Electric scooters are very practical for traveling over short distances. Whether they move around the neighborhood, go to work or rush to the grocery store, they are very useful. Like any other machine, electric scooters are prone to breakdowns from time to time, especially as they age. Therefore, you will find yourself in a situation where you need to fix it. The maintenance of your electric scooter is essential for daily, weekly and annual operation. Each type of scooter is a little different and requires a number of maintenance tasks. All new scooters come with an owner’s manual. Here we will present you a complete guide to the problems you may encounter with your electric scooter and how to fix them. This guide will describe the difficulties you are likely to encounter with your scooter and we will tell you how to solve them correctly.
Maintenance is necessary to keep your electric scooter in good condition. Cleaning the scooter every day will prevent all kinds of accumulated dirt problems. The handlebars should be cleaned more often on the days you use the scooter. Check the battery charge level daily if you have an electric scooter. When using the scooter daily, you only need to charge the battery every week, but if you use a scooter more than six hours a day, you may need to charge it more frequently.
Common Causes of Breakage
Most often, the reason that the scooter is broken is one of the factors or cases:
| Most Common Causes of Breakage With Electric Scooters |
|---|
| 1. Sloppy or improper operation; |
| 2. Water has entered the engine; |
| 3. The scooter fell and its body, other details were damaged; |
| 4. The battery has failed, does not charge or does not turn on even when fully charged; |
| 5. Punctured wheels, even if new tires have recently been replaced; |
| 6. Electronic and mechanical parts are out of order. |
Basic Preventive Measures [Rules]
Any repair of the scooter will cost money. You can protect yourself from unnecessary expenses with the help of simple operating rules:
- Avoid falls, collisions with walls and solid objects;
- Eliminate the ingress of moisture inside the scooter (you can contact the experts and pre-install water protection, it will be cheaper than a full repair);
- At the first sign of malfunction, contact the service center – the sooner the problem is fixed, the cheaper the repair work will cost;
- Comply with weight standards; scooters are designed for children of a certain age;
- Do not overexpose the battery on charging, this leads to a reduction in service life, in the future it will need a replacement;
- Do not install parts from unverified manufacturers on it, only original spare parts must be used.
The Elements of Electric Scooters That Most Often Require Repair
Two large families of components may require maintenance and repair in an electric scooter.
1. Mechanical Parts:
The bodywork and wheel elements are very similar to a classic scooter, so they are also sensitive to impacts on the edges, falls and other collisions. You should therefore drive carefully. When talking about mechanical parts, driving on rough terrain, rain and dust should be avoided. This will certainly protect your electric scooter and have no problems with mechanical parts.
2. Electrical Parts:
This is the real specificity of electric scooters. If the engine is potentially hard-wearing and offers very few breakdowns, the parts most prone to breakdown can be the charger, and the various cables which can be damaged in the event of shocks. The batteries are extremely reliable and for most models, at 50,000 km, they are still at over 70% of their performance.
Common Problems With An Electric Scooter
- Circuit Breaker Problems
Most electric scooters have merged to protect their electrical systems from damage. If one of these fuses is on or blown, the electric scooter will not turn on. You will need to physically examine the fuses to determine if they are in good condition if your electric scooter does not start. You must replace the fuse if they have been burnt. Be sure to replace with the same type of fuse as before.
- Brake Lever Switch
The brake lever switch on an electric scooter is connected to the throttle control system. Once applied, it deactivates the butterfly system. In the event of a failure, the brakes lock the scooter. That means the scooter won’t run anymore. This system improves security. It tends to fail sometimes, however. If you operate the brake lever and the scooter does not stop, the connection to the accelerator system does not work. You will have to reconnect them.
- Main Problems With Battery
These are the most common problems with an electric scooter. When the battery has problems, your scooter will probably not start, and even if it does, it will not function properly. You should make sure to always charge the battery until the end. Make sure you don’t overload it. It will be damaged. It is not prudent to leave the battery without charge for a long time either. You should also make sure that you are using the correct charger to charge your electric scooter. A bad charger will damage the battery. Check the ratings of the charger you are using and the requirements of the scooter you have. The charger should supply roughly the voltage required by the battery.
Electric Scooter Won’t Start?
Electric scooters with single speed joysticks sometimes need to be pushed forward to start. Stand on the scooter with one foot and push it forward with the other foot while fully engaging the throttle. Once the scooter reaches driving speed and the accelerator is engaged, the scooter should rotate until the accelerator is released or the brake is applied.
