2 replies to this topic

[wheelierach]

Hi all

I have a problem with my IGlide. I sent it to a wheelchair company to be adapted as I didn't like the back rest. Before this, I hadn't used it for AGES and the batteries had gone dead without me realising.

Regain gave me some money to adapt the chair and get some new batteries from the US. However I suspect the batteries weren't charged while it was being adapted and they seem to be dead.

I have contacted IGlide and they're not sure if it's the batteries/the charger/the chair or what. I have explained to them that we have charged both batteries overnight and pulled the strap afterwards but the dots to show how well the battery was charged didn't light up at all. So we put the battery in the chair anyway and the little black button with the green light next to it lit up for a minute and it was doing the job properly and then the light went off and the chair went heavy again, as if someone else could push it but not the user.

Anyway, IGlide said all they could do is send me a new battery at 250 USD, or send it off and get it looked at for an extortionate price. It's not under warranty anymore cos I've had it longer than 3 years.

So, I was wandering if anyone could do me a favour. I need to borrow, very breifly, someones battery, and/or charger. The plan is to try a battery that you know is good in my chair and see if my chair works fine. If it does, then we know there is nothing wrong with the chair.

Then if I can try your charger with my battery, we can see if it's the charger or battery that's a problem.

As Iglide want to charge $130 per hour to look at the chair, plus $140, it would be cheaper for me to go half way across the country, and buy you dinner in exchange for narrowing the problem down.

I would really appreciate some help with this as I want to use the chair in September to get married.


Thanks.

Rachel.

[Apparelyzed]

Here are a couple of suggestions from another forum.

Quote

Sorry I can't help directly, being a bit far away, and not having even seen the iGlide.

A Google search turned up a bit of information about the iGlide including:
http://www.fda.gov/c...df3/k030250.pdf
Note that the jnj reference is Johnson and Johnson:

http://www.jnj.com/n...B3WU3QKB2IIWTT1

Another reference said that the battery pack weighed about 7 pounds. To me, this indicates that the iGlide doesn't use conventional (for wheelchairs) Lead-Acid batteries. Instead it could use Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel-metal-hydride or Lithium ion batteries, which are all smaller but more expensive for a given energy capacity. These technologies are a bit outside the regular experience of your average wheelchair dealer or automotive electrician. However they are not uncommon in other fields, including lap-tops, cell-phones, electric bicycles, battery power drills, etc.

If you still have the original supposedly dead battery pack, you might like to try a battery repacker. They should be able to tell whether the new pack is functioning correctly, and whether the charger is also functioning correctly. They may be able to repack the batteries in the old battery pack and get you going again at a lower cost than the factory part if the new pack is faulty. (If it is faulty, you should be able to get it replaced.) As another user has noted, having two battery packs may be an advantage to you.

Good luck,

Trevor.

and.....

Quote

Have you tried replacing the fuse on the battery, also before you charge the battery you have to pull the strap handle than let it go, this resets the memory board in the battery.

Riz

Regards

Simon.

[jn999]

hi there are you in the UK i have an IGlide have had for 7 years and if i can be of help

regards john