your electric scooter does not turn on, the battery is responsible. Indeed, it makes it possible to supply all the electrical components. It is therefore essential for the proper functioning of the machine. When it encounters malfunctions, it is not uncommon to see breakdowns such as a machine that no longer works or that no longer charge. Several factors can explain that the battery no longer fulfills its mission:

  • its connectors have become disconnected or are damaged
  • its welds have dropped or are damaged (often cracked and therefore broken)
  • one or more of its cells have died
  • the BMS board is faulty
  • the battery got wet

It will take test these different elements to find the fault and solve it. The battery is almost always in the tray (or footrest) Or in the frame of the device. Refer to the user manual for your scooter model to find the location of the battery, as well as all the necessary information on its characteristics (and in particular its voltage).

So, how to test the battery of your electric scooter?

Today there are a large number of models of electric scooters. They all have different designs, assemblies and characteristics. Depending on the model of your scooter, the manipulations that we will present to you below (only suitable for a battery in Lithium-ion) may be different. feel free to search and consult internet tutorials corresponding to your model. If the handling is too complicated, we advise you to call on a professional because, in addition to the risk of electric shock, you risk irreversibly damaging your machine.

Warning: We advise you to make the effort to memorise, note or film the dismantling of the elements in order to be able to put them back in their place correctly during reassembly. 

1 – Start by charging the battery to its maximum capacity, turn off the scooter for the whole time of the manipulations and disassemble the machine to reach the battery.

2 - Check that the battery power cables are in good condition and have not inadvertently disconnected, which could create a false contact. If no cables appear cut or disconnected, disconnect the battery from its connectors.

3 – Then check if the current flows through the battery power connectors. To do this, put the two test probes of your multimeter on the battery power cables (which you have just disconnected (a red wire and a black wire). Set the multimeter to voltmeter (200V). The voltage measured must be approximately similar to that of your battery. Generally, the voltage of electric scooter batteries is between 36V and 42V. Confirm on yours by consulting the instructions or the voltage indicated on the battery. If the voltage does not comply (either lower than the battery voltage or zero), this means that the connectors are damaged and that the battery is not receiving current. As a result, it will not be able to start your electric scooter. The cables will then have to be replaced. faulty power supply.

4 - Then test the battery power at its connectors who receive food. To do this, again use the multimeter set to direct current voltmeter and put the test probes on its power supply terminals. If the voltage is lower than indicated on the battery or zero, the battery has a problem. On the other hand, if the voltage is good, the battery is working and the problem may then come from another component.

5 – If your battery is faulty, you can now replace it or try to deepen the diagnosis by opening the plastic battery casing to access his cells, knowing that the manipulations are then more complex. Be careful to open the battery protective envelope properly as it allows it to be sealed. A battery that is no longer waterproof risks taking on water and no longer working.

6 – The cells (kinds of large batteries) are assembled in series using terminal blocks (small metal tabs), which allows the battery voltage to be distributed. It will then be necessary measure the voltage on each terminal. The voltages measured must all be identical. If one of them has a lower voltage, the problem is with that one. There is probably an electrical discontinuity somewhere that is losing voltage. Then check that the welded fixing pastes have not loosened (which often happens when you ride) or are not damaged. If so, it will take resolder by adding tin to the solder defective. In case you don't have the tools or skills to do this, replace the entire battery. If no solder has jumped or looks bad, unfortunately one of the cells is probably dead. The battery will then need to be replaced.

7 – If you manage to repair the battery of your electric scooter, you will need reassemble the battery taking care to put its protective packaging back on to ensure the battery is watertight. Close it with tape and adhesive tape all around. Then reassemble the battery and the connectors in the reverse order of dismantling.

If you want replace the battery, be careful that it is a original battery and equivalent intensity to your old battery. Avoid fakes at all costs. If you do not follow these few tips, you risk ending up with a battery that does not work on your scooter, or very quickly encountering problems that can lead to an irreversible breakdown of the device.

Check scooter BMS board and fuse

Note that it is also possible that your electric scooter no longer turns on because of the BMS card (“Battery Management System”) located at the battery level. A fuse is placed on it, making it possible to cut the supply circuit if it detects a problem potentially dangerous for you or for the machine. This usually happens during an overload or short circuit. In this case, it is intended for grilling.

If the fuse blows, the BMS board shuts down and the battery can no longer power the rest of the components. As a result, you will have understood it, the electric scooter will no longer start. To test these two elements, it will be necessary to slightly remove the card from its slot, which is a particularly tedious manipulation. Go slowly and delicately to remove it otherwise you risk damaging it, which would be a shame before you have tested it. The problem may be due to a bug in the BMS card. On some cards there is a button RESET. Press it for a few seconds. This sometimes fixes the problem.

Otherwise, you will need perform a continuity test using a multimeter between the power supply and the fuse. If there is no continuity, you will need replace the fuse with one of the same amperage, Or just replace the BMS board in its entirety.

Warning: the fuse is usually located at the battery level. But depending on the model of your scooter, it may be in a different place. Likewise for the BMS card which is not always accessible. Do not hesitate to consult several video tutorials, especially if there are any on the model of your scooter. If you have the Xiaomi M365 scooter, we recommend the following video: M365 electric scooter battery repair.  

Check the electronic card

The electronic board (also called motherboard, power board or platinum) is the scooter's main control panel. It manages the power supply and controls all functions of the scooter. When the electronic card is defective, the electric scooter will not turn on.

It can be found in different places on the scooter (often next to the battery or under the control screen). To test it, you will need to measure the input and output voltage using an AC voltmeter position multimeter. If the voltages are the same, the board is working. If the output voltage is zero, lower, or not the same, the board is probably faulty. It will then have to be replaced by an identical one.

Test the motor of the electric scooter that no longer turns on

The motor allows the scooter to move forward. Yes the electric scooter turns on (light on) but it does not start (no engine noise or a stifled or muffled noise), the problem most certainly comes from the engine. This is all the more likely if your scooter no longer works following an impact. You will then need to measure the voltage at its terminals using a multimeter set to an alternating current voltmeter. If the voltage is correct, it works normally. Otherwise, it is defective. It will then have to be replaced.

Test the electrical switch

Si your electric scooter does not start at all and there are no lights on, the problem may also come from the On/Off switch. The switch allows you to manually send the electric current to the rest of the scooter. It may then be faulty or broken. To verify this, you will need to perform a continuity test. The multimeter should beep or display a value close to 0 when running and no beeps, 1 or OL when stopped. If the multimeter does not display anything or does not beep in the on position, then the switch will have to be changed.

Contact a professional

If you are not competent in handling or you have not been able to identify the reason why your electric scooter does not turn on, we advise you to contact a professional.

Electric scooter not turning on, what to do?

If the broken down electric scooter is still under warranty, contact the after sales service from the reseller store or from the manufacturer. In the event that your electric scooter that no longer works is no longer eligible for warranty, you can first contact the manufacturer's after-sales service to obtain a personalized solution. Otherwise, use an independent professional repairer by requesting a quote.

Categories: Electric scooter

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