I have a Pride maxima Sc900 scooter and controller keep getting hot and slows speed and drains battery. could a dragging brake do this any other places to look?

Hi.
there is a long list of things that could cause this problem.

if you have pneumatic tyres, make sure they are not soft. this can cause a lot of extra resistance, and cause overheating.

a dragging brake could could do this, but would be unusual. the brake unit would also feel extremely hot to touch if this is the case. you are more likely to have dry bearings on the wheels and transmission, or something wrapped (grass is common) around the axle. spin the front wheels to make sure they are free, and put the scooter in freewheel (lever or button on back of scooter) to do the same with the back wheels and axle.

another possibility is that the batteries are faulty. this can be confirmed with a battery load test which most garages can perform free of charge. the batteries should be fully charged for this and removed from the machine. a 100amp load test for 6-8 seconds should be enough for these batteries.

also make sure that any cooling fins and the area around the controller is clean and free from dirt that could prevent the unit from cooling properly.

another thing to check is that the weight limint for the scooter is not being exceeded. you will have to check the scooter manual for the exact weight limits.

these are the most common things that can cause this problem, and should be checked before doing any further tests.

please feel free to ask for further information if these steps do not resolve the problem.
hope this helps