Electric scooters are so much fun…until they start to misbehave. No matter what brand or model of electric scooter you have, you cannot really say for sure that it won’t occasionally give you a hard time. But the good news is that most of these issues can be fixed and you can have the scooter running in no time. We are going to present you with some of the most common problems and their solutions so you can quickly tackle any situation.
The Problem
The Solution
Dead Battery: There is a difference between a low battery and a dead battery. When your Electric scooter’s battery is low you will be able to turn on the machine but just won’t be able to get it running as the battery will not have enough power to get the motor working. With a dead battery, however, the Electric scooters will seem like a lifeless rock. It will not respond at all, no matter how much you try to turn it on.
As this one of the most common issues with Electric scooters, the solution is also quite simple. All you have to do is plug it in to charge. It may take a while to charge as the battery will be completely drained and in order to retrieve it, you need to leave it on charge for quite some time. It is always a good idea to charge the battery before it goes completely flat so you will not have to wait many hours to get it running again. In the worst case scenario, the battery may not charge at all, in which case you can buy a voltmeter to check if your battery is actually charging or not. Remember that batteries tend to lose their power and charge with use and over time so you should know when it is time to get a replacement.
Scooter runs only for a short while: If your scooter runs well but stops or slows down after a while then the batteries are probably worn out. Speed will reduce naturally while going uphill but if your scooter tends to slow down even on flat grounds then the problem most probably lies in the batteries.
If the batteries are old then getting new ones may fix the problem. You can also check for flat tires or tires with low air pressure.
Kill Switch On: Sometimes when the engine won’t start, it may not necessarily be a dead or low battery. It could be that the kill switch has been left on. The switch is located on the engine of the scooter and works to save energy. It must be switched off in order to get the engine running.
Set the kill switch to the off position before getting the engine to move.
Blown Out or Flipped Fuse: Scooters are run by power and so electrical problems may be common. If the fuse for the ignition is flipped, your scooter will not respond to turning of the ignition. A flipped main fuse may also be the culprit.
Check if the ignition and the main fuse and flip them to see if it helps. The only time flipping a fuse will not work is if the fuse is blown, in which case you will need to replace it. It is recommended that you seek professional help for blown fuses.
Engine Heating Up: The good news is that often when an engine overheats, it turns off on its own to prevent further damage. You will actually be able to feel the heat as you get close to the engine. A hot engine means a hot battery because an engine is run by a battery. This will decrease the life of the battery and cause it to fail.
Turn off the engine and wait for it to cool. Check for a damaged fuse or wiring which may be paired with electrical controller issues (we will talk about them later in this article). When a fuse is damaged or there are some complications in the wiring system then the engine may still barely run but the amount of pressure that will be placed on the battery will cause the battery serious harm. All this excess power causes the battery to heat up and break down. You can recognize a hot engine problem but unfortunately, it will be too complicated to fix on your own. Sending it for repairs will be the best option.
Weak or No Acceleration
When you are able to get the scooter to accelerate or it hardly moves then the problem may lie in the fuses or electrical controller. Whenever a fuse is flipped or blown, or there is an electrical issue, the engine becomes unable to draw power from the battery thus not allowing the scooter to move. If the problem is totally mechanical then it must be sent for repairs.
Electrical Controller Problems: Scooters have an electrical controller area, a board where all the wiring and fuses are located. If for any reason water or any foreign body gets in contact with the area then the circuits may get affected and cause the engine to act funny even if you do manage to turn it on.
Secure any loose wires or look for popped transistors (the latter being a rare case). Popped transistors are easily replaceable.
Final thoughts
Whether your scooter is failing to start, performing weakly or just acting weird, there is always a way to fix the issue. Flat tires, dead batteries, hot engines and flipped fuses are very common in scooters. The above problems are just some of the most common and fixable issues and will probably cost you a little to nothing to come around but in cases of much more serious issues, we suggest you take your scooter to the repair shop so they can solve the problem before it gets out of hand.
e-bike 2015 – 2016 BoDo 72 volt Hurricane no display and no power to motor, every thing else works light, horn. New controller.