Battery Charger Not Working - Cart Not Working

[kellydoyle5787]

Hello - I purchased a 1996 Ezgo electric cart with new batteries three weeks ago today. When the cart was delivered it ran great. I drove it up and down my street 3-4 times during the first week and a half. I did not charge it, (I have now been told to charge it after each use) b/c it was not used for more that a minute or two each time.

Then I jumped in it to move it in the garage and the cart has no power. It will not move. My voltage meter shows each batter has just under 3 volts (the cart has 6, 6 volt batteries). So I hook up the PowerWise battery charger and it does not turn on. I take the charger to my neighbor and it works on his cart. I check the outlets at my house and the extension cord and they both work. I check the plug in receptacle on my cart with the voltage meter and it reads over 16 volts.

Any trouble shooting advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

[yurtle]

You need to charge those 6 volt batteries one at a time if you have a 6 volt charger, or 2 at a time if you have a 12 volt charger. Make this a priority. Your batteries are suffering permanent irreversible damage every minute you wait.

6 volts is around 50% SOC and is considered DEAD. 3 volts!

[JohnnieB]

Hopefully, irreversible damage has not been done to the batteries.
Never, ever, discharge the pack below 36.31V, which is 50% SoC (State of Charge)

The charger won't turn on because the batteries are too severely discharged.

If you have a 6V charger, give each of the batteries about an hour's charge, if you don't have access to a 6V charger, use a 12V charger and charge them in pair as shown on attached drawing.

[yurtle]

Depending on the charger, you'll need to get your batteries up to at least 5 - 6 volts each, then you should be able to use your buggy charger. You pack is so dead, your buggy charger doesn't even "see" it. You may find the buggy charger will time out after around 16 hours, and you should initiate a second charge cycle after the first one completes.

[kellydoyle5787]

Thanks for the quick reply and advice! I'll post again after I charge the batteries.

[rib33024]

Welcome to BGW

make sure the water is a 1/4" above the plates in the battery before you turn the charger on, use distilled water only in the batteries

[kellydoyle5787]

Thanks again for all the replies. After unsuccessfully trying to charge the batteries, I took them back to Interstate. There was one bad battery that may have adversely affected the others. They exchanged all 6 for new batteries (they were under a 30 day warranty). I hooked them up and the cart works again! It's charging on the Power Wise charger now. Thanks again!

[scottyb]

I love happy endings

[Sir Nuke]

Kelly, seeing as how I didn't see this thread, thus didn't chime in.....I have but one thing to say.......


CONGRATS on your ride and Welcome to our happy little corner of the net, and to BGWhere is a BIG fridge on the back porch with anything you can think of in it...help yourself...of course only take what you can LEGALLY have. Make yourself at home on one of the big fluffy couches, kick your shoes off, put your feet up on one of the tables, yes we are allowed to do that, mom's, dad's, wives', husband's, girlfriend's and boyfriend's here don't care....and take it easy.



oh...btw....every once in a while a food fight breaks out...so you may not want to wear nice clothes here.

Welcome!!

[yurtle]

But we now know why batteries are so expensive. Replacing abused batts costs money. 3 volts???

I hate it when I go to Home Depot after a storm and see tons of chain saws in the return desk. Costs me money when I have to reimburse them.