How to troubleshoot and fix a broken power wheels. Links below: 12 volt replacement board: amzn.to/3G4Aior 18v/20v and 24volt replacement board: amzn.to/3G3KFcc Replacement 12v/12ah battery: amzn.to/47kHTvh
Thank you for your videos. They’ve been the easiest to follow and most informative that I’ve found. I’m confused about the difference between the control board and the ESC. Idk if I fried the motors or control board on my sons PW Brute Force. But it ran hard on 18V Ryobi for nearly 4 months before it stopped working. Any advice on new parts and how to wire the control board and ESC would be most helpful!
Most real Power Wheels brand cars will not have a control board. A control board is used for: Pairing a parent remote control, powering lights, sounds and motors. Most power wheels use AA or D batteries to power sounds/lights if they have them at all. In your case, I doubt the Brute force has a control board. I also doubt that both motors went bad at the exact same time. Check to see if the Reverse gear works (and also try the High and Low setting so see if any of them work), if so then you might just have a bad switch.
I’m cleaning the gear boxes right now so I won’t be able to check that out at the moment. But I do remember that if I held the pedal down while trying to move the four wheeler, I didn’t have that rear wheel resistance that you get if you try to push one of those around without using the power. As for the gear boxes, aside from being full of thick sludge, the gears are in excellent shape.
Thanks for posting this, we apparently have an identical issue, so this must be a common fault. Next stop ebay for a replacement and hopefully lots of points from my grandkids!!! I have a remote that has been working up until this issue, if I get the new control board, will there be an issue with the pairing to the old remote?
Yes, the old remote “should” be able to pair with new board. I usually try to get the same replacement board, to avoid issues. Because not all remotes and boards will sync.
I am reading about 9V on the instrument display and about 11V at the battery. Is the difference between those readings enough to stop enough power getting to the motors? I did replace the control board which did not fix the issue, not moving forward or back regardless of remote or push pedal operation.
Question...the kids moved the forward/reverse lever while it was moving and now it will not move forward but it will move backwards. This the the case whether usig the remote or the pedal. Do you think the Forward/Backward switch needs to be repalced?
Hello! Great video I have a question, I blow up the control board on my sons power wheel but now that I bought a new control board it only turns on if I hold the power button down. (if I hold down button power and gas it no power to motors) Any advice.
To know for sure, buy a voltage multimeter. Possibly the on/off switch is bad. After that id look at the pedal switch, and then check if voltage is leaving the control board.
Hi great video. I have just bought a used car which has same board and remote. The remote allows the car to move forwards/reverse but doesn't steer at all. I took out the steering motor and hooked to the battery directly and it turns fine. Is it likely to be a faulty board? Thanks!
Super detailed and great video. We got our son a 24v truck and fairly soon after it started getting stuck gear and the only way to stop it from running into everything is to put it in park or power it off completely before running into something. Sometimes it’ll start out just fine but a few minutes in he can’t even drive it anymore because I’m worried he’ll get hurt 🤦♀️ or hurt something else. Any suggestions?
It almost sounds like there is an issue with the pedal. Either the plunger on the pedal gets stuck and doesn’t release, or potentially it’s melted in the closed position causing it to stay on even after he lets off the pedal
@@DadHacksthank you! Do you think that would still possibly be the issue even if the pedal was never pressed? Like he powers it on, puts it in gear and before even pressing on the pedal it is off and going. 😅 first few times it gave us and him a good laugh but now it’s just getting old and dangerous.
@MistyStupka yup! That definitely sounds like it’s melted closed. Take a flat head screwdriver and pry up the pedal from the side. See if it had 6 or 2 metal pins on the bottom. For example, this replacement pedal had 6 pins: amzn.to/3TWajpO
i got a question, can you go up in rpm for the steering wheel, my lambo ride on car came with 12v 18000 rpm, but i cant find that part anywhere, could i go up to 20000 or would 16000 rpm be best?
I have a question. I have a 12 v jeep that came with 12000 rpm motors. I bought 23,000 rpm motors and put them in. They work great on the road/sidewalk but when we go off road on trails the jeep will shut down, restart and then shut down repeatedly. With the 12000 rpm motors they ride through the woods no problem but the jeep is slow. I have a RECOVERABLE type fuse which shuts off the power supply if the current exceeds 15 A. Is that the problem? Too much draw trying to go up a "hill" while having double the rpm, half the torque? Should I buy a 20A fuse instead? I have 2 - 12 volt 7ah batteries side by side, a 20 Amp max module. I put a 35 Amp module on it but it still shuts down. What is the problem?
