EZ-Go 36v battery issues?

[cnichol3]

One last question, maybe. Since in my foreseeable future I will undoubtably have to replace all 6 batteries, what brand or type do you recommend. I would hope upon a battery that is high quality but is also cost friendly. I don't want to sacrifice both mine and my spouses left limbs of possible.

[JohnnieB]

Trojan T-105 is, or was, the gold standard.
You'll want to get batteries whose specs are similar and they ain't cheap.
Here is a fairly decent overview and comparison of what is out there.
http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...omparison.html

In general terms, the heavier the battery is the higher its capacity.

It is usually less expensive to buy locally since batteries are heavy and the shipping charges will offset the savings of buying on-line.
Goto the various manufacturer's websites and look for local dealers.

If you have access to a pick-up or HD SUV, driving a ways might be economical, but in some cars, you'll have to make two trips.

Check out what is available locally. Some guys have found good deal at auto parts stores, sam's club and the like, but be sure to get batteries specifically designed for golf carts. Car batteries and marine batteries are no-nos.

Do your homework and go for what works out best for you.

[hammertime]

I took my ezgo 36v out yesterday for my first round if golf and only made it 4 holes. Charged it all night and the charger was still running this morning and batteries were bubbling. Ran find at the end of last season and I charged it every 4 weeks. I drove it for 10 minutes straight this morning and I had the following reading after 10 minute

Full pack was 38.4 and batteries were all 6.3 to 6.4. I had not charged it for a while before yesterday but I did only get 4 holes. Thoughts? Don't know if I need to go get new batteries today or what. They are napa batteries only 4 years old

[JohnnieB]

NAPA sells two grades of batteries.
At 226AH, the 8146 is the standard grade and at 186AH the 8144 is the "economy" grade.
Economy grade is probably a misnomer because they have a short lifespan and reduced run-time throughout their life.

If you have the 8144 batteries, you are lucky they have lasted 4 years.

If you have the 8146 batteries, it is probably time to replace them.

What is the pack and individual battery voltages 12 hours after the charger turns off automatically?
The pack should be 38.2V and the batteries should be 6.37V each and all within 0.1V of each other.

What is the pack and individual battery voltages after the cart has been drive the equivalent of 4 holes?
No matter what the pack voltage drops to, the individual batteries should still be within 0.1V of each other,

[hammertime]

Well they are the 8144's. 11 hours after a full charge it now measures 38.7 and all batteries are 6.4 except one is 6.5 and that is the one battery that is newer because I had 1 battery fail 2 years ago. I think it went dead on my first run yesterday because I hadn't had the charger on it for 6 weeks or more and I have a stereo etc that draws on it. What do you think?

I also have a 2008 yamaha drive with original 2008 Trojans. What should those read after charge and 12 hours rest and what should they read individually? This will be season 6 for them. I just bought the cart so I don't know battery maintenance history on those but I golfed with that one yesterday and pushed the dead ezgo home with it!

[JohnnieB]

Those voltages are mighty high after 11 hours of rest.

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The statement that the batteries hadn't been charged in 6 weeks is troubling.
They should be charged after each use, no matter how slight the use is.
While in winter storage, they should be charged at least once a month, or maintained at a fully charged state continuously with a float charger.

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The battery doesn't know the name of the vehicle it is in, so the voltages will be the same.

[hammertime]

I checked a gain this morning 38.4 on the pack and all batteries were 6.4 or 6.3 so it sounds like they are still ok? Any info on my 48v question and where those should be 24 hours after a charge?

[JohnnieB]

I didn't know your Yamaha was 48V, but deep-cycle batteries are deep-cycle batteries.
Here is a SoC vs Voltage chart for various battery and pack voltages.

Basically, a Lead-Acid, Deep-Cycle, Wet-Cell that has been properly matured and maintained and is in good health, has an at-rest voltage of 2.122V when fully charged. To determine the fully charged at-rest voltage for any deep cycle battery or battery pack, multiply the number of cells by 2.122V.

If the batteries in your Yamaha are off the top of the chart also, it is time to question the accuracy of the voltmeter you are using.
(Some DVMs will read high when their internal battery is weak)

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Golf cart battery chargers typically shut off at about 2.5VPC (Volts per Cell) or about 45V for a 36V pack and about 60V for a 48V pack. This leaves a the batteries with what is commonly called a surface charge, which must be depleted to get an accurate SoC estimate from the at-rest voltage.

The rest time recommended by most battery manufacturers is 24 hours, but 12 hours is usually enough to get a fairly accurate SoC reading.

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To determine weather the 4 year old batteries are good or not, they need to be load tested with a deep-cycle battery load tester rather than an automotive battery load tester.

OR:
Drive the cart for an equivalent of about 9 holes and check the voltages again. (Let the batteries rest 15 minutes after stopping to get an at-rest voltage)

The voltage the batteries drop to will depend on their age and health, but they should all remain with 0.1V of each other.
You can look up the SoC on the chart and project what your run-time or distance of travel will be for that set of batteries in that cart.

Never discharge them below 50%,