Most Common Mobility Scooter Problems and How To Fix Them

Most Common Mobility Scooter Problems and How To Fix Them

Mobility Scooters help in transforming the lives of the elderly and disabled. It reduces their dependency on others and gives them more freedom and reliance. However, if these mobility scooters break due to a lack of maintenance and wear and tear, it would be devastating for the user. It can come as a full stop to their daily life.

This is why it is very crucial to keep a regular check on your mobility vehicles, get regular maintenance done, and understand the problems that can arise and how to fix them in times of need.

Here are the most common mobility scooter issues and the ways to help you identify and solve them

Most Common Mobility Scooter Problems and their Fixes

Battery Life

Just like our phones, the batteries of your mobility scooters also suffer enormous amounts of wear and tear with the daily charging and discharging. Continuous usage is bound to deplete the battery life of your vehicle, how-so-ever advanced their technology is.

While most advanced mobility vehicles indicate the downfall of battery life and would let you know the time to switch batteries with new ones, at times you might start facing battery issues earlier than indicated.

These issues can include:

• Lower distance coverage in a single charge compared to before
• Random stopping of the vehicle due to charge shocks
• Loose connection between the battery and charger
• The battery starts draining more quickly
• The battery is unable to hold a full charge capacity

When you start encountering the above-mentioned issues, know that your battery needs a thorough check. Start with checking all the connections of your battery, check the voltage of the battery using a multimeter, and ensure that there are no obvious signs of wear and tear on the battery. Regular maintenance can help you go a long way with your existing battery. However, if the issues persist, the best option would be to change the battery to a new one.

Tyre Wear and Tear

Like any other vehicle, the part that is the most affected by friction and wear and tear is the tyres. Being the only part that comes in direct touch with the ground, tyres suffer greater damage with daily usage than you can imagine.

Most handicap scooters use hard and solid tyres as opposed to the soft, tubed tyres of other vehicles. This makes it difficult for ground friction to impact the tyre quality, but if you start experiencing the following issues, you can safely conclude that it is your tyres at fault:

• Bumpy ride from the scooter
• The brake application isn't smooth
• The scooter is losing balance
• Tyres feel wobbly

The above are signs of a punctured or ruptured tyre. Flat tyres can be very risky for the user as they can lead to severe accidents. In case you experience such discomfort with your tyres, cease your mobility vehicle's usage, and resume it only once the tyres are repaired.

As a precautionary approach, you must check your tyres once every month. Check the sidewalls for cracks and crevices. Ensure that the treads are evenly wearing the rim. And if you can see any obvious cuts, tears, or damage, get your tyres repaired or replaced.

Motor Issues

Mobility Scooters use battery-powered motors to function just like Motorized Wheelchairs. These motors are designed to give long-term service. However, motors on your mobility vehicles can get damaged with dust getting stuck on the components from driving often over uneven tracks. This can result in "flat spots".

When motor components are damaged, the vehicle may face a temporary shutdown due to lower voltage. This results in sudden, random changes in the speed of the scooter, making the ride bumpy.

If you experience sudden speed changes, reach out to an expert to fix your motor issues.

Potentiometer Corrosion

A potentiometer helps in managing the vehicle throttle. It is usually exposed to external elements making it more prone to corrosion.

Damage to the potentiometer can impact the vehicle's speed and ability to go forward and backwards. You can experience it in the form of a lack of acceleration.

The potentiometer can be repaired at home if you have experience and knowledge of the wiring system. However, if you lack such experience, you can take help from an expert.

Ignition Jam

Being exposed to the environment, ignition can get easily corroded and result in a jammed system. This would make it difficult to insert your keys to operate the vehicle,  and eventually corrode your keys too.

Ignition swapping is pretty easy. If you like doing such stuff, you can go ahead and change one for yourself. However,  remember to remove the battery before swapping the ignition. It is always convenient and better to call in an expert to help you with such tasks.

Steering Misalignment

Another important part of your scooter is the steering which helps you give directions to your drive. However, it is common to have a misalignment in your scooter steering.

You can deal with this misalignment issue easily on your own by holding the front wheels still while having someone turn the steering until the wheel gets aligned. However, if your problem seems more complex, or your scooter steering is misaligned due to an accident, it would be probably best to get your scooter checked by a professional.

Conclusion

Mobility Scooters are mostly battery or electric powered which makes it very likely to pose problems if any component of the system is corroded. And such a fritz can also result in a complete breakdown of the vehicle.

Hence, it is necessary to keep a regular check on the performance and service of the vehicles. Avoid the components from getting exposed to moisture as it can result in circuit rupture. Avoid driving on bumpy terrains for longer durations as it can result in wear and tear of tyres and make the wiring jiggle. Look out for signs of trouble and use the home fixes when needed to get a longer life for your mobility scooter.