Ride on Car Remote Control Not Working

Is your kid’s ride-on car remote not working? Well, in most instances, the simple solution for this problem is usually replacing the batteries.

But at times, the problem can be more than just dead batteries, and knowing how to troubleshoot this issue can help you save a lot of cash on repairs.

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Why Is My Kid’s Ride-on Car Remote Control Not Working?

All electric ride-on cars have numerous common problems that can be sorted out at home without calling a technician or buying a new spare part.

And one of the main issues affecting these toy vehicles is the remote control not working.

A non-functioning remote control means that the parent has no control over the toy vehicle, and their kids can get injured while playing.

So here are some of the causes of this problem:

Dead Remote Control Batteries

All remote controls are either powered by AA or AAA batteries, so it’s always a good idea to have some backup in the house.

With a dead battery, the remote control cannot function, and you may have to replace the batteries for you to be able to control the toy vehicle.

But in some cases, the problem may be more than just dead batteries. With a dead or flat ride-on car battery, the remote control receiver will not function.

Poor Connection Between the Remote and the Toy Car

Normally, the remote and the toy car are paired together for them to respond to each other. But this connection can be distorted at times resulting in the remote control not being able to control the car partially or fully.

Luckily, this problem can be corrected by pairing the toy, and it’s remote once again, and you’re good to go.

A Broken Transmitter in the Remote Control or Receiver in the Toy Vehicle

If your remote control fell down and then stopped functioning, the chances are that it’s damaged, and one of the key damages that can prevent it from functioning is a broken transmitter.

The remote control communicates with the toy car using radio signals between the transmitter and receiver.

And when one of these two components is damaged, then the remote control won’t pair with the car and start functioning.

Damaged Remote Control

If you allow your kids to use the remote control, they may end up damaging it or banging it on the wall resulting in a broken circuit board or transmitter.

A broken circuit board can’t be replaced, but a broken transmitter can be replaced. If the damage to the remote control is too severe, then you will have to get a replacement.

How to Troubleshoot a Ride-on Car Remote Control That Is Not Working

Just because the remote control isn’t functioning doesn’t mean that it’s severely damaged and you need to purchase a new one.

At times it might be a simple thing as dead batteries or a lost connection between the car and remote control.

Therefore, before replacing your current remote control, you need to troubleshoot the problem and find out the exact cause of the issue.

Finding out the cause of this issue can help you choose the best solution for it. To troubleshoot the ride-on car remote control that isn’t working, you should do the following:

Step 1: Confirm if the Battery Is Flat

One of the main reasons why most remote controls stop working is because of dead batteries, and in most cases, replacing the batteries can solve this issue.

So the first thing you should do is open the battery cover and then replace the batteries with either new AAA or AA batteries.

Make sure the batteries are properly inserted before closing the battery cover and confirming if it’s functioning.

If it starts working, then the issue was the batteries, but if not, then the problem might be inside the remote control or the ride-on car’s control.

Step 2: Check the Battery Compartment for Corrosion

If you haven’t used the remote control for a while, then you should check the battery compartment for corrosion.

If the compartment battery connectors have rusted, you can clean the wires and get rid of the rust before inserting the batteries.

Suppose the corrosion level in the battery compartment is too high. In that case, you can replace the electrical terminals before replacing the batteries and confirming if the remote control’s indicator light is on.

Step 3: Confirm if the Wires Are Connected to the Battery Terminals Properly

The positive and negative electrical connectors that connect with the battery’s terminals tend to bend with time, or the wires become loose.

If the remote is still not working even after replacing the batteries, then you should confirm if the wires are properly connected to the battery’s terminals.

Once you have confirmed that everything is ok and the toy car’s battery is fully charged, you can try driving it with your remote control once again.

If it doesn’t work, then the problem might be with the connection between the car’s receiver and the remote control’s transmitter.

Step 4: Troubleshoot the Remote Control’s Receiver and Transmitter

If you have replaced the batteries, cleaned the battery compartment, and confirmed that no wire is loose, then the issue might be with the remote control’s transmitter or the toy car’s receiver.

To troubleshoot this issue, you should do the following:

Try controlling the toy Car using another remote control

If you have another remote control compatible with the toy car you are working on, you should pair it with the toy vehicle and test drive the car.

If the replacement remote can easily control the toy car, then your remote transmitter is damaged and needs to be replaced.

If the replacement remote can’t control the toy vehicle, then it either means that they are not using the same frequency or the toy car’s receiver is damaged.

So make sure you confirm if the other remote control is using the same frequency as your kid’s toy car before using it.

