How to Get Your Riding Toys & Razor Scooters Ready for Spring
- by Bryan Veldboom - updated on 4/5/2022
As we settle into Spring, it's time to start pulling all of your kids' seasonal toys out of storage. If you're having a hard time starting these applications up after the winter, it may be because of a bad battery. Batteries Plus offers batteries and chargers for a wide variety of children's riding toys and Razor scooters. Keep reading for valuable troubleshooting tips to help get your favorite recreational vehicles back up and running again. Plus, learn all about our Razor scooter repair services.
How Do You Charge a Toy Battery?
If you're having trouble with a riding toy, the first question to ask yourself is did you keep your battery charged up while it was in storage? If not, that's probably the source of your problem. Regular, reliable charging is key to keeping your battery healthy. If your battery is discharged, you'll want to charge it up again as soon as possible. You'll find a number of riding toy chargers available at Batteries Plus. When shopping for a new charger, be sure that the one you select is compatible with the chemistry and voltage of your battery. The majority of riding toy brands run on some type of sealed lead acid (SLA) battery. Most of these will be 12 volt batteries, however, some use a 6 volt option instead.
How Long Does It Take to Charge a Riding Toy Battery?
You should recharge your riding toy battery after every use and be sure to maintain it when it's not being used. The length of time it takes to charge will depend largely upon the voltage of your battery. Here is a breakdown of how long you can expect the charging process to take:
- 6 Volt Batteries: Initial charge = approx. 10 hours; Regular charging = approx. 6 hours
- 12 Volt Batteries: Initial charge = approx. 10 hours; Regular charging = approx. 10 hours
- 24 Volt Batteries: Initial charge = approx. 18 hours; Regular charging = approx. 10 hours
How Do You Recover a Deeply Discharged SLA Battery?
If your battery is discharged down to almost nothing, there's a good chance that it might be beyond saving. You may be able to recover it, however, by using a trickle or smart charger. Trickle chargers apply very small amounts of current over a long period of time, while smart chargers rely on electronic circuits to prevent your battery from overcharging. Attach your battery to one of these two charger types and allow it to charge continuously for seven to ten days. The slow charting rates will help dissolve the desulfation that damages your battery and possibly restore its ability to hold a charge.
How to Tell if a Riding Toy Battery is Bad
Once your battery is charged back up again, you can test it with a voltmeter by following these instructions. The resting voltage for a 12V SLA battery should be around 13 volts if it's fully charged. If your battery is lower than that, it's likely that it needs to be replaced. If you don't have a voltmeter, you can simply take your battery to your nearest Batteries Plus and the associates there will test it for you for free.
How to Charge a Razor Scooter
Razor scooter batteries take around 12 hours or so to fully charge. Charge your battery after every use, even if the power isn't totally drained. Be sure to use the charger that came with your Razor scooter. The charger itself features a light which will change from red to a solid green when the charging process is completed. If the light turns green before the full charging cycle has completed, ignore it and continue charging for the full 12 hours. While the charger will prevent your battery from overcharging, try not to keep your battery connected to the charger for more than 24 hours at a time,
If you plan on storing your scooter for longer than a few weeks, be sure to give it a full charge before putting it into storage. You'll also want to recharge your battery periodically while it's in storage, to help maintain its charge.
How to Tell if a Razor Scooter Battery is Bad
If your scooter won't start after it's been charged, there's a simple test you can perform to check whether the battery is at fault. Just follow these instructions:
- Make sure that the power switch lights up.
- If so, turn the power on (make sure there is no weight on the scooter)
- Lift up the back end of the scooter.
- Manually spin the rear wheel, then push the throttle button to engage the motor.
- If the motor engages, it means the problem is battery-related and you'll need to pick up a replacement.
Batteries Plus Has Batteries for All of Your Vehicle Needs
Shop our incredible selection of batteries for motorcycles, mopeds, toys & riding cars and electric bikes & scooters. No matter what toy you have, we can power it.
Be sure to check our blog for plenty of helpful tips. Some related topics include "General Purpose or Deep Cycle: What's the Best SLA Battery for a Riding Toy?" and "How Do I Know if My SLA Battery is Dead?"