You are correct; it’s the fuse that is “popping” due to the high amp draw. A 20 amp fuse is the highest I’d go. Otherwise you would need to rewire the car with 12 gauge wire, then you could use a 30 amp fuse.
@dad hack - picked up a Range Rover version for my son(s) on startup it makes engine noise, lights work, radio etc works but when you attempt forward/reverse nothing. I have noticed on the display 6.3v and Flash (which flashes) new to this so guessing the 6.3v is battery Voltage which won’t be enough to power machine? Replacement battery needed? Thank you
Yup, definitely sounds like an old battery issue. If the original battery is 12 volts/ 7 Amp hour you can replacement it with this 12v/ 9Ah battery (amzn.to/3TYJTF0). If it’s a 12v/12 amp hour battery, go with this replacement ( amzn.to/3TYJTF0)… lastly if the 12 amp hour battery fits, definitely go with that or a 7 amp hour battery.
would you know the wiring orientation, i have a 3 pin switch which was forward reverse, i bi passed the system to run 12v and forgot how it was wired dont see a diagram online and seems to not exist? i got a radio flyer grow cart, 6v board got tired of 12v, 20v and 24v i pushed it hard but got a green brown blue off the switch and had a brown and black off go button if you got a recomended setup let me know?
Thank you for this! I recently bought a thrifted Moderno Kids Jeep, it's showing 9.5 volts when fully charged on the front screen. It moves forward the first 2 minutes and then it stops. Should I buy a new battery? Can I buy a replacement for the missing remote control too? Thanks in advance.
Definitely needs a new battery, this is my go to replacement battery, if it fits. amzn.to/3wf7NmX and yes, you can buy a replace remote. If you reply with the model of the control board, I can send a link of a compatible Remote control
@@DadHacks I got the battery today and it works perfectly! I am not sure where to locate the control board for this specific model. I looked under the seats and there is a small green board with a couple of wires but nothing like the black ones I have seen online
@kellyvalverde7812 great to hear about the battery. As for the control board, does it have a spot for “power in” “power out to motors” and a 7 pin connection? I think it’s like most of the control boards just without a cover over it
@@DadHacks The tiny control panel has 8 white pins with blue wires connected to them. I wish I could post a picture on here. Thank you for all your help!!!
You did a nice job man 👏 . I wonder if this cars are allowed on the airplane. If you know please tell me . And what can I do to take it safely . Do I have to unplug the wires from the battery?
You wouldn’t be able to “carry on” as it’s too big. You could potentially “check” it, but it’d need to be in a box. The SLA battery is safe for planes, but it should be unplugged. However, given the weight and size of the car, it may cost more to check it
Ive got a kid trax dodge truck. It powers ups when u hit the pedal theres a buzzing sound. Ive replaced the whole wire harness, motors, and batteries. Was wondering if u had any ideas?
Does it move when you hit the pedal? The Kid Trax harness is pretty simple (which is good), but did the new harness come with a control board like in the video?
Picked up a red Joymor jeep 12v7ah. I charged it overnight. On the dash it’s reading 13v but when I press the pedal it goes down to 8v and doesn’t move. Does that seem like a battery , motor or pedal switch?
Voltage drops down to 8 volts because the battery is old. Here’s a direct replacement battery amzn.to/4cQcKmt. If the 12 amp hour battery will fit, buy it because you’ll get another 20 minutes or so of run time. amzn.to/3JzDw5n
@@DadHacks ok thanks. Yeah it was the battery. I hooked it up to a 18v ryobi battery and got it to move. Ordered a new battery that should come in tomorrow. Thanks for the direction
Sounds like the shifter switch needs replaced or cleaned. It’s typically just a rocker switch that gets dirty from the electric arcing. I can link a replace part if you tell me how many pins are on the bottom of the switch
Hi I have been given a brand new Mercedes Actros truck and semi trailer, which was a customer return to my friend an online trader, It will not start and shows no lights etc. Have checked batteries are fully charged and replaced the parental control R/C unit in the car with a brand new one, I wonder if the returnee could have swopped the cables over to the control unit to give an excuse for return and refund? as I am unable to find a wiring diagram don't know how to check which is correct and can I do any harm if I swop to see what happens? any help welcome thanks.
