Power wheels problems solutions – how to troubleshoot a power wheels

Power wheels problems solutions guide- how to troubleshoot a power wheels (a range of problems)

In this comprehensive power wheels troubleshooting guide, we will be covering how to fix various ride on cars problems.

Read to the end and try out the tricks we explain – your kiddo’s power wheels may just start riding again (and bring him/her immense pleasure).

Let’s jump in:

Power wheels problems solutions- how to troubleshoot a power wheels

Power wheels won’t turn on

If your power wheels won’t start, check the things below:

• Undercharged or dead battery-recharge it fully or replace.
• Tripped thermal fuse– ensure the car is not overloaded (towing things could overload it) and that the driving conditions are not severe (these two make the fuse trip) then try running it again.

Corroded electrical switches, loose wires/loose connectors, and motor damage can also cause it not to turn on (you will be learning how to troubleshoot each scenario shortly).

 

Power wheels battery not charging

Try the following if your power wheels won’t charge:

• Ensure the switch is on– If power flow (to the wall electrical outlet) is switch-controlled, ensure the switch is actually “ON”.
• Next, check all connectors– you want to be sure that the charger connector is properly plugged into the power wheels battery. In addition, check that the charger is itself plugged into the wall.
• Try a different charger –The charger could be faulty. Try a working charger.

ALSO READ: Your power wheels battery charged but not working? Try this

 

Power wheels won’t run with a new battery

Well, if this is happening to a new battery you just bought (and you are sure it is the recommended battery), then the battery could be stone cold dead.

That said, your best chance to bring it back is to leave it on the charger for 24 hours and see if you get any improvement in the voltage

Only one wheel spins

• Check the nut of the wheels that won’t spin- it might be too tight.
• Check the bearings- if they’re not pressed all the way in the wheel, it may not rotate. Inspect the bearings on the wheels that are acting up.
• Check for corrosion- if parts such as shifter switches on Peg Perego Gator are corroded, it may cause the wheel not to roll. So open up the wheels and clean the corrosion.
• Something is unplugged – access the interior part of the wheels and check around for a part that is unplugged or that is dislodged.

 

Power wheels wont go in reverse

Of course, some power wheels are not designed to go in reverse so your first step should be verifying that your car is built to move in reverse.

Once you have confirmed, check for the following:

• Broken wire- if a wire has broken off the motor, it may not reverse. Open it up and try to look for broken wires (and fix them)
• Bad switches- a defective switch (for power wheels with a shifter assembly) may cause the problem. It can also be a dashboard switch. Check and ideally replace the electrical switches.

Oh, and don’t forget to make sure that the shifter is actually in the reverse position if your power wheels won’t go in reverse.

 

Power wheels won’t drive forward/reverse – it won’t move at all

Few things could be happening if your power wheels won’t go forward or reverse…

The battery could be discharged and needing to be charged to full again.

Measure voltage with a voltage meter – the accelerator should be pressed while doing it- and charge it for 18 hours (at least) before you use the car again.

 

There are loose wiring connections (to the motors)

If your power wheels won’t move at all, check for loose wiring connections – they are a pretty common cause of the problem.

So you want to check all connections at the motors and under seat and clean them and finally plug them back in.

 

The motors are dead

It’s a possibility too but a motor test will be needed to confirm.

Now, to test power wheels motor, just have the wheels off the ground to create less load and check if the wheels will spin, once you press the pedal.

If they don’t, it could mean you are having bad motors.

Here is an easier way to test the motor

Just hook up your battery to the power wheels motor directly with jumper wires and see if it turns. If it does, work your way slowly back through wiring harness.

 

The foot pedal switch is bad

The third thing to check if it won’t run is the pedal switch -it may be corroded or bad.

Now, to be sure, you can test if power is running through it using a volt multimeter.

A replacement will be needed if faulty – but be sure to first inspect the wiring underneath your pedals (broken/loose wiring will interrupt power supply).

 

You could be having a corroded shifter switch

As with pedal switches, corrosion on shifter switches can be the culprit.

To be clear, power going to (but not out) of the shifter switch is again typically due to corrosion forming on the connectors.

So try to clean the connections chemically (deoxit works like a charm) or physically and see what happens.

 

The control board is defective

The final thing to check is the control board (your car probably has a control board if it features RC functions, lights sirens, and the like).

Here you need to check that everything is correctly plugged in and that there are no fried connections (fix as necessary).

 

Power wheels stopped working

Here is what you should check if all over sudden, your power wheels won’t work:

• The battery – If a 12v battery, is it getting to 12.6 volts (and above) on measuring it with a voltmeter?
• The fuses -Have you checked the fuses? They may have fried/reset.
• The motors– Take a good 12-volts battery and hook it to the motors directly and check if they are operating in both directions.
• The circuit board– For circuit board controlled power wheels, check if it is fried (a bad motor may have more amps than normal, frying it) or otherwise damaged.

 

Power wheels traction control LED light stays on

Normally, when the power wheels lose traction, its traction control LED will lights continuously.

What your kid should do is stop driving for about 30 seconds-ask your little one to get their feet off the pedal for approximately 30 seconds.

The light should have gone off by the time they start to drive again (the light is simply a way of alerting your wannabe driver about power wheels traction problems).

 

Power wheels problems solutions – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do i know if my power wheels battery is bad?

If you are struggling with frequent power wheels battery problems, here is an easy way you can test for a dead battery with a voltmeter:

1. First, charge the battery until it is full.
2. Connect the fully-charged battery to your toddlers power wheel.
3. Put a voltmeter on the power wheels battery terminals.
4. Try to operate your power wheels now- and while at it, check the voltage. You want to check if there is an enormous voltage drop.

Typically, the battery is often bad if the battery’s voltage goes way down on starting the car- To be clear, after the initial draw, the battery should maintain its voltage level for a bit before slowly inching downward.

Put another way, if your battery drops significantly and doesn’t stop its decline, then it’s time to take a look at a new battery.

Alternative method

Also, if once you connect the charger the battery is just not accepting the charge, it is likely because it has gone bad.

Of course, you should be sure that the charger is functioning correctly before making any conclusions.

Final words

Please reach out to power wheels support if this power wheels repair manual did not touch on the issue you’re experiencing with your kid’s power wheels.

Go to the power wheels website and locate an authorized service center near you for further help.