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Published March 3, 2022
Power Wheels Only One Wheel Spins – Diagnose and Repair
As a long-time favorite among kids, Power Wheels have become a part of our culture. If your family owns one, but with your Power Wheels only one wheel spins, it can easily be a frustrating experience. We are here to help. In today’s blog, we’ll cover some of the most common causes for this problem, and the basics on how to fix them.
Start by trying to diagnose what’s causing the issue. Often times, it’s something relatively basic like some loose lug-nuts or ensuring all the wires are properly connected. Read through our blog and we’ll help you find the root problem, as well as provide some information on how to repair it. We’ll also have some extra details for you on safety and maintenance for Power Wheels toys, helping you move forward once the repair is taken care of.
Most Common Causes for Wheel Problems
Once you realize your Power Wheels only one wheel spins, set the toy up in a place where you’ll have good light and plenty of room to work. A garage work bench is often the best place if you have access to one. We recommend first checking all the obvious lug-nuts connected to the wheels. Make sure these are all tight. If any of them are loose, tighten them up and try the toy again. If you’re very lucky, that will be the only problem you have to contend with.
If that doesn’t do the truck, move on to investigating the battery. Is it carrying a charge? Double check that all the wires are connected properly, both to the toy and the battery. Take a look at how the wires look connecting to the working wheels versus the wheels that don’t work. Any obvious differences should point to wiring as the cause of the problem. It’s also possible, but not likely, that the toy’s fuses are burned out. If they don’t look right, replace those and give things another attempt.
Two other potential issues could be either the drive shaft pin or the axle pin. If either of these are damaged, they can sometimes be a pain to replace. The axle pin may just be loose, which would be an easy fix. However, if it is fully broken, you’ll most likely have to buy a new part, and they aren’t always easy to find.
Lastly, if all else fails, check the wheels themselves. Do they seem to be intact and in good working condition? It’s possible the toy came with bad wheels, and they made need to be replaced.
Research Before Repair
Once you figure out the cause of Power Wheels only one wheel spins, it may be tempting to dive in and try to fix it immediately. However, we caution you against this. It’s important to do plenty of research before trying to work on one of these toys. After all, your child’s safety is at stake. You’ll want to ensure everything is done carefully and properly, and the best way to do that is to thoroughly research the process before trying it on your own. Depending on what work needs to be done, you’ll most likely find many resources online to help. You can probably even find a video tutorial that will visually walk you through the process. Just make sure to put the right amount of time into it so you’re confident in what you’re doing!
Power Wheels Maintenance and Safety
While these toys were designed for kids to play with, we still always recommend adult supervision, even in your own backyard. After all, they’re still vehicles with working motors, though the speed is quite low. Additionally, if you do your own repairs on the Power Wheels toy, make sure to test it out by hand before letting your child back on. This will ensure everything works correctly and your kids don’t have to be the test subjects!
As far as maintenance, there are a number of things you can do to take care of the toy and more importantly the battery. We always hear about battery issues with these toys, and while the batteries aren’t of the highest quality, a little bit of maintenance can go a long way. Don’t leave your 12V or even 6V battery out in the cold for too long. If you need to store the vehicle outside, remove the battery and keep it in the house somewhere. Additionally, it’s a good idea to charge and then drain the battery once every couple of months if your child isn’t regularly playing with it. Do these things and you should find a long and healthy lifespan for your 12V battery!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully we’ve given you some useful insight to get started on repairing the family Power Wheels toy. We aren’t mechanical experts, so for the technical repair details you may need to look elsewhere. However, we’re the people to help you find and maintain your family’s toys. Browse our website to find out more, including options for battery replacement, Power Wheels alternative for bigger kids, and much more! If you have anything else to share, leave it for us in the comments below.
