16 Hoverboard Problems and Solutions (A Practical Guide)

Editors Pick: The Hoverboard with the least Problems (You’ll love it):

It happens to every hoverboard owner at one point or another.

One moment you are riding happy and free, the next moment, you see that dreaded red or blue light blinking. Something is wrong with your device and you want it fixed as fast as possible.

A hoverboard is not only a fun toy, but it is also a useful device that helps kids to travel from one place to another in style and be more self-confident.

If you own a self-balancing scooter, you must know that this device often faces issues.

Here you can know about the common hoverboard issues, and how to fix a hoverboard without professional help.

How to reset a hoverboard

Faulty hoverboard

Common hoverboard problems:

• Red light displaying on the Segway board.
• Hoverboard leaning in one direction, constant alarm sound.
• Hoverboard not charging properly.
• Hoverboard pointing upwards.

How to use the master reset

First method

• Turn the self-balancing scooter off and put it on a flat surface.
• Hold the on and off button for 8-10 secs. After 10secs a small red flash appears.
• Remove your finger from the on or off button and turn on the board.

Second Method

• Turn on the board and ensure that it does not move when calibration is taking place.
• Hold on the on and off button for about 10 seconds until red flashes appear.
• Remove your finger from the on or off button and the board.

Whenever hoverboard problems occur, the first thing you should try is the master reset calibration method mentioned above. If the hoverboard won’t calibrate, you should try removing its back cover unplug and plug all the inside wires again. If it still does not work, then you can dig deeper by exploring other solutions here below.

What then does the red light mean? Simply put, this is a warning light that indicates something is wrong with your board. Few issues might cause this to happen including:

• Cables have come loose or there is a bad connection.
• The internal circuits have malfunctioned.
• The balance sensors need to be recalibrated.
• Either of the wheel motors need to be replaced.
• The battery has gone bad and needs to be replaced.
• Your gyroscopes have gone bad.

Now here is what you will need to do in case of any of the above-mentioned cases.

1. Loose cables

Whether the cables themselves are loose or their connections are bad, you need to reconnect them. Start by unscrewing the bottom of the board, then remove the lower part of the body.

Locate the main circuit board and start disconnecting and reconnecting the wires. If this does not work, you might need to buy a new motherboard.

2. Circuit malfunction and balance sensors

This will cause the board’s balance sensors to stop working. If resetting the device does not solve the problem, then a replacement kit is the only solution.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for malfunctioning internal circuits. There are, however, replacement kits you can purchase for your board instead of buying a new one.

Hoverboard repair

3. Wheel motors

These are tiny little devices that wire from the motherboard feed into the wheels. The red light will blink four times for the motherboard side and five times for the battery side. Fixing this problem requires buying a new motor for the bad wheel then replacing it disconnecting the old motor and reattaching the new one. They come pre-assembled making this an easy project.

4. Faulty battery

Every battery goes bad eventually, including the ones in a hoverboard. When yours finally kicks the bucket, all you need to do is purchase a new one and replace it.

Make sure to pick up the battery that works with your model or a UL -2271. The ULs are made by Samsung and considered the safest in the market.

5. Replacing gyroscopes

This one is a tricky fix. While you can do it yourself, you need to make sure the gyroscopes are the same kind used by your motherboard.

When in doubt, just pick up a full circuit board replacement kit to keep things simple.

6. Hoverboard red light error

Hoverboard red flashes often flash when met with an issue. Here you can know what to do if it blinks multiple times.

• If the red light is flashing once, it means that the hoverboard might have loose wires or cables. You can fix this issue by unscrewing the hoverboard from below and tightening the loose cables with a screwdriver. You can also disconnect and reconnect all wires if you can’t find the loose one.
• If the red light is blinking twice or thrice, it might be due to internal circuit problems. To fix this, you need to invest in a hoverboard circuit board replacement kit and follow the steps mentioned herein.
• In cases where the red light is blinking four or five times, it indicates that you need to replace the motor. If the red-light flashes six times, you need to replace the motor. If the red-light flashes seven or eight times, replacing gyroscopes is a viable solution.

7. Hoverboard not turning on

If your hoverboard is not turning on due to any reason, then you should first check if the scooter can be charged or not. When doing that, if you do not see a green light on the charger box then it implies that the hoverboard internal; circuits have gone bad. The only solution here is replacing them.

In contrast, if the green light on the charger stays on, turn on the hoverboard. In case you see an orange, light flashing it means you need to replace the battery.

8. Hoverboard not turning off

When your hoverboard keeps on beeping and won’t turn off, you need to take the matters in your own hands. You should flip it and unscrew it and slowly remove the battery this will stop the noisy beeping sound. Then you need to buy a hoverboard repair kit and fix the problem on your own.

