So, you left your Power Wheels Battery charging for a long time, huh?
It’s not an ideal situation but it would most likely survive. However, here’s the thing.
Power Wheels battery can overcharge which means it won’t automatically terminate the charging process and stop the voltage pump. This can lead to critical damages to the battery which can be a slippery slope to its deterioration.
So, as a rule of thumb, you need to avoid overcharging a Power Wheels battery. If you do, it could gradually deteriorate and you may have to replace the entire unit sooner than its life expectancy—also, avoid charging the battery beyond 12 to 15 hours.
If you want your battery to last for a long time, check out these tips on preserving and properly charging your Power Wheels battery.
Can You Leave a Power Wheels Battery on the Charger?
It’s not recommended to leave a Power Wheels Battery on the charger especially if it is longer than 12 to 14 hours. This often leads to overcharging which damages the battery over time.
Likewise, it can also result in overheating rending the battery unusable.
Power Wheels battery chargers do not automatically shut off once the battery is fully charged. Instead, what t happens is that it will continue pumping more volts no matter what the battery level is.
So, when it’s overcharged the extra pumping will produce excessive heat. It will scorch the battery’s internal plating and the pack begins to expand and break open.
How Can I Charge My Power Wheels Battery Without the Charger?
If your Power Wheels battery charger is broken, you can still do some recharging through various ways.
Yes, it’s true. You can charge your Power Wheels battery without using a standard charger. This means you don’t need to wait longer or look for a spare charger outside your home when the battery hits a low level.
Out of the many ways to charge your Power Wheels batteries, the following two methods are the most accessible.
Car Battery
It’s quite interesting getting some juice for your Power Wheels from an actual car.
Power Wheels batteries run from 6V to 12V. On the other hand, car batteries have 15 V, which can pretty much cover the required charging.
And you can easily do so if you have a voltmeter, some alligator clamps, adaptors, and power plugs.
Start by getting the battery out of the toy car and unplugging it from the system.
Then connect the positive terminal of the Power Wheels to the car’s positive terminal. Next, do the same with the negative terminal.
Next, attach the pins to the voltmeter so you can monitor the voltage coming in.
Direct Plug
You can connect to an electrical plug without a charger and have your Power Wheels battery charged.
With this method, you will need alligator clamps and a power cord with an adapter.
Bring the battery out and place it on a top dry surface. Put a towel underneath for extra protection.
Now, clip the positive alligator clamp to the positive end of the battery. Repeat the same process with the negative terminal. Finally, plug the alligator clamps into the power cord.
Using a voltmeter, monitor the current, so you can avoid overcharging.
How Long Does It Take to Charge a Power Wheels 6, 12, and 24 Volt Battery?
The initial charging for a Power Wheels car battery takes longer than the regular charging time. However, it will depend on the voltage of the battery.
For example, at least 18 hours of initial charging is required for a 12, or 24 volts battery. On the other hand, a 6 volts battery will need about 10 hours of initial charging. During this time, the ride-on car has not been used and was just taken out of its packaging.
The subsequent charging after its first use becomes shorter. For example, a Power Wheels car with 6 volts battery requires about 6 hours of charging while the 12 volts battery need 12 hours, and the 24 volts should be about 18 hours.
Can You Undercharge the Power Wheels Battery?
So we’ve established the fact that overcharging the Power Wheels battery can potentially cause serious damage to your toy car. But what about undercharging the battery?
As it turns out, undercharging your Power Wheels battery isn’t good for the electric ride-on car either. It causes the same level of damage as that of overcharging.
It is highly recommended to charge the Power Wheels car battery after use or when it indicates a low power level. When doing so, make sure you achieve the minimum hours depending on the battery voltage.
How Should You Properly Charge Power Wheels Battery?
Safety should always be the concern, especially when charging your Power Wheels battery.
Naturally, you can’t ask your child to do this. It’s strictly an adult’s job. Nonetheless, consider the following tips to protect yourself and the battery from any harm.
- Find an area wherein the charging won’t be disturbed. It also has to be free of items and substances that can cause damage or corrosion. It’s best if you can charge the battery in the Power Wheels storage area.
- Always check for any damage to the battery before you charge. Otherwise, you may experience short-circuiting, which can pretty much end the battery’s life.
- Use a Power Wheels charger on amazon compatible with the unit.
- Time the charging period and set the alarm if necessary. This way, you can avoid overcharging or undercharging.
How Should You Take Care of Power Wheels Battery?
At this point, you already know that the first thing you need to remember when charging your Power Wheels battery is to make sure it reaches the recommended charging hours. This means avoiding overcharging or undercharging at all costs.
Nonetheless, you can benefit from other recommended ways of taking care of Power Wheels battery such as the following:
Charge the battery at least once a month.
If you decide to store Power Wheels or its battery, you can’t simply put it away without considering its long-term functionality.
In this sense, the battery will have poor performance if not regularly used, charged, or warmed up. So with that, make sure to check its battery level and charge it at least once a month.
Avoid draining the battery completely.
You can charge your Power Wheels battery even if it’s not entirely drained. In fact, it is advisable not to let the battery run out of juice entirely as it causes a lot of strain on its integral structure. As a result, it could lead to serious damage to the battery.
Keep the battery upright when charging.
When charging your Power Wheels battery, make sure that you place it in an upright position. This way, leaks, and damages can be avoided instead.
Store the battery in an area with optimum temperature.
During winter, your Power Wheels are most likely in storage. And with this condition, batteries can deteriorate due to the cold.
So, to preserve the battery, make sure that the temperature in your storage area should be about 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Final Thoughts
You should charge your Power Wheels battery according to the recommended time.
But if you happen to overcharge the battery once or twice, the damage will not be enough to break the engine down.
Nonetheless, given the importance of the battery in Power Wheels, you wouldn’t want to constantly overcharge it if you’re going to use it for a long time.