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Old 10-16-2011, 06:24 PM   #1
SMA Club Car
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Default Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

Hi all

New to the forum. I've read several posts and really appreciate the knowledge that circulates around. Thanks for sharing. I hope someone might have some insight into my problem.

I've got a newish Club Cart Precedent, 48 V, 4 battery system. Batteries purchased new in May, 2011. For the first 3 months after I bought the new batteries, all was fine, very peppy and sufficient charge to get me to and from the golf course after 18 holes, with charge to spare. It's approximately 2.5 miles to the course.

Left town for two weeks in September, plugged into the powerdrive charger. After returning, the cart has slowly lost it's pep. I took the batteries back to the manufacturer, found one cell that may have been low. All other batteries appeared fine. They replaced the battery. Now I have one new and 3 batteries approx. 4.5 months old.

Before leaving for the course today, I checked the voltage readings on the fully charged bank of batteries. All read between 12.6 and 12.7 volts. After nine holes I had to abandon the cart at the course. Not enough power to continue.

My guess is that there is a short somewhere that is draining off the power from the batteries, but I don't have any idea where it could be. I've got no extra lights, or electrical accessories that may be responsible.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any ideas where to start? Could the motor be going bad? I did feel a slight drag when pushing the cart as if the brakes were ever-so-slightly engaged, but I doubt it was sufficient drag to create such a power drain. Help.

Thanks all
Steve
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Old 10-16-2011, 06:53 PM   #2
simple man
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

What voltage readings do you have on your individual batteries after you lose power? This still sounds like a battery problem. Make sure all your connections are clean and tight and your water levels are correct. If you can, post your voltage readings when the problem starts.
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Old 10-16-2011, 06:53 PM   #3
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SMA Club Car View Post
Hi all

New to the forum. I've read several posts and really appreciate the knowledge that circulates around. Thanks for sharing. I hope someone might have some insight into my problem.

I've got a newish Club Cart Precedent, 48 V, 4 battery system. Batteries purchased new in May, 2011. For the first 3 months after I bought the new batteries, all was fine, very peppy and sufficient charge to get me to and from the golf course after 18 holes, with charge to spare. It's approximately 2.5 miles to the course.

Left town for two weeks in September, plugged into the powerdrive charger. After returning, the cart has slowly lost it's pep. I took the batteries back to the manufacturer, found one cell that may have been low. All other batteries appeared fine. They replaced the battery. Now I have one new and 3 batteries approx. 4.5 months old.

Before leaving for the course today, I checked the voltage readings on the fully charged bank of batteries. All read between 12.6 and 12.7 volts. After nine holes I had to abandon the cart at the course. Not enough power to continue.

My guess is that there is a short somewhere that is draining off the power from the batteries, but I don't have any idea where it could be. I've got no extra lights, or electrical accessories that may be responsible.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any ideas where to start? Could the motor be going bad? I did feel a slight drag when pushing the cart as if the brakes were ever-so-slightly engaged, but I doubt it was sufficient drag to create such a power drain. Help.

Thanks all
Steve
What type and brand of batteries are in the cart? Did you move the tow/run switch to tow? If not, the drag you felt when pushing it was the regen braking kicking in. I would charge the batteries up and test them afterwords and post you readings. Then drive it for a mile or two and re-test them and post those readings. Sounds like a bad battery or a battery with bad cells. Also check your battery cable connections to make sure they are tight.
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Old 10-16-2011, 06:56 PM   #4
72volt_ezgo
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

If you don't have a battery load tester then you need at least a multimeter for checking each battery voltage under LOAD. Meaning to clip the voltmeter to the battery and monitor the voltage while taking off (or attempting to).

Then do that to all batteries and make a note of the voltage readings.
That will show you instantly if one or more batteries are toast and can't hold voltage under load. Open circuit (or battery not loaded) readings are only good for state of charge measurements and completely useless in diagnosing for a suspect battery. (has to be under load)

As a refrence about 12.6-12.7V is a fully charged battery. Ideally when you take off,the voltage should not sag below 12 volts but this depends on conditions. In your case if it is not even able to move anymore,you will see one or more battery sagging way down in voltage. If not then it is not a battery issue.

I would start there!

Barna
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Old 10-16-2011, 07:09 PM   #5
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

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Originally Posted by 72volt_ezgo View Post
If you don't have a battery load tester then you need at least a multimeter for checking each battery voltage under LOAD. Meaning to clip the voltmeter to the battery and monitor the voltage while taking off (or attempting to).

Then do that to all batteries and make a note of the voltage readings.
That will show you instantly if one or more batteries are toast and can't hold voltage under load. Open circuit (or battery not loaded) readings are only good for state of charge measurements and completely useless in diagnosing for a suspect battery. (has to be under load)

As a refrence about 12.6-12.7V is a fully charged battery. Ideally when you take off,the voltage should not sag below 12 volts but this depends on conditions. In your case if it is not even able to move anymore,you will see one or more battery sagging way down in voltage. If not then it is not a battery issue.

I would start there!

