When you are buying power wheels for your child, an important thing that comes to your mind is how long your kid can play in one charging.
The time of playing is based on a combination of battery and motor, also if the power wheels have other playing features like speakers and lights then it may decrease the power wheels running time.
The average running time of power wheels varies from 45 minutes to 4 hours because of the variables involves in that. Some of the power wheels run for hours because of their high voltage battery.
It is also based on the speed of the power wheels, like Power Wheels dune racer can go longer on the speed of 2.5 mph than the speed of 5 mph.
Keep reading this article to know more about the batteries in power wheels. The article gives you information about the following topics.
Table of Contents
Life Expectancy of Batteries in Power Wheels.
Based on the history of batteries in power wheels, the average life expectancy of these batteries is between 1 to 3 years.
Battery life is affected by the schedule of charging the battery and also how you follow the battery charging instructions from the brand.
Excess overcharging is harmful to the battery life, and the battery life is also affected by the playing time.
The battery life can go up to 3-4 years if the maintenance is done properly and timely; this maintenance also includes the period in which power wheels are not used.
General Points About Power Wheels Batteries.
While charging the battery or playing with power wheels, You should take care of some important points.
- Some of the power wheels may need to take out the batteries to charge them, be very careful when taking out or putting in the battery, put the battery back incorrectly, and make sure it will not move from its place.
- It is good practice to use a battery retainer and secure the battery. In the situation of power wheels tipping over or flipping, the battery can fall out of the vehicle, which can cause a fire or other harm.
It is also better for your child’s safety that you don’t modify the battery hardware or other electrical system in the car. - Alterations can be harmful. If your battery is not compatible with the motor, it can also cause fire or motor failure.
- Always use a compatible charger to charge the battery. Using other chargers is likely to affect battery life. Never let your child use the charger, and never let them go near to battery while charging.
- Don’t move the batteries or chargers by handling them with their wires.
6 Volt Batteries
The 6V batteries are basic for the power wheels and good when you have a toddler to play with power wheels.
When charging the battery the first time, it needs more time than the regular charging time. For 6V, the first charging time should be 10 hours, and the regular charging time should be 6 hours.
Charging the battery for more than 24 hours will lead to battery complications.
The running time of 6V batteries is in between 45-60 minutes. The speed for the power wheels on 6V batteries can be between 2 mph to 3 mph.
12 Volt Batteries
The 12V batteries are standard and used on a lot of power wheels; it is better not to use 12V battery power wheels for toddlers.
The first charging time for a 12V battery should be 18 hours, and the regular charging time should be 12 hours; similarly, charging more than 24 hours can lead to battery complications.
The running time of 12V batteries is in between 2-4 hours based on the motor power. Power wheels with 12V batteries have an average speed of 4 mph and sometimes 5 mph.
24 Volt Batteries
24V batteries are high-power batteries for power wheels and are used by very few models. Do not use the 24V batteries if you have a toddler.
The initial charging time for a 24V battery is 18 hours, so is the regular charging time. Charging a 24V battery for more than 30 hours can cause damage to the battery.
The running time of a 24V battery is in between 2-4 hours; using a 24V battery with a 12V motor can last longer. The speed of power wheels with a 24V battery can go up to 6 mph.
Quick Chargers for Power Wheels Batteries
Many chargers have become available in recent years, which can charge your battery in very little time. The first thing that should be noticed in these chargers should be their compatibility with the battery.
Usually, Quick chargers are safe when compatible. Most of the quick chargers have indications when batteries are fully charged.
It has been noticed that quick chargers can charge the batteries up to 80% in just two hours, but only a 100% charge is good for a healthy battery lifetime.
Be careful while using the quick chargers, don’t use them with old batteries as they may not be compatible.
Why Do Power Wheels Batteries Die
There are many reasons for power wheels batteries dying before time. Overcharging, undercharging, leaving the battery hooked up, storing a dead power wheel battery. Let have a look at the reasons one by one.
Overcharging
Charging the battery more than its maximum standard time will affect the life expectancy of the battery.
The stock chargers are not usually automatic, which means the charger does not know if the battery is fully charged, so leaving the battery on charging for more than its maximum standard time will overcharge the battery.
This can lead to damage to the internal plating and generate an excessive amount of heat which can cause the battery to catch fire.
Overcharging the battery can cause swelling, which eventually causes the battery to crack or burst.
Undercharging
The battery should be charged 100% every time if possible. Undercharging is a problem caused by the partial charging of the battery.
Undercharging is the condition that occurs when the battery cannot charge fully. The undercharging leads to sulfating.
Sulfation is very bad for the battery. It is the condition where lead sulfate is formed on the battery plates, which decreases the battery’s performance, which eventually leads to battery death.
Leaving Battery Connected for Too Long
When the power wheels are not being used for long periods, like during winter, the battery should be disconnected.
