Battery Question??

archer161

Ok, I have 2007 Ezgo PDS cart and the batteries are 2007 model T-105 batteries. I would be safe in saying they come on the cart when it was new. I got the factory 36 volt charger also. I purchased the cart, run it around a little bit plugged it up and the dash battery meter said 100%. I then went out a couple of days later not knowing when the last time the batteries was checked I filled the water levels, none of them was dry, but low. I then run the the cart around the yard and plugged it back in. The charger no matter how much I have run it has never went over 8 to 9 amps on the meter. I run the cart again the other day enuff to drop the battery meter down about three bars. I plugged the cart up again, but the battery meter will not go back to 100%. I have a little hand volt meter and the batteries read 36.7 volts. I have done this a couple of times running the cart and charging it back, but never going back to 100%. I have checked each battery with my hand held meter and the lowest one being 6.0 volts and I took a simple battery tester to all of them also and none of them showed weak. My question is does this sound like the charger not working or the 5 year batteries???

BGW

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scottyb

This is a case of old and weak batteries not holding as much charge as they once could.

archer161

I can see that a older battery would not charge as much over time but, until I filled them with water they was re-charging to 100%. I noticed this just started after i filled the water level back to the check level. Is this still the old battery issue or is the charger not charging them???

scottyb

You have diluted the electrolyte. 8 amps is probably not enough to deep charge the batteries. They need to gas when charged. You can hear them 'boil' when this happens. If this does not happen then possibly the charge is not putting out a full charge.
Your amp gauge could be reading low too? I would replace the batteries and monitor the charger.

archer161

Is there any way to check the charger to see if it's putting out what it's needs to?? I have a real good 12 volt charger can i charge the batteries with it, just to see if it's the charger and if I'm right I would charge two batteries at a time right???

JohnnieB

Did the charger's ammeter go higher before you added water to the batteries? (Hopefully you used distilled water.)

Don't know which of the half-dozen or so "Factory" 36V chargers you've got, but if you attach your DVM across the battery pack and monitor the voltage it ought to start at whatever the pack voltage is, climb to about 42V, stay there for a while (up to about 30 minutes or so, but varies) and then continue to climb until it gets into the 44V-46V range where charger automatically shuts off.

To really check out the charger thoroughly, you have to open it up, which is very dangerous unless you know your way around inside electrical devices.

-----

Yes, you can charge the 6V batteries two at a time with a 12V charger.
The cables don't have to be disconnected, but I would put the Run/Tow switch in Tow before doing it.

Monitor the voltage of the pair and don't exceed about 14.7V

I'm not 100% sure of this, but I think there are some LED bar-graph type SoC meters that reset or recalibrate when they sense the batteries being charged, so whatever they get charged to becomes new "Full Charge" whether it truly is or not. I trust the old analog type more than the bar-graph type and, of course, the DVM type is most accurate.

archer161

Yes, I used distilled water and the charger never has been over 10 amps even before I added the water. I will get back with the name on the charger in a little bit!!

archer161

Ok, the charger is a power wise II with 21 amps max. and today I disconnected every battery and checked them with each one checking 6.3 volts. I then connected them and turned on the cart and it was 100% charge on the battery meter. I think my cart has a mind of its on and its screwing with me.

JohnnieB

Inanimate objects displaying malice towards humans is called Resistentialism.

Is cart working now?

If so, might have been bad connection.

Give batteries a full charge (Let PW II run until it shuts off automatically)
Let batteries rest (don't use or charge) for at least 8 hrs, preferably longer, and measure individual voltages.

Here's a State of Charge chart, showing voltages after the batteries have "Rested"
Full charge is 6.37V and 90% is 6.31V, so the readings should have at least 2 digits to the right of the decimal point to be meaningful.

Attached Images

StateofChargeChart.jpg (53.8 KB, 17 views)

chloe

Resistentialism.

Yeah, and to get rid of it, just say it three times real fast........and, uh, click your heels.