Total Charge III Charger problems, need schematic

[wimb]

Hi,

I have a 94 EZ-Go Marathon electric golf cart. It has slowly been deteriorating, where it would drive shorter and shorter on one charge (less than an hour most recently). The batteries are only two years old. This weekend I borrowed a friend's 12V deep cell battery charger. After I first used my own to charge them (Total Charge III, came with cart) I used the borrowed one on sets of two. First battery pair charged for another 18 hours (it has the lights on it - plan to swap the bulbs for 36V ones and wire over all batteries). The other two pairs each took ~10 hours to charge. All of this after my Total Charge III charger said they were fully charged... Guess it did not nearly charge them. Does any one have a schematic for the Total Charge III (including the control board). Need to see whether I want to try and fix it, or buy a new one that has more advanced charging capabilities like the Schauer JAC2036 20 Amp 36 Volt Battery Charger.

Thanks,

Bill

[rusty]

Welcome to the forum wimb....................

Sounds like you have 1 bad battery.

Check each battery with a volt meter and compare voltages. One battery will probably be less than the others. It will be the culprit. If no changes are detected in voltages, use a hydrometer.

One bad battery will pull the others way down when the current is needed.

[wimb]

Rusty,

The battery voltages were 6.12, 6.15,6.31, 6.34, 6.38, and 6.39 before charging them with the 12V charger (which by the way was a 10 Amp charger). First two were the one swith the lights attached. After charging the with the 12V charger they were 6.29-6.31V.

[roady89]

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...er-wiring.html

[wimb]

roady89,

Thanks. Any chance you also have the schematics for the control board (19460-G1)?

Bill

[roady89]

There are no schematics available.

[knew1]

I have a problem with my bateries taking a charge. I believe the problem is in the connection. When I plug the charger in, a short hum then stops. I push the plug all the way in......nothing. At times, I can lift the seat or wiggle the cord and the charger starts. Lately, it just won't do anything. Once, I left it all plugged in, went in for supper,came out and the charger was working. My batteries are fine I think. When charged, they last days at 15 to 30 minute usage intevals. I think I have a marathon. The charger is model #26984 Total Charge 3. Mfg date1989. After examining the contacts, they appear fine, but one is fixed and has no give like the other. The receptacle is an Anderson, but it is not in a housing in the frame. It is affixed to a piece of steel. The DC cord is old and appears to have been replaced at some point before I got it. 3 questions........does this sound like a fix that new plugs and receptacle might take care of? Does it matter what size I use.....SB50, SB175, or SB350? Could the problem be something different? Help is greatly appreciated.

[shadowman]

i would load test them and chaek cells with a hydrometer, the 1st two the #,s you posted wern,t good so start with them......................................

[wimb]

Originally Posted by knew1

I have a problem with my bateries taking a charge. I believe the problem is in the connection. When I plug the charger in, a short hum then stops. I push the plug all the way in......nothing. At times, I can lift the seat or wiggle the cord and the charger starts. Lately, it just won't do anything. Once, I left it all plugged in, went in for supper,came out and the charger was working. My batteries are fine I think. When charged, they last days at 15 to 30 minute usage intevals. I think I have a marathon. The charger is model #26984 Total Charge 3. Mfg date1989. After examining the contacts, they appear fine, but one is fixed and has no give like the other. The receptacle is an Anderson, but it is not in a housing in the frame. It is affixed to a piece of steel. The DC cord is old and appears to have been replaced at some point before I got it. 3 questions........does this sound like a fix that new plugs and receptacle might take care of? Does it matter what size I use.....SB50, SB175, or SB350? Could the problem be something different? Help is greatly appreciated.

When I got my cart I had the same problem. The contacts are supposed to be "fixed". What likely happened is that the plastic melted due to bad contact resulting the pin to no longer being kept in place, and making no or poor contact when you plug the charger in. Check both the plug and the receptacle on the cart real careful and replace one/both if plastic is melted or contacts are not held in place firmly.

[wimb]

Originally Posted by shadowman

i would load test them and chaek cells with a hydrometer, the 1st two the #,s you posted wern,t good so start with them......................................

I will test this over the weekend. I was thinking the first 2 were bad because the lights had over time discharged them much more than the other batteries(also took much longer to charge these two), but worth checking.