9. One side of the board not working

One side of the hoverboard not working is a common problem. In most cases, the reason for this is a faulty gyroscope.

This problem can be solved by replacing the gyroscope. You can do that by knowing whether your gyroscope is male or female. If it has two receiving ports and a wire harness it is male.

If it has more than two receiving ports and no wire harness then it is female. Ensure you replace your gyroscope with a perfect replacement to solve your problem.

10. Charging problems

This too is a common issue and here are a few tips that might be helpful when having these troubles.

Always remember to read and follow the instructions from seller s when charging a hoverboard.

Plug your charger into the hoverboard, if the charger shows a red light it means your self- balancing scooter is charging properly.

It usually takes 2-3 hours for a full charge in case the charger appears green light, it indicates the battery is full so there is no need to charge your device.

Slow charging of a mini Segway is a problem that occurs if you buy the wrong charger, or the temperature conditions are not right. We suggest that you contact the seller or look at the product description to see that you are using an original charger. You should also see to it that the hoverboard is charging in a room with an ideal temperature.

What if your hoverboard cannot charge? This issue is divided into three situations:

The charger shows a red light. Just keep it charging for 2-3 hours then you can ride your hoverboard again.

• Charger green light stays on but the hoverboard cannot be ridden. A red light appears beeping noise when you turn it on. This means you have a bad battery, you need to buy a new battery and learn to replace it by yourself.
• Hoverboard won’t turn on without a charger or hoverboard shows orange light when powered on. This is a battery problem which you can solve by replacing the battery.
• The charger shows no light at all. First, make sure the 3 prongs plug and charging port are completely matched then check the electrical outlet. Use your laptop or mobile phone to see if there is power. In case the outlet works well, then your charger might be broken. You can buy a new one from the original seller where you bought the hoverboard from.

A loose charging socket may cause no light on the charger too. You can open the back cover in the charging port side, unplug and plug all the wires and try the charger again.

Sometimes charger shows no light because your charging port is broken and, in that case, you can purchase a new one online and learn to replace it on your own.

12.  Hoverboard light stays on

When the hoverboard light stays on and the device does not move. It is highly likely that one or both of the gyroscopes have gone bad. You can fix this problem by buying a new gyroscope online and adding it to your board. Trust websites if you want a quick delivery such as Amazon and Alibaba if you want a cheap solution.

13.  Pad getting stuck

If you are wondering how to fix a hoverboard that won’t move, then you should know that the solution is simple. The problem of pad getting stuck occurs when the board fails to sense the rider and hence does not work properly. You can solve this issue by switching off the hoverboard and pushing the pads and releasing them to see if they can get back in place. If it does not work, you should remove the lower plastic case and then reposition pads from the inside of the board.

14.  Not balancing right

If your self-balancing scooter is not balancing right then the reason could vary. One reason could be that the scooter is not in self-balancing mode. You can rectify this problem by taking it to a flat area and ensuring both feet are touching the pedals for easier detection.

An un-calibrated device could also be a reason and you need to recalibrate the board to solve this problem. If the reason is disconnected wires, you can open the board and reconnect all the wires. Similarly, if damaged gyroscopes are all the culprit, replacing them might help.

15.  Pressure sensor problem

This is also quite common among the board users. If your hoverboard can’t sense you when you step onto it then you should unscrew the board after putting it upside down. The pressure sensor will usually be located near the wheel. When you step on the board, two little wings join and the board starts detecting you. If that’s not happening, then you need to buy a new sensor.

Try to buy it from outside the US if you want it to be cheap. Once you get the replacement pull the plugs, unscrew it and then put it in. Make sure the rubber nipples are aligned right and then turn it on. Your problem will very likely be solved.

16.  Hoverboard vibrating violently when dismounting

If your hoverboard is spinning in circles or shaking out of control when you step off it, then you need to fix it. Before you do, you should know that there is an air pocket under the rubber pads and you can hear a sound emerging from it.

You can start by turning off the board, flipping it upside down and taking off the back cover. Take the back cover from the side that is giving a problem. You can press the footpad by hand to feel the problem side. Then take off everything until you see a little lip of plastic under the plastic casing. When you see that little lip, you need to set it with a small knife to let the air release.

Then you can put everything back in place, put the screws in and turn the board on.

Conclusion

After removing the back cover or replacing any of the hoverboard parts or battery, or after long storage it is necessary to re-calibrate the hoverboard for you to enjoy that coveted smooth ride.

I hope the article helped calibrate your hoverboard, enjoy your ride. Now you can fix your hoverboard like a pro when the red light comes on.