If you've ever owned an electric scooter, commonly known as an e scooter, you've probably experienced the numerous possibilities it opens for thrill-seekers, commuters, tech fiends, and people without a car. 

And while electric scooters don't have nearly as many components as cars, they do require regular maintenance, like anything with moving, mechanical parts. While cleaning is a must, there are also more technical repair and maintenance tasks that you need to conduct. However, despite the technical nature of these tasks, you don't have to be a tech wizard to take good care of your e scooter.

Fortunately, in this guide, you learn the basics of e scooter repair and maintenance to keep your e scooter running reliably whenever you take it out for a spin. 

How to Check and Repair Your E-Scooter 

Like anything with moving parts, you must regularly inspect your e scooter to ensure it maintains top performance as the miles rack up. So, how do you repair or clean yourself? Keep reading to find out.

Cleaning the Scooter

As you're already aware, electricity and water don't mix. As a result, you can't clean your scooter like you'd with a car. Instead, you should use a damp rag soaked with water to meticulously wipe off the dirt and dust from your e scooter. However, in case of those stubborn stains such as insects or grime, you can use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe them away. 

Lubricate the Moving Parts

You can use any PTFE lubricant to lubricate the headset bearings and wheels and avoid getting it on the brake components. Likewise, you can lubricate the shock absorber and the folding mechanism. 

Maintain the Tires

If using an e scooter with pneumatic air tires, it's crucial to regularly check the air pressure and keep it at the recommended level. Whether using solid or pneumatic tires, it's important to regularly check for wear and tear and make replacements when the treads recede. 

Checking the Brakes, Cables, and Fasteners

The most important thing when riding any vehicle is functional brakes. If you own a scooter with disc brakes, check the pads for wear and tear, and ensure the frictional material is in place. Always strive to invest in new brake pads when necessary to protect yourselves and others on the road. Likewise, regularly check all the fasteners to ensure nothing is loose. You can always use a wrench to keep everything fine and tight. 

Caring for the Battery

Batteries are normally the most costly parts of an e scooter. As a result, ensure preventative care and maintenance to prevent future costly replacement. 

You can always refer to the owner's manual to avoid overheating and overcharging. If you own a scooter with a lithium battery, maintain at least some charge since these batteries are virtually irreparably damaged when they completely lose charge. 

Essential Tools for E Scooter Repair and Maintenance

Below are the accessories and basic and specialty tools you should consider when purchasing an e scooter.

Basic Tools

You can use these tools with your simple DIY e scooter repairs and maintenance in the garage. They include the following:

• Screwdriver: Almost everyone has a screwdriver on hand. If not, you can easily find one at your local hardware shop or borrow one from a neighbor. You will use this to fasten or loosen screws when making repairs.
• Wrench set - A wrench set will contain standard and metric wrench sizes.
• Socket set -This consists of multiple socket attachments that can fit on the heads of different-sized fasteners. 
• Allen key - Commonly known as a hex key or an allen wrench, an allen key is an L-shaped tool for installing and removing fasteners with hexagonal heads.
• Pliers - This is another common hand-operated tool. Use them for cutting and bending wires or gripping small, hard-to-reach objects on your e scooter.
• Grease gun - The "greaser" is an effective garage tool for moving grease to the point of application.
• Electric drill - An electric drill makes everything easier! This power tool can be used in lieu of a screwdriver.

Specialty Tools

Specialty tools, unlike basic tools, are tools that require some level of technical knowledge to use. These include the following:

• Torque wrench - A tool used for controlling and applying a specific torque to a fastener such as a nut or a bolt.
• Electronic multimeter - This is a digital test tool that measures two or more electric values, usually voltage, resistance, and current. 
• Battery tester - It is an electronic device that determines the amount of charge in a battery. It usually tests the chargeability and life of an electric battery.
• Chain breaker - This tool is used for unlinking and relinking chains which is important for length adjustment. 
• Valve core remover - It is a handy tool used to remove and replace the valve cores without losing the system's refrigerant charge.
• Cable cutters - A hand-held tool designed to correctly cut a cable or wire with minimal damage to the internal conductors of insulation of the cable or wire, which improves the quality of an electrical connection. 
• Bearing puller - this has specially-designed jaws to remove components like gears, pulleys, and bearings from a recess or a shaft.

Why You Should Repair and Maintain Your E Scooter Regularly

You Prevent Future Accidents

Regularly maintaining your e scooter, you automatically eliminate potential risk hazards such as accidents. For instance, getting a technical problem at high speed can cause serious injuries and even death. E scooter maintenance is, therefore, not just about its efficiency but about your safety, pedestrians, and other drivers. 

Prolong the Life of the Scooter

Identifying problems early can help you handle them with minimal or no costs. Consequently, if you ignore these small problems, this will eventually turn into major damages, which will be costly or make your scooter unusable. Even something small as a loose screw, can lead to major issues in the future. 

Experience Continual Top Performance

Faulty batteries, dry suspensions, or overused tires can affect the scooter's performance. Investing in a high-end scooter (such as the GlareWheel EB-C1PRO Folding Electric Scooter pictured above)  means you want it to perform optimally. Hence, regular e scooter repair and maintenance is key for scooters

Prevention is Better Than Repair

The whole point of frequent maintenance is to prevent severe problems. They'll need repairs that can take time and even dent your pockets when issues arise. Unlike regular maintenance that anyone can do, scooter repairs need advanced technical skills, which means you'll have to take it to an authorized dealer shop. 

So, How Often Should You Maintain Your E- Scooter? 

Before using your scooter, you should always check the tires, the brakes, and the battery level. Consider cleaning your electric scooter weekly (or after a particularly dirty ride). As previously stated, avoid getting water on the scooter and use a moist rag instead.

Frequent cleaning prevents rust and increases the longevity of the scooter's components. A more complex inspection is recommended, but how often you make this inspection depends on how heavily you use the e scooter. We suggest it at least once a month. 

As you’ve learned from this article, e scooter repair and maintenance doesn't have to be a huge task. Regular maintenance is crucial to prolong the scooter's life, prevent future costly repairs, and keep your e scooter in top performance.

If you'd like to learn more helpful tips on e scooter repair and how they operate, check out this Electric Scooter Buying Guide, or please contact us; we'll gladly help. To find an electric scooter you love, please browse Electric Bike Paradise's extensive collection.