Handicare Puma wheelchair fault

[MurphyandDaniel]

Hello,

The wheelchair is moving perfectly but suddenly very slowly. It is as if the speed limiting function that kicks in when the wheelchair is raised is permanently engaged even when the seat is lowered.

Also the DX controller has a green flashing key, flashing twice every few seconds.

I wondered could anybody give me an idea as to what could be the cause.

Murphy

[Irving]

Sounds like one of the inhibits is kicking in, possibly due to a faulty/loose switch or damaged cable.

The 2 flashes indicates a DX accessory fault, controller is receiving a slow/stop command.

This could be the lift, tilt or recline inhibit switches depending on what options are fitted.

[MurphyandDaniel]

Thank you for your reply, I will check on those tomorrow.

[Irving]

No problem, do you have the service manual?

[MurphyandDaniel]

No I haven't, I need to find where the inhibitor parts are.

[Irving]

Send me your email address in a private message (click on my name) and I'll email you a set.

Also, can I suggest that you click on User Control Panel above and put your approx location in your profile as we're a pretty international community here.

[rover220]

what age puma are we talking about here?

[MurphyandDaniel]

This one is 2011 quite old but have got 4 of them already in good working order. Picked this one up for spares but was in a better condition. Have loads of spare parts over the years.

[Irving]

Just found out its a Puma Yes. Looks like a forerunner to the Puma 20/40 with both FWD/RWD options. Similar construction to Puma 20 with sprung beams holding 2 pole motors with 6 and 10km/h options rotating on battery box pivots. Sedeo Lite seating. 90A DX or Shark only, similar powered tilt, powered lift+mech tilt, powered or mech recline & fixed or powered leg-rest options. Manufactured from 2006-ish through 2013-ish.

There's only 1 inhibit switch on the lift mechanism, none on tilt or recline.

[Irving]

Interestingly (well I found it so ) Handicare had a number of different products around that time frame (~2006 to ~2013), in the 'Puma' series (roughly in date order):

• Puma Kinetic
• Puma Beatle
• Puma YES

The product seems to have evolved resulting eventually in the Puma 20 & Puma 40 models. All use the Sedeo seating system with an increasingly flexible/adjustable interface to the power base and better lift/tilt/recline options mostly offered as standard. Until they sold the powerchair business to Sunrise Medical...

[Irving]

Problem now resolved. Lift mechanism's speed inhibit switch is weirdly mounted under seat and uses a long curved springy metal strip to operate the micro-switch when seat is down. Seems the strip eventually got to flattened to the point where it was no longer operating the switch, but its so thin it can no longer handle being re-shaped sufficiently to press the button. Some judicially placed sticky tape has, however, solved the problem (at least for now).

Here's a pic taken by the OP while lying on the floor looking up at the seat base. Fortunately this hopelessly badly designed solution has evolved in the Puma 20 and 40 models to something that's hopefully more robust.