Batteries always low on water

[cgtech]

Originally Posted by cartattach

You can go to this page: http://www.interstatebatteries.com/b...art+Number&1=1 That is where interstate had their batteries listed and compare to what you have to determine your battery model. It's probably a correctly listed for cart use battery. Now, when you fill the water (Distilled ovviously) you want to just barely cover the plates you can see through the filling cap. Like 1/4 tp 3/8 above the plate. It's a natural process for batteries to "boil" when charging, and if the water is to the highest maximum spot it will boil over every single charge. Let the water fail down to 1/4 - 3/8 above the physical plates you can see inside the battery and then continue to add water from there when needed, still staying about that 1/4 above amount.

Man, something we are in 100% agreement on... Just fill a 1/4" above the plates. Dead-or-full charge, just keep 'em covered. Got another one today, 40% soc, nearly filled to the brim by a handheld "auto fill jug" that they think is the best invention ever, that will be a mess. I hate those things.

[cartattach]

Overfilled batteries build more corrosion faster and cause more failures than I can shake a stick at. Then they complain about the smell and crap on their floor. Ask well, how often do you check your batteries? It's either never, in which case they are dry and dead or like weekly (and I just use so much water is that normal) and there's a mountain of corrosion so thick you can't even see the terminal. I usually say, so you check this weekly.....and what part of that green mountain of corrosion did you think was ok?!?

[tag50]

So you belittle a paying customer. If everybody did everything right, how much business would you have?


.

[cartattach]

Originally Posted by tag50

So you belittle a paying customer. If everybody did everything right, how much business would you have?


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And if you don't give it to them straight and unabridged you fix it, it happens again except the next time they blame you cause you worked on it last. Like, you replaced my tail light and now my brakes don't work, it must be your fault. I may be many things, but I'm not one to sugar coat anything. If you don't like it, you're welcome not to use my services. I guess thats why I keep getting so many referrals. Some people like to be told straight. And even if everyone does everything right, mechanical devices will still fail. New, old, used, repaired, whatever......they will all fail at some point. Once piece of advice I got from a friend back in my youth when racing I'll never forget was that "a car is a machine that can fail at anytime no matter how well you treat it." His uncle died in a drag chevelle on the 1/4 in one of the safest designs available at the time. Machines will always fail, and humans will always have to repair them.

[DaveTM]

Originally Posted by tag50

So you belittle a paying customer. If everybody did everything right, how much business would you have?


.

Tag, I dunno cartattach from a cake of soap. But I can only assume he is likely a bit more tactful in person....face to face than he is here on a forum.

I can tell you that when I worked, in business as a partner in a CPA firm, there were statements made to me by clients that would make a 12 year old roll their eyes. In fact, I "dubbed" on guy "The President of the Stupidest Man on the Planet Club." Yes.....not just a member of said Club.....but the PREZ!! Of course, I never said this to him face to face....yet I so much wanted to.

When you deal with the public, you often wonder at times how some people actually breath. You don't tell them this....but you still wonder.

Dave

[tag50]

Since I was 15, all my employments have involved customer service to one degree or another. I've dealt with those people that make you wonder who ties their shoes.

While you may "assume he is likely a bit more tactful in person", I took "I usually say" at face value. I just thought it was odd to complain about somebody shooting themselves in the foot while being paid to dress the wound.


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[cartattach]

While perhaps a little less "belittling" in person, I do give it straight. I'm not afraid to tell someone that the problem was their fault, 100%.

OP, I just so happened to have had a call today for the same issue, batteries boiling off to empty constantly. Turned out that someone had rigged the charger into an always on bypass. The always on boiled them out and created a horrible sulfur smell in the room. Check your charger.

[DaveTM]

I stated in my first post that it should not take 16 hours to charge a set of cart batteries. Now, that being said, and the fact that I am no expert,...OTOH if my car took 16 hours to do anything....it would either be posted here, or in the shop if I couldn't get an answer.

The water boiling out every three days would indicate to me that the charger is over charging the batteries. Thus.....indicating a charger issue. If nothing else, perhaps the guy could borrow another charger....or take it to a shop for a DX.

But.....obviously there is something broken and in need of a fix. If he keeps going down this road he's going to possibly wake up in the middle of the night with a battery fire that he neither want's nor needs.

Fix the thing before it cause's some real harm.

[cartattach]

It took 5.5 GALLONS of distilled water to refill the batteries that were in that cart I mentioned above. And the batteries were manufactured in 11-2014. My bets are definitely on the charger either having a bad relay that is remaining on at all times, or the charger has been set into a bypass to run constantly.