Maintaining Your Mobility Scooter

By Banga Koupit

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.

Firstly, take care of the mobility scooter's battery. You will get the most battery life out of your scooter if you charge it regularly. When you return home after any trip that you used the scooter, go ahead and charge the battery. Keeping the battery fully charged when possible helps to ensure that you won't be stranded by a dead battery, and it also guarantees that the scooter won't be sluggish to respond to your controls (like it would if you had a weak battery). Like most other types of rechargeable batteries, the useful life of the battery will be much longer if you charge them fully regularly. You will also want to check the battery's terminal connections themselves, to make sure they remain secure and not corroded.

It is important to follow the manufacturers recommendations in the manual that came with the mobility scooter as each scooter will have different instructions. Depending on the instructions, you may need to recharge your scooter after each time you use it. Or, you may only need to recharge it when it when the battery gauge tells you that battery charge is low.

Like a car, your mobility scooter will need a service from time to time. The mobility scooter manual will advise you how often your scooter needs servicing. As a rough guide it will need servicing every 12 months or so, depending on use. An authorised mobility dealer will be able to carry out the scooter service, and ensure that the scooter is functioning to its full capability. Depending on the dealer, and the model and age of the scooter, the scooter service may take two hours. The service may also include a test ride by the mechanic to fully check the mobility scooter and make sure that it is running smoothly and as it should do. The mobility scooter may need to be taken to a mobility dealer to be serviced, or the dealer may carry out the service in the users home. This means that the user wont be without their scooter, and can ask the mechanic any questions regarding their scooter. The manual will also describe and weekly or monthly maintenance checks that are required. This can include pumping up the tyres, lubricating the brake, checking the seat mechanism and so on.

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. - 21396

About the Author:

This article has been written by the author, Banga Koupit. Should you need any further information regarding Mobility Scooters, please check out his Scooter Store resources