What to do When Your Hoverboard Won’t Turn On

So, your hoverboard isn’t turning on. Whether it’s brand-new or you’ve been using it for years, this problem can be frustrating. After all, if you just bought the device, it should be working just fine.

And if you’ve been using it for a while and there hasn’t been obvious damage to it, you may not know why it’s suddenly not powering on. 

We’re here to help you solve this problem without paying a lot of money for some other person to repair your hoverboard. Here are some tips you can try to fix it on your own.

What’s Wrong with my Hoverboard?

There are several issues within the device that could cause it to stop turning on. These include a  defect in the battery, where it can’t hold a charge, or the charger itself could be defective .

The charger may also be plugged in incorrectly. There could be a disconnected wire inside the board, or there could be a system error, or the motherboard could be defective.

Below, we’ll outline some ways for you to figure out what’s wrong with the board and offer common fixes for whatever issue you’re having.

Charger or Battery Defects

If you’re keeping your hoverboard charged, but it keeps running out of power before you even get a chance to use it, you could have a faulty battery or charger. It’s easier to test the charger than it is to open up the hoverboard and check out the battery, so we recommend starting there. 

Testing the Charger

Plug your charger in and notice if the light stays green or turns red. If it turns red, then the charger is working to load the battery with power as intended. If it stays green, however, it thinks the battery is fully charged even when it’s not.

A good charger should go red for at least a minute or two, even if the battery is full or close to full. So, a green light when you’ve just plugged in the charger indicates you may need to replace it.

If you can borrow a friend’s hoverboard charger, see if theirs does the same thing. If it stays green, too, then the problem is likely with your hoverboard battery or motherboard, not with the charger.

If it turns red, leave it plugged in until the light goes green. If your hoverboard turns on as it should, then the problem was with your charger.

However, some charge ports are designed with a small locator tab that makes it difficult to properly orient the charger. The tab is supposed to prevent the charger from being plugged in wrong, but if the tab is too small, it won’t work as intended.

This can happen when the manufacturer of the charger is different from the hoverboard manufacturer, resulting in a slight incompatibility between the charger and the locator tab. 

If this is the case with your hoverboard, the problem could be as simple as you have the charger turned the wrong way. If your charger is plugged in incorrectly, it won’t charge the hoverboard as it should. This could be indicated by no light at all when you plug in your charger.

Testing the Battery

If your charger is “behaving” properly and your hoverboard is still losing power too quickly, you can disassemble the board to get access to the battery. Remove the screws in the hoverboard case so you can take it apart. The battery is the largest component of the board and often has a blue cover over it, so it should be easy to locate.

Wiring and Motherboard Defects

If the problem isn’t with the charger or the battery, then there are a few other things that could be wrong with your hoverboard. Here’s how to identify and fix these common issues:

Checking the Wires

Before replacing all the screws and putting your hoverboard back together, take a look at the wiring that connects the charging port to the motherboard.  If these wires are disconnected somehow or plugged in incorrectly, it could be the cause of your problem.  You might try unplugging the wires and then reconnecting them, then try charging the device again. If it charges and turns on, then the problem was likely with the wiring.

Checking the Motherboard

If the wiring was okay, then the motherboard itself is likely at fault here.  The motherboard could be defective, or it could have a system error that’s causing it to malfunction.  If you know how, check for trouble codes in the motherboard. 

If you don’t know how to check for trouble codes, you can call customer support with your hoverboard retailer or manufacturer to get guidance. If the motherboard has a trouble code, you’ll likely need to replace the motherboard or send it in for repairs.

If you feel it is time for a new hoverboard, check out our best hoverboard reviews 2023.

Hoverboard Repairs Under Warranty

Once you’ve identified the problem with your hoverboard, check to see if the device is under warranty from the supplier.

If it is, you can most likely have the defective part repaired or replaced at no cost to you.  Check the terms and limitations of your warranty and call your supplier to confirm whether the problem with your hoverboard is covered.