Club Car Golf Cart

My guess is overcharging has killed the batteries. Make sure you have a good quality charger designed for the type of batteries you are using.

(I killed a nice gel battery by using a cheap car battery charger )

Check to see if you have earth leakage aswell! (Thinking along the lines of a car!)

It does sound like you have a grounding problem, and your battery is getting dischrged throught the cart. Once you get it charged up again, check your system with a current meter off the battery. Se if there is any leakage. You should have a zero reading to only a small minut discharge from the power switch being on. If there is any with the switch off, you deffinatly have a ground issue.

Good luck.

Maximo

My guess is that you have a dead cell or more in one or more batteries. Many golf cart batteries have lead (metal) cell interconnecting lugs visible on top of the battery. Check each cell's voltage when the cart quits running. My bet is that you will find one or more dead cells. If the lugs aren't accessible, then check each battery's voltage. Fully charged, 12 V batteries should read about 13.2 volts.

Charge and then check each battery individually and note the voltage, put these details on CR4 and we will help you further.

As one poster has mentioned, a cheap charger will kill expensive batteries.....

Golf carts are usually 48volts, that is 4 x 12 volt batteries, is that the case with yours?

Do any cells need topping up with distilled water, if yes, do it before charging.

Remember that charging causes gassing, this gas is explosive, no naked lights, no cigarettes, do not cause any sparks with the connectors, ventilate well.....use eye protection, have fresh water handy for any splashes of electrolyte....

Does your charger charge all batteries together or each battery separately (better!)

Are all batteries from the same manufacturer? Same type? Same age? if the answer to any of these questions is no, that is not good......

Andy Said

Remember that charging causes gassing, this gas is explosive, no naked lights, no cigarettes, do not cause any sparks with the connectors, ventilate well.....use eye protection, have fresh water handy for any splashes of electrolyte....

Andy --- Excellent Advise ---

I think the ones he has are 6 volt batts. That is what we use in ours. I base this on the quantity he says he has, six batteries which would = 36 volt system.

You are dead right!!! Thanks for pointing that out. My questions are still valid though, but for more batteries than I expected.....!

Please be so kind as to answer my questions still, but ignoring my thoughts on 12 volt batteries!

Does your charger charge all batteries together or each battery separately (better!)

Are all batteries from the same manufacturer?

Same type?

Same age?

if the answer to any of these questions is no, that is not good......

Yes -- your questions are dead on and the poster should give this information.

We charge all of ours at the same time. -

If one goes bad we replace all if they are older batteries, don't even mess around with them unless they are newer batteries and one of them is defective --- then we get a replacement.

We always use matching batts. from the same manufacturer.

That is too my mind, the only way to work, 100% perfect.....

Do you charge as a whole or as separate units?

I would expect that he has to buy a new set of Batteries.

"Do you charge as a whole or as separate units"?

We charge them all at the same time at a single connection point. One plug one charger all batteries charge.

"I would expect that he has to buy a new set of Batteries".

I agree, if they only last as long as he says in the original post.

Hi IETECH,

were you the original poster logged on as guest?

I will answer as though that is the case, if you are not he, then I hope the original poster comes forward.

Charging/discharging a normal 12v car battery with 6 cells is a problem, because all cells are NOT created equal. When charging, one or more cells require less charging than others, these ones then get "overcharged" an gas, which just gets rid of distilled water from these cells. Your batteries have only 3 cells each, that is also not very helpful either, read on.

But when discharging, some cells are "empty" first, if you do not realize that and carry on using the battery, then these cells get reversed polarized eventually and die...now one of your batteries has a bad cell, it will never be good again as with these small car sized batteries, we do not "repair" or replace these cells that are defective....we just replace the whole battery....

Some chargers (usually cheap ones) make the problem worse as they do not cut off when the battery is "full" and gas every cell until you remember to take the battery off charge, not good.

Generally speaking, a 3 cell, nominal 6volt battery, should not be charged to more than 7.2 volts. This means that it will not gas, but also it is probably not completely at full capacity either, it depends slightly on the manufacturer.

When discharging, the values at which sulfation starts to occur are around 6.3 volts for 6v batteries (not everyone agrees with this level), but one can go lower with leisure batteries without causing damage.

It is best to have a Charger that stops charging automatically when the battery voltage has reached the correct level, or reduces the charge to a small "maintenance" charge to maintain capacity, but without really charging and gassing.

If an accurate voltmeter is fitted to the vehicle, the state of the charge can be observed and the voltage of the battery not reduced too much with over usage, therefore not taking the battery into sulfation voltage levels.

Also, the voltmeter would allow a check to be made on when the charger switches off or reduces the charge that this only maintains the charge and does not add to it....

One could also calibrate the voltmeter to show just how much charge was left in the vehicle.

Starting with a set of identical batteries is probably the only way and not allowing them to be overcharged or over discharged is also best....Leisure batteries will accept deeper discharging with less failures than cheap batteries....

If you replace the set, think about using 12 volt leisure with equal or more capacity than your present 6v setups....naturally, only use half the number of 12volt ones....!

