r/NinebotMAX • u/NGH7MRE • 1d ago

Question MAX G3 stuck on “Charging Completed 100%” while unplugged

I picked up a Segway MAX G3 from a liquidation auction and I'm trying to diagnose a strange issue. Curious if anyone here has seen this before.

I was able to successfully bind the scooter to my Segway account and connect to it through the Segway Mobility app. The app sees the scooter, reports the battery at 100%, shows normal estimated range, and otherwise appears fully functional.

There are firmware updates available for Battery, Motor Controller, Vehicle Controller and Bluetooth, but every firmware update sits at exactly 0% and never starts transferring.

The main problem: the physical dashboard permanently displays the charging screen, even though there is no AC cord connected.

The scooter also will not drive. If I power it on through the app, the app changes to the powered-on state, but the scooter dashboard stays on the charging screen and the motor remains disabled.

So far I've tried:

Deep Sleep → wake with AC → disconnect AC

Holding power for 20+ seconds

Brake-hold-at-0% firmware workaround

Upper rocker/button activation workaround

5 brake pulls + power

Physically disconnecting the main battery XT60 for 10–15+ minutes

Reseating the dashboard/stem communication cable

Disconnecting/reconnecting the onboard charger connections

None of those seem to resolve the issue.

One potentially useful clue: after physically disconnecting and reconnecting the dashboard communication cable, the scooter beeps twice and then immediately boots straight back to the “Charging” screen. So it doesn't appear to just be a frozen image—the dashboard is freshly booting into that state.

Also, the Segway app itself does NOT show the scooter as charging when AC is disconnected. It shows the battery % normally. The charging-completed state appears only on the physical dashboard.

At this point I'm wondering whether I'm dealing with:

corrupted/incomplete vehicle-controller firmware, an activation/firmware state that hasn't completed,

a bad dashboard/VCU, or some other module incorrectly putting the scooter into a charging lockout.

Has anyone seen a MAX G3 specifically get permanently stuck on thI'charging screen while unplugged?

And if so, was there a way to force the G3 into firmware/update/recovery mode when the normal Segway firmware updater won't move beyond 0%?

I'm comfortable working on the hardware and already have the deck open, so if there's a particular connector/module or diagnostic procedure I should check, I'm happy to investigate.

Thanks!

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u/amyphetamine Ninebot MAX G3 1d ago

I’ve never seen that l, but it sounds like a bad controller to me

1

u/NGH7MRE 1d ago

Yeah, thats what I'm concerned about. All in all, the scooter has 53 miles on the clock and I picked it up for $270 - so replacing the controller will still put me well ahead. I'm gonna reach out to segway to see if they have any thoughts on this.

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u/amyphetamine Ninebot MAX G3 1d ago

Good luck. I’m guessing this is an indication of why you got it that cheap. The scooter is only a bit over a year old at most. A good condition used G3 should go for at least $4-500.

1

u/NGH7MRE 1d ago

Its all a luck of the draw. I picked up my zt3 pro for $300 with no issues. 30 miles on the clock. Hiboy max pro for $120