Some help please - Electric toy cars, extending their range.

[rhinochopig]

I bought my Son one of the cars below (Courtesy of Maser Spider on PH).

Given they take 8-12 hours to charge fully and I get about 15 mins constant run time out the extant battery pack I'd like to extend that run time somewhat.

http://www.rideoncars.co.uk/car-showroom/12v-ride-...

Now the battery is comprised of two of these 6V packs (http://www.apexbattery.com/toyo-3fm7-battery-sealed-lead-acid-batteries-toyo-batteries.html) which appear to be wired in parallel (or they could be series/parallel) - see picture below:


Note the red lead is unplugged from the red battery terminal in the picture.


Basically I need some advice on how to do this. I had though that one of these:

http://www.batterycharged.co.uk/shop/batteries/sea...

would be the easiest option, but the fact that the two extant batteries are 6V, and seem to be parallel wired, could mean that a single 12v will fry the electronics and I certainly don't want to do that. So any help from someone with a greater grasp of electrickery than I have would be greatly appreciated.

[dr_gn]

rhinochopig said:

I bought my Son one of the cars below (Courtesy of Maser Spider on PH).

Given they take 8-12 hours to charge fully and I get about 15 mins constant run time out the extant battery pack I'd like to extend that run time somewhat.

http://www.rideoncars.co.uk/car-showroom/12v-ride-...

Now the battery is comprised of two of these 6V packs (http://www.apexbattery.com/toyo-3fm7-battery-sealed-lead-acid-batteries-toyo-batteries.html) which appear to be wired in parallel (or they could be series/parallel) - see picture below:


Note the red lead is unplugged from the red battery terminal in the picture.


Basically I need some advice on how to do this. I had though that one of these:

http://www.batterycharged.co.uk/shop/batteries/sea...

would be the easiest option, but the fact that the two extant batteries are 6V, and seem to be parallel wired, could mean that a single 12v will fry the electronics and I certainly don't want to do that. So any help from someone with a greater grasp of electrickery than I have would be greatly appreciated.

What makes you think they're wired in parallel? There's a lead going from a blue terminal one one battery to a red terminal on the other, so that's surely series making 12V ?

[rhinochopig]

dr_gn said:

What makes you think they're wired in parallel? There's a lead going from a blue terminal one one battery to a red terminal on the other, so that's surely series making 12V ?

probably because I'm an unobservant idiot. I hadn't noticed the packs were top to tail and thus assumed parallel wiring. So I've effectively got a 7ah battery at 12v. The one I've linked should be fine then - yes?

[dr_gn]

What you need is the Amp/hour (Ah) rating of your 6v batteries, and for longer run times, get some that are higher rated (or a single 12v battery of a higher rating).

[dr_gn]

rhinochopig said:

dr_gn said:

What makes you think they're wired in parallel? There's a lead going from a blue terminal one one battery to a red terminal on the other, so that's surely series making 12V ?

probably because I'm an unobservant idiot. I hadn't noticed the packs were top to tail and thus assumed parallel wiring. So I've effectively got a 7ah battery at 12v. The one I've linked should be fine then - yes?

I guess so. Are both 6v batteries 7Ah? I wonder why they put two 6v batteries in there in teh first place?

[miniman]

Markings say 7A/H. Depending on how much space there is in there, something like this would increase the range:

http://www.mdsbattery.co.uk/shop/productprofile.as...

[rhinochopig]

dr_gn said:

rhinochopig said:

dr_gn said:

What makes you think they're wired in parallel? There's a lead going from a blue terminal one one battery to a red terminal on the other, so that's surely series making 12V ?

probably because I'm an unobservant idiot. I hadn't noticed the packs were top to tail and thus assumed parallel wiring. So I've effectively got a 7ah battery at 12v. The one I've linked should be fine then - yes?

I guess so. Are both 6v batteries 7Ah? I wonder why they put two 6v batteries in there in teh first place?

Yes. I'm guessing a cost thing as they are only £140 and come with a 4 channel remote control and are certainly built down to that cost. Still, the RC means I can stop my boy hitting things he shouldn't.

Miniman, thanks for the link, but the cost is way too much - it's more than I paid for the car.

[miniman]

20AH for £33?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004G9XV16/ref=asc_df_B...