Replacing one of an old set is probably not a good idea, but if you must, try and get an absolutely identical battery or at least one with the same capacity....

In this short dissertation, I have completely ignored temperature, which is not really correct as in areas of high temperature, a good charger must sense this and reduce the charging levels accordingly. make sure that your charger does this automatically....I left out out so as not to confuse anyone...

Recommended further reading is:-

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-13.htm

Seen both, several times, worth a visit for anyone......not bought the T-Shirt, yet!!

....and if you have not visited the Castle and underground works, especially those used in WWII, you have also missed something too.....

You mean the one that the officers could ride their horses on up inside the cliff? Not seen it yet, but read about it!!

I haven't been there yet either ! Some of the pictures of it look pretty interesting. Whenever I'm near the area I always seem to get diverted by something ( and not just Operation Stack). Watching the harbour from up high is great - it's almost like playing with a great big train-set or something. A similar experience can be had in the hills above Folkestone. ( I may invoice the Tourist Board for all this, in order to fund the drinks).

Dover is best for looking, Folkstone best for walking around or having a swim I find, nice sand at Folkstone.

Very little sand in the Dover harbour, at least where the toes can find it except at spring tides!!

How old are the batteries??? We replace all batteries in our carts if one is bad. If they are all the same age then one is bad the rest will soon follow. Ours are used in an industrial setting and we don't have time to mess around with failing batteries one at a time. Lord knows if yours are used on the golf course it is far more important than work.

After reading all of the replys, nobody suggested testing your batteries with a battery hydrometer. This will tell you what the health of each cell is by specific gravity. With the hydrometer when you buy it (at an auto parts store) you will get a chart of what specific gravity readings should be,by the number of floating balls as to the state of charge of each cell. This is the best way to figure out what is going on with your battery pack.

It is a partial method to use after the battery has been charged.....it was not mentioned before it is true, but I personally find a voltmeter tells me more......

If your batteries are equipped with threaded caps, than first thing check electrolyte specific gravity. it will immediately tell you if any of the cell has a complete of partial short. If OK, try the rest of the recommendations given. (Which are all good.)

Wangito.

PS: once good and running drive it down to our club, the most beautiful 36 holes course in South-America.You are invited. (photos upon request)

After charging, an ammeter tells me if the whole battery is good or bad, with one test, not 6.....

Also, with almost no danger of getting acid in my eyes or on my clothes......

I know how to get on with batteries and acid and the dangers, most people don't, you did not post any warnings, so I guess you don't either......

The voltmeter method, after allowing time for any vapours to disperse, is the safest method, especially for beginners..

Andy,

You have forgotten one very important point:

This is ENGINEERS place, and is not meant for novices, ignorants or people who do not know their own limitations. If someone is acting based on yours or MY recommendations beyond his knowledge or capacity, that's HIS problem. And he/she can not hold me (or you for that matter) responsible for his/her actions. a short circuit over 400 or 600A battery is MUCH worse (and life threatening) than some spills of acid on your new shirt, (you go ahead and calculate the energy, you KNOW how...) Let him do this,(You didn't warn him,) and we all be invited to a funeral. I totally disagree with your approach. If we will have to put warning signs in every corner of our post, and maybe be liable, Than I am out of this CR4. (and so will you, because you are not a fool.)

My 5 cents worth of thoughts.

Wangito.

PS:And BTW, a volt meter will merely tell you if the battery is fully charged or not. no more than that. Nothing about it's Amp load capacity and cell conditions. and it can be deceiving. It will give you zero information about why is it being discharged. which was the poster's main concern.

And believe you me, I know how to handle an Hydrometer.

I appreciate your points fully, believe me but we see time and time again people asking questions on CR4 about things that they have no knowledge of or about. Therefore I and many others on CR4 always try and remember to post any warnings I/they feel are needed and to direct "beginners" in a safe direction where possible!!.

Yes you are right about the possible current from a LA Battery or similar, but if he manages to switch the meter to current and cause a short, there is a fuse in all meters which blows. Whether the meter is damaged or not does not matter so much, but he will not be exposed to either 400A or acid!!!

Nobody meant that you didn't know how to handle a Hydrometer, it was the capacity of the poster who asked the question that I was worried about!!

By the way, I know how to handle a meter and I will also see at that point which cells are sulfated and which are not.....I could help him to make some simple tests to see if the battery is junk or not.....

Have a great day.

I would recommend that you follow Andy's advise, but use a load tester to determine battery condition. Load testers are only about $25, and will give plenty of information. Less problems than hydrometer, more info.

My cart is prone to terminal corrosion. I have taken to using spray on truck bed lining to protect battery connections once they are clean.

Please seek out a professional that knows some thing about batteries. Some one that is aware of the hazards of the acid in them. Can be very explosive. Most battery distributors will check them out for you. Take the charger to them to if it's bad it can be repaired.

Look what we have done, Our poster had most probably passed away as we haven't heard not even a whistle from him. Who's liable? Andy I believe it your fault.

This is why I very seldom respond to GUEST postings.

Wangito.