How to properly care for and maintain your mobility scooter

It’s important to look after your mobility scooter and do all the right regular maintenance checks to ensure your scooter is operating safely and is in good condition. This will make your mobility scooter more reliable when needing to get from A to B as it reduces the risk of any accidents or unexpected breakdowns.

It’s also important to look after your mobility scooter to improve its longevity. With the proper care and maintenance mobility scooters are expected to last around five years. It’s worth taking the time to do regular maintenance and safety checks to ensure your mobility scooter is performing better for longer – this will save you money in the long run.

So, once you've found the right mobility scooter for you you'll need to ensure you’re keeping on top of things. We have put together a guide on how to look after your mobility scooter, charging and batteries, things to watch out for and servicing your mobility scooter.

How to look after your mobility scooter:

It's important to note that you may need some help with the care and maintenance of your mobility scooter - ask a friend or family member if you need extra help.

• Clean your scooter: Clean your scooter with a warm soapy cloth to avoid a build-up or dirt. Be sure to turn off your mobility scooter before doing so.

• Check tire pressure: Regularly checking the tire pressure will help your tyres last longer, improve performance and make for a smoother ride.

• Keep it moving: Lubricating moving parts, such as the wheels and brakes, to reduce wear and ensure a smooth ride. 

• Look after the battery: Fully charge the battery after each use or at the end of each day.

• Safety checks: Check the lights and signals are working properly, this will ensure you’re safe while riding your mobility scooter.

• Brakes maintenance: Check the brakes are working properly and that the brake pads are in good condition.

• Storing your mobility scooter: Store your mobility scooter in a cool dry place, away from moisture.

How to charge your mobility scooter:

Charging your mobility scooter should be relatively easy. It’s important to use the right charger for your scooter and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Exact instructions on how to charge the model of mobility scooter you have will be included in the manual that comes with your scooter.

Generally, this is how to charge your mobility scooter:

1. Be sure to turn off your mobility scooter before trying to charge it.

2. Plug the charger into the designated charging point on the scooter. This will be dependent on the model and make you have.

3. Connect the charger to a power point.

4. Your battery should now be charging. Usually, a red or orange light will show up to indicate it is charging, then change to green to indicate it is fully charged.

5. Batteries can take between 6-10 hours to charge so most people choose to do this overnight.

How to prolong your mobility scooter’s battery life:

A common problem people have with their mobility scooters is that the battery won’t hold its charge for as long. Fully charged batteries can last anywhere between 5-30 miles dependent on the scooter model, battery capacity, usage, terrain and weight of the user or any additional items carried on the scooter.

However, to ensure your battery charge is lasting as long as it should, here are some of our top tips:

• Try to charge your mobility scooter fully at the end of each day, even if it indicates there is still charge left.

• If the mobility scooter is in storage, it’s still important to charge it regularly. Try to get it out once a week to fully charge it. This will ensure that when you use it again, the battery will still work effectively.

• New batteries should be charged for at least 12 hours before first use.

• Try to use your mobility scooter efficiently by not constantly going at high speeds and avoid keeping unnecessary items in your scooter as this will run its charge down quicker and reduce the lifespan of your battery.

Tips on how to look after your mobility scooter tyres:

• Check the tire pressure regularly. The recommended tyre pressure level can be found in the manual. Riding without the correct tyre pressure could result in damage to the wheel or rim.

• Avoid sharp objects where possible as this can puncture the tyres.

• Inspect tyres regularly for cuts, cracks or punctures, if there are any issues or damage have them repaired as soon as possible.

• You should replace worn tyres to avoid skidding.

• If the scooter is exposed to too much sunlight or gets too cold the tyres can become brittle and start to crack.

How often should you service your mobility scooter?

Besides your regular checks for wear and tear, it’s recommended to have your mobility scooter serviced once a year by professionals to ensure it’s working properly and to detect and fix any problems.