Charging Question On Melex 252

KSever

I recently acquired a Melex 252 36 volt cart. It also came with a manual charger. 6 X 6 volt batteries 4 yrs old.
The cart does have a charge meter on the dash and it does work but I have a couple questions hopefully someone can answer. The timer on the charger does not work so I have to watch the meter on the cart. Today while charging (the first time I've charged it) I put my digital meter on the batteries and got a reading of 44.3 volts and the dash charge status meter wasn't quite to the end of the white section of the CHG meter. I only had the charger on for 2 hours and the charger was still at 9 amps after starting at 20 amps, but I was afraid of over charging the batteries. Seems to me this is a little high voltage charge for a 36 volt system. Each 6 volt battery was reading 7.4 volts. Should this 44.3 volts charging worry me? Buying a new charger is a little out of the question right now after just buying a house and moving 1800 miles. Any help would be appreciated.

This is the type of meter on my cart.


The new ride

BGW

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teecro

Standing/resting voltage of a good 36 volt pack at 100 % state of charge will be 38.2 volts... During the bulk/absorption phase of charging you will see voltage around 44.5 and during the finish/equalize portion you will see voltage as high as 48.6 volts.... Charge her up some more....

KSever

Teecro Thanks for the response.

Been told no question is dumb question so I have to learn somehow. So hopefully I don't look to dumb. This isn't my first cart but it is my first manual charger.

I have another question concerning charging with this manual charger on this cart before I go out and buy an automatic charger. I put the charger on today for about 5 hours. The charger started out at about 20 amps and within 10 minutes went to 9-10 amps and the charge meter on the cart was right at the end of the G on the white part of the CHG meter. I kept watching the charge meter and the amp meter and by the forth hour the amp output was at 6 amp and the cart meter was just below the red. When I checked the amp output on the charger at 5 hours the amp output was back up to 7 amps and the cart meter hadn't moved since before at just below the red so I unplugged the charger. Shouldn't the charger amperage keep dropping as it gets charged? I checked before I charged this morning the total voltage was 36.5.

Kris

teecro

Keep asking and we will keep trying to help...

At 36.5 volts those battery are all but dead or roughly 55 % sstate of charge... At 4 years old they may be nearing the end of their life span...

Check the water levels and as long as over the plates charge the stink out of them to see if they will come up any.

Like I said 38.2 is resting voltage of a pack at 100 % SOC....

Generally yes amps should go down as the batteries absorb charge but it is had to see 1 amp difference on one of them old analog dials. Thump the gauge face could cause a different reading...

Also keep in mind that charging can take upwards of 16 hours depending on battery SOC

KSever

Water levels are good when I checked this morning, over the plates that is. Just walked out and checked what they charged to after resting about 4 hours and they are up to 37.6. But like I say I only charged them today or 5 hours, maybe they have been undercharged for a while. I don't know the history of this cart. Will check them in the morning and see what they end up settling at. Then I'll hook them back up to the charger.

teecro

37.6 resting is a little better than 80 % SOC so that appears promising.... Like I said don't be afraid to see voltage as high as 48.6 DURING the charge....

KSever

Well I bit the bullet today. I charged the cart all day yesterday and gained nothing. Checked the pack voltage this morning and was still at 37.4 volts. I have new batteries coming tomorrow to be installed.

Epb

You should consider a automatic charger. That lester timer charger i use i put it on full timer 12h after heavy use if we go a mile or two i put it on 5hr and dont charge again until the dash meter reacges 37.5. Its not tge best butim not buying another charger my 48v cart has the dpi charger.
in your case read scottyb website for battery breakin and follow it best u can with the timer charger.

KSever

Next purchase is going to be an automatic charger, I sure don't like this manual timer charger. Timer doesn't work so I watch it with a digital volt meter.

Got the new Trojan batteries installed today, charged them up and the cart is running much better. This Melex 252 has a Hi/low speed switch located just below the seat. Checked the speed with the gps and running on low speed I get 14 mph and high speed I am getting 19 mph.

Az Goin'

Who can tell more about the hi low switch? I have an unidentified toggle switch on my Melex 520 just below the seat near forward reverse lever.
Put new batteries in recently, and GPS thingey only read 11MPH..
Just figured it was a slow cart, because I see other carts in the neighborhood going much faster.