Battery no water again

[yurtle]

If the batts were low on water, would that possibly cause the batts to never reach the cut-off voltage, which would accelerate water use?

[radioman]

MDR; Borrow another charger and try it. I think a number of us have suggested your charger is not acting right and some recommended checks.

[mdaddyrabbit]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

What is the Make/Model of batteries?
What is the Make/Model of the charger?
How much water had to be added?
Where the plates exposed to air?
Was anything other than distilled water added to batteries?

Typically, the battery voltage starts at whatever the battery was discharged to and increases over time until the pack voltage reaches about 45V (for a 36V Battery pack) and charger shuts off.

The ammeter on many chargers quickly climbs to the changer's rated output when it turns on and stays there until the pack voltage reaches about 42V and the ammeter starts declining down to about 5A to 8A and then continues to decline as the pack voltage increases. Heavy gassing will also start occurring at about 42V and will continue until charger shuts off.

Apparently, your charger is staying in the gassing phase too long for some reason. If it is a classic golf cart battery charger, it might be a bad control board, so the charger isn't shutting off when the shutoff voltage is reached, or a bad capacitor, so the shutoff voltage isn't being reached.

If course, there might be another reason. Have to know charger type and make some tests to find out for sure.

Batteries are Trojan T-105
Charger type (see image)
Took 4 gallons of distilled water
plates did not get exposed to the air

[tteckster]

More than 2 quarts per battery? Plates were exposed, I'd guess.

[mdaddyrabbit]

Originally Posted by tteckster

More than 2 quarts per battery? Plates were exposed, I'd guess.

Freak, didn't understand the question....yes the plates were exposed.

I cannot believe my luck!

[cgtech]

Originally Posted by mdaddyrabbit

Batteries are Trojan T-105
Charger type (see image)
Took 4 gallons of distilled water
plates did not get exposed to the air

If "plates not exposed to air" and "took 4 gallons of water" are both true, i think your batteries are WAY overfilled, and you are in for a big acid mess at next charge cycle. The plates are supposed to be "just covered" (1/4" - 3/8" above top of plates). If you filled the batts up into the "ring" at the top of the batteries, they are way too full.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by mdaddyrabbit

Batteries are Trojan T-105
Charger type (see image)
Took 4 gallons of distilled water
plates did not get exposed to the air

Originally Posted by mdaddyrabbit

Freak, didn't understand the question....yes the plates were exposed.

I cannot believe my luck!

Was 4 gallons added after each of the two charges, or was 4 gallons the total usage for both charges? (IE: 2 gallons per charge)
It is enormous amount of water used in either case.

A TC-III (Total Charge III) is a suitable charger, if it is working right, but I suspect somebody has bypassed the control board on the TC-III you have.
With the TC-III disconnected from the cart, plug it into AC power. If it hums, the control board has been bypassed and it will charge the battery pack as long as it is connected to the cart.

I'm speculating, but my guess is that a defective charger is the reason the batteries used so much water.

Also, attached are two pictures showing the proper fluid level for both types of Trojan batteries.

[radioman]

Has anyone suspected the charger might