I doubt the returnee messed with the wiring, most people are smart enough to do that and it’s too much of a hassle. You need to use a voltage multimeter to see where you are losing voltage
to bother i have a 24V jeep suddenly the wheels spin only one turn and stop. I tried changing the charger,battery,reciever, and fuser still nothing. The only thing i found out is when i connect one motor at a time they function properly but when connecting the 2 motors of the wheels it only spins ont time and again become very weak. Is the problem from the wire connecting the 2 motors all the way to the receiver thanks
That is odd. Off the top of my head, make sure the battery’s connections are good and not loose. 2) if you have a voltage multimeter, that will be really helpful to see if full voltage is getting to each motor. 3) My best guess is one of the batteries is weak or bad and even if it shows 24+ volts, it probably drops to under 18 volts when under “load”, which isn’t enough to power the motors
Hi my son’s Mercedes wast charged when it first arrived. Honestly I don’t know where to plug-in the charging cable which came along with the car. Is there a way I could contact you!!
You can email me at GogoPoweredWheels@gmail.com … take some pictures of the charging cable and then the dash cars board and then some pics of the car from the front
Hi i got a power wheel just like the one in video from a friend change the battery it rolled for a couple mins then cut off. When i turn the wheel the wheel the lights on dash come on but will not turn back on
The lights from moving the steering wheel is just electrical feedbacks from the steering motor. 1) make sure the battery is charged up really well, it seems like it’s a battery issue if it was working at one time
That’s a possibility, although that doesn’t happen often. Verify that the connection to the control board is connected well. Also try turning the steering wheel manually and see if any lights in the dashboard light up. Typically manually turning the steering wheel will generate energy feedback, causing the dashboard to light up. So if it lights up, you know it’s likely the steering motor is burned out
Hello I need help with mine it’s a 12v charger hellcat it won’t fully charge ., it charges but will run for some sec fast and power goes down so quick ? Any help?
Going to examine this video a bit, as my niece got one a while back, but since it came out of the box, the forward/reverse never did a thing and when pressing the pedal, it would go random forward of backwards. Like forward, forwards, then backward, backwards, forward, backwards... everytime you let go of the pedal and press it again. So weird cant find anyone else encounter this. Any ideas? Im going to try and fix it, cant be that hard unless the controlboard is a problem.
You’re the second person with this person in less than 1 day that’s comment about this problem. I haven’t ran into it before but it sounds like a shifter and pedal issue.
What brand is the car? Does it have a control board like the one in the video? I had a 6 volt Audi R8 that didn’t have a control board, which is why I’m asking
I picked up a Olakids ride on truck 12V. I upgraded the battery so that I could use my Kobalt batteries. Well now the steering won’t work with the remote anymore and neither will the radio. How do I fix this?
@@DadHacks um I just installed a new board in it thinking that was the problem and board is a 24V max 35 amp. The kobalt battery is 24v max 4.0 Ah. And the remote still isn’t working and neither is the radio.
Hey I have a jeep the on switch doesn’t show that it’s on and won’t move but when you turn the wheel the lights come on it a v12 battery and I also have a motorcycle v6 that doesn’t come on
The lights come on because the steering motor is providing feedback when you manually move the steering wheel. The easiest way to find issue is to use a voltage multimeter and follow where you lose voltage. If it’s the on/off switch, then that’s easily replaceable
Hi I got a Maserati rodd along car and when i turn it on it goes in reverse automatically. Sometimes when i put it in forward it works then automatically goes in reverse when i let off the pedal. Any idea where i should put my hands
So it goes in reverse, even without pushing down the pedal? If so, it sounds like an issue with the pedal. Pry it off with a flat head screwdriver and see how many pins are on the bottom side. It’s common for the pedal to have 2,3,4 or 6 pins. This is a link to a 2 pin replacement pedal: amzn.to/4aQBQzQ
@@DadHacks it’s wierd because even when not pushing the pedal it goes in reverse. Even when the shifter is in forward. Also while it’s doing its thing in reverse if I push the pedal on forward it goes forward then when I let go of the pedal it automatically starts going in reverse
Someone else just commented about a similar issue they are having just like this. It sounds more like a pedal and shifter issue than a control board issue
The first thing I would check is the on/off switch. If it gets wet, it can corrode. If it has the control board and that got wet, that could also be an issue
I got a power wheel turns on front wheels moves but won’t drive back tires won’t move. I changed the control board. Only clicks won’t move with the remote either
You’ll need a voltage multimeter to see if you are getting voltage to the rear motors. If you are, then either the connection at the motors is bad or the motor is burned out.
