Upgrade 12v ride on to 24v – steps and requirements

We have been looking at how to make a power wheels go faster in the last few days and today we will be looking at how to upgrade 12v ride on to 24v.

Now, there are many different modifications you can do to your kid’s ride on car to give it more oomph and speed- from upgrading the motor to changing the gear.

This article will show you how to do the voltage modification: you will learn hot step up the battery voltage from 12v to 24v.

The result is extended run time and a noticeable speed boost.

Let’s dive right in:

 

Upgrade 12v ride on to 24v– what you will need for this modification

• 2 12-volts/12 amp-hour batteries. We find these a more economical option compared to stock batteries.
• 16 ga awg stranded wire (you will be using it to install the batteries at the appropriate location in the car).
• Terminal connectors(2).
• Terminal crimps.
• Wire strippers.
• Voltmeter

Upgrade 12v ride on to 24v –step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Charge the batteries

Start by charging the batteries- hook up your old 12-volt ride on battery charger and wait for the batteries to be charged completely.

 

Step 2: Remove the battery connector from your car

Now, usually the battery connector on the stock battery needs to be removed- you will need it to connect the new batteries.

Of course, it is the best to use since it’s made for your specific ride on car- remember the new aftermarket batteries won’t come with a connector.

Watch this video to see how it’s done:

 

Step 3: Cut and crimp the wire you will use to connect your 2 batteries together

You will be connecting the 2 batteries in a series (not in parallel) since you need the voltage summed up while retaining the same amperage/current.

And you need a long-enough wire for this….

So cut a wire that will have the necessary length to reach your battery location.

After that, strip the wire (on both ends) and add a female connector (to each end).

Finally, crimp the connectors with your crimping tool.

 

Step 4: Wire up the 2 batteries and proceed to test their total voltage

Grab the wire you have just prepared and connect the negative of battery 1 to the positive of battery 2.

You then connect the positive of battery 1 to the positive probe of the voltmeter.

Finally, connect the negative of battery 2 to the negative probe of the voltmeter.

Once done, try to read the voltmeter- the reading should be about 26 volts if you have done everything right (each battery puts out about 13 volts).

You can now confidently proceed to the very last step of this power wheels 12v to 24v conversion: mounting the batteries in the car.

 

Step 5: Mounting the batteries

Here you need slight creativity – you see, the batteries you have might not slot into the existing battery compartment without you changing the orientation of the batteries or enlarging the battery spot (e.g. by cutting off part of the plastic).

So make the required changes and slot the batteries in place (disconnect the voltmeter first).

Be sure to position the batteries in a way that the terminals will be accessible.

Next, connect the positive battery connection on your ride on car to the positive head on battery 1 and the negative battery connection end on your ride on car to the negative terminal of battery 2.

Finally, connect the negative of battery 1 to positive of battery 2 with the wire you had made in step 3.

That’s all.

Your ride on car should not last longer and go faster.

Now go out and test it.

Original article: instructables.com

Approach 2: Upgrade 12v ride on to 24v by buying and adding an already customized conversion kit

You may also go the way of buying and adding this custom-made 24 Volt Conversion kit for 12 Volt ride on cars.

It’s much less work- the instructions are really simple and you will complete the conversion in just a few minutes.

The best part?

You can always go back to 12-volts whenever you want, thanks to the kit’s flexible design.

 

Final words

So, that is one way of upgrading a 12v ride on to 24v (the alternative way is to buy the ready-made kit, as indicated above)

Now, if you want to read more about converting a 12v ride on to 24v, check out this dedicated power wheels modification forum- there is a lot you can learn there when it comes to power wheels modifications.

 

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