Electric scooter that won't turn off, what to do?

When you have just used or charged your electric scooter, it refuses to turn off. Surprising and annoying, this problem does not necessarily mean that your machine is defective. Indeed, several more or less serious causes can be at the origin. It will then be necessary to try to identify the problem in order to solve it effectively. For this, we invite you to follow our troubleshooting guide in order. In this way, you will have all the tools to know how to fix your electric scooter that won't turn off.

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

When your electric scooter stays on and refuses to turn off, several causes may be at the origin. It may be a software malfunction or an hardware failure. More or less serious and therefore more or less easily repairable, the manipulations will sometimes require electrical clearances. If you can't do it, call a professional.

You have been warned! : Certain manipulations will require you to dismantle your electric scooter and this will make you lose your rights to the guarantee! If your scooter is still eligible for guarantee (2-year legal guarantee in France), do not disassemble and call the after-sales service of the store that sells your scooter or the manufacturer's after-sales service.

Unlock Xiaomi electric scooter that stays on

The problem of an electric scooter that no longer turns off is often encountered on the brand's machines Xiaomi. And this is explained because it has a auto-lock technology which is activated when the scooter detects an operating problem (overload, overcurrent, etc.). This technology can also be activated for no apparent reason, following a software bug (communication problem with Bluetooth, corrupted or crashed update, error in an electrical circuit, etc.). When this happens, the problem is often accompanied by a beep emitted every 30 minutes.

In this case, a relatively simple trick solves the problem. Obviously, you will have understood it, this manipulation only applies to Xiaomi brand scooter models.

Unlock the scooter by reconnecting to your account on the Mi Home application via your password. Things get complicated in case you no longer have your password or you are unable to unlock the device. In this case, you need to reset the system by doing the following: simultaneously press and hold the brake lever, the throttle lever and the power button until you hear beeps. This means that your password will be reset and the scooter unlocked. Pair the scooter to your smartphone. A wait of 3 hours is then often necessary to fully unlock the scooter.

Letting the scooter battery discharge on its own

Secondly, you will simply need leave aside the electric scooter that stays on. Wait the time the battery discharges completely and that the scooter therefore switches itself off because it has no more power. Then try to fully charge it again. If when it turns back on, the problem starts again, the problem may be related to a software or hardware problem. Then continue with the troubleshooting steps below.

Reset electric scooter that won't turn off

When your electric scooter no longer turns off, you will then have to try to reset it. The reset deletes the bugs and errors recorded in the memory of the scooter that are potentially responsible for the breakdown.

First of all, try to perform a software hard reset by pressing and holding the scooter's Power button for 1 minute. Then, if that doesn't work, first try resetting it through settings. And if nothing helps, it will then have to be reset electrically.

1 – Reset the scooter via the settings

This procedure applies to all electric scooter models that have a reset procedure.

Go to the application that allows you to connect to your scooter. If a update is available, launch it. If this does not work, then try to reset your electric scooter which remains on by going to its settings. If you cannot find how to reset your scooter, refer to the instructions for your model. In the event that no indication on resetting your machine is indicated, it means that this procedure is not possible on your model.

If the reset doesn't work and your scooter still won't turn off, chances are the problem is hardware-based. However, sometimes a battery reset can fix the problem.

2 – Electrically reset the electric scooter

Si electric scooter still won't turn off, a electrical reset sometimes solves the problem, especially on Xiaomi brand electric scooters. For this, it will be necessary to disconnect the battery which supplies the rest of the components.

Please note: Risk of electric shock and irreversible damage to the device ! you will need to disassemble the scooter to access the battery. Generally, it is in the footrest of the device, and it is only necessary to remove a few screws to be able to carry out the procedure. If the battery is difficult to access, do not perform this operation. In addition, you have to disconnect the battery while electricity is flowing through the components of the scooter since you cannot turn it off. Be very careful during disassembly and when disconnecting the power supply. Wear insulating gloves while handling. If you are not competent for the manipulations, call a professional.

For electrically reset the electric scooter that stays on, here is the procedure (example of the Xiaomi m365 scooter):

1. Turn the scooter upside down and remove all the screws on the footrest with a screwdriver.
2. Remove the compartment. The battery is on the right towards the rear of the scooter, and the control board on the left, near the frame of the device.
3. Disconnect battery power (large red and black wires to control board). The scooter should turn off.
4. Connect the charger to the scooter for about 30 seconds, always with the battery disconnected (do not touch anything while charging).
5. Unplug the charger and reconnect battery power.
6. Then try to turn your scooter back on with the Power button.

If the scooter turns back on and still refuses to turn off, or the bug repeats, then it has a hardware problem. If everything works normally again, the bug has probably been removed during the reset.

Reset the BMS board

For batteries connected to an accessible BMS card (the case of Xiaomi m365 scooters), you will need to make a BMS board reset. Indeed, to explain it simply, the BMS card (Battery Management System) checks that the battery is working normally. It also protects it from a lot of problems such as overvoltage, overcurrent or overheating. However, it may happen that it crashes or that it has gone to safety to avoid any risk to your battery. In this case, it will no longer have any effect on the battery of your scooter and therefore on its power supply. It will then not be able to turn off the current, and the scooter will therefore remain on! Usually the card reactivates itself. However, if this is not the case, a manual reset will have to be carried out.

Once again we will take the example of Xiaomi scooters which are most likely to encounter this problem. The BMS board is on the left side of the battery. A blue light should flash next to it. In this case, this is a rather good sign since in the majority of cases it means that it works. On the other hand if it flashes red or not at all, this confirms that it is faulty and that a reset is necessary.

To reset the BMS card, very gently remove it from its slot. This is a particularly tedious manipulation, so you will need patience. Note that you don't have to take it out completely. Just let the upper part of the card appear. Then, press the metal button on the right corner of the card for a few seconds, until the LED starts flashing red. It should then automatically switch back to blue. To help you, do not hesitate to consult the video: reset the BMS board.

What if, despite everything, your electric scooter no longer wants to turn off?

If despite everything your electric scooter refuses to switch off, a hardware component is probably faulty. At this stage, the failure is difficult to resolve. Electronic authorizations will be necessary because it will be necessary to disassemble the scooter, test its various components, then replace the defective one. If you have skills, here are the things to check (the scooter must obviously be switched off! Disconnect the battery before carrying out the manipulations:

• The display. This is all the more likely if the handlebars of your scooter got wet. You will then have to remove the screen and visually check if the display card seems damaged (damaged printed circuit, melted, burned, oxidized, traces of water, etc.). Then test the voltage of the display board using a multimeter set to voltmeter. If it is defective, replace it with a new equivalent.
• The power button. It will have to be tested electrically by carrying out a continuity test.
• The controller or motherboard. The controller, as its name suggests, allows you to manage the other components of the scooter. When it breaks down, malfunctions such as the one you are experiencing may appear. To test it, it will be necessary to test its voltage and/or its MosFETs.
• connectors. Finally, it is possible that a power connector (wires or connectors) is faulty. Check that all the wires are well connected and in good condition.

If you do not have electronic skills or you cannot identify the source of the problem, then you will need to call a professional. In the event that your electric scooter is still entitled to warranty, call the after-sales service of the retailer or manufacturer. If your machine is no longer under warranty, then call an independent professional repairer, remembering to ask for an estimate of the price of the repair.

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