@@DadHacks yeah it's been sitting uncharged for a very long time and then when I decided to charge it sound, it didn't really work lights and sound came on but sounded like it started to stutter lol
@DENISEB77 just pull off the hot glue. Hopefully they just hot glued the connections, but someone’s the solder the connections. If they soldered the connection, you’ll need to get female spade connectors and make a new connection
Hiya I have the exact same car with the same issue, my battery is only pushing out 9.5 volts - do you think that would be my issue or would that still be enough to move the car, meaning I’m better off looking at the circuit board?? When I press the accelerator there’s a beep and a click from the circuit board/motors but no movement
A 12 volt battery is “dead” when it drops under 12.0 volts (when fully charged, the battery should be around 12.8 volts). So the first thing I’d try is getting a new SLA battery
The forward side of the Forward/Reverse switch is dirty. Remove the switch, it’s most likely a 6 pin DPDT (double pole, double throw) rocker switch. You can try cleaning it by popping off the rocker cover and scraping the metal where it’s dirty, but it’s a cheap enough part ($5) to just buy a new one if that doesn’t work. You could also try reversing the positive and negative terminal on the battery to get it to run forward when it’s on the “reverse” side.
If it’s not working at all, it sounds like it’s the control board. It could be the forward or reverse switch or a bad motor, but it’s most likely the control board
I have a power wheels Barbie camper, it powers on and then the light blinks purple four times and won’t drive. Any idea what the cause is? I can’t find info anywhere
The Barbie camper and the Boomerang are one of a few Power Wheels branded cars that have a control board. The control boards are known to go bad, which is why it’s blinking purple. Your only option for a replacement control board is through a Power Wheels Service Center, but there aren’t many of those around and they don’t sell the part direct to the public. I’ll have a video out this spring on how to bypass the control board, like a normal Power Wheels car can is set up to do.
@@DadHacks oh shoot okay I’ll be waiting for the video! It’s also making a beep sound when I power it on so hoping once the new battery is fully charged it’s okay but I won’t be surprised if not
I have Kidzone Kids 12V Licensed Lamborghini Ride On Car Battery Powered Electric Vehicle Toy for 3-8 Years Boys & Girls, 2 Speeds, Suspension System, 2.4G Remote Parent Control, MP3, LED Headlights - Pink and it is missing the battery, seat, and parental remote
my daughter has somewhat the same car. after repainting it, it does not move when she rides on it and it is too slow without anyone on it. what could be the problem?
Hello. I just got a wheel power for my daughter and the pedal accelerator is only 3V, the main board give me only click and there’s a long beep. The wheel power is 24v. How much voltage should I have in the pedal ?
I don’t think the 3 volts is the issues. I think that’s just a signal to the pedal, which is acting like an on/off switch and then sending that signal back to the control board. Typically cars with a control board don’t run the full voltage through the pedal. Do you have a voltage multimeter, if so use it to see where you are losing voltage
@@DadHacks I have a multimeter. From on the pedal is only 1 metal is 3V and the main board is also 3V. I checked where is the shifter is also 3V. Where’s should I look for? Or where I should put the multimeter.
@xavi-12 start at the battery to get the initial voltage reading and then follow the wires from the battery. Do they go to the pedal or to the control board? Check what the voltage is going in, and then voltage going out
@@DadHacks the power from the battery go straight to the main board 24V and after that power goes out from the main board to the pedal 3V . After from the pedal goes to the shifter.
I have a brand new power wheel that is getting no power what so ever after charging the battery for 18 hours. What should be my first step to get this thing running?
Inside the connection's one of the prongs isn't making connection. Take a flat head and bend it over so that when it is plugged in it will make connection.
Do you have a voltage multimeter? If so, check what the voltage is at the motor when you push down the pedal. Sounds like these’s a bad connection when you are losing voltage somewhere
@@DadHacks I ended up unplugging and plugging every connection and discovered the clear/white connection on the peddle was loose as hell. I wiggled and reconnected and got power to the wheels. For only 12V, this thing breaks traction very easily with my daughter driving
I have a problem. When I push the on switch I get respons for a second and after that it going down. When I constantly push the on button it works. Once you got your finger off that button it will die immediately. I already did a unsuccesful battery change including a small "explosion" and smoke. How can I get the car running for my kids?
