8 volt battery charger

ridgerunner51 · 03-05-2009, 05:05 PM

If I use a 6/12 volt automotive battery charger to top off my 8 volt batteries (one @ a time ), can I damage the batteries ? I purchased 6 new ones and I thought I would top them off before I install them . Any advice on this ? Thanks.......

dcannow · 03-05-2009, 05:50 PM

I would suggest you install the batteries and then charge all at once with your 48V charger. Someone else can tell you if your idea will work or if you could cause some damage . But I ask why bother doing them one at a time??

ridgerunner51 · 03-05-2009, 06:24 PM

I just didn't want to install them all and then not have enough juice to kick on the charger. Also I would like to know if I did at sometime need to charge one out of the cart if I could use the posted charger. Thanks for the information .

dcannow · 03-05-2009, 06:32 PM

Do you have a voltage meter or hydrometer? If so check the batteries for level of charge. You can get a hydrometer at auto parts for $6/7. Be sure and get one that has numbers on it. Then look at the sticky above that has info for percentage of charge. If they are new I'll bet they have a fair charge to them.

ridgerunner51 · 03-05-2009, 06:39 PM

Thank you I will try that, but does anyone have the answer to my original question regarding the use of that automotive charger ?

dcannow · 03-05-2009, 06:54 PM

I just searched posts for you and all say USE THE RIGHT CHARGER. No one seems to encourage using an automotive charger. If you had 6v cart you could do 2 at a time with the 12V charger. But info reflects you could do damage to an 8v battery with the wrong charger. Stick with the 48V charger and do it the safe way. Run the search for "battery charging" and see the results.

ridgerunner51 · 03-05-2009, 06:59 PM

Ok ,thank you for the information .

scottyb · 03-05-2009, 08:12 PM

You can charge an 8 volt battery with certain 12v chargers but, you have to be very careful not to cook your battery... The charger MUST have a 2 amp setting and you must watch it carefully monitoring the actual battery voltage. Never let the side of the battery get more than just warm to the touch and never let the charging voltage read over 12v .... 30 - 60 minutes of this is enough ..... Again, it is not recommended and if you try this at home, at your own risk remember, it is not for amatures.

dereckbc · 03-05-2009, 08:52 PM

It can be done if you are very careful and monitor it closely. Any charger you buy will be current limited, and for a cart battery 20 amps is about the maxright, but no more than 20 to be safe. 2, 4, 6, 10 up to 20 amps will work. The higher the current the quicker things happen.

The problem is when the voltage hits about 9.6 volts the batteries are going to start gassing very heavily, boil over, and start heating up quickly. If that happens you are in trouble.

ridgerunner51 · 03-05-2009, 10:05 PM

Thanks scottyb, that was the information I needed . The charger has a 2 amp setting and I will watch it very closely .

03-05-2009, 05:05 PM	#1
ridgerunner51 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 30	8 volt battery charger If I use a 6/12 volt automotive battery charger to top off my 8 volt batteries (one @ a time ), can I damage the batteries ? I purchased 6 new ones and I thought I would top them off before I install them . Any advice on this ? Thanks.......

03-05-2009, 05:50 PM	#2
dcannow Gone Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Liberty Lake, WA Posts: 479	Re: 8 volt battery charger I would suggest you install the batteries and then charge all at once with your 48V charger. Someone else can tell you if your idea will work or if you could cause some damage . But I ask why bother doing them one at a time??

03-05-2009, 06:24 PM	#3
ridgerunner51 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 30	Re: 8 volt battery charger I just didn't want to install them all and then not have enough juice to kick on the charger. Also I would like to know if I did at sometime need to charge one out of the cart if I could use the posted charger. Thanks for the information .

03-05-2009, 06:32 PM	#4
dcannow Gone Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Liberty Lake, WA Posts: 479	Re: 8 volt battery charger Do you have a voltage meter or hydrometer? If so check the batteries for level of charge. You can get a hydrometer at auto parts for $6/7. Be sure and get one that has numbers on it. Then look at the sticky above that has info for percentage of charge. If they are new I'll bet they have a fair charge to them.

03-05-2009, 06:39 PM	#5
ridgerunner51 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 30	Re: 8 volt battery charger Thank you I will try that, but does anyone have the answer to my original question regarding the use of that automotive charger ?

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03-05-2009, 06:54 PM	#6
dcannow Gone Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Liberty Lake, WA Posts: 479	Re: 8 volt battery charger I just searched posts for you and all say USE THE RIGHT CHARGER. No one seems to encourage using an automotive charger. If you had 6v cart you could do 2 at a time with the 12V charger. But info reflects you could do damage to an 8v battery with the wrong charger. Stick with the 48V charger and do it the safe way. Run the search for "battery charging" and see the results.

03-05-2009, 06:59 PM	#7
ridgerunner51 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 30	Re: 8 volt battery charger Ok ,thank you for the information .

03-05-2009, 08:12 PM	#8
scottyb Happy Carting Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern California Posts: 73,408	Re: 8 volt battery charger You can charge an 8 volt battery with certain 12v chargers but, you have to be very careful not to cook your battery... The charger MUST have a 2 amp setting and you must watch it carefully monitoring the actual battery voltage. Never let the side of the battery get more than just warm to the touch and never let the charging voltage read over 12v .... 30 - 60 minutes of this is enough ..... Again, it is not recommended and if you try this at home, at your own risk remember, it is not for amatures.

03-05-2009, 08:52 PM	#9
dereckbc Gone Wild Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 240	Re: 8 volt battery charger It can be done if you are very careful and monitor it closely. Any charger you buy will be current limited, and for a cart battery 20 amps is about the maxright, but no more than 20 to be safe. 2, 4, 6, 10 up to 20 amps will work. The higher the current the quicker things happen. The problem is when the voltage hits about 9.6 volts the batteries are going to start gassing very heavily, boil over, and start heating up quickly. If that happens you are in trouble.
dereckbc Gone Wild Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 240

03-05-2009, 10:05 PM	#10
ridgerunner51 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 30	Re: 8 volt battery charger Thanks scottyb, that was the information I needed . The charger has a 2 amp setting and I will watch it very closely .

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