If your hoverboard won’t turn on you don’t need to panic, a bit of simple troubleshooting and investigating can help you to fix this common problem.
If your hoverboard won't turn on there are 6 simple checks you can do to make sure you get your board back up and running in no time.
6 Checks To Do If Your Hoverboard Won't Turn On
1. Check your charger is working
2. Check your battery is charged
3. Check for any loose wiring inside your hoverboard
4. Check for motherboard problems
5. Check for signs that you purchased a defective board
6. Check for signs of wear and tear damage
Hoverboards and self-balancing scooters will take their fair share of knocks and bumps overtime. At some point you may find your hoverboard not turning on when you want to use it, and this can cause a bit of panic.
Afterall, hoverboards are expensive devices so waking up to find your board not working can lead to worry and stress.
But before you panic try these troubleshooting tips to find out exactly why your hoverboard is not turning on.
There are five common reasons which may be responsible for your hoverboard not turning on.
When you can identify the reason/s why your board won’t turn on you can normally fix it yourself, or take it to a repair center or your manufacturer to resolve the issue.
Common Reasons Why Your Hoverboard Won’t Turn On
When your hoverboard won’t turn on there are normally a few reasons which may be causing this problem:
1. Charging Issues
2. Battery Issues
3. Loose Wiring
4. Motherboard Problems
5. Defective Hoverboard
6. Wear And Tear
If you find your hoverboard wont turn on and you're not sure why than run through this 5 step checklist to identify and solve the problem.
1. How To Fix Charging Issues
One of the most common hoverboard problems you may encounter are problems with your device not charging.
You know that feeling when you go to grab your board expecting it to be fully charged so you can head outside to have some fun, but instead you find that the hoverboard is completely dead!
If you find that your hoverboard is not charging it could be down to a few things:
Make sure your charger is inserted correctly
The first and most obvious fault is that the charger plug may not be fully inserted into the power socket, so make sure it is plugged in correctly and switched on.
Secondly, the charger may not be correctly inserted into the charger port on your board.
Most charger ports on hoverboards are pin sockets which means the charger needs to be aligned correctly to be fully inserted.
Make sure you check the charger is correctly aligned and firmly inserted into the board’s charging port.
Check if your charger is defective
If your charger is correctly inserted and still doesn’t seem to work than it could be because your charger is defective.
When you plug your charger in the power socket the little LED light indicator on the charger should turn on and will either be red or green.
If the charger is working properly the green light should turn on to indicate that the hoverboard is charging. The light may be red for a few minutes before turning green, which is also a sign the charger is working.
If the light doesn’t turn on at all it may indicate the charger is faulty and is not supplying any power which is why your hoverboard won’t turn on even after being on charge for several hours.
In this case you will need to buy a replacement hoverboard charger.
If your charger is working and is correctly inserted into the board but you still find your hoverboard not turning on than there may be an issue with the hoverboard's battery.
2. How To Fix Battery Issues
If your hoverboard doesn’t turn on or charge at all than your battery may be the cause of the problem.
Check if your battery is faulty
Luckily it is easy to diagnose if your battery is faulty:
- Connect your charger and hoverboard, making sure the charger is correctly inserted into the charger port and that the LED light on the charger turns on.
- Turn on your hoverboard.
- Observe the battery level indicator on your board. If it starts flashing orange, it means your battery is faulty and needs to be replaced.
Check if your battery is depleted
Overtime, hoverboard batteries will get depleted the more you use them.
Constant charging and discharging cycles weaken a battery and reduce its performance which lead it to becoming depleted of sufficient power to charge your board.
You can check the status of your battery by opening up your hoverboard and removing the battery from its housing unit. Use a voltage detector to take a voltage reading of your battery by connecting it to the battery’s terminal.
Hoverboard batteries can vary in voltage depending on what hoverboard model and brand you have.
You can find your battery’s voltage on the battery itself or by referring to your hoverboard manual or checking for it on the manufacturer’s website.
If the voltage reading is significantly less than what it is supposed to be than it means the battery is “worn out” and therefore can’t supply enough power to charge your device, leading to your hoverboard not turning on.
If your battery is depleted, you will need to buy a replacement battery.
Alternatively, you can take your hoverboard to a repair center to see if they can identify any other potential issue with your battery which they may be able to resolve.
