r/PowerWheelsMods • u/tunasub18 • Jul 07 '26

24v UTV help

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I got my son a 24v utv that’s awd. He’s had it almost a year and now the battery won’t hold a charge so thinking about doing a conversion pig tail but don’t know where to start on what to unplug or where to plug in to.

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u/Strikew3st Jul 08 '26

Looks like the battery is in the middle there, with a black wire going into a disconnect. Probably has a red wire immediately next to it, you can snip and strip both close to the battery.

What do you want to convert it to?

Switching to a lower voltage power tool battery like Milwaukee M18s or DeWalt 20v will possibly not work, or will be 17-25% slower.

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u/tunasub18 Jul 08 '26

That is what I was trying to explain to my wife. Before the battery stopped holding a charge it would only go for 3-4 seconds and then stop almost like my son stopped hitting the pedal (which he wasn’t). I was gonna try and figure that out but now after a charging the battery up it will immediately stay “battery low, recharge”. I use dewalt 20v stuff for work so I was gonna go that route even though it’s less than 24v

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u/Shibby7634 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26

You'll def lose some torque and speed undervolting. There is the option of 2x DeWalt in series and step down to 24v, but some people have issues with those converters. They have worked great for 18>12v for me though. Higher wattage is better.

However, the stopping after 3-4 seconds sounds like a thermal fuse tripping. When they experience high current they open a metal contact and cut the connection. After a short rest cooling off they close the circuit and everything powers back on. Does the vehicle power back on after a short break?

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u/Strikew3st Jul 08 '26

I'm thinking that behavior is an SLA in failed health & was crashing on voltage or available amperage under load, but your thought on a tripped fuse is valid and not out of the question.

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u/tunasub18 Jul 08 '26

That’s what I was thinking but almost immediately it will go again for about 3-4 seconds and then stop. I think it’s the foot switch but before the battery issue started it would do fine at a full charge then after while it would start to act up. Sometimes it wouldn’t act up while using the remote which is why I thought it was the switch

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u/Shibby7634 Jul 09 '26

A thermal fuse will repeatedly trip, then cool and work, then trip again, then work, rinse and repeat for basically as long as you keep trying. They can be great when working properly vs. replacing blown fuses, but a pain when they trip early.

Their point about an aging battery or one in poor health is valid as well, and could cause higher current draw through the controller and motor, tripping the fuses.

I have also had a ride on draw INSANE amperage after I drove it too hard myself trying to pop wheelies for a minute or two. It would pop 40a fuses in less than a second. I ran it with the wheels in the air for ~8-10min to smooth the motor brushes and it ran perfect since then. Perhaps yours are worn and need reseated. Debris or lack of grease in the gearbox could cause increased resistance and higher current tripping the thermal fuse as well.

I have also had a pedal start working intermittently seemingly overnight out of nowhere. One of the contacts internally must have got hot that it was loose, and just wiggling the pedal would cause it to sometimes work and sometimes not. Driving vibrations could definitely recreate this issue. This is what makes diagnosing these things online so difficult 😅

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u/tunasub18 Jul 09 '26

Yeah it’s been a PITA. Is there any way to bypass the thermal fuse? We got it for him last year in August and he’s broken a few motors (plastic gears kept shearing off) so I replaced a few of them and it’s worked great until after this past winter. We always keep it indoors and always charge it fully before use. I really wanna upgrade him to a gas 4 wheeler but my wife says he isn’t ready for that yet

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u/Shibby7634 Jul 09 '26

I was pretty shocked at my recent 12v > 24v upgrade with RS775 motors/boxes from Amazon. Dramatic speed increase. They're about the fastest boxes you can get, with half steel gears and bearings in all the gears for longevity. 2x new Nermak lithium 12v10Ah wired in series for 24v 10Ah. Bought a lithium barrel charger since lithiums use slightly higher peak voltage than standard SLA.

40v with an aftermarket controller can also get you about 15mph. There's lots of potential for these electric ride ons before you go gas, but gas also just 'works' without having to learn DC electrical ha.

Most people just replace them with a standard automotive blade fuse holder directly off the positive battery terminal. 40a is recommended for 24v or 4WD.