Troubleshooting Guide > Speed Controller Clicks But Vehicle Does Not Move

Speed Controller Clicks But Vehicle Does Not Move

Overview

When the speed controller clicks and the vehicle does not move that can be caused by several different things so diagnostic testing may be necessary to determine which part is faulty and causing the problem. A clicking controller can be caused by a faulty brake lever switch, a faulty throttle, a faulty battery pack, a faulty controller, or faulty wiring or connectors. However, it can also be caused by a problem with the charging system which is causing the battery pack to not be recharged.

Try Pushing The Scooter To Start

Electric scooters with single speed throttles sometimes need to be pushed forward in order to run. Stand on the scooter with one foot and push it forward with your other foot while fully engaging the throttle. Once the scooter reaches walking speed and the throttle is engaged the scooter should run until the throttle is released or the brake is used.

Test The Brake Lever Switch

(Tool Needed: Jumper Wire) The brake lever switch informs the speed controller to turn the motor off when the brakes are applied. Most scooters have normally open brake switches, however, some scooters have normally closed brake switches. To test for a faulty normally open brake switch, disconnect the brake lever wire connector from the speed controller and then see if the scooter runs. If the scooter run when the brake lever switch is disconnected from the speed controller then the brake lever switch is a normally open type which is faulty. To test for a faulty normally closed brake lever switch, disconnect the brake lever wire connector from the speed controller and bridge the two terminals together in the controller's connector that the brake switch is unplugged from. If the scooter runs when the controller's brake switch connector terminals are bridged together then the brake switch is a normally closed type which is faulty.

Test The Battery Charger Port

(No Tools Needed) If the battery charger is plugged into the wall, unplug it. Plug the battery charger into the battery charger port on the vehicle and look for an illuminated indicator light on the battery charger. If an indicator light on the battery charger illuminates then the wiring and wiring connectors going to the charger port are good and the charger port itself is good. Not all battery chargers have an indicator light that will illuminate when the charger is only plugged into the vehicle, so if the light does not illuminate then a secondary Voltage test with a multimeter should be performed as described below.

(Tool Needed: Multimeter) If you have a multimeter the battery charger port's Voltage can be tested. The Voltage level present at the charging port should be the same as at the battery pack. If the charger port has male terminals then great care needs to be taken to avoid short circuiting the terminals to each other or to the charger port's housing if it is metal.

Test The Battery Charger

(Tool Needed: Multimeter) After testing the charger port and confirming that it has Voltage then the battery charger can be tested. If the charger port has no Voltage then that issue will need to be fixed before testing the battery charger. To test the battery charger to confirm that it is recharging the battery or battery pack, first test the Voltage of the battery or battery pack to confirm that it is below a 100% state of charge and that it needs to be recharged. We have a Battery State of Charge Chart to help with determining if the battery or battery pack needs to be recharged. Once it has been determined that the battery or battery pack needs to be recharged, plug the battery charger into the vehicle's charger port, and then plug the battery charger into the wall. Next test the Voltage of the battery pack with a digital multimeter to see if its Voltage is slowly climbing. The multimeter should be set to a DC Voltage range that allows reading the tenths or hundreds of a Volt of the battery or battery pack. If the battery or battery pack's Voltage slowly climbs to a higher number then that indicates that the battery charger is recharging the battery or battery pack. Continue to charge the battery or battery pack until the light on the charger indicates that it is fully charged, then test the battery or battery pack Voltage to see if it is at a 100% state of charge as specified in our Battery State of Charge Chart. If the charger is not charging the battery or battery pack up to a 100% state of charge then the charger is faulty.

Test The Motor

Look for any burned or melted wires or wire connectors attached to the motor. Burned or melted wires or wire connectors indicate overheating of the motor which may cause the plastic insulation to melt off the motors electromagnetic copper wire windings.

Smell the motor for any burned plastic smells. If the motor smells burned that indicates that its coils have been overheated. Motors with overheated coils should always be replaced to prevent damage to the speed controller.

If the insulation melts off the copper windings they will short circuit and cause the motor to not run or to run slowly. Short circuited motor windings can also burn-out the speed controller by giving it too much resistance which makes it work too hard and overheat.

If the motor wires and connectors look good then test the motor by connecting it directly to a battery or battery pack to see if it runs. This will test the motor only and it will not serve as a test for the battery pack as the motor will run at any Voltage and the controller has a low Voltage cutoff circuit which turn the motor off when the battery pack Voltage drops under a certain Voltage level.

Determine The Battery Pack's History

The battery pack should be recharged after every ride and the vehicle should not be stored with the battery pack in a partially discharged state. When a vehicle is in storage the battery pack should be recharged every 30 days or less. If the battery pack was charged before the vehicle was put into storage and less than 6 months have gone by then the battery pack may be able to successfully recharged. However if the battery pack was recharged before the vehicle was put into storage and more than 6 months have gone by then there is a chance that the battery pack may have become damaged. If the vehicle was driven and the battery pack was not charged before putting the vehicle in storage then the battery pack will deteriorate fairly quickly depending on the state of charge that the battery pack was in when the vehicle was put into storage. If you know that the scooter has been sitting for a long time without being recharged then there is a high likelihood that the battery pack has become damaged and will need to be replaced.

Try Deep Charging The Battery Pack for 48 to 72 Hours

Sometimes lead-acid battery packs need a deep charge to equalize the cells and help the battery pack regain capacity. Try charging the battery pack for 48 to 72 hours and then see if that helps. It is a good practice to perform a deep charge a couple of times a year or whenever a significant loss of capacity is noticed.

Test The Battery Pack On A Scooter That Runs

Visit our Battery Pack Load Testing Guide.

Test The Battery Pack On A Scooter That Does Not Run

(Tool Needed: Load Tester) If the scooter is not running, a load test can be performed on its batteries by removing the battery pack from the scooter and taking the individual batteries out. The individual batteries can then be tested with a automotive battery load tester. Most entry level automotive battery load testers place a 100 Amp load on the battery which is too high so an adjustable carbon pile battery load tester is required and should be adjusted to place a 30 Amp load on the batteries.

Test The Voltage Of The Battery Pack

(Tool Needed: Multimeter) If you have a multimeter the battery packs Voltage can be tested to determine its state of charge. We have a Battery State of Charge Chart to help with determining if the battery or battery pack is at a 100% state of charge. A good battery pack's Voltage will be above its rated Voltage level even if it has been discharged and allows to sit a few minutes, or if it has been in storage. If a battery packs Voltage does not bounce back to above its rated Voltage level within a few minutes after being discharged that usually points towards a defective or worn-out battery pack. When a battery pack has been fully charged and its Voltage is below its rated Voltage level that also points towards a defective or worn-out battery pack. Good scooter battery packs will bounce back to above their rated Voltage level within a few minutes after the scooter has been driven.