Does your electric scooter not turn on? I have been there and I understand how deeply disheartening it could be.
Before you even think of getting in touch with the manufacturer, there are a couple of reasons that could have necessitated that situation and it’s worth it if you tried to identify what could have happened.
6 Reasons why an electric scooter won’t turn on (Overview)
- A dead battery
- Battery Management System issue
- Faulty battery
- The scooter could have gotten wet
- Improperly connected throttle
- Rusted Electricals
1. A dead battery
If a battery has no charge, an electric scooter won’t turn on.
Storing an electric scooter for long without the right maintenance tips and especially in the winter season is one sure path to having a dead battery.
We recommend that if you are storing an e scooter for winter, to charge the battery for between 45 and 80%.
After each month, top up the charge to any of these optimal percentages and your battery will have a great life.
Secondly, you could have gone on a commute for say a delivery, running some errands or even group rides and then the battery dies on the way.
How to fix a dead e-scooter battery
In any case, if an electric scooter battery dies, you are supposed to bring it back to life by charging it.
If the battery dies after riding, ensure that the scooter cools down before plugging it into a charger.
If you notice that the battery is dead after the winter season is over, try to check that the terminals are not rusted before you plug it into the charger.
In case of corrosion, cover the terminals with a generous baking soda coat and sprinkle some water to neutralize the corrosion.
The battery should perfectly charge after that.
If you will be riding the following day, then you can fully charge the scooter.
If the issue was indeed a dead battery, then the scooter will turn on after charging the battery.
2. Battery Management System issue
The Battery Management System (BMS) does a crucial role towards charging and discharging.
If the BMS develops an issue, then it means the scooter battery won’t optimally charge and this makes it fail to turn on.
If it’s a minor issue, then resetting an electric scooter BMS is a simple task.
How to fix an electric scooter BMS issue
You can follow these steps in case you want to fix a BMS externally without opening the deck or any other internal components
- Wear safety gloves
- Obtain a red and black wire, and a Direct Current barrel jack
- Get a soldering kit and attach the red wire to the positive terminal of the barrel jack
- Attach the black wire to the negative terminal
- You have now created a makeshift power adapter. To test if it works, connect the scooter battery charger to the end of the adapter
- Attach a multimeter to the adapter and check if there is electricity conducting
- Connect the other end of the adapter to the discharge port of the battery
- If the battery charger turns red, then the BMS is working. Hold the adapter for only 15 seconds and the BMS will be reset
- You can now remove the battery charger and the adapter. Now connect the scooter to the charger and see if the BMS can optimally discharge or charge.
If for some reason this process doesn’t work, you can then get your hands dirtier by internally resetting the Battery Management System in the processes outlined below:
- Wear safety gloves
- Open the deck to access the battery (this depends on the type of scooter as in some models, you don’t have to open the deck to see the battery. For example, EMOVE RoadRunner)
- Open the cap to access the battery’s inside
- Gently pull out the BMS strip. It’s easy to see it regardless of the battery model
- To rest the BMS after disconnecting it from the battery, begin by switching on the charger
- Disconnect the wire harness present in the BMS strip
- Plug the charger into the battery’s charging port
- Reconnect the harness to the Battery Management System and all the other parts as they were before
- Test to see that the battery works optimally again
- Plug the battery into the e-scooter and check whether it can charge and discharge as expected
- Congratulations! You have internally reset your Battery Management System and your e-scooter should turn on now.
3. Faulty battery
Depending on the quality of a scooter battery, the riding conditions, and age, it can unexpectedly become faulty.
However, before you can conclude that you have a faulty battery, you can start by testing if it works.
To go about that, begin by properly checking if the battery is connected to the controller.
A poor connection of the battery to the controller will undoubtedly make you think that the battery is faulty since the scooter won’t turn on.
If the connections are fine, then you can test the battery’s voltage using a voltmeter at the controller’s out port.
If it doesn’t show some voltage, then the controller is faulty.
Fixing the controller should make the scooter power on.
If you have charged the battery, ascertained that the controller works, and confirmed that the BMS works, then you can conclude that the battery is faulty.
How to fix a faulty e-scooter battery
There really isn’t any straightforward way to fix a scooter battery.
The best way to go about this mishap is by replacing the battery.
