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Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV.



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Old 04-22-2014, 02:53 PM   #1
sglutting
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Default New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Hello Everyone,

I have just purchased my first golf cart ever. The wife and I recently decided to go seasonal camping out at a campground not to far from the house. A neighbor of our sold us his cart for $600.00. I couldn't pass the deal up, it is cosmetically beat up, but I plan to strip it down, paint it, and re-do the upholstery.

Anyways,

From what I can tell it is an 86 EZ-GO Marathon?
Serial # 409661
Mnf Code # 62686.
The cart has new batteries at the end of last season and seems to run okay. Although it did die shortly after charging it. How long does it take to fully charge a 36 volt cart? Can anyone tell me what else I should be looking for on this cart as far as potential problem spots? Is this indeed an 86 EZ-GO Marathon? All help is appreciated. I will be posting pictures of my project as soon as I get it home sometime this week.

Thanks in advance
Scott
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Old 04-22-2014, 03:23 PM   #2
sowilliams
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

If it got all new batteries last year you did good because they would have cost $600 by themselves. As far as length of charge that depends on amount of discharge. If they were pretty low it probably needs to charge overnight. Do you have an automatic charger that shuts off when full charge is achieved? Use a digital voltage meter to check each battery after charge to insure each one is reading 6+ volts.
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Old 04-22-2014, 10:52 PM   #3
SilkWorm SoCal
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Cool Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Welcome. I also just purchased my first cart a few months back. Also a Marathon. Slowly I will also begin restoring it. Seats are actually at shop right now getting reupholstered. Good luck and keep us updated. My batteries are 1.5 yr old usually a 2 hour charge keeps em good. ALWAYS good to check your volts. Charge overnight then check again.
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Old 04-23-2014, 05:31 AM   #4
JohnnieB
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Charge the batteries after each use. If the cart is not being used, charge them at least once a month.
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Old 04-23-2014, 02:07 PM   #5
sglutting
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Quote:
Originally Posted by sowilliams View Post
If it got all new batteries last year you did good because they would have cost $600 by themselves. As far as length of charge that depends on amount of discharge. If they were pretty low it probably needs to charge overnight. Do you have an automatic charger that shuts off when full charge is achieved? Use a digital voltage meter to check each battery after charge to insure each one is reading 6+ volts.
That's what the previous owner told me too.. great buy then

From what I can tell they were pretty low, being that they haven't been charged since last September. The cart ran for probably 30 minute off of that charge from the pervious season. I then charged them for roughly two hours, but only got about an hour or so of run time out of it. I am going tonight to pick it up from the campground, so I plan to bring it home and charge her up over night. From what the previous owner was telling me the charger goes from a high amperage charge to a low amperage charge after it reaches a certain point. Is that what you mean by automatic charger?

SilkWorm, Any photos?

Thanks JonnieB, I will keep that in mind. Is that the best way to prolong battery life?
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Old 04-23-2014, 08:25 PM   #6
mbyoung388
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Nice find! I just got done restoring a 89' Marathon.
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Old 04-23-2014, 08:53 PM   #7
mdaddyrabbit
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...ore-after.html

I restored a 93 model Marathon this past Christmas for my child. Above is the link to the before and after images.
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Old 04-24-2014, 06:43 AM   #8
sglutting
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Quote:
Originally Posted by mbyoung388 View Post
Nice find! I just got done restoring a 89' Marathon.
Do you have pics of the project? I'd love to take a look! I will be starting on mine tonight.
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Old 04-24-2014, 06:44 AM   #9
sglutting
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Quote:
Originally Posted by mdaddyrabbit View Post
http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...ore-after.html

I restored a 93 model Marathon this past Christmas for my child. Above is the link to the before and after images.
Your cart looks amazing! This definitely motivates me! Where did you get all the rubber trim from? Was it the original or something new?
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Old 04-24-2014, 06:48 AM   #10
JohnnieB
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Default Re: New To Carting. EZ GO Marathon

Quote:
Originally Posted by sglutting View Post
That's what the previous owner told me too.. great buy then

From what I can tell they were pretty low, being that they haven't been charged since last September. The cart ran for probably 30 minute off of that charge from the pervious season. I then charged them for roughly two hours, but only got about an hour or so of run time out of it. I am going tonight to pick it up from the campground, so I plan to bring it home and charge her up over night. From what the previous owner was telling me the charger goes from a high amperage charge to a low amperage charge after it reaches a certain point. Is that what you mean by automatic charger?

SilkWorm, Any photos?

Thanks JonnieB, I will keep that in mind. Is that the best way to prolong battery life?
Hopefully, the relatively new batteries will survive the neglect by the former owner and abuse by the new owner.

Letting the batteries sit for over six months without being recharged is neglect.
Using them before they were recharged after they had sit for six months without being recharged was abuse.
Discharging them below 50% SoC (State of Charge) is abuse.

That may sound harsh and the acts were most likely done unintentionally, but letting a deep-cycle, lead-acid, wet-cell battery sit in a partially discharged state for long periods of time causes crystalline lead sulfate to form on the plates at a much higher rate than it normally occurs, reducing both the battery's storage capacity and useable lifespan. Running a cart until the batteries can no longer move the cart, or close to it, is also hazardous to the battery's health and longevity.

There are several factors that determine a battery's useable lifespan. IE: cart batteries last longer in cold climates than the do in hot climates. However, with the other factors staying the same, the higher the average state of charge maintained, the longer they last. (See attached graph.)

Also attached is a Voltage vs SoC chart. The voltages on the chart are At-Rest voltages, which are measure either about 12 hours after the charger shuts off automatically, or about 1/2 hour after the cart has been driven.

---------
For a fairly good overview of the care and maintenance of cart batteries, read everything with the word "Battery" in the title on this website: http://www.cartsunlimited.net/How_Batteries_Work.html
Attached Images
File Type: jpg SoC vs Theoretical Charge cycles with Voltages-2.JPG (114.0 KB, 0 views)
File Type: jpg JohnnieB's SoC Chart.JPG (63.9 KB, 0 views)
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