Why am I getting sparks when I attach the cables to my power wheelchair battery?

However, in most power wheelchairs, including quantum power wheelchairs, the breaker switch is typically located on the main control panel or near the battery pack.
Here are a few steps you can follow to locate the breaker switch in your quantum power wheelchair:

1. Start by examining the control panel of your wheelchair. Look for any switches, buttons, or indicators that are labeled as "power," "on/off," or "reset."
2. If you don't find any obvious switches on the control panel, check the area near the battery pack. The battery pack is usually located at the back of the wheelchair, underneath the seat. Look for a switch or lever that can be toggled to turn the power on or off.
3. In some cases, the breaker switch may be integrated into the power cord or cable connecting the wheelchair to the electrical outlet. Inspect the power cord and check if there is a switch or button along its length.
4. If you're unable to locate the breaker switch on your own, consult the user manual or contact the manufacturer of your quantum power wheelchair. They should be able to provide you with specific instructions on finding the breaker switch.

Remember to exercise caution when working with any electrical components and refer to the manufacturer's instructions or seek assistance if needed to ensure your safety and the proper functioning of your power wheelchair.

This sounds like it is trying to "Short Out". Turn off all the power to the chair and re-check your battery connections.
A "Short" is where the electricity is trying to flow the Wrong way around the circuit. This will badly Damage you batteries if you keep trying to connect them.
When connecting batteries together you ALWAYS connect a Positive (+) to a Negative (-). NEVER Positive to Positive or Negative to Negative.
Start at the Negative wire, connect it to the Negative terminal on the first battery, (Battery One). Then on Battery One connect the Positive terminal to the Negative terminal on Battery Two. You now connect the chair's Positive cable to the Positive terminal on Battery Two.
You should get NO sparks. Carefully turn on the chair's power. The batteries should NOT spark and should NOT get hot quickly.
**CAUTION** If it does spark or get hot quickly after you have done this TURN EVERYTHING OFF and disconnect the negative cable. This means there is a problem somewhere else in the chairs electrics.

Here are some other non-direct battery problems to check ...
1. Verify that the key is fully inserted into the key switch.

2. Verify that the battery pack is seated properly. If your scooter / wheelchair does not have a battery pack then check battery(s) cables & connections).

3. Verify that the battery quick-disconnect harness connections are fully joined.

4. Verify that the batteries are connected correctly, red to positive (+) and black to negative (-).

5. Verify that the main circuit breaker has not been tripped

The batteries that fit this chair are 35 amp hour or U-1 batteries.
There was an upgrade to the battery boxes which included changing the circuit breakers from 30 to 50 amp and removing the internal battery tray to accommodate group 22 batteries. This was not the most popular configuration. Buy U-1 batteries which are guaranteed to work. Hope this helps.

Hello,

The M41 does not have a circuit breaker, even if the owners manual says it does. There are fuses instead. One fuse on each battery. It is a very different looking fuse than one is use to seeing.

Check fuse or circuit breaker, connections, power cable....

Check battery harness, circuit breaker, all connections. Load test each battery. If any one of the batteries fails the load test, replace both of them. Also ensure that charger is actually charging

There is no circuit breaker on the M41. There are fuse links located on the wiring harness on the positive post of each battery. If you are not getting any power to the joystick check the joystick cable to make sure it didn't come unplugged then you can check the battery voltage with a meter set to 200 vdc and plug the leads into the charger port located under the front of the joystick put the leads into the two outter holes of the port and you should read the battery voltage fully charged it should read 25-27 volts if you aren't getting any reading then you will have to remove the seat and shroud to get to the batteries to check the fuses on the positive posts Hope this helps

Hi. Does the machine stop suddenly, or does it slowly stop as it normally would? Does this happen on hills or slopes?
A lot of scooters have a self-resetting circuit breaker connected to the battery leads. If the machine draws to much current ( amps ) then the circuit breaker trips out. After a few minutes the circuit breaker will reset and you can continue.
This could mean that the circuit breaker is faulty or that the motor is drawing to much current, or is burnt out.
Some machines have a very light duty circuit breaker, and these can trip out often. I have changed many of these circuit breakers for this reason.
Check all your battery leads are secure and tight.
If it is still a problem, get a serviceman to check the motor current is what it should be.
Good luck. Neil.

http://www.invacare.com/doc_files/1125085.pdf

Here's the manual. Locate battery cables follow them to the motor and Joystick. you'll see the reset button