An electric scooter is an ideal vehicle for fast, comfortable and light transportation, as well as being perfect for the city. If you are an electric scooter owner, and have problems with it or want to know more about maintaining it properly, this might be of interest to you.
Proper care and preventive maintenance will help ensure the longevity and functionality of your scooter, and we at La Scootershop offer you some useful tips and alternatives to make your electric scooter work optimally, and avoid more costly failures or complications in the future.
Read and understand the electric scooter manual
In order to properly maintain your vehicle, it is necessary to read everything about your electric scooter’s manual, from the moment of purchase or acquisition. Generally, manuals provide information on all the mechanical details of your vehicle, in addition to driving instructions.
Many times, electric scooter owners read the manual until a failure occurs. Therefore, it is essential that you read your scooter’s manual first to avoid disappointment or inconvenience. It only takes an hour or so of your time, which you will later appreciate greatly, as the manual indicates the type of maintenance and how often it should be carried out.
In addition, knowing about your electric scooter’s manual will help you realize whether or not the repairs you make to it have been proper or not, where you can check the quality of the work yourself, and you can avoid scams or bad repairs.
Personal and Periodic Maintenance
The maintenance of your electric scooter depends on you in the first place, to ensure its longevity and smooth operation. It must be a constant maintenance, to avoid more complicated problems or failures that will require a professional and technical assistance, which would imply more expenses.
However, one advantage of having an electric scooter is that its design is much simpler than scooters with internal combustion engines. Even the number of pieces and parts are smaller than gasoline models, so maintaining them is easier and less expensive.
Of course, this will also depend on the quality of your electric scooter, whether it is new or used. To avoid these inconveniences, we provide you with some basic tips here to constantly check the condition of your electric scooter in different aspects, from its mechanics, parts and handling:
Monitor and charge the battery regularly
Maintaining your scooter’s electric motor is very simple, but you should always be aware of it. The durability of the batteries is 4 years, but sometimes they start to lose their charge after 2 years of use. If you begin to notice that your battery is not charging sufficiently, you should check this with a voltmeter.
If the charge rate is below 10 volts, you need to change the battery. Otherwise, if you notice that the battery is overheating, it may be overcharged, exceeding 15 volts. We recommend that you check the levels indicated in your scooter’s model manual.
We also recommend that you charged your scooter’s battery to 100% from time to time, or after every journey. This will help to extend the life of the battery, to avoid early replacement. Depending on the battery chemistry, batteries have a certain charge cycle.
When you drain the entire battery and then recharge it 100% it is known as a full charge cycle. If you do this often, the battery will lose its ability to maintain energy. That’s why we recommend that you charge the battery after every trip, so that the charge capacity lasts.
Check your tire pressure
Ideally, you should check your tire pressure at least once a week, or every time you take your scooter out. Also try to drive at a moderate and stable speed, without sudden acceleration or braking, to avoid tire wear.
You should also check the pressure recommended by the manufacturer, which you can check in your manual or the glove box of your scooter, according to the indicators in the table. This allows you to inflate the tires with the right amount to reach the maximum speed.
To measure your scooter’s pressure, just check the air pump integrated in your scooter’s system. And in case you don’t have that component, a simple bicycle tire gauge will work.
When you get out, check your tires for cracks or wear that could make them worse. We recommend that you have a new tire or tire service on hand in case they get flat. Another tip is to carry a patch kit with you on every ride, as a precaution.
Keep an eye on your brakes every few miles
Unlike motorcycles, where you can brake suddenly, in the case of your electric scooter try to brake gently, so as not to damage the brake pads and to prevent faster wear. Braking reduces the life of the brakes to about 4000 kilometers.
You should also have your brakes checked every 5000 kilometers of use. A sign of deterioration is when they emit a noise, indicating that they are very worn, so you have to change them to prevent deterioration of the support.
An important point is that you must ensure that the cables of the brake system are in good condition, as they allow the brake lever to be activated. Make sure that the plastic cover of the cables is solid and that it does not come off.
Cleaning is necessary
It is recommended that you clean your electric scooter every week. Wash the bodywork well with cleaning solutions and water buckets to remove dirt and dust, although you can also use microfiber cloths or nylon bristle brushes if you don’t want to get it completely wet.
An important detail, which you should check before washing your scooter, is water sensitivity, and this will depend on the quality of your scooter. You can check it in the manual or with the manufacturer. It will also depend on the IP (Ingress Protection) of particles and moisture resistance of your scooter.
You can use hot water or cleaning solutions as you see fit. Try to keep the front or rear wheel, the brakes and the deck area clean, and from time to time you can clean the handlebars, LCD and controllers with special rags.
Be especially careful not to get the electrical components wet, and if you need to clean those areas, you should do so carefully. Then allow the components to dry before using the scooter again.
Keep your scooter in a suitable place
Preventing damage and shock to your electric scooter is essential to maintaining its functionality. That is why you have to store it in a safe place, not leaving it outdoors, out of direct sunlight and in a place with stable ambient temperature.
If you store your scooter in an extremely hot or cold place, you may damage the battery and cause the chemical components to drain more quickly. You can also remove the battery when temperatures are too low, if you do not use your scooter too often.
Also, whenever you go out, try to store or park your scooter in a roofed area, parking lot or inside a building, if possible, especially if the weather is rainy. This will reduce wear and tear, corrosion and accidents.
Keep the components clear
To avoid blockage and possible failure due to accumulation of dust, plant material and dirt, you should keep the exterior parts of your electric scooter clear. Remove anything that accumulates on the spokes, terminals and axles, and also things that get stuck between the wheels and the handlebars.
Lubricate the moving parts
You can do this yourself or in a workshop, but it is necessary to lubricate the moving parts of your scooter from time to time, so that they do not wear out or corrode faster: in particular, if these parts squeak. The brakes, chain and hinges are the components that need frequent lubrication.
Professional maintenance
If you are a busy scooter owner and do not have time to monitor the above details, or would prefer to leave your vehicle in the hands of professionals, we recommend that you take your scooter to a shop or technician for a regular weekly or monthly service.
This will help keep your scooter functional and in top condition. Another tip is that, if your scooter presents more complex difficulties that you cannot solve yourself, you should take your scooter in for immediate repair. You can also contact your dealer or an insurance company.
Finally, an important detail is to pay attention to any irregularity in your scooter, whether it is a strange sound, a driving defect or speed anomalies. With these tips you can guarantee the life of your electric scooter, as well as give proper preventive maintenance, to avoid any failure or complication that could cost you more in the long run!