[rhinochopig]

miniman said:

20AH for £33?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004G9XV16/ref=asc_df_B...

Ooh good find. Sadly too late as I've just bought the one in my link. I might consider getting that one as well though as a spare - one on charge and one in use.

Thanks!

[NoelWatson]

We have the same vehicle as yours (albeit in red (which is the fastest colour!)). I am thinking of something similar, but instead of increasing the range am pondering whether doubling the battery count (an going to order another truck as the original has seen better days) and having 24V will fry the electrics. Or maybe I could kconfigure to stick with 12V and double current.

[rhinochopig]

NoelWatson said:

We have the same vehicle as yours (albeit in red (which is the fastest colour!)). I am thinking of something similar, but instead of increasing the range am pondering whether doubling the battery count (an going to order another truck as the original has seen better days) and having 24V will fry the electrics. Or maybe I could kconfigure to stick with 12V and double current.

Stick with 12v, the wiring is not man enough for the job IMO. I managed to melt the RC board by running it constantly for ~ 20 mins. Ride-on do sell spares though - although they sent me a new one gratis despite me offering to pay as it was my fault as they're clearly not designed to be run that long on the RC. Excellent service from Ride-on though.

If you went to 18V or 24, you would need to upgrade the wiring or run it for very short periods and definitely not use the RC.

After I'd fitted a new board I bought the battery I linked above - http://www.batterycharged.co.uk/shop/batteries/sea...

It fits perfectly in the battery tray - you need to dremel out the dividing rib though - better than the 2 6V batteries.

It also seems to hold its voltage for much longer that the extant batteries so it runs faster for longer. I now get well over double the run time.

The best upgrade IMO.

[russy01]

rhinochopig said:

NoelWatson said:

We have the same vehicle as yours (albeit in red (which is the fastest colour!)). I am thinking of something similar, but instead of increasing the range am pondering whether doubling the battery count (an going to order another truck as the original has seen better days) and having 24V will fry the electrics. Or maybe I could kconfigure to stick with 12V and double current.

Stick with 12v, the wiring is not man enough for the job IMO. I managed to melt the RC board by running it constantly for ~ 20 mins. Ride-on do sell spares though - although they sent me a new one gratis despite me offering to pay as it was my fault as they're clearly not designed to be run that long on the RC. Excellent service from Ride-on though.

If you went to 18V or 24, you would need to upgrade the wiring or run it for very short periods and definitely not use the RC.

After I'd fitted a new board I bought the battery I linked above - http://www.batterycharged.co.uk/shop/batteries/sea...

It fits perfectly in the battery tray - you need to dremel out the dividing rib though - better than the 2 6V batteries.

It also seems to hold its voltage for much longer that the extant batteries so it runs faster for longer. I now get well over double the run time.

The best upgrade IMO.

What are the models like, ive also seen Nics site. Worth the cash in standard guise?

[rhinochopig]

russy01 said:

rhinochopig said:

NoelWatson said:

We have the same vehicle as yours (albeit in red (which is the fastest colour!)). I am thinking of something similar, but instead of increasing the range am pondering whether doubling the battery count (an going to order another truck as the original has seen better days) and having 24V will fry the electrics. Or maybe I could kconfigure to stick with 12V and double current.

Stick with 12v, the wiring is not man enough for the job IMO. I managed to melt the RC board by running it constantly for ~ 20 mins. Ride-on do sell spares though - although they sent me a new one gratis despite me offering to pay as it was my fault as they're clearly not designed to be run that long on the RC. Excellent service from Ride-on though.

If you went to 18V or 24, you would need to upgrade the wiring or run it for very short periods and definitely not use the RC.

After I'd fitted a new board I bought the battery I linked above - http://www.batterycharged.co.uk/shop/batteries/sea...

It fits perfectly in the battery tray - you need to dremel out the dividing rib though - better than the 2 6V batteries.

It also seems to hold its voltage for much longer that the extant batteries so it runs faster for longer. I now get well over double the run time.

The best upgrade IMO.

What are the models like, ive also seen Nics site. Worth the cash in standard guise?

They're obviously built down to a price, but for what you pay they are good value. My lad absolutely adores his, and it is by far his favourite toy. For me the RC element really makes it as you can slowly introduce each element of control if the child is young.

