Ride on Toy Battery Replacement Tips

Your child is the proud owner of a ride on toy car and absolutely loves tooling around the neighborhood showing it off. But just like your car won't go far if you forget to stop at the filling station, your child will be grounded if the battery is dead or won't hold a charge.

Increasing Performance

Batteries that come with ride on toys are typically just powerful enough to run the vehicle. However, when you need to replace the battery, or if you want a spare to keep the 4 wheel fun moving, you can purchase a replacement ride on toy battery with the same voltage but with higher amp hours. Typically you can find the higher amp replacement battery that will still fit correctly in the battery compartment. Higher amps will allow the toy to run longer on one charge. It is a lot like a gas tank in your family car. The bigger the tank the longer between fill ups. Well, the more amps, the longer between charging sessions.

Chargers

You are going to want to invest in a decent quality battery charger for the type of battery that runs your child's wheels. The chargers that come with the toy usually needs to be unplugged after a specified time limit or the battery will overcharge, limiting its useful life. A smart charger delivers a low amperage charge, and features circuitry that senses when your battery is fully charged. It then stops charging and monitors the voltage. If it senses a drop in voltage, the smart charger will re-activate and top off the charge without harming the battery.

Replacement Battery Check

If the car only runs for a short time, there are other things to check besides the battery. Is the load on the car too heavy? Check the recommended weight from the manufacturer. If the car is being ridden on grass or up a slope, there will be more power required from the battery, and it will not run as long as on a flat sidewalk. Also, check the optimal temperature for riding the car. If it's too hot or too cold, the battery may not provide the same mileage.

In the off season, don't store the ride on toy battery when it is not fully charged. These batteries work best and last longest when their charge is maintained. Also don't store it where the temperature fluctuates from hot to cold and back, as that also shortens the battery life.

Battery life for these toys can be 2 or 3 years if the battery is properly maintained. But keep in mind that as the battery ages, it will begin to lose capacity, meaning it won't go quite as far on a full charge as it did when the battery was new so make sure your kid keeps those road trips close to home.