Mobility Scooter Maintenance
One of the best things about electric mobility scooters is their ease of use. There isn’t much that needs to be done in order to keep an electric scooter in great condition and proper working order. The minor maintenance activities that are recommended are quite easy to perform and will keep your mobility scooter working for years to come.
The only other major thing to remember about maintaining your mobility scooter is simply keeping it clean. Cleaning the dirt and grime off of your scooter benefits you not only because the scooter looks better, but also because that dirt can get into the mechanical parts of the scooter and cause unnecessary additional wear-and-tear. Keep the scooter in proper working order and clean any dust, dirt, or grime that builds up, especially on the metal parts. Keep the scooter somewhere indoors so that it will stay dry and won’t be exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures. This will go a long way towards keeping the battery healthy as well as keeping the electric scooter clean. As you’re cleaning the scooter, remember to check the terminal battery connections and clean any corrosion off.
If you have a small boot electric scooter you may be able to take the battery pack off the scooter and charge the batteries independently of the scooter. This means that you can leave the scooter in the car, and charge the batteries indoors, such as at home, in a hotel room or caravan. Other mobility scooters need to have the batteries left on them to charge them. The charging point is on the scooter itself, rather than the battery pack. This means that the disabled scooter battery has to be charged near a mains outlet, and so the mobility scooter is likely to be kept in a garage or shed if its too large to be kept inside the house. As a rough guide, depending on use, terrain, and user weight, the batteries can last 1-2 years. Obviously if the mobility scooter is used for a travelling a few miles a week on flat terrain, the batteries will last longer than if the scooter is used for travelling 20 miles a day up and down hills and off road.
The mobility scooter manual may say that bigger batteries can be fitted to your disability scooter. This will provide you with a greater range, meaning that you can go further before needing to charge your batteries. The batteries are available from mobility dealers and the price will depend on the battery capacity. The batteries are often the heaviest item on a mobility scooter. Bigger batteries will mean heavier batteries, which is one thing to consider if you often dismantle the scooter to transport it in the car.
Another factor that can negatively affect the life and performance of mobility scooters is corrosion. In terms of batteries, corrosion is a chemical reaction between the moisture in the air, electricity, and metal. It often looks like a bluish white grainy substance that seems to be growing on the battery. Typically, due to a special type of battery, mobility scooters do not suffer from corrosion the way a car battery does. They do sometimes still get corroded though and a corroded battery results in very poor performance. Always check your battery for corrosion and clean it if necessary. A solution of baking soda and water can be used to clean a corroded battery. Mix the baking soda and water into a paste and apply it to the corroded battery. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and scrub with a tooth brush. Rinse with water and repeat as necessary. Since corrosion is in part caused by the moisture in the air, it is possible to prevent corrosion by blocking the exposed terminals exposure to the air. Ensure that all connections to the battery are tight and apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the exposed metal connections. This will prevent air from reaching the metal, which will in turn prevent corrosion.
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