Has My Battery Run Flat on My Kids Ride On Car? [A Parents Guide]

If you are considering an electric ride-on car for your kids, it is important to know how to take care of them.

One big issue that electric ride-on cars face is battery life. If the electric car's battery has run flat, then it will no longer be able to move or make any sounds.

Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that can help fix this problem and get your electric toy back up and running!

When your kid's car battery dies, there are many possible causes of the problem. On this page, you can read a list of possible reasons for a dead battery and what to do next if that is the case.

How old is your battery?

The age of the ride-on car battery is really important because these batteries don't last forever.

If your electric toy is a few years old, the battery may have just worn out and there isn't much that can be done about it other than purchasing a new one. Oftentimes, they will degrade if not regularly used on charged properly.

There are several places where you can purchase a new battery. However, we do recommend that you purchase a new battery directly from the retailer that previously sold you your car.

But if this electric car is new or less than one year old, then we should investigate other possible problems which might cause your ride-on car to stop working.

When was the last time you charged your battery?

Electric ride-on cars require careful maintenance to keep them in good shape.

One key step is regularly charging the battery according to the manual which came with your car. Left for too long, a battery may become irreparably damaged and be unable to hold enough power charge.

People make the mistake that they can charge their ride on car battery like they charge their mobile phone. The problem is, things are totally different. For one, your mobile phone battery is a lithium ion battery.

This electric car's battery is a nickel-cadmium or lead-acid type, which means that it requires more care and attention to charge properly.

This includes following the instructions in your owner's manual about how many hours of charging are needed to fully power up your electric toy.

You are also able to leave your phone on charge and allow it to trickle charge. However, electric ride-on cars require a full charge before being put away for the night.

Once fully charged, your car battery will also need to be unplugged and stored in a cool place.

Another issue that may cause battery life problems is poor maintenance or damage on the electric car's motor control board (sometimes referred to as a motherboard).

This electric car's motor control board controls the electric motors which power your electric ride-on toy. If this is damaged, then it can cause other problems such as a dead battery or faulty sensors.

Things that can either damage the battery or the control board are damp, water and electric shorts.

If any of these things has happened, then you would need to replace the electric car's control board and/or battery.

Have you stored your battery in a dry, room-temperature environment?

We briefly mentioned storage earlier, but we shall cover it in more detail in this section.

To improve the longevity of your children’s battery for their electric toy car it is important to make sure you store your kids electric vehicle in a cool and dry place.

The best practice when storing an electric ride-on toy car with batteries installed, is to ensure that it doesn't exceed hot or humid conditions when not in use; this includes storing it in a cold garage, shed or outside left to the elements.

We recommend storing the toy inside a house cupboard, under the stairs, or another room inside the house that isn't damp or too hot in temperature.

Exposing the toy battery to moisture or humid conditions can cause corrosion on the metal connectors, which will likely in turn damage the cells of your battery. Again, if this is the case, then we would recommend changing the electric toy's battery and control board.

Related: How Long Do Ride On Toys Last?

Have you continued to use your battery until it is fully flat?

Batteries are not designed to be fully discharged. Per your car manual, it is critical that you charge the battery regularly and avoid allowing it to be fully discharged.

Batteries are not designed to be fully discharged because doing so will wear them down over time, per your vehicle’s electric toy manual.

If your electric motor control board and battery are in good shape, then it is likely that you may have left the electric car's batteries on charge for too long or used them until they were fully flat.

This will cause an electric short which can damage the electric toys' motor control board and/or battery cells; it will need replacing, which can be costly.

If you are still unsure about your electric car's battery life and whether it has run out of charge then please contact us at hello@riiroo.com.

If the battery is totally flat, it may not be able to take on a charge. This issue often occurs when the car runs until there is no electric left and then remains turned on so the last of this energy is depleted before turning off.

To prevent this type of problem, we recommend charging the battery as soon as the power drops and motors start to lose power. Driving past this point risks total discharge that can be disastrous for your electric car's battery health.

Is it safe for children to play with toy cars that have been run-flat batteries in them?

We don't recommend allowing your children to use the car if you can tell that the batteries are nearly flat.

Is This The Same For All Ride-on Toys?

Pretty much. If your toy has a lead-acid battery, then it will need to be recharged regularly.

Toy car electric batteries are all different and may have different charging needs; electric toy cars typically use lead-acid batteries.

This type of electric toy car battery is designed for a faster charge that can take less time than voltage-regulated electric vehicles.

What About The Remote Control Battery?

The remote control battery maintenance is different. Whenever you are not using the ride-on car, we recommend removing the battery from the remote control unit.

We recommend removing and storing it separately to ensure that you keep its electric toy car battery functional.

The electric batteries, found in the remote control of electric cars, may be a lithium-ion or NiMH type, and these types won't degrade as quickly when left unused by your electric toy car.

The issue is that you need to remove the battery from the remote control unit so it doesn't get discharged when not in use.

This is a different issue to electric toy car batteries which are lead-acid and will slowly degrade if left unused by your electric cars.

Wrapping Up

It may feel like an impossible situation, but the problems often start within the first six months of purchasing the car.

It's important to follow the instructions the car came with or get in touch with us if you're not 100% sure what you need to do.