Check the toy Car’s servo

At times, the issue may not be with the radio system. Instead, it could be caused by one of the servos that have malfunctioned.

If the toy car is not responding to all the commands, like the car can move backward and not forward, then the problem is in the servo.

Therefore, you should unplug the servos and plug them in a receiver that’s working. If the toy car still doesn’t work, the servo needs to be repaired and not the transmitter or receiver.

Repairing the servo can be quite challenging, and you might need an expert to help you do it.

After the servo has been repaired, you should reinstall it in the toy car and try and drive the toy car again using its remote control.

Step 5: Confirm if All the Buttons Are Functioning

If the transmitter and receiver are on and still some buttons aren’t functioning, then the chances are that they have been damaged. Damaged buttons can prevent you from controlling the toy vehicle.

Luckily, there is a cheaper way you can repair these buttons and increase the lifespan of your remote control.

Read on: How to Convert Power Wheels to Remote Control

How to Repair a Ride on Car Remote Control That Isn’t Working

In most cases, most of the issues that can affect the remote control can be easily solved at home. Simple things like replacing a battery can return your remote control to its original shape.

But in some cases, you will have to do some maintenance practices like cleaning a rusted battery compartment.

So here are a few key solutions for this problem:

Replacing the Battery

Batteries tend to discharge with time even when they are not being used. So if you had stored your toy vehicle’s remote control with the batteries installed, then chances are that they have discharged.

Therefore, it’s crucial that you replace the batteries.

Clean or Replace the Corroded Electrical Terminals

If the electrical terminals have corroded, then you can clean them and get rid of the rust before installing the batteries.

If the batteries have been leaking, then you will see some flakes of rust inside the remote’s battery compartment. To clean them, squeeze a few drops of lemon or vinegar on the corroded spot, and the spots will be neutralized.

You can spread the vinegar in the battery compartment using a cotton swab. You can remove the stubborn rust spots using a mixture of baking soda.

If the electric terminals are corroded, you can clean them using vinegar or lemon. And make sure you remove everything before clearing the electric contacts using 150-grit sandpaper.

Replace the Damaged Receiver or Transmitter

A damaged transmitter or receiver can make it impossible for the remote control to send signals to the toy car.

Therefore, you can purchase a new transmitter or receiver and install it in the toy car or remote control, and you are good to go.

But with a new transmitter or receiver, you may need to pair the remote control with the toy car for it to function.

Or in some cases, the loss of connection may be why the remote control isn’t functioning.

Therefore you will need to pair the car to its remote.

Pairing the Toy Car to the Remote Control

Loose of connection between the remote control and the toy vehicle may be one of the reasons why the remote control isn’t working. so to pair the two, you need to:

Switch off the toy car
Press and hold the pairing button on the remote until the lights start blinking.
Once you see fast blinking lights, you can release the pairing button and switch on the car.
Leave the car on until the blinking lights stop and you are good to go.

Repairing Damaged Buttons

The buttons of any remote control come with conductive layers beneath them.

And with time, these conductive layers may lose conductivity or get damaged, resulting in the buttons not function irrespective of the amount of pressure you apply on them.

To sort out this issue, most folks prefer purchasing a cheaper replica and then replacing the buttons. Luckily, there is an even better and cheaper solution.

To repair the buttons, you should do the following:

Open the remote control: All remote controls have three parts the top and bottom plastic covers, uni-body rubber buttons, and the circuit board.

So you should start by removing the battery cover and the battery to expose the screws. Unscrew the remote control and separate the bottom and top parts.
Clean the rubber buttons and circuit board: the best solution for cleaning these parts is alcohol.

Using a cotton swab soaked in alcohol, you can thoroughly wipe the rubber buttons’ surfaces and the circuit board.

And make sure the buttons are functioning before proceeding to the next step.
Repair the non-functioning buttons: Cleaning the rubber buttons and circuit board can do the trick, but you will have to repair the damaged buttons in some cases.

All you need for this step are tweezers, scissors, aluminum foil, and super glue. Start by cutting small pieces of the foil that can easily fit the conductive area of the non-functioning button remote.

Glue the foil to the non-functioning buttons and then wait for it to dry before reassembling the remote control.

Final Thought

The remote control of a ride-on car is the only thing a parent can use to protect their kids when they are playing. Therefore, ensuring that it’s properly maintained and working properly is essential.

Luckily, the major solution for a non-functioning remote control is replacing the batteries. But if this doesn’t work, you will have to troubleshoot the problem and repair it instead of purchasing a new remote control.