Electric toy cars are probably the most fun and engaging toy for a kid. They can enjoy driving a spiderman ride on cars around, and it’s a thousand times better than any gaming console or smartphone.
But an electric toy car is pretty expensive and it can stop working. However, it’s not practical to go for a replacement immediately before even trying to fix it. And if you are lucky, you can repair it by yourself, saving a lot of money.
So, let’s check out a complete guide on fixing electric toy cars for toddlers with easy steps.
Why fix an electric toy car?
Kids love to play with toy electric cars a lot. But these are not everlasting, and one time or another, they are not going to run. But when they fail to function, that’s because some part is unable to operate. So, you can either fix the issue or buy your kid a new one.
Well, as we briefly discussed earlier, electric cars are super expensive. For instance, electric kid trax dodge viper srt 12v ride on cars for 8 years old can cost you up to 500 bucks, which is undoubtedly a good stretch.
Fixing a toy car part, on the other hand, can be much cheaper compared to a replacement. You’d just have to buy a single part and install it to get the car in perfect working order. So, before you choose to spend your money on a new electric toy car, it’s undoubtedly a worthwhile shot to check the car and see if it can be fixed.
What Causes the Issue?
Well, there are not a lot of issues when it comes to a kid’s toy car. You’ll see most common issues such as,
- Battery issues; either a dead battery or too weak to power the car
- The charger can be defective
- On/off switch might not be working
- Defective switches in general
- The circuit board of the car
- The motor
- Any damage in the controller
These are some of the most common issues that can mess up electric toy cars for remote control, which is something you should take note of. However, there can be all sorts of issues as well, but chances are, they fall into this list.
Read More About Why Should you get a Toy Truck for your kid?
Grab a Volt Meter
It’s always a good approach to take the most basic steps before you start to go for anything advanced. That’s especially true when it comes to running a diagnosis to fix a kid’s electric car.
For this, you’d want to get yourself a decent quality voltmeter. It’s the one tool you are going to need for so many purposes. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on it. Just grab a basic one, and work with it.
Check the Batteries and Connection
First, start by checking if the circuits and terminals you see on the battery that gets the power to the power switch. Whether you’re dealing with 6 volt or 12 bolt cat bulldozer for kids, the voltmeter should be able to read everything properly and the value should either 6 plus volts or 12 plus volts.
Even if the batteries are sound and in perfect working order, corrosion in the connectors can prevent them from powering the whole thing. But in most cases, you can that’s not the case.
So, you should take out the batteries and connect the charger pins directly into the plugs that the battery connects with. If it runs, then you know that the battery is bad, and you need to replace it.
Test the Motor
Once you checked the battery and the charger, it’s time to move on to the motor of the car. Most of the amazon electric toy cars come with a decent quality motor, but it definitely can go bad, making the electric car not working.
To check this part, you need to remove the motor from the car. After that, all you need to do is run a quick check to see if it’s running properly. Take a good battery, and using two wires, power the motor.
If the motor is running, you know that the motor part is good, and the problem is something else. However, if it’s not, then you should buy a new one and replace it. And that’ll get the car running in no time.
Test the Fuse
Sometimes the reason your kid’s electric toy car is not starting is that the fuse got busted. In that case, you’d need to replace the fuse, and that’ll fix the car for you.
The biggest giveaway sign of a defective fuse is that there won’t be any lighted indication at the startup. With that in mind, be sure to check the fuse before you decide to quit and go buy a new toy car for your kid.
Check the Switches
Probably the most common issue with a power wheels bulldozer electric car is switch-related. These tend to get defective pretty fast, or at least for the cheaper models.
First of all, you should start by checking the on/off switch of the car. To do that, take a piece of wire and attach both ends to each on/off switch ends. If it lits up, then you know that the switch is defective, and the fix is as simple as replacing it.
When it comes to the other switches, just checking the wirings with a voltmeter tool would give you an idea if everything is the way it should be or not.
Additional Tips
As we just went through some of the troubleshooting aspects that you can do to fix your kid’s electric toy car, you might actually be able to fix it. Let’s check out some extra tips that’ll truly help you in that process as well.
- Avoid overcharging the batteries of a toy car. It can decrease the lifespan of the battery by damaging it. And in some cases, if it’s a LiPo battery, it can literally explode, which is a very good reason not to overcharge it.
- You should do proper maintenance and care for your kid’s electric toy car. That will increase its performance and longevity, and it’ll not stop functioning anytime sooner.
- Don’t shy out from taking your kid’s electric toy car to a professional repairman. Whether it’s a normal toy car or cat bulldozer power wheel, he has the right tools to fix it for you. That way you don’t have to risk ruining any of its components by accident while trying to fix it all by yourself.
To Wrap Up
We talked about some of the most common troubles you can have with your kid’s electric toy cars. And we went through some fixes that you can try, which might actually fix them.
As you see out there, electric cars are not that cheap, and you should definitely not go for a replacement without giving it a good check. However, if you are not confident enough to do it by yourself, you can always take the help of an expert. That will cost you a few bucks, but it’s not as nearly as expensive as getting a new one.
