Does too big of a battery harm the starter?

pthomas

I have a late 80s EZ GO with a 2 cycle gas engine. I just put a 750 CCA group 65 battery in it and and started great for about 10 times. Now it will not start. I can hear the relay click, but that is all.

I suspect that the battery I put in was too big for the electrical system. Any idea on what I hurt? What battery should I use once I get this problem figured out?

BGW

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1fast67

I wouldnt think a bigger battery would do that. The biggest i could get in my 79 was a group 24.

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pthomas

I didn't think it would hurt anything either. I was taking the kids around for trick or treat and something smelled hot and I could see smoke. So something burned out.

simple man

Actually a larger battery is better for the starter! Low voltage will kill a starter motor! You have a bad connection somewhere.

pthomas

I am a cart novice. What could have smelled like it was burning or getting too hot? Would a bad connection act like that? What is the best way to trouble-shoot this?

kyerik

Try removing and cleaning the battery cables where they attach to the posts of the battery.

Next try starting it in reverse- the contacts of the big rotary forward/reverse switch might be dirty.

Also check that the + battery post didn't short out against some nearby metal part.

simple man

First put the rear of your cart on jackstands so you can run it and watch. Run it at a speed that approximates the speed it goes when driving ( not wide open ). You should be able to see what smokes! A bad connection will get hot and can burn wiring insulation. It usually happens to electric carts, but a bad connection in any wiring can get hot enough to smell and smoke! I would also look for something laying on the exhaust. I ran over a plastic grocery bag with a gas cart once and it stuck to the muffler and stunk and smoked to High Heaven!

pthomas

Holy COW kyerick!!! You are on to something. I thought it was completely dead. I could have sworn I tried to start it in reverse while the kids were crying about trick or treat being ruined, but in all the drama I must not have. I just tried starting in reverse and it kicked over!!! I put in in forward and I can hear it arching when I try to start it.


I am not sure what contacts you are suggesting I look at. The ones on the FWD/REV swich itself?

pthomas

I am still going to check the contacts, but I have been experimenting with it and I am not sure what is going on.

It will start consistantly in reverse and occassionally in forward, but only after it has been sitting a while (too hot?).

It will start in forward, but run for a couple of seconds before I hear a belt squeel and it dies. It will not start in forward again after this happens, but it will start in reverse.

I replaced the starter belt and the battery last week (prior to this problem happening).

Any thoughts? Is it the contacts?

kyerik

The big forward/reverse switch has contacts behind where the cables attach.

I had an issue last week in which one of the cable ends that attached to a starter terminal was almost broken in half. It would only crank over when I wiggled that cable. I also saw a little spark coming from the bad connection, that is how I tracked it down- so you might give that a try (when it acts up, take the seat off and tug each of the cables while you have the pedal pushed down).