Low voltage to frame?

[mtollin]

newbie, but I'm learning. Installed a 48v led battery meter in 2006 Club Car DS. 6 1 year old crown 165s. At first, meter did not come on which was correct, until I hooked up meter post 3 to blue wire on key. Then when I turned on key, on came meter, turned off, meter went off. Pos and neg for meter are wired directly to battery.

Then a strange thing happened. 4 days later I turned off key, and led did not turn off, but dimmed. I took a meter and placed negative on metal trim piece, positive to blue wire and I get 14 volts! I have a voltage reducer, accessory plug and head lights, so I took all leads off batteries except main neg and positive. Still get 14 volts from trim piece to blue key switch.

1) I shouldn't have any voltage from frame, correct?
2) how is it 14v with the reducer removed?

Any and all help would be appreciated. Other than this, cart runs perfect, charges perfect, lights work, accessory plug... But a long time ago, once, I had a USB cord plugged in and the end accidently touched a trim piece and got a spark. Has to be related.

[Volt_Ampere]

Nothing should be connected to the frame! No grounds, nothing. However, often due to battery acid being conductive, you get leakage to the frame that will show up on a voltmeter. This isn't great but it's not the end of the world either.

[mtollin]

Yea, I have no leads to frame, trying to see whats left to check. Acid? If batteries are plastic casing, has does corrosion from underneath battery get power to frame?

[Volt_Ampere]

They get leakage from the terminals. A DVM is high impedance so it will measure voltage even if there is just leakage. Even a small amount of acid on the battery case can do this.

[Cartmaster]

Originally Posted by mtollin

Yea, I have no leads to frame, trying to see whats left to check. Acid? If batteries are plastic casing, has does corrosion from underneath battery get power to frame?

Volt_Ampere is on the money.

Put your DVM negative probe on the main pack negative terminal and then place your positive probe on the battery plastic casing. You will most likely see up to full battery voltage on the plastic!!!!!! Then try probing the frame and such to see how much leakage you have.

Time to wash the batteries and battery compartment ( bicarbonate of soda )

[mtollin]

Originally Posted by Cartmaster

Volt_Ampere is on the money.

Put your DVM negative probe on the main pack negative terminal and then place your positive probe on the battery plastic casing. You will most likely see up to full battery voltage on the plastic!!!!!! Then try probing the frame and such to see how much leakage you have.

Time to wash the batteries and battery compartment ( bicarbonate of soda )

OK, will do. Should I pull out the batteries to get to frame? I have no place to do this other than a concrete driveway. Wats the best way to protect concrete? If I leave the hose running under the cart, will it prevent staining?

[Cartmaster]

If you wash down with the soda, it should neutralize the acid so should not be too much of an issue if you flood down with a hose.

Try washing just the tops of the batteries to see if you have reduced any leakage to the frame. Have you actually probed the batteries to see if it is in fact the issue? if the battery tops are wet and soiled it probably is the case but it does not hurt to actually check for leakage first.

[mtollin]

So it is normal to have voltage leakage to frame??? It is normal to have measured current on the plastic casing??? If so, should I consider plasti dip the metal trim strips?

I will clean them, but what if its not from battery leakage? I see dust on them, but no corrosion. Terminals clean too. The episode with the spark from the usb cable end was on the previous set of batteries, so I'm questioning battery leakage.

[scottyb]

I find this ghost voltage in almost every cart. It has no amperage so there is really no problem when there is no current.

[Volt_Ampere]

If everything is wired correctly, then this leakage won't affect anything negatively. That being said, it's still a good idea to keep batteries and connections clean. When I had FLA batteries, I washed them every so often and I kept my connections as clean as possible. I now have Lithium and one side benefit is no acid leaks to mess things up.