Can kid’s ride on cars get wet, and stay outdoors? 8 Fixes for damages

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Power wheels are a fantastic way to get your children outside for some fresh air and sunshine. They’re fun to drive and provide hours of entertainment! But, sometimes wet weather puts a damper on things, and your electric ride on car may get wet in the rain. 

Our guide covers everything you need to know about electric cars and wet weather. Read below to find out how to store your electric ride on car and fix a water-damaged power wheels vehicle. 

Can kid’s ride on cars or power wheels get wet?

No, kids ride on cars should not get wet. Cars may stay outside for short durations during use but should never be left out unattended in wet weather. 

If water gets inside the electric toy vehicle, it can rust electrical components and leave your little ones without a car to ride! It’s best to store your kid’s ride on car inside, especially if there’s rain or snow outside. 

Can you leave ride on toys outside?

It isn’t a good idea to leave your kid’s electric toy car outside. We don’t recommend you do this, and a lot of manufacturers don’t either. If you leave an electric car out in the rain, it might still work after. But, after a while, chances are the battery will stop working. When water gets into the battery, you could find yourself with a very unhappy child! 

If you do need to store your power wheels outside for any reason, make sure it’s covered with a high-quality waterproof cover and keep the battery indoors. 

Are kid’s electric ride on cars waterproof, and will they be protected from the rain?

Electric ride on cars are built to exceptionally high standards and are made to be durable. Kids love to play with toys, and some malfunctions or damage is bound to happen over time. However, kid’s ride on cars aren’t built to be waterproof. 

Power wheels are typically almost entirely made from plastic, which does offer some resistance to wet weather. It’s the parts inside and the battery compartment that are most at risk of getting wet. We recommend not using or storing the car outside in wet weather, as rain and snow can damage the electrics and battery compartment.

At all times, ensure your ride on cars are protected and fully waterproof. We have a wide selection of ride on car accessories to choose from including kids electric car covers.

Where is the best place to store your kid’s electric ride on car?

Before you buy an electric ride on car, think about where you can store it at home. You need to make sure it stays dry and pick a space with plenty of room to fit the car. Usually, the best place to store your power wheels is indoors. This could be in a spare room, your basement (as long as it is dry), or your garage. 

If you store your power wheels in the garage, make sure there’s good ventilation around the vehicle. It might be tempting to push the ride on car in and leave it, but it doesn’t take a lot for it to end up covered in gardening tools and other toys. Fitting storage racks are a good idea as you can place the car on these to keep them up off the floor.

Storing your kid’s electric car outside isn’t recommended. However, if you do need to store the car outside, always use a waterproof protective cover. It might be a good idea to store the battery indoors to keep it safe from cold and wet weather. 

How can you clean an electric ride-on without any damage?

It’s easy to clean your electric ride on car, and you can do this with your kids to show them how to care for their toys properly! You should regularly clean to make sure the power wheels are safe to use.

Before you start, remove any debris or objects and unplug the car from charging. Debris and dirt can build up in the foot pack and under the trunk, so remember to check these areas. You need to wash your car carefully to avoid water from getting into the components or battery.

The best way to do this is to wipe the car with a damp cloth. Dip your cloth into a bucket of warm water and dish soap, ring it out and wipe over the vehicle. Once you’ve done this, go back over the car with a damp cloth dipped in fresh water. 

What should you do if your ride on car or power wheels does not start after getting wet?

Sometimes it’s worrying when your power wheel stops working, especially if it’s got wet. But, there’s no need to panic! There are a few checks you can do to see if you can fix the issues. 

The first thing to do is safely remove the battery. Dry the battery and make sure there’s no remaining moisture. Get your charger to fully charge the battery. Once charged, place it back into the car, and it should run again. If not, then you might need to do some further checks.

8 fixes for when your kid’s electric ride on car gets wet and stops working

Luckily if your electric ride on car does get wet, you can try some fixes to get it working again. 

1. Check to see if the battery still works or is dead

The very first step is to check whether your power wheels battery is dead or still working. If your battery is still working, then you won’t need a replacement battery. However, it’s worth remembering hidden damage can get worse over time. Even if this is working after getting wet, it might still need replacing soon. 

2. Test the car using another battery 

An easy way to see if the battery is causing problems is to test your power wheels with a new battery. You might be lucky and have a spare battery with the correct voltage for your 6-volt, 12-volt or 24-volt electric car. Make sure that you double-check you’re using the correct battery before you carry out any tests.

Carefully take the old battery out and insert your other battery. If the car starts, chances are you know the issue is with the battery. Don’t throw this straight away! Instead, dry the battery, make sure the charger is dry, and charge the battery for two days. It might just be that the car battery needs to dry out. 

Once dry, place it back into your ride on car. If it still doesn’t work, then start looking at replacement batteries. 

3. Check the charger and battery with a voltmeter

Another common fix is to use a voltmeter to check the battery and charger are working as they should. To do this, connect up your car charger to the mains power supply. Use your voltmeter to interact with the charger terminals. Any readings below 6 volts for a 6v charger and 13 volts for a 12v charger show that there’s a problem and you need a replacement charger. 

Check your battery as well using the voltmeter. You’ll be able to see if there’s a problem based on the readings you get. Readings should be over 5v for 6v batteries and over 10 and a half volts for 12v batteries. 

4. Replace damaged vehicle parts

If the battery seems okay and the charger is working, it’s time to check the parts of your power wheels. Unfortunately, you won’t always know which parts need changing until you get in there. 

You might need to swap parts out one at a time to see which one is causing issues. You can either use parts from a similar ride on car if you have one or buy spare parts.

5. Check the gearbox works correctly

Inspecting your gearbox to make sure it’s working could fix your problems. However, these are hard to replace as they are located towards the back wheels. You’ll need to open the wheel hub to reach it and fit a replacement gearbox. 

6. Look at the shifter switches 

It’s common for wear and tear to damage the shifter in your ride on electric car, so it’s worth checking. Make sure you replace the old switches with a new pair of switches if you find any damage. 

7. Inspect for debris in the foot pack 

It might seem like an obvious fix, but make sure no debris or dirt is blocking up the foot pack. Mud and other bits of dirt build up over time and can eventually stop the car from properly running. 

Clean out anything you find around the foot pedals. Sometimes the foot pack might be too damaged and will need replacing. 

8. Carry out regular maintenance 

One of the best fixes for your kid’s electric ride on car is to do regular maintenance. Taking care of your electric toy car stops any severe damage from happening and helps you to spot anything before it gets worse. 

Learning how to maintain your kid’s electric car or how to repair electric scooters saves you money and keeps your little ones happy! Show your children how to safely drive the car and regularly check the wheels and battery for damage. 

Find out more about our range of electric ride on cars, and discover the perfect power wheels for your little one. At Electric Ride On Cars, we stock everything from Lamborghini ride on cars to kid’s ride on trucks.