3. How To Fix Loose Wiring
If your hoverboard is not turning on and you’ve identified that your charger is working and the battery is fine, then the fault may be caused by wiring problems.
Hoverboards take a lot of impact, knocks, and bumps which can eventually cause some internal wires to become loose.
To see if this is the reason why your hoverboard is not turning on you will need to unscrew and open up your hoverboard casing to take a peek inside.
If you see that any wires have become loose from their connections make sure you re-connect them tightly so that they don’t come loose again.
Once you have re-connected any loose wires re-attach your hoverboard casing and try turning your hoverboard on.
If loose wiring was the reason for your hoverboard not turning on than it should now be resolved, and your board should turn on as normal.
If your hoverboard still won’t turn on there may be an issue with the motherboard.
4. How To Fix Motherboard / Logic Board Problems
The motherboard / logic board is like the brain of your hoverboard and is an important component in governing how hoverboards work.
It sends and receives information and data between the hoverboard’s tilt sensors, gyroscopes, wheels, and motors.
If there is an issue with the motherboard it can lead to all sorts of problems, including your hoverboard not turning on.
There isn’t really a way to test if your hoverboard’s motherboard is faulty or not unless you are someone who really understands electronics.
If the charger, battery, or loose wiring is not the reason your hoverboard is not turning on than there is a high probability that there is a problem with your motherboard.
If this is the case you can buy a replacement motherboard or hoverboard repair kit from your hoverboard manufacturer, or take your hoverboard to get repaired by a professional.
You should always take your faulty hoverboard to your manufacturer first if you have any problems with it, especially if your board is still under warranty.
If your warranty period has expired, you can take it to a reputable hoverboard repair center.
5. What To Do With A Defective Hoverboard
“I’ve tried everything but still my hoverboard won’t turn on” - If you have tried all of the above suggestions and still find that your hoverboard won’t turn on than it may be that your hoverboard is a defective model and needs to be replaced or returned to the retailer.
If your hoverboard is brand new or relatively new with little use and you find it stops turning on, then it is very likely it is a defective board that somehow slipped through quality control in the production process.
With so many hoverboards being produced it is not unusual for there to be a few defective units that make it to market and end up getting purchased. The same is true for any sort of electronic device.
If your hoverboard won’t turn on despite your best efforts to get it working you should contact your retailer and see if you can get a refund.
If your board is outside of the refund period but is still under warranty you may be able to get a replacement board or get your defective board repaired from the manufacturer.
6. How To Check For Signs Of Wear & Tear
If you have had your hoverboard for a while, put some serious mileage on it, and pushed it to the limit only to find that one day the hoverboard has stopped turning on, then it may simply be down to the board being “burnt out”.
Electrical devices like self-balancing scooters and other personal transportation devices may stop working after you’ve used them for a long time and put them through their paces.
This sort of damage is known as "wear and tear".
Overtime there may be problems with the circuitry, loose or damaged wires, water damage, or ingress of dirt, debris, and dust particles that lead to the hoverboard not turning on or working at all.
Even the best hoverboards will eventually start to encounter problems after prolonged use, especially if you don't take proper care of your device by following charging best practice, cleaning your board regularly, and riding your board responsibly.
Most hoverboards beep when there is some issue that needs your attention, so don't ignore these warning beeps!
Look in to any issues as soon as they arise and resolve them asap to prevent any damage down the line.
If you exceed a hoverboard's weight limit, or don't recalibrate your board when required it can lead to your hoverboard not turning on, among other faults.
Before buying a new hoverboard you should once again go through the list of potential faults and thoroughly check the charger, battery, wiring, and motherboard to see if the issues lie with any of those components.
If you can’t detect the reason for your hoverboard problem than get your board checked and repaired by a professional.
Ideally you should send it to your manufacturer if it’s still under warranty, otherwise find a good hoverboard repair center that has experience repairing your particularly hoverboard brand and model.
Conclusion
A hoverboard not turning on is a common hoverboard problem that most owners will experience at some point.
If your hoverboard won’t turn on than go through the list of potential faults one by one to see if you can resolve the issue.
If you check everything and find your hoverboard won’t turn on despite your best efforts than you should either get a refund if your hoverboard is still new or get your hoverboard repaired by your manufacturer or a good hoverboard repair center.
If you need help when buying a board than check out our hoverboard buying guide which is full of tips and things you should look at for when buying a hoverboard.