BY Nick Bulanda
Published May 3, 2020
Ready for an Upgrade? Convert Your 12V Power Wheels to 24V
If you currently own a Power Wheels toy, you’ve already seen the many ways it can bring joy to your child. However, if you feel they’re starting to grow too big for it to be an exciting time, you may be interested in learning about 24 volt Power Wheels conversion. Using this technique, you can double both the power and speed of your family’s Power Wheels model, all while ensuring it stays safe and fun. If you are a visual learner, feel free to take a look at the video tutorial above, or another one of the many videos available on the topic. Along with that, use this guide to follow along and find even more helpful tips for your 24 volt Power Wheels conversion!
While the process itself is quite simple, there are some things you’ll want to get together before you begin. In addition to the standard cable(s) used to connect the battery to the motor of the toy, you are going to want to get a pair of small jumper wires typically used to connect batteries. You’ll also of course need an extra 12V battery in order to do this. Check out our guide on Power Wheels battery charger and battery replacements to find the right one for your ride. Along with an extra battery, you’ll also need a circuit breaker. A small 30 amp one should do just fine, and you can find these available online or at any auto parts store for a very affordable price. This is to prevent the dual batteries from overloading.
Taking Things Up A Notch
There’s nothing wrong with leaving your Power Wheels toy as it is, but if you’re a parent with some extra time on their hands and want to upgrade their child’s toy, we support the idea! As long as you use the proper safety precautions, and you feel your kids are old enough to move a little faster in one of these, it’s a great project to take on. In most cases, 24V is more than you’ll need. However, if you’ve got two or three kids who like to ride on the toy together, you might find the single 12V battery has a hard time holding up. That’s where this 24 volt Power Wheels conversion might come in handy! Even the folks over at Popular Mechanics are talking about how cool these toys are!
24 Volt Power Wheels Conversion Step-by-Step
1. Prep Your Work Space
The first thing you should do before beginning this process is make sure that you have all the parts and tools you’ll need, as well as a clear space to work in. If you’ve got a work table in the garage or basement, that can be a great choice. Otherwise, you’ll want to clear out an area so you’ll have everything you need together in one place.
2. Connect the Batteries
Using your two small jumper wires, connect the positive end of one battery to the negative end of the other. It doesn’t matter which one is which, just be sure you don’t accidentally connect positive to positive or negative to negative. Remember: red to black!
3. Secure the Batteries
At this point, it’s time to move over to the vehicle. Wherever the battery is typically stored, usually in the hood or trunk, check and make sure there is enough room for you to securely place the two batteries. Make sure they aren’t sitting on top of one another, and that you’ll have clear and easy access to connect them to the motor cables.
4. Connect the Batteries to the Motor
You should see a black and white or black and red cable coming out of the vehicle towards the battery area. Using the circuit breaker you’ve purchased, you’ll want to connect that to the motor, and then connect the red/white jumper wire to the red/white part of the breaker, and the black wire to the black part. This will ensure you get your positives and negatives correctly aligned.
5. Ensure Everything is Secure
Finally, you want to double check that everything is tight and secure inside the vehicle. You don’t want anything to come flying out when your kids take off!
Safety Considerations
If you’re reading this, we want to make sure you’re aware that this will significantly increase the power capabilities of the Power Wheels toy. This 24 volt Power Wheels conversion process probably isn’t approved by the manufacturer, and you should only install this if you have absolute trust that your children are old enough to handle the responsibility.
Additionally, we recommend keeping watch over your children at all times while this toy is in operation. That should apply even without the 24V modification, but that goes doubly so with it. Unlike the standard configuration for the toy, this process hasn’t seen the same kinds of testing to ensure its safety. By altering the town on your own, you’re accepting responsibility for your family’s safety. However, we believe that under correct supervision and with children that are old enough, the modified Power Wheels toy is entirely safe to operate.
Final Thoughts on Power Wheels 24 Volt Conversion
Before you go, we just want to leave you with some final tips on 24 volt Power Wheels conversion. If you need a spare or replacement battery charger, or if you want to find a quality second 12V battery, check out our guide on Power Wheels battery charger and battery replacements. Additionally, we really do recommend checking out a variety of video tutorials. If you’re experienced with working on vehicles, this job will be no problem at all. If you’re newer, however, it can help to see it done a few times before you undertake it on your own. Overall, we encourage you to stay safe and have fun!