@@DadHacks thank you for your swift reply. It was a 12v 7ah battery. According to the specs. Im now busy with the car and found that the 2 red cables going to the battery are burned. It is a model with dual battery. I think this was the cause of the explosion and the fact that the car is not working anymore. So I guess I have to change the 2 red cables, right?
@Hamza-Salim Car with batteries can be tricky. One thing to check is to see if your fuse blew. Another thing to check is to make sure there’s no exposed wire from the explosion that could cause a short
Our grandson was hooking up the red and black wires. He crossed them up. First it didn't do anything. Complete dead. We replaced the control board and now it starts and when you put into the gear (forward and reverse) it goes by itself. you don't even need to push the gas peddle. So now what do we need to do????
It sounds like the pedal melted in the “closed” position, meaning the circuit is closed at all times. The pedal just act as on/off switch. You’ll likely need to buy a replacement pedal.
It seems like the switch gear to put it in drive is shorting out. It will drive for a few seconds then stops and starts flashing where you switch gears. it doesn’t seem like it’s a battery issue.
What if it’s the power switch I left my sons outside and it got rained on now nothing works not even the power switch it’s setup like this one but it’s the lambo suv
If you remove the switch, try to clean the electrical ends with a metal brush or some electrical cleaner. Usually it’s corrosion that’s cause the issue. If that doesn’t work, look on Amazon or eBay for a replacement switch. It should not be expensive
Hey man the problem I’m having with mine when u touch the gas either from the remote or inside the car it drives on its own for a while In both forward and reverse
If the car just went on its own when you manually pushed the pedal, I’d think it was the pedal that needs replaced, but since it happening both manually and with the remote, it seems like there’s a connection on the control board that’s bad. I’d start by replacing the control board
@@DadHacksdude you’re actually a genius just got the part from Amazon. I changed it out. It only took me like maybe three minutes to change it out and everything is back to normal. Thank you so much man can I send you a tip please? You’re amazing.
I could really use a suggestion...ive been working with the company and thry cant fig out whats going on. Weve changed batteries, control board, switches, and thermal fuse. My sons 24v stops when it has a kid on it(40 lbs). Then after a sec will go. Its also changing from low to high with while driving. Ive looked high and low for answers. My son is ready for his ride back😔
That's my problem but even with out a kid in wheel not start other times it would I've replaced gear switches pedal switch. I'm wondering if maybe it's the end connectors to motors or Somewhere along the wiring and at times it gets connection but little movement to wire making a stray.
@@leahrodriquez1349 if you have a voltage multimeter, use it to see if voltage is getting to the rear motors, if it is, you have a bad motor or bad connection.
The easiest way is to trace where you lose voltage with a voltage multimeter, because it could be a number of reasons. My first thought is to make sure the battery is connected well and then to look at the starter button. It’s possible the starter button got corroded and needs replaced
@nanaakuanhyira4621 that’s good, so I would eliminate the start button being the issue. The next most common issue with the control board, that’s the “brains” of the car that provides power to everything
Sounds like your original battery was bad. A word of caution, the board can burn out quickly when you run 18 volts on a board to made to handle 12 volts. I usually use a 24 volt board with a 18v battery.
I have Kidzone Kids 12V Licensed Lamborghini Ride On Car Battery Powered Electric Vehicle Toy for 3-8 Years Boys & Girls, 2 Speeds, Suspension System, 2.4G Remote Parent Control, MP3, LED Headlights - Pink it is missing it battery, seat and the parental remote I need replacements but I don’t know where to find them.
The battery and parental remote are easy to replace, however it’s going to be very difficult to find a replacement seat, as they don’t generally sell that as a replacement part. If you need links to the battery and parent remote, just let me know
I have the barbie dream camper van. Battery is fine but the car doesnt go under a load. Holding it up, hit the peddle. It goes all day. Put a kid in it. It wont go. Seems like too much resistance. And the kiddo only weighs 30 lbs
I got a new board and the battery drains in minutes after it’s fully charge … I also got a new battery charger in case the battery charger was t working … I bought new battery’s as well… The thing I saw was that the car would turn off and once I turned it back on again the battery still had charge but would die within a few feet