Battery or charging problem with kid's electric car

Tigsteroonie

Yes, I know it's cheeky putting this thread into the Motoring section of MSE but (a) I couldn't think of where else to put it other than the Arms and (b) Ineed a techie answer!

Littl'un has a rechargeable electric car that can be driven by pedal or by parental remote control. It worked fine last year when we got it but we probably haven't been as good at keeping it charged as we should have been. It appears to have 2x 6V (10A) batteries, one to drive each motor on each back wheel (and one also drives the steering column when by r/c).

Problem is, that it doesn't work now. And I don't know if it's worth replacing the batteries, or whether the motors (both?) might have gone. It's been on charge overnight and my (pathetic) attempt to test the batteries with a Voltmeter resulted in a reading of 6.57V.

Is it likely to be the batteries, because I haven't charged them regularly through winter? If not, what's the likelihood of both motors having blown? All electrical wiring looks fine, everything seems to still be attached. Charger gets slightly warm when charging.

Any suggestions of what could be wrong, or how to test further, gratefully received.

Stooby2

If you put the batteries in, does the car do anything?

Have you checked the battery contacts? Whilst being stored uncharged in the freezing cold might have wrecked the batteries, it could also have corroded the connectors. Have a good look at them.

colino

Check and clean all your connections again, as it is showing 6.75 volts it may well be taking a charge, but it needs a full charge before you can be sure of a reading. Bear in mind too that simple voltage isn't guarantee f a healthy battery as it could charge up to , say 7.7 volts, but not be able to produce much useable power.
Remember to check over the rest of the unit too. If its been left lying, make sure the motor is free to turn and that the rest of the mechanism turns freely. (A good use of WD40).

Tigsteroonie

Thanks for the responses.

Connectors look fine, no sign of corrosion. It's been kept dry in a shed over winter. It was on charge for around 15 hours (manual said 16h for a full charge).

When we push it (slightly, obviously no more than an inch or two) the wheels turn freely and we can hear the motor appearing to turn.

sammy1982

hi i plugged the wrong charger in 2 my kids car and it only charges the radio!! when u put yor foot on the peddle it wont go?? would u please be able 2 help me please?? thank you x

Ectophile

Is it possible to get at the battery terminals to check the voltage while you try to drive the car?

If the batteries are dead, the voltage may be over 6V with no load, but it will drop substantially when you try to put any load on. If they are lead acid batteries, then they should hold a reasonable charge for several months if they are fully charged. But if they are left flat for any length of time, then they are unlikely ever to charge properly.

If the battery voltage stays constant, but the motors don't run, then I would suspect the remote control system and motor controllers.

forgotmyname

As above they usually have a battery cutout limit on the speed controller to prevent them running away if the power goes below the speed controllers minimum.

A voltage test under load will be essential.

If you replace the batteries make sure you charge them monthly with a decent charger. The issue with a lot of the chargers they provide is they charge at too high a rate which reduces the batteries life.

Some years back i bought some cheap rechargeable spot lamps. Bargain prices, They were great for the first few charges then the batteries suffered, To get a fast charge they used a 6v battery but charged them at a full 12v.

Norman_Castle

Its a two year old thread dug up by a new user.

hi i plugged the wrong charger in 2 my kids car and it only charges the radio!! when u put yor foot on the peddle it wont go?? would u please be able 2 help me please?? thank you x

Have you got the right charger for it?.

forgotmyname

Throw the charger away that come with most of these things and but a proper charger where you can adjust the charge output.

Charging a battery within an hour is all well and good buy it can cook the battery and shorthen its life.

Charge at a lower rate and the battery will live longer, as long as you dont let them rum totally flat and leave them that way.