Charger won't kick on

[opiegough]

I have a 1989 EZ go electric that sits a few weeks at a time between charges. The batteries are two years old. Last time I tried to charge it the charger would not start. They were low on water so I covered the plates with deionized water and nothing. I grabbed another charger from someone else and it did nothing. It was working on the other cart. Do you think maybe one of the cables may be bad? What else could it be? Bad battery?

[mikesmotortoys]

What is your voltage reading for all the batteries? If you have an automatic Powerwise charger, there has to be at least 24 volts in your battery bank for the charger to turn on. If your batteries cannot hold a charge for 1 - 2 weeks just sitting - pony up and buy new ones, as yours are probably shot. You could have one or all bad batteries. The ONLY way to properly know this answer is by a battery discharge test. Any decent golf cart shop should have one of these machines...

[opiegough]

Thanks, I checked a few of the batteries and they were around 4 volts. Thsi might be keeping the charger from kicking on. I plan to charge them two at a time and see if they will stay up and let the 36 volt charger work.

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by opiegough

Thanks, I checked a few of the batteries and they were around 4 volts. Thsi might be keeping the charger from kicking on. I plan to charge them two at a time and see if they will stay up and let the 36 volt charger work.

Welcome to BGW.

Never let the plates get exposed to air. This will cause irreversible damage to the battery. So when you get the new ones check the water often. It should always cover the plates. Batteries should last twice as long as these minimum. If you can....when you are going to let them set for a couple of weeks do with a full charge first. Hope this helps....