Barna
I used a digital load tester on mine when I got it and thought I read that its not an accurate way to test wet cells? I'm new at this and maybe I'm wrong so I am curious if this is an accurate way to test them. I tried the meter at 200cca and it failed two of my four 12v and the other two said good but recharge. They all pasted at 150cca though. These are 6yr old 12v and know I need new batteries.
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Old 10-16-2011, 07:19 PM   #6
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

Thanks for all the inputs. It's late here and I can't check the battery voltage levels until tomorrow morning. No load tests, but I can check the available volts on each battery.
Hoping it isn't a battery issue. Just laid out some bucks for these things less than 5 months ago. The brand is LTH. I live in Mexico. Please, no "oh, that's the problem" jokes. I believe these are supposed to be the best available in my area!

Thanks all for the quick replies.
S
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Old 10-16-2011, 07:31 PM   #7
erict
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SMA Club Car View Post
Thanks for all the inputs. It's late here and I can't check the battery voltage levels until tomorrow morning. No load tests, but I can check the available volts on each battery.
Hoping it isn't a battery issue. Just laid out some bucks for these things less than 5 months ago. The brand is LTH. I live in Mexico. Please, no "oh, that's the problem" jokes. I believe these are supposed to be the best available in my area!

Thanks all for the quick replies.
S
Are they a golf cart battery or just a standard deep cycle battery?
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Old 10-16-2011, 07:56 PM   #8
72volt_ezgo
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

Quote:
Originally Posted by erict View Post
I used a digital load tester on mine when I got it and thought I read that its not an accurate way to test wet cells? I'm new at this and maybe I'm wrong so I am curious if this is an accurate way to test them. I tried the meter at 200cca and it failed two of my four 12v and the other two said good but recharge. They all pasted at 150cca though. These are 6yr old 12v and know I need new batteries.
This will not test the cells but the overall performance of each battery.
And since we can't replace the cells in todays batteries this will just point to a bad battery. Then I guess we could try to frankenstein life into an individual cell but you still need to start somewhere!

About those new digital battery testers...I'm not going to express my real feelings about them I'll just say I would rather believe a two year old child what he or she thinks about the battery than what these testers say as a result.
Sorry that is just my experience with them ( a total of 3 different kinds )

And 150cca is about a half a lawnmower battery's cranking amps so don't go with that as an input when testing big boy batteries

As far as a tester that I do believe in is the good old cabon pile analog meter with the rocker switch that puts about a 100 A load on a strong 12V battery and watch that needle move while holding it for a few seconds!
That will not lie! That's mainly for automotive batteries though but still.


To check cell conditions you would use a hygrometer but I never go that far so I will admit that I have no experience there with the specific gravity and what not. Like I said if you identify a bad cell,what are you going to do with it? You will have to replace the whole battery to fix it (unfortunately)

Barna
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Old 10-16-2011, 08:02 PM   #9
72volt_ezgo
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SMA Club Car View Post
Thanks for all the inputs. It's late here and I can't check the battery voltage levels until tomorrow morning. No load tests, but I can check the available volts on each battery.
Hoping it isn't a battery issue. Just laid out some bucks for these things less than 5 months ago. The brand is LTH. I live in Mexico. Please, no "oh, that's the problem" jokes. I believe these are supposed to be the best available in my area!

Thanks all for the quick replies.
S
Oh that's the problem! Sorry I had to do it : )

I hope they have some kind of warranty on them being that new! But I really don't know how these things are being handled over there in your neck of the woods.
Can you do the load test with the described method? It is really a simple and absolutely reliable way to narrow things down!
Barna

EDIT: Forgot to mention that you do NOT have to disconnect the batteries to do this load test or the regular voltage test to see the individual battery voltages. Just clip on the battery posts and the meter will only read that battery even as it is in a series string of other batteries!
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Old 10-16-2011, 08:04 PM   #10
erict
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Default Re: Problem with 07 Club Car, slow, sluggish...dead.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 72volt_ezgo View Post
This will not test the cells but the overall performance of each battery.
And since we can't replace the cells in todays batteries this will just point to a bad battery. Then I guess we could try to frankenstein life into an individual cell but you still need to start somewhere!

About those new digital battery testers...I'm not going to express my real feelings about them I'll just say I would rather believe a two year old child what he or she thinks about the battery than what these testers say as a result.
Sorry that is just my experience with them ( a total of 3 different kinds )

And 150cca is about a half a lawnmower battery's cranking amps so don't go with that as an input when testing big boy batteries

As far as a tester that I do believe in is the good old cabon pile analog meter with the rocker switch that puts about a 100 A load on a strong 12V battery and watch that needle move while holding it for a few seconds!
That will not lie! That's mainly for automotive batteries though but still.


To check cell conditions you would use a hygrometer but I never go that far so I will admit that I have no experience there with the specific gravity and what not. Like I said if you identify a bad cell,what are you going to do with it? You will have to replace the whole battery to fix it (unfortunately)

Barna
One of these testers? That was the problem I had with the digital tester as no one could give me a good answer on what to set it at for these type of batteries.

Battery-Load-Tester-1DGV7_AS01.JPG
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