A question that we get asked a lot is “why does the battery in my wheelchair vehicle keep going flat?”
If you are experiencing this issue with your own WAV vehicle, the first thing to know that this is very likely a simple problem to solve.
Wheelchair accessible vehicles have a few extra features, that regular cars dont, which use the battery and can lead to battery drain if not used correctly.
Common reasons WAV Vehicle batteries go flat…
The electronic restraint system
This is by far the most common cause of flat batteries in WAVs. Most WAVs have an electronic restraint system that keeps the wheelchair locked into position. The restraints are turned on when loading/exiting a wheelchair from the vehicle and should be turned OFF when a wheelchair is locked in place or when a wheelchair is not on board.
It is very common to leave the restraints ON after removing the wheelchair, this means the restraints are constantly draining power and if left on for a while can easily result in a flat battery.
Make sure your restraints are turned OFF when the vehicle is not in use
Power Ramps & Lifts
A key feature of WAVs not found on regular cars are the ramps. While the majority of WAVs have manual ramps – some do have a remote controlled power ramps (and lifts). These devices use quite a lot of power and while the battery should be able to cope – you may find that if you are only travelling short distances and using the ramp/lift frequently the battery may not have enough drive-time to keep the charge topped up.
Be aware of how many short journeys you are making vs how often you are using power ramps and lifts.
Loading a wheelchair
When loading or exiting a wheelchair, it is necessary to have the tailgate open. While the tailgate is open the internal lights will automatically turn on. Some WAV users need to leave the tailgate open for longer periods to enable the correct and safe positioning of the wheelchair.
Over time, leaving the tailgate open for long periods can detrimentally affect how efficiently the battery holds charge. While leaving the tailgate open longer than required won’t necessarily drain the battery immeditaley, over the course of months and years it can reduce the effectiveness of your battery.
Make sure you only have the tailgate open as long as is required.
If possible turn the internal lights off unless you need them on. (consider having them on during the dark winter months and off in the summer)
If you’ve checked the above and you are still having issues with your battery, contact your local garage to do a battery check and make sure everything is working as well as it should be.