Most of the power wheels batteries in the market have very little draw even sometimes there is no draw when the unit is not being used, battery draw is not good for battery storage.
The standard storage time for these batteries is 3-4 months. If there is a small amount of draw on batteries, this could be bad for battery storage duration and causes the battery to drain low.
The drain will go to the extent that your power wheel battery charger will not recognize that it is connected to the battery to charge it.
Storing a Zero Power Battery
Although most people know about this still few people do this. Storing a Dead Power battery can lead to the permanent death of the battery.
When your kid is not using the power wheels in winter, it is better to disconnect the battery from the power wheels and keep it in a safe place. You should make sure that the battery is fully charged while storing it.
A zero-power battery or leaving it in a discharged state for a long time will make you visit the battery store next season.
How to Know Power Wheels Battery Is Dying
One of the simplest ways to know that a power wheels battery is dying, is it will charge fully but not run as long as before.
Although In many cases, the power wheels run on full even if the battery is dying. It is not always the case that the battery is bad. Sometimes the charger is not working properly. You can check the charger and battery by using a voltmeter.
How to Check Battery With a Voltmeter
Take out the battery and use the voltmeter to check it. Connect the negative electrode to the negative side of the battery and the positive electrode to the positive side of the battery.
Charge the battery before using the voltmeter. A 6V battery will give a reading of 5+ volts, a 12V battery will be 10.5+ volts, and a 24V battery should be 22+ volts; these ranges mean the batteries are working correctly.
Anything less than these ranges means your battery is starting to fail. If the battery voltage is less than half of its assigned voltage, it may be dead.
How to Increase the Life Expectancy of Power Wheel Batteries
For increasing the life expectancy of power wheels battery we have to counter the reasons of power wheels battery dying. Let’s have a look at how you can increase the life expectancy of power wheels batteries.
The Initial Charging
The first charging is crucial for any kind of power wheels battery. It is always tempting for your children to skip the charging process when you buy them power wheels, but it is necessary to give the power wheels their full initial charging.
For a standard 12V battery, you must initially charge it for 18 hours, and it should be no more than 30 hours. For 6 and 24 volts batteries, the charging time is mentioned above. This charging is vital for the battery to function properly throughout its life span.
Make sure you follow the instruction manual while charging the battery initially.
Standard or Smart Charging Procedure
You have to follow the guidelines of regular charging even if you have correctly charged it initially. This will make the battery work in top shape throughout its life span.
While charging, the most important thing is to never leave the battery charging for more than its maximum standard charging time. Overcharging the battery will undoubtedly shorten the battery’s lifespan.
It is better to use a smart charger which will indicate when the battery is fully charged; also, the smart charging system can stop the charging when the battery is fully charged.
It is necessary to keep charging the battery when it is connected to the unit. A long time without can cause a connected battery to drain and eventually cause a discharged battery.
If your kid is not using the power wheels for a long time, it’s better to keep charging the power wheels or disconnect the battery and store it properly.
Store the Battery Properly in off Seasons
Storing the battery properly in the seasons like winter is necessary for battery life. If you do not store the battery properly you may end up buying a new battery after the season.
There are two main steps to store the battery properly.
- First make sure you do not store the battery with zero charging. It is better to fully charge the battery because the battery may drain, and an undercharged battery will lead to a completely discharged battery.
It’s likely your charger will not be able to charge the completely discharged battery. - If it is possible, then you should check the battery on the shelf monthly. If you find the battery is losing charge even if you have fully charged it, charging it again for a few hours will keep the battery working.
How to Revive a Dead Battery
A dead battery may have a chance of revival, and it is worth trying. Follow the points mentioned below if you want to revive your dead battery of power wheels.
- If you have another battery of the same voltage or you may borrow it from somebody, fully charge that battery.
- Connected the power wheels battery with the fully char “ged battery, make sure the positive and negative terminals are connected properly.
- The dead battery will start drawing voltage from the fully charged parallel battery, which will make the combined voltage similar to the assigned voltage of batteries.
- Connect the charger into the circuit of the borrowed battery. When the light turns green, remove the borrowed parallel battery and connect the charger only to the power wheels battery.
- Keep the power wheels battery charging for a couple of hours, to maximum standard charging time or till the light is green.
- Test the battery by connecting it to power wheels.
It is not guaranteed that this process will revive the battery, but it will work in some cases.
Conclusion
When your kid has power wheels, he wants to drive it as long as he can. For the longevity of the power wheels, the battery life is significant.
Longer battery life can save you time and money and no interruptions in your child’s play.
Following the standard charging procedures and storage procedures can increase the life of your power wheels’ battery.
Overcharging or the wrong storage process will surely decrease the battery life. Follow the procedures described in this article if you want your kid to enjoy the long-lasting fun on his power wheels.
