New mobility scooter batteries losing power too quickly

zaksmum

I have a Pride Colt scooter which I've had for over two years.

It started losing power too quickly when fully charged (and just out of warranty) so we bought new batteries.

These were fine for a few months then the same thing started to happen - I'd get about a mile out of the scooter before it started to lose power, and limp home on one red light.

I took the new batteries back to the shop and explained. They were exchanged for more new batteries under warranty.

Again, all was well till this week when the scooter is losing power again. I realise now it probably isn't the batteries but some other fault that perhaps is draining the batteries far too quickly.

Besides buying a new scooter - does anyone have any suggestions?

Rodders53

It may be worth checking the battery voltage with a digital voltmeter when on charge and after having rested overnight (or removing the surface charge by running the scooter briefly).... in case the charger has gone faulty and is not supplying the correct voltage to charge properly?

http://www.batteryfaq.org/ is worth a read. The batteries used in scooters are usually VRLA types. Also bear in mind the voltages are for '12 Volt' batteries and the scooter uses two in series (24 V) so double the numbers given in the FAQ.


If all seems OK the in future DO NOT follow the instructions provided and leave on charge all the time. As soon as the charger goes green to indicate charged switch off and disconnect.

I killed two sets of 17Ah batteries within 18 months on our Pride GoGo Traveller Elite Plus... Since then I have just had to replace the third set after a bit over four years use, as the travel range was reducing.

The Pride chargers seem to over-charge the batteries rather than switching down to safe trickle, thereby shortening the battery life (dramatically).

System

I'd be looking at the charger and whether that has a problem.

Richie-from-the-Boro

99% of scooter chargers regardless of the claims they make are not intelligent and can not perform permanent maintenance charging. Most 6 or 8 state chargers have intelligence and the scooter can be permanently plugged in. Some of the better ones can be left on forever out on for example a balcony provided they are covered and protected from direct rain or snow. From time to time these chargers from LiDL & ALDI are available for about £15 or about a quarter of the price of the CTEK but they are not IP 65 protected and can not be left outside. Investing in an expensive CTEK once is cheaper than the merry~go~round of constantly buying new batteries.

The CTEK would need to have the plug from the old charger you are scrapping swapped to itself. The LiDL would need to be directly clamped to one and then the other 12v battery in sequence after first uncoupling them as a 24v pair but the cheepo LiDl version does work very well. NOTE the LiDL one also does 6v and massive 800a 4x4 MPV type AGM and other modern batteries - a good tool for the price of a burger.

zaksmum

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

99% of scooter chargers regardless of the claims they make are not intelligent and can not perform permanent maintenance charging. Most 6 or 8 state chargers have intelligence and the scooter can be permanently plugged in. Some of the better ones can be left on forever out on for example a balcony provided they are covered and protected from direct rain or snow. From time to time these chargers from LiDL & ALDI are available for about £15 or about a quarter of the price of the CTEK but they are not IP 65 protected and can not be left outside. Investing in an expensive CTEK once is cheaper than the merry~go~round of constantly buying new batteries.

The CTEK would need to have the plug from the old charger you are scrapping swapped to itself. The LiDL would need to be directly clamped to one and then the other 12v battery in sequence after first uncoupling them as a 24v pair but the cheepo LiDl version does work very well. NOTE the LiDL one also does 6v and massive 800a 4x4 MPV type AGM and other modern batteries - a good tool for the price of a burger.

My scooter batteries are 12v 50AH. Would the LIDL/Aldi chargers be suitable?