How to Fix an Electric Scooter Battery That Doesn’t Charge

In general, adult electric scooters are low-maintenance, but they still need a few repairs or replacements in some components. An electric scooter battery, in particular, is a vital component that may encounter issues if you don’t take care of it.

For example, how do you fix a scooter battery that won’t charge? Ultimately, you need to determine the cause of the defective battery and replace it if it’s no longer working. Before buying one at an electric scooter online store, read this electric scooter repair guide to fix a defective battery.

Why is My Electric Scooter Battery Not Charging?

An e-scooter battery doesn’t charge due to two reasons. First, the battery has a defective charger, wire, or charger port, preventing it from charging to a full capacity. 

Second, the battery is over-discharged and has reached a low level that prevents it from recharging. It happens if a battery drains or doesn't recharge for a long time after storing it with a full charge.

If the battery has a full charge but doesn’t turn on the e-scooter, it means that the battery can no longer hold a charge. It is also the possible cause for batteries that run a vehicle slowly or only keep an e-scooter for a short time.

How to Fix an Electric Scooter Battery That Doesn’t Charge

Try the following methods to determine the cause and status of your e-scooter battery.

Identify the Battery Pack’s History

How long has the battery been left uncharged or stored? Was it stored with a full charge? If the battery has been left with a full charge for less than six months, it has a higher possibility of recharging. However, leaving the battery uncharged for more than six months means that it will no longer charge. You can assume that the electric scooter battery died already. It is the same with an over-discharged battery.

Check the Battery’s Condition

If the battery is regularly used and charged, check the condition of the battery. Open the e-scooter deck and inspect the battery by sight, smell, and touch. See if there is anything unusual with the battery and the wires connected to it. Check if the wires are connected tightly.

If you smell a burnt plastic smell, the battery or wire might have burned. If you see a burned wire or part of the battery, take it out and replace it with a new one immediately. Additionally, check if there is a battery leak. 

Note that overusing and overcharging can cause the components to burn or melt, so avoid doing these to your e-scooter. Moreover, storing the battery in extremely hot or cold temperatures impacts its capacity. See how cold weather affects your electric scooter battery.

Test the Charging Port

Another way to check the cause of an e-scooter battery that doesn’t charge is to check the charging port. If you don’t know how to test the electric scooter battery charging port, the fastest way to check if it works is to look at the indicator light on the charger. If the indicator lights up, it means that the port is charging.

However, if your charger doesn’t have an indicator light, use a multimeter to check the charger port voltage. Connect the multimeter to the port and check the voltage level. It should have the same voltage as the battery pack. If the port has male terminals, be careful not to short circuit the terminals to each other or the port’s metal housing.

Test the Charger

If the port is working, test the charger next to confirm if it is recharging. First, check if it has less than a 100 per cent charge and if it needs to recharge. If it does, plug it into the wall to charge it. Next, test the battery pack using a digital multimeter to see if the voltage is climbing. Make sure to set the multimeter to a DC voltage to read the voltage accurately.

If the battery voltage increases, it means that the battery charger is working. Continue to charge it to 100 per cent and check if it is truly charged to full capacity. Otherwise, the battery charger is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Where to Get Your Electric Scooter Fixed

After you identify the cause of your defective battery, the usual resolution is to replace the battery, especially if it is badly damaged. Check out our guide on how to replace an electric scooter battery for a DIY electric scooter battery replacement.

However, it is best to bring your e-scooter to your local mechanic to replace the battery, especially if you are a first-time owner. Contact your local retailer or your e-scooter’s manufacturer to buy the same original battery or have it repaired.

If you need to repair your Mearth electric scooter, you may request a repair on our website. Complete the form and wait for our team to help with your concern.

For more electric scooter repair guides, read more at Mearth’s blog.