· Inspect by Sight, Touch and Odors
Remove the pallet or wiring cover and look for burnt or melted wires, wire connectors, or electrical components. Also look for loose, disconnected, or damaged wires or wire connectors. Pull and insert all individual wires and connectors to make sure they are not loose or disconnected. Approach and smell the cruise control and the engine. All components that appear to be burnt, melted, or smell of burnt plastic are almost always defective and should be replaced. Motors that smell burnt should be replaced to avoid damage to the cruise control.
· The Electric Scooter May Be Overloaded
Most electric scooters are not designed to go up or down steep slopes, stop and drive, drive with a heavy load, or drive in sand, gravel or soft earth. Overloading an electric scooter can cause the fuse to burn out or the circuit breaker to trip. Excessive burning of the fuse or tripping of the circuit breaker caused by an overload can possibly damage the cruise control or the motor by overheating them. Rubbing the brake pads or pads due to defective brake components or improper adjustment of the brake cable tension can cause fuses and circuit breakers to trip. If the fuse is lost, check the owner’s manual for the fuse scooter to be used.
How to Diagnose Problems With Your Electric Scooter
Electric scooters are an excellent type of city personal transport. Nimble, lightweight, economical – the dream of any resident of the metropolis. But the scooter is often operated in any weather, and on this basis, it relatively often fails. If your electric scooter is broken, do not despair. It is enough to find out what the problem is and to restore it to a new state! The main breakdowns of electric scooters encountered by the specialists are:
- electric scooter does not pull;
- the electric scooter has stopped turning on;
- the electric motor of the scooter is very hot
- scooter makes extraneous sounds while riding
- during acceleration, the electric scooter begins to twitch
All malfunctions of electric scooters can be conditionally divided into 2 categories: there are malfunctions of a mechanical nature and malfunctions directly related to electronics. Among mechanical failures, wear of bushings, bearings, and mechanical assemblies is usually. Among electric malfunctions , for example, the scooter may not turn on and not ride, which in turn may indicate a malfunction of the scooter controller, a discharged battery, and a burned out motor of your device.
If the electric scooter has lost traction, then most likely this is due to the loss of capacity by the battery, which leads to the inability to give the necessary energy to the electric motor. If the scooter does not pull, but the motor is very hot, this indicates that some component creates strong mechanical resistance, for example, the wheel bearing is very worn and rotates with difficulty. The scooter twitches when speeding, this indicates the wear of the gas regulator or the wear of the motor controller.
My Electric Scooter Battery is Faulty, What Should I Do?
First Solution: The Battery of My Electric Scooter is Still Under Warranty.
It is important to contact the seller to assert your rights. Beware of purchases on the internet or purchases of exotic brands which have just been created and which exist during a promotion. They will disappear as quickly as they were created by taking with them the guarantee of your electric scooter. You will have no problems if your electric scooter is under warranty and they should replace your battery for free.
Second Solution: The Battery of My Electric Scooter is no Longer Under Warranty.
It should be remembered that this scenario will be very rare and that the batteries are reliable and their wear perfectly known and documented over time. If nevertheless there was a breakdown on a battery which was no longer guaranteed, the durability of your scooter would not be diminished for the following reasons:
- it would be advisable to look at the exact battery model and order the identical battery if you can
- Find out in your city whether they sell the same or similar battery model somewhere
- Search the internet and order a battery (make sure all parameters match)
How To Increase The Life Of Your Electric Scooter?
1. For The Mechanical Part:
Even with electric scooters, caution and flexible driving is essential. If curbs or other obstacles have to be crossed, it should be done at very low speed. Regarding the risk of collision, anticipation is essential and the electric scooter is no exception to the rule. In addition, it should be noted that under-inflated wheels cause premature wear, increased consumption and poor handling of your scooter, so you must be rigorous in regular inflation, at least once a month.
2. For The Electrical Part:
Again, prevention against sudden shocks is essential for the electrical parts of your scooter. As for the engine, there is no special preventive measure. Regarding the batteries, however, we recommend storing overnight in a dry room and if possible not too cold. Also try to avoid constant battery strain, which means don’t use your electric scooter at maximum speed all the time. This will give you a much larger range and the battery will last longer.
Why do Electric Scooter Motors Break Down?
Having the opportunity to choose, most buyers get a quality vehicle that is not only attractive driving characteristics, but also a reliable design. Leading manufacturers guarantee the durability of their products, however, any equipment may fail. Among the causes of malfunctions may be natural wear of components, improper operation, as well as mechanical damage to the device that occurs in emergency situations. Sometimes you can do the repair of an electric scooter with your own hands, if its owner can determine the cause of the breakdown, and also has the necessary skills to fix it.
Therefore, it is better to take advantage of the offers of service centers where all the necessary equipment is available. If the electric transport has not yet expired the warranty service, then contacting professionals is mandatory.
The lack of contact in some element can be found by the continuity of all the connecting wires. If the electric scooter does not turn on, then damage should be sought in the control unit or electric motor. A failed control unit makes no sense to repair. The only option to be fixed is poor soldering of contacts.
Important!
However, poor contact often leads to a malfunction of other elements of the controller, so it is better to immediately replace it with a new device. When choosing a new controller, it is necessary to match its parameters with the previously installed part. When replacing, the connection must be carried out according to the circuit printed on the controller. If the electric motor fails, then it is better to repair it in the workshop. Since in modern electric scooters a motor of the motor-wheel type is usually used, the replacement can be carried out independently.
It’s important to know!
Any kind of repair of a scooter equipped with an electric motor can only be done with certain skills. If you have no experience of self-repair, then the best way to solve the problem will be to contact professionals.
Can The Electric Scooter Be Disassembled?
After purchasing an electric scooter, there are many people who want to make their own remodeling of scooter. Many people think about remodeling when the purchased electric scooter does not have the desired function or when it is not a compact design. All that is required to modify the electric scooter is to disassemble it after understanding the basic structure. Electric scooters have components such as motors and front and rear wheels in addition to the accelerator and battery. By understanding the basic structure of electric scooter, you will be able to understand how to install the functions you want. For advanced modifications, the chain can be adjusted to extend the mileage possible with a single charge.
1. Basics to Know For Disassembly Your Electric Scooter
The electric scooter has tires that are running when the battery mounted on it rotates the motor. The method of applying power is a chain, belt, DDM (direct drive motor). The number of revolutions of the motor is adjusted by the accelerator through the base motor speed controller. There are many types of sensors that sense the accelerator, such as resistance type and MR elements. The accelerator itself also has a grip system, lever system, thumb lever system, etc. It is said that by directly connecting the mounted battery and motor, the load increases, and one of them is damaged.
The base plays the role of protection circuit by acting as two intermediaries. To explain the functions of a motorcycle and the function of an electric scooter in comparison, the motorcycle itself is an electric scooter. Gasoline as fuel becomes electricity (battery) obtained by charging. The carburetor and CDI form the basis of the electric scooter (motor speed controller). The engine is the same as the motor. There is also the idea that remodeling an electric scooter is closer to customizing a radio-controlled car than a motorcycle.
2. Modification Example of Electric Scooter
There are several ways to modify an electric scooter, but here are two major ways to modify it. In addition to power-related and vehicle-related parts, remodeling examples for each detailed part are also included. If you want to remodel the electric scooter with your own hands, please check out what modifications have been made. Let’s customize the electric scooter if you have any modifications you like! However, care must be taken because any failures or damages caused by remodeling or repairing by yourself will not be guaranteed by the manufacturer.
2.1. Power Relation
Power is the energy required to run an electric scooter. The power-related modifications are divided into battery, board (motor speed controller), motor, and drive. The battery can change the voltage and capacity of the installed battery. The base (motor speed controller) can greatly change the allowable voltage and capacity, and can be changed to parts used in other vehicles. The motor can be replaced with a motor with a larger output, or the advance angle of the motor can be adjusted. Other modifications include changing the windings and magnets of the motor core and installing a cooling fan. For driving, you can change the system driven by the chain to a belt or change the sprocket.
2.2. Body Related
You can remodel the handle, F tire and R tire parts for the scooter body. The handle can be changed to a bar handle by changing to a mountain bike or a motorcycle part. If you are worried about the grip, it is recommended that you replace it with a grip that fits your hand. F tires can be changed for scooters and pocket bikes. Changing the size makes it easier to respond to road conditions. Another example of remodeling is to use large wheels and strengthen the brakes. You can change the size of the R tire or change to a large wheel. In addition to strengthening the brake, you can adjust the speed by installing a wheel-in transmission.
Conclusion
In this article we have gone through a lot of things that are related to the technical part of the electric scooters and how to fix them if something happens. We also went through a maintenance phase which is also very important. However, it is better to prevent a potential breakdown, than to fix it. Electric scooters can sometimes be very sensitive, so there is a lot to look out for. We also mention in this article that the battery is one of the most commonly malfunctioning or causing problems, and we have described what to do in these cases. If I left something out or would like to comment, feel free to leave a comment below.