The most common issues for Mobility Scooters

Here in scooterland, the customers sometimes come or call to us–enquirying about how to opitmally charge their mobility scooters.  Well fear not, for we have a set of instructions, of dos and do nots to help clarify a majority of your concerns.

Understanding the LED Displays

LED Functions

The following advisory is adopted for optimum maintenance and longevity of batteries used for mobility equipment.

Charging batteries for EVERY DAY use of your Mobility Equipment

• Charge the batteries every night uninterrupted for a minimum of 10 hours
• Do Not turn off the charger once the green light appears, this normally indicates that the batteries are at 80% charged and the charger then moves into ‘trickle’ mode.

Charging batteries for INFREQUENT use of your Mobility Equipment (less than 3 times a week)

• Charge your batteries on MON/WED/FRI nights uninterrupted for a minimum of 10 hours
• Do Not turn off the charger once the green light appears, this normally indicates that the batteries are at 80% charged and the charger then moves into ‘trickle’ mode.

Charging batteries for Minimum use of your Mobility Equipment (once a week or less)

• Charge your batteries one night, once a week uninterrupted for a minimum of 10 hours, regardless of whether the mobility equipment has been used or not that week.
• Do Not turn off the charger once the green light appears, this normally indicates that the batteries are at 80% charged and the charger then moves into ‘trickle’ mode.

CAUTION: If the charge LED remains red for more than 24 hours, unplug the charger from AC power and check the batteries. There may be a problem with the batteries.
Call for service if needed.
CHARGING: Before use, read all instructions and cautionary markings on the charger, battery, and mobility aid.

1. Turn of all accessories on the mobility aid device.
2.  Place the charger in a safe and clean environment on a hard surface (floor or desktop).
3.  Plug connector to appropriate port on the mobility aid.
4. Plug the charger into AC power.

The charger will begin charging automatically. If the Green Power LED does not illuminate, check the connections. Note: If the battery voltage is less than 5VDC, then the charger will not charge. The batteries may not be connected correctly or have been over-discharged.

Battery replacement may be necessary. Have the unit inspected by an
authorized service center or come to us, Scooterland at Ashmore in the Gold Coast.

 

IMPORTANT NOTES 

• Cycle your batteries (use your mobility equipment) at least once a week for at least 30 minutes to ensure battery longevity.
• Generally, mobility equipment batteries need to be ‘cycled’ regularly or they could fail earlier than expected.
• Never plug a charger into your mobility equipment when the charger is turned on, this could cause an electrical surge and damage the controller.
• Only use the charger with the correct charging algorithm for your mobility equipment i.e. the charger that is recommended for your equipment. If you are unsure, please ask your local service agent to check, as if you as using the wrong type or charger output capacity can damage the batteries.
• Plug your battery charger directly from your Mobility Scooter to your PowerPoint – If you must use an extension cord please use as short a cord as possible as too long a “draw” can damage your charger.

A majority of mobility scooters are usually built to use Gel-Lead Acid Batteries as their fuel, which tends to need a longer charging time as it ages for the running time. This spike usually stumbles the user into thinking that they are not charging their batteries correctly or insufficiently.