If the seller covers a battery malfunction under warranty and the scooter is under guarantee, then you can send it back to them.
If not or you are not under the warranty period, then you can get in touch with the retailer for a replacement battery.
If for some reason that specific battery is out of stock or the seller doesn’t produce the specific model anymore, then you can buy another battery of the same specs as the original one.
Some of the greatest scooter battery replacement brands you can use for your faulty battery include Samsung, LG, and Panasonic.
Just go for a reputable brand.
Replacing a faulty battery with a better option will make your scooter turn on and hit the road as new or even better, and achieve a higher range than how it was before you pronounced the replaced battery as faulty.
It happens!
4. The scooter could have gotten wet
Most e-scooter companies don’t recommend riding in rain or even in snow but there are unexpected scenarios where your scooter could get wet.
This could lead to some internal components getting damaged and thus making the scooter fail to turn on.
While some models such as the EMOVE Cruiser are among the most waterproof scooters in the entire world, you need to ensure that you waterproof the scooter even further in case you are caught riding by the rains.
Some of the waterproofing tips you can consider include:
- Silicone all the bolt holes of the scooter
- Loctite all the bolt holes
- Wrap a rain cover around the entire scooter
- Tape over the charging port
- Get a plastic cover to protect the entire cockpit; throttle, screen, display and any other electronics on the front.
How to fix a wet electric scooter
Even though we recommend that you don’t ride in heavy rains, that doesn’t help for scooter owners who are seeing their rides not turning on after riding under splashes of water.
To fix that, follow the simple steps below:
- Open the deck and disconnect the battery
- Use a dry piece of cloth to completely dry the battery and if the terminals appear to have corroded, clean them with a mixture of some baking soda and water, and then dry it once more
- Get an air hose and fully dry beneath the deck and the scooter as a whole. After that, get another piece of cloth and dry the scooter once more
- Keep the battery away from the scooter for 24 days and insert it back, then without switching the scooter on, fully charge the battery
- The scooter should switch on if it’s completely dry.
Pro tip: If your scooter comes into contact with water, it’s important that you don’t switch it on before fully drying it with an air hose. Never use a hairdryer.
5. Improperly connected throttle
If the throttle is connected properly, then an electric scooter won’t turn on as expected.
While the primary function of an e scooter throttle is to allow the rider to control the speed and the power used, it has to be connected well to the relevant connectors for the scooter to power on.
If yours was non-responsive when you switched off the ride and the scooter can’t switch on, then fixing it is straightforward enough.
How to properly connect the throttle
If you closely look at your Display, then you will notice that it has an array of wires.
These are the connectors that attach to the throttle for it to work optimally.
If the throttle doesn’t work, then you can ensure that it is properly connected to the connectors on the handlebar leading to the Display.
To know that the throttle isn’t properly connected, then be sure to check that all the wires from the Display lead to the throttle.
If the connectors are fine and then after fixing the throttle doesn’t work, then it’s worth it for you to replace the throttle.
6. Rusted Electricals
Rust in electricals will undoubtedly make your ride fail to turn on.
One of the most affected parts is the motor since it’s near the ground.
Rain and ice patches make the motors rust easily and as such, you will need to waterproof the motor.
To make the motor waterproof, you can completely seal them with silicone.
That way, you keep splashes of water and moisture away from the motor.
One of the best ways to know that the motor has rusted is by the feeling that it keeps on overheating after a short ride and gradual reduction in speed as the days forge ahead.
The battery can also rust, especially on the terminals.
Rusting in the battery terminals can be exclusive or in the form of corrosion.
How to fix the rusting of scooter electricals
- To clean a rusted motor and battery terminals of an electric scooter, mix baking soda and some warm water
- Dip a toothbrush in the solution and scrub off the rusted parts
- If the rust doesn’t wear off easily, immerse a steel brush or nylon into the solution and gently scrub off the oxidized parts
- After that get an air hose and completely dry these electricals
- After that, you can waterproof the motor with silicone. For the battery, ensure that you silicone all the bolt holes and that will help towards ensuring moisture doesn’t reach the terminals.
Wrapping Up
There are many reasons why your electric scooter may fail to turn on.
Most of the reasons are associated with moisture and as such, it would help if you waterproof your e-scooter beforehand.
