One of the critical parts of owning a toy car is to charge its battery. My child owns an RC car and a power wheeler, so imagine the amount of charging I’ve done to please him. The worst of it all is when he loses the charger.
In this article, I’ve explored how to charge a toy car battery using a charger and a few alternatives. For the safety of your kids, never allow them to charge the battery. Adults should perform the act.
What You’ll Need
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Toy Car Charger
In most cases, your toy car already includes a charger, so use it. If you lost it, look for a charger that has the same voltage as the connector and the toy car battery. Using otherwise may result in a serious injury because it can cause fire or explosion.
If you lose the toy car charger, you can use any of these alternatives:
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Car Charger
If your power wheels use lead-acid batteries, then a car charger might be an excellent alternative in the absence of an actual charger. Using this solution requires careful thinking and strategies because you don’t want your toy car battery to get fried. Make sure to use a car charger that doesn’t go above the required voltage of your battery.
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Power Supply
A power supply with a variable voltage and current limiting makes a good alternative for a car charger. You can also add a resistor to make this process safer.
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Laptop Adapter, Step-down Converter, Alligator Clips
These three components are the basic materials needed in making an improvised power wheel charger. You might also need a wire cutting tool to remove the laptop’s adapter jack and a multimeter to connect the two alligator clips.
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Screwdriver
You’ll need a screwdriver to remove the battery from the compartment. A Phillips screwdriver is the most fitting type for this purpose, but a slotted screwdriver with a sufficiently narrow blade can also suffice.
If you intend to let your children use the screwdriver, find one that’s short and comfortable to grip.
Now, there are many sizes of screwdrivers, so make sure to find one that fits on the screw head snugly. The standard screw has a size of #2, while the smallest is #0.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Open The Battery Compartment
First, look for a well-ventilated area to charge the battery. Using a screwdriver, loosen and remove the screws in the battery compartment. The battery compartments of small toy cars are usually located underneath, while the large toy cars have them under the seat.
Once the screws are all loosened, open the compartment and take the battery out.
2. Plug Them In
Do you see that dangling wire in the rechargeable battery? That’s called a battery connector, and I want you to plug that into the charger connector. Once connected, plug the charger into your wall outlet.
Some wall outlets are controlled by a switch. If yours does, ensure that the switch is turned on. The battery should also be in an upright position while charging.
3. Charge
The charging time may depend on the manufacturer’s instruction or the battery’s voltage specification.
Generally, a 6-volt toy car requires a 10-hour initial charge and six hours of regular charge. A 12-volt toy car needs 18 hours of an initial charge and 12 hours of regular charge. A 24-powered toy needs 18 hours of an initial charge and 18 hours of regular charge.
In some chargers, there’s an indicator telling you that the battery is fully charged. The light stays red while charging and turns green when it’s done.
4. Unhook And Install
After the battery is fully charged, unhook the battery connector from the charger, then unplug it from the wall outlet. Reinstall the battery back into the compartment and fix the screws. Make sure that the wires are facing towards the back of the car.
If you recharge the battery inside the vehicle, simply reunite the motor harness connector to the battery and return the seat. Now, your kid can get back to playing with the toy car.
What if you charge a toy car battery without a charger? Proceed to step 5 for using a car charger alternative, step 6 for power supply, and step 7 for the laptop adapter.
5. Charge With A Car Charger
Get your car charger and cut off the charging tip. Split the lines and rig up the connectors. Determine which is the positive and negative line. Normally, the positive line is the white striped wire. Once the connectors are made, touch the tips with a multimeter to check the voltage and current.
6. Charge With A Power Supply
First, hook your battery to the power supply using red and black wires. Next, turn the power supply on and set it at the course of your current toy car battery. If it’s working at 6 volts, set the power supply at 6 volts, two amps using the knobs.
Pay attention to the amps meter. Your battery is pretty much charged if it goes to zero.
7. Charge With A Laptop Adapter
Gather all of the necessary materials and tools, including a laptop adapter, step-down converter, and two alligator clips. Now, cut the laptop adapter’s jack and remove the outer shield. Usually, the red wires are positive, and the black ones are negative.
Connect the wires into the main step-down module, then to the multimeter to check the voltage and amps. Set the voltage and amps according to the toy car battery’s specifications.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed and learned how to charge a toy car battery in this guide. It’s easy to charge a toy car battery if you have the designated charger that comes to the package. If you lose the charger, you can choose to use a car charger, power supply, and laptop adapter.
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