My Hoverboard Won't Balance

So your hoverboard won't balance, be it one side of the hoverboard not working, or both sides are refusing to balance. What do you do in this type of situation? We're here to help!

Preface: The Myth of Resetting a Hoverboard

Before I go into too much detail about fixing a hoverboard that doesn't balance, I want to warn you about the misinformation thats out there regarding the simplest hoverboard repair, resetting. Most folks seem to draw to cheap hoverboard fixes like a magnet, and that would be the Hoverboard Reset.

Now, the problem with resetting a hoverboard is that it only works if the gyroscopes are uncalibrated. The easiest way to test if they're uncalibrated is to turn your hoverboard on, put your foot on the pad, then tilt/twist the board all the way forward then all of the way backward. If the board doesn't "catch" or balance at all, you've got a real problem and recalibrating it will not repair a hoverboard.

Hoverboard Reset Won't Work

When a hoverboard reset won't work we get to have some fun. Well, some of us at least (we just love fixing hoverboards so much!). The good news is that when a hoverboard won't balance its usually a fairly straightforward fix.

How to Diagnose if Hoverboard Won't Balance

1. Check for loose wires.
2. Check for red light flashing which indicates an error code.
3. Check if the hoverboard lights stay on.
4. Check for sound when pressing the foot pads.
5. Check if Bluetooth suddenly went out.

The first thing that you will want to do when diagnosing your hoverboard is to turn it on and look for a red blinking light in the center. If there is a red blinking light, you should count the number of times it blinks and look up the error code at our page about Hoverboard Red Flashing Lights.

If your hoverboard won't balance, but doesn't have the red lights flashing, then see if your hoverboard has any of the following symptoms.

Hoverboard All Lights Stay On

If all of the hoverboard lights stay on, such as the headlights or LED lights on top of your wheel wells, then your gyroscopes are bad and must be replaced. The manufacturer built the gyroscopes to make the led light stuck on as a way to communicate to us repair shops that the gyroscopes are bad.

Hoverboard Light Stays On One Side

If your hoverboard light stays on one side only, and not all lights stay on, then that means you only need to replace one of the gyroscopes (the side with the light stuck on).

No Hoverboard Lights On

If there are not any hoverboard lights on, then press your foot on each one of the foot pads. Did it make a sound when you pressed each pad?

It Made a Sound

If yes, then the gyroscopes on each pad that made a sound when you pressed are good. This rules them out from being bad and tells us that the reason your hoverboard isn't balancing is due to the motherboard.

Usually motherboard problems are caused by an internal circuit error and need to be replaced. However, with so many hoverboard companies out there, its very difficult to match parts up that have the correct voltage, clips, wiring, and even year/make/model.

It Didn't Make a Sound

If there was no sound when you pressed the foot pad, you will either need to replace that gyroscope or look deeper into the problem. Very seldom, there will be a problem with the rubber tips that go into the infrared sensors underneath the gyroscope. If you purchased a hoverboard used, and it never worked, then this could possibly be your problem.

There was a lot of misinformation going around on YouTube where self-proclaimed hoverboard repairmen would tell people to snip these rubber tips off. What that really did was render the hoverboard useless.

Other Reasons a Hoverboard Doesn't Balance

There may also be other reasons why a hoverboard doesn't balance. Usually, if you've exhausted all of the hoverboard repair advice above, there are only a few other logical next steps to take

Check For Loose Wires

If there are loose wires inside of your hoverboard you can be assured that is the reason why your hover board won't balance. Disconnected wires that might cause this problem include the motor wires, gyroscope wires, and motherboard wires. Other wires such as the Bluetooth wire of the LED light wire won't cause any performance issues.

Did Bluetooth Suddenly Break?

A common indicator of a bad motherboard is if your Bluetooth suddenly breaks. You'll know because when you turn your hover board on you will no longer hear any sound from your Bluetooth connector module. If you had a Bluetooth board before, and all of the sudden you no longer have Bluetooth, then its a strong sign that you may need a motherboard replacement.