Jump starting a dead gas cart

[kshoemaker]

The (I think original) battery in my cart died last weekend when I was quite a ways off the beaten path. It got a vehicle close enough to jump it but still had the challenge of hooking/unhooking cables under the seat with the cart in gear... you get the picture. Here is the jump-start sequence I ended up using:

1) Lift the seat and connect the jumper cables as you normally would
2) Carefully close the seat on the cables and climb aboard
3) Apply brake fully w/left foot
4) Put the cart in gear
5) Start the cart w/right foot
6) Disconnect cables from starter vehicle and clamp them to insulated portion of jumpers
7) Hold jumper cables in 1 hand
8 ) Steer with the other hand and drive cautiously to destination being careful not to stall the cart or look like a crazy person

Is there better (safer? less silly looking?) way to jump a dead cart?

[kshoemaker]

The sun glasses emoticon on step 8 was unintentional but actually suits the situation.

[csport]

Looks good, and I saw another cool thing this past weekend-

a guy had a clawfoot type plug, on the gas cart

I had to ask "WHY"

he then showed me a set of jumper cables with the male end on it and a basic battery 6 amp charger with the male plug on it- so he didn't have to do the seat up routine. when he needed a jump. That made a lot of sense for me

I asked about the dangers of charging the cart with the seat down and no ventilation- he did say that he raised the seat to charge the cart- he also used an electric dryer female cord and an male cord from an old dryer his neighbor was throwing away

he also said he does unplug the charger from the power source away from the cart, not to get an explosion- he said one time was a major learning event for him

[Seafarer12]

Glad I have a key start buggy.

[kshoemaker]

Mine is close to that as well now. I zip tied a micro switch so the cart will start in neutral. I also cut the wire that turns the cart off when you release the gas pedal. Too bad I made these changes after the jump start episode.

[PIB-My-Ride]

No Maintenance Mode???

[kshoemaker]

I could jump it in maintenance mode, but switching out of maintenance mode to drive it shuts down the motor.

There are 2 micro-switches stacked above the maintenance mode switch. The one toward the front of the cart activates the reverse buzzer and the one toward the back enables maintenance mode. I zip-tied the one toward the back which effectively puts the cart in full time maintenance mode. I can now start it in neutral then switch gears thus making future jumps much simpler.

[lockman1]

With a pedal start cart.... you did EXACTLY what I would have done to get it home! (nothin' silly about it!)

.02

[kgsc]

A lot of times if the battery is just weak you can jump it in maintenance mode and run it for a minute or so then put it back in normal mode and the battery will have enough umph to start it normal. Otherwise you do what you have to do to get it home..

[kshoemaker]

I actually had it on the charger earlier in the day but it wasn't capable of holding a charge. I pressed my luck by heading too far from home base. They tested it at NAPA and the voltage topped out at 9.3 so it was definitely on its way out.