Battery Discharge

First what method are you using to check the state of charge. Are the jumpers connected properly. How does the charger charge the batteries all in series, three banks of two, or individually.

This one battery could be bad. A bad connection between the plates of one of the cells would cause the battery to drop a load across it. Load test the battery if it has a bad cell voltage will fall off.

Hello Guest,

I had to first find out what a "club car" was.

It is an electric cart for use on a golf course.

Yours is a 36 volt system.

Quote below is from: http://www.clubcar.com/Services/PreOwned%20Vehicles/Pages/Pre-OwnedFAQs.aspx

<"I need a set of golf car batteries. What kind should I buy?

When looking for a golf car battery first determine if you have a 36 volt or 48 volt vehicle. A 36 volt vehicle has six 6 volt batteries, and a 48 volt vehicle has six 8 volt batteries. These are specialized "Deep Cycle" batteries designed for electric vehicle use, DO NOT attempt to use 12 volt automotive batteries. Club Car uses Trojan® deep cycle batteries in our vehicles because many experts consider them the best golf car batteries available.">

I have not the circuitry of the golf cart here, but almost certainly the battery will not have tappings off it, to run equipment at voltages other than the full 36 Volts of the battery.

Your "Trojan T105 six" batteries are "Deep Cycle" batteries, so they should be OK.

During manufacture, no two cells are exactly alike.

When any cells are connected in Series to make a battery, there will always be a cell which has a higher internal resistance that the others.

On discharge, that cell heats up faster, loses more water from the cell, and on re-charge it heats up faster and also loses water faster than all the rest of the cells in the battery.

So....what you have, is probably a single faulty cell of the 3 cells in that 6 Volt battery, which has a very depleted charge.

Thus the only remedy is to replace that faulty battery with a new battery.

The new problem which may then occur, is that you will have one battery new, and 5 batteries used, in a series circuit.

That means the next "weak cell" is going to be next to fail, and it will in turn give you the "depleted charge" indication on the 6 Volt battery it is part of, in turn.

If your batteries were recently totally replaced, and to be used in a series circuit, always ensure that the cells are matched properly, or you are going to have the further same problems.

I would take the matter up with your battery supplier, pronto.

Incidentally, I always thought golf was for exercise, so why buy an expensive golf cart, to trundle around the course, depriving you of that essential exercise?

Kind Regards....

Incidentally, I always thought golf was for exercise, so why buy an expensive golf cart, to trundle around the course, depriving you of that essential exercise?

Even a bit of exercise is better than none. On the course I play we have several 'disabled' members who can no longer walk the course but manage to play still with the aid of a cart. We also have a member with only one arm (he's much better than me ).
I use an electric trolley as a golf bag is rather heavy. Much better to get some help so that we can enjoy fresh air, some exercise and and a pint afterwards rather than curling up and feeling sorry for ourselves.
Alternatively maybe he's just a lazy git

Del

I have not the circuitry of the golf cart here, but almost certainly the battery will not have tappings off it, to run equipment at voltages other than the full 36 Volts of the battery.

Sparky,

They do tap off for 12 volts they use automotive horns and lights if the have them. In the ones made for industrial use some have cabs with windsheild wipers that are 12 volts.

Check out how the supply cables to the cart are hooked up to the batteries...

batteries should be all in parallel with the neg being hooked up on one end with the positive on the other end of the chain

The terms 'parallel' and 'chain' are mutually exclusive.

If the circuit is 36 volt then the batteries should be hooked up in series not parallel.

They should all be hooked up with the positive going to the negative of the next battery in the series. If they were hooked up in parallel you would only get the output equal to the single battery but with a higher amp output. IE : 6 volt at a very high amp output.