My son is just two and over the course of a 2 weeks has gone from being a passenger to having full control - which is amazing to see given his age. They're pretty fast too, which is the thing he likes most.

In summary, they are certainly well worth the money, but they can be improved upon with a bit of tinkering. I would certainly recommend one and the after-sales service is second to none and they sell spares, which is essential because the they will break bits when they drive into something.

If you do buy one I recommend the following mods:

• Pad the seats with foam and add some pipe lag to the roll bar - the ride is quite bumpy and it takes the edge off. There is no soft start either so they start off with a bit of a bang.
• Wrap the steering wheel - the moulding is a little sharp for little hands so I used a couple of layers of electrical tape.
• Take a dremel to the lock stops to improve the turning circle.
• Fit the bigger AH battery. They take 12 hours to charge so it's worth it to avoid the tears.
• Fit some tyres to the plastic wheels - I cut some old kevlar beaded MTB tyres to the correct length and then used some self tappers to hold them in place. It makes for a smoother and much quieter ride. For info 1.5 inch wide are a perfect fit.
• Rigid mount the steering servo - it sits loose and fixing it in place improves the response form the RC.
• Teflon grease all the moving parts.
• Fit some rubber washers to the font uprights - stops the metal on metal clatter as it drives round the garden.

[NoelWatson]

rhinochopig said:

russy01 said:

rhinochopig said:

NoelWatson said:

We have the same vehicle as yours (albeit in red (which is the fastest colour!)). I am thinking of something similar, but instead of increasing the range am pondering whether doubling the battery count (an going to order another truck as the original has seen better days) and having 24V will fry the electrics. Or maybe I could kconfigure to stick with 12V and double current.

Stick with 12v, the wiring is not man enough for the job IMO. I managed to melt the RC board by running it constantly for ~ 20 mins. Ride-on do sell spares though - although they sent me a new one gratis despite me offering to pay as it was my fault as they're clearly not designed to be run that long on the RC. Excellent service from Ride-on though.

If you went to 18V or 24, you would need to upgrade the wiring or run it for very short periods and definitely not use the RC.

After I'd fitted a new board I bought the battery I linked above - http://www.batterycharged.co.uk/shop/batteries/sea...

It fits perfectly in the battery tray - you need to dremel out the dividing rib though - better than the 2 6V batteries.

It also seems to hold its voltage for much longer that the extant batteries so it runs faster for longer. I now get well over double the run time.

The best upgrade IMO.

What are the models like, ive also seen Nics site. Worth the cash in standard guise?

They're obviously built down to a price, but for what you pay they are good value. My lad absolutely adores his, and it is by far his favourite toy. For me the RC element really makes it as you can slowly introduce each element of control if the child is young.

My son is just two and over the course of a 2 weeks has gone from being a passenger to having full control - which is amazing to see given his age. They're pretty fast too, which is the thing he likes most.

In summary, they are certainly well worth the money, but they can be improved upon with a bit of tinkering. I would certainly recommend one and the after-sales service is second to none and they sell spares, which is essential because the they will break bits when they drive into something.

If you do buy one I recommend the following mods:

• Pad the seats with foam and add some pipe lag to the roll bar - the ride is quite bumpy and it takes the edge off. There is no soft start either so they start off with a bit of a bang.
• Wrap the steering wheel - the moulding is a little sharp for little hands so I used a couple of layers of electrical tape.
• Take a dremel to the lock stops to improve the turning circle.
• Fit the bigger AH battery. They take 12 hours to charge so it's worth it to avoid the tears.
• Fit some tyres to the plastic wheels - I cut some old kevlar beaded MTB tyres to the correct length and then used some self tappers to hold them in place. It makes for a smoother and much quieter ride. For info 1.5 inch wide are a perfect fit.
• Rigid mount the steering servo - it sits loose and fixing it in place improves the response form the RC.
• Teflon grease all the moving parts.
• Fit some rubber washers to the font uprights - stops the metal on metal clatter as it drives round the garden.

Unlike rhinochopig, I have not done any mods because I am incompetent. When you think of what these things would've cost a decade or so ago, it represents a bargain. Our has led a hard life and has held up well - I'm buying another this week.