Water-Damaged Joystick in an Electric Wheelchair?

The good old Meyra Optimus 2 Model 2.322 is truly an amazing power wheelchair!

On a hot summer day, just as I had done hundreds of times before, I drove my electric wheelchair under sprinklers to cool off. I was always aware that water could get underneath the rubber cover around the joystick, but it had never happened to me before. As it turned out, there is always a first time.

I probably spent too much time under the sprinklers and exposed the wheelchair to more water than usual. As I was leaving the refreshing water mist and pushed the joystick forward, some water must have slipped beneath the rubber cover. The wheelchair immediately shut down completely. I was a bit alarmed — home was still 7 km away, and my trusted vehicle was no longer working. Using my somewhat clumsy fingers, I tried to remove the water from beneath the rubber cover. After about a minute, the wheelchair powered back on, and most importantly, I was able to continue driving. The hot weather certainly helped everything dry out quickly!

For several minutes, only the emergency button and the minus button were not functioning properly, but after about half an hour, everything returned to full working order.

If you ever experience water getting under the rubber joystick cover, there is no need to panic. Simply dry the affected area and wait a short while. There is a good chance that your electric wheelchair will start working normally again. Fortunately, no short circuit occurred, and my wheelchair suffered no permanent damage.

I wonder whether the newer Meyra Optimus 2 model would react the same way :)