We have a Jet 7 electric wheelchair that has set for a couple of years. After charging the battery it still?
Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at
9:59 pm
won’t move. Any ideas? Probably the batteries have gone bad?
Filed under: Electric Wheelchair
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wet cell batteries (like car batteries) are not good after 4 – 8 months not being used….the battery acid is sulphuric acid, and the sulphur comes out of it, leaving only water. The sulphur sticking to the plates stops the battery working even if you pt in new acid.
Get a new battery. If a standard car one fits, you buy it ready charged.
CHeck all the wires and cables are clean and not corroded Wash off corrosion with steel wooll and a mixture of 1 big spoon Soda bicarbonate in a cup of water – wear gloves as the corrosion can sting, (Soda Bicarb is also called baking soda and is about $2 in the supermarket. It neturalises the acid.)
Most wheelchairs use deep-discharge gel pack or lead acid batteries, both of which hate to be stored for long times.
Get new batteries and see what happens. Most battery stores (Batteries Plus, for example) can usually test the old batteries, and sell/install the new ones.
Just FYI, the Pride Jet 7 is considered a rather low-end chair. If it has sat for couple years, it may have other problems with corrosion, plastic degradation, etc.