Why is My E Scooter Not Charging? Diagnose in 4 Easy Steps

If you have found yourself searching Google for the answer to ‘why is my E scooter not charging?’ then you will find plenty of help and advice in diagnosing this problem, and how to go about fixing it.

There are 3 main reasons why your e scooter is not charging:

1. your electric scooter’s battery charger is defective is some specific way (e.g. a loose wire or battery leak)
2. the charger port has something wrong with it which prevents it from charging to its full capacity
3. the battery is over-discharged and has reached such a low level that it cannot be recharged

If you have fully charged your electric scooter, but it won’t turn on then you are in the unfortunate position of having a battery that is no longer able to hold the charge. You will need to get a new battery. If your scooter is still in warranty you should be able to contact the manufacturer of your scooter and get a new one sent out to you. If not you will have to buy a new electric scooter battery.

If you find that your e scooter is only able to stay on for a short while, or that the scooter is becoming slower and slower, then you will also need to get a new battery to ensure your scooter has enough power for your needs.

If you need any further help with how to properly charge an electric scooter try our article on the subject.

 

Why is My E Scooter Not Charging?

Step 1 Figure out How Long the Battery Has been Left Uncharged

The first thing you need to consider is how long the battery has been left without being charged. If the battery was charged and then stored for less than 6 months it should still be okay to charge up. You can store a charged battery for up to 6 months but it isn’t recommended to store it for longer than this.

However if you have left the battery in an uncharged state for longer than 6 months it will have the same result as an over-discharged battery – it won’t be possible to recharge this dead battery. If this is the case then you will need to get yourself a new battery.

 

Step 2 Check the Battery for Damage

You will need to open up the scooter deck to check the battery to make sure whether it is damaged. Warning signs that the battery is damaged and needs replaced include the smell of burnt plastic (either the battery or a wire connected to it may have burnt), or loose wires.

Inspect the battery to see if you can see any visible signs of damage.

Here are a few things that damage the battery of an electric scooter and can stop it from charging properly:

• Overusing the battery
• Overcharging the battery
• Storing the battery in extreme temperatures (both hot and cold)
• A burned wire (you will smell a burnt plastic smell if this is the case)
• A battery leak

Wires can obviously be replaced if they are damaged, but other signs of damage will mean the battery needs replaced, including a battery leak.

 

Step 3 Test the Charging Port of the Scooter

Another possible reason that the your electric scooter might not be charging is that the charging port is defective in some way. The easiest way to do this is to check the light on the charger itself. If the indicator light is on then the port is working properly. If the indicator light isn’t on then the problem could be the port.

To make sure the port is working properly you will need a multimeter to check the voltage level. Connect the right terminal to the port (male to male and female to female) and take a voltage reading. You should get the same voltage reading as what it says on the charger.  If you do the problem isn’t with the charging port and you need to test the charger of your electric scooter.

 

Step 4 Test Your E Scooter’s Charger

You will need your multimeter for this also. Start by plugging in the scooter’s charger and then plugging into your electric scooter’s charging port.

Now set the multimeter to a DC voltage, and then test the battery pack’s voltage output. The voltage should be increasing if the battery charger is properly working. If it is not increasing it means that the charger is not working properly and needs to be replaced, but at least you have diagnosed your problem.

Conclusion

So to sum up there are really 3 main problems that will lead to your e scooter not charging and 4 steps to take to diagnose which of these 3 main problems is relevant for your scooter. The battery needs to be checked for damage (e.g. overcharging), the charging port needs to tested to see if it is defective in some way, and you need to be able to rule out the outside chance of a specific issue with the battery such as a battery leak or loose wires.

If you don’t feel comfortable with dealing with the problem yourself then you should reach out to the customer service team of your brand of electric scooter or take the scooter to a repair centre in your area.