Hoverboard Shaking - Why Does My Hoverboard Shake When I'm On It?

A hoverboard shaking while riding is a common problem. Luckily, the fix is generally very simple, and one that can be applied almost immediately without tools.

Problem

Hoverboard shakes or vibrates when riding, as shown in the video below:

 

What Causes a Hoverboard to Shake?

The reason a hoverboard vibrates or shakes while riding is due to its design. In order for a hoverboard to sense that a rider has mounted, there are a set of triggers below the footpads which send signals to the other electrical components. If these triggers are not firing properly, shaking generally occurs. Further details of how this works may be found at the bottom of this article.

How to Fix a Shaking Hoverboard

To stop a hoverboard from shaking while riding, the following steps should be taken:

1. Ensure the rider's weight is above the minimum recommended weight for the hoverboard they are riding. The typical average minimum weight recommended for a hoverboard is approximately 40 pounds.
2. Ensure that the rider is wearing flat non-flexible shoes, and that the rider's feet are pressed to the furthest edge of the hoverboard.

 

Plan B

If the above solution doesn't stop a hoverboard from shaking, then we recommend one of two solutions:

1. Replace the circuit boards inside with newer ones (recommended repair).
2. Replace the foot triggers with longer ones (cheap route).

 

Solutions

Replacing the Circuit Boards (recommended repair)

The most successful method of fixing a shaking hooverboard is replacing the main circuit boards inside of it. There will either be 2 circuit boards (one on each side directly next to each wheel) or there will be 3 circuit boards inside (the ones next to the wheels plus another larger circuit board located on the side with the charger port.

The reason replacing the circuit boards works is because a lot of older models of hover board will vibrate when on it due to a common design flaw in circuit boards dated 2017 and previous. Even if you bought your hoverboard recently, you might have received a model that was manufactured in the prior years.

In order to do this fix, you will need to purchase a circuit board kit that works for your model. You can view our selection of replacement circuit board kits below:

• Circuit Board Replacement Kits

 

Replacing the Foot Triggers (cheap route)

An alternative route that you can try, with less success mind you, is to replace the foot triggers entirely. By doing this, there is a chance that the new foot triggers are longer than the ones that are currently causing the hoverboard vibration.

In order to do this fix, you will need to purchase the following parts:

• Plastic Foot Pedals
• Flexible Rubber Triggers 

 

Further Information - How to Test Triggers

A shaking hoverboard vibrates for a fairly simple reason, the triggers are not working properly. To understand more about the triggers in a hoverboard and how they cause vibration, you must also understand how the technology inside of a hoverboard works.

First, the foot pads have a solid plastic trigger underneath each pad, with two flexible rubber triggers under each, making a total of four flexible rubber triggers in a hoverboard. These flexible rubber triggers are almost always (99% of the time) located at the farthest corners as close to the wheels (motors) as possible. You can actually use your hands and press down in these areas and find that the triggers will activate in these locations and not in others.

The job of the solid plastic triggers is to push down on the flexible rubber triggers. Then, the job of the flexible rubber triggers is to enter a gap underneath a circuit board known as a gyroscope. This gap has an infrared light beam crossing it, similar to the infrared light beam that a garage door has at the bottom. When this infrared light beam is interrupted, a signal is sent to the gyroscope to balance the hoverboard, and the motherboard then manages the battery power to the motors, which then uses force to maintain the balance of the rider.

Now, if the rider is too light say, under 40 pounds (or even under 60 pounds in some instances), the infrared light that is in place that is supposed to be activated by the triggers is only "sort of" activated, because the triggers aren't being pushed down far enough for there to be a solid obstruction to the infrared light. This lack of consistency is what causes a hoverboard to shake when riding.

 

Further Help (Do it for me)

If you are having a hard time learning how to fix a hoverboard that shakes, there are other options available to you. You can either hire us for a professional diagnosis, or you can send it to us for a professional hoverboard repair service.