Replacement Key For Mobility Scooter? (Key Lost, How To Get A SPARE)
A mobility scooter is much more than just a tool. Those who rely on one know that a mobility scooter allows a certain way of life – one of freedom and independence. The trouble is that mobility scooters entirely DEPEND on a small, frustratingly easy-to-lose key.
Losing a scooter key can feel like a dead end. A lost scooter key and what to do are the only things on your mind. How are you supposed to get around without it?
While you shouldn’t lose all hope as soon as you realize you’ve lost the key, we’ve got a few tips to help you troubleshoot the situation if the lost keys don’t turn up.
Looking for a Lost Mobility Scooter Key
With a lost scooter key, what to do next?
The first thing to do is retrace your steps and look for the lost keys in any obvious locations. It may have fallen out of your pocket or slipped behind a piece of furniture without you noticing. Other places include:
Your Home
Look in your purse, pockets, couches, or the last place you remember having the key.
Nearby Businesses
Sometimes people will hand in lost keys to businesses near where they lost them. Retrace your steps and consider if you may have lost the key anywhere besides your home or work.
Your Workplace
If you lost the key while at work, ask security or check out the lost and found at your job.
If you can’t locate the lost key, don’t give up! You can try a couple of different methods to try to gain access to your scooter without it.
Using Your Mobility Scooter Without a Key
If you need to use your mobility scooter and still haven’t found your keys, there are some tricks to start your power scooter without a key.
You can attempt to hotwire the scooter to get it to turn on. Before you mess around with the scooter’s engineering, first gather the supplies you’ll need:
- Multihead screwdriver
- Hammer
- Needle-nose pliers
- Rubber gloves for protection
If you’ve had to hotwire a car before, the process should be familiar. If you’ve never hotwired an engine before, pay close attention to the following steps:
Find the Wires
The wiring system in most mobility scooters is composed of multiple wires and two live wires: one red wire and one black wire.
If you don’t see these colors in your wires, it just means you’ll have to test out a few combinations.
Remove the Wire Cap
Now that you’ve found the right wires, remove the wire cap. The wire cap is a small plastic or metal cover that protects the wires by holding them securely in place to maintain a stable connection.
Use your pliers to remove the wire caps so you don’t accidentally shock yourself. Twist and pull gently to remove them and you should see three different exposed wires.
Connect Live Wires to Ignition
With the exposed live wires ready to go (red and black), put the exposed end of the cables into the keyhole of the ignition socket, one wire at a time. Place the second wire on the opposite keyhole so you now have one on either end of the socket.
You should hear a humming sound or a “click” if it was successful. If there’s no sound, it might mean you’ve used the wrong wires. Try again.
Rock and Roll
Once you hear the engine humming, you’re ready to roll! Just finish the job by re-capping the wires and putting the control panel door back on so you can get going.
Replacement Key for Mobility Scooter
If you lost your key and can’t find it, don’t panic – there are still options available. Many companies that sell mobility scooters will also offer replacement keys for purchase.
Have the following information ready when you call:
- Scooter make and model
- Scooter serial number
- Your scooter’s key code
Visit your scooter manufacturer’s website or find your scooter brochure to find the fastest ways to reach customer service.
You may need to pay a small fee, but it should be well worth it to regain access to your scooter and get back to your daily routine.
How to Get a Replacement Key for a Pride Mobility Scooter?
A replacement key for a Pride Mobility Scooter costs around 10 USD. Keys aren’t coded to work on a specific vehicle like car keys, so they are less expensive than car keys.
1. Online shop: You can find replacement keys from the online shop from Pride. The site shows the most common keys. Same key works on many different scooter models. When you click the picture of the key, you can see all the scooter models that the key fits.
2. Local dealer: If ordering online is not your thing (or you don’t have time to wait for the key), your next option is to find a local Pride dealer.
They usually have replacement keys in stock, so it’s worth asking if they have a suitable key for your Pride model. And if they don’t have the original replacement key, they are probably your best resource to help you move forward.
3. eBay or Amazon: Your last option for a replacement key is eBay or Amazon. Some vendors sell spare keys for Pride Scooters. As with any aftermarket offer, be cautious that the replacement key is the right one.
Getting Back to Mobility
As soon as you realize your scooter key is gone you may find yourself frantically searching “lost scooter key what to do” on Google. Long story short, don’t worry too much.
There are plenty of resources available to help you get back on the road! Whether you find your keys after a thorough search, hotwire the engine, or order a spare key, you’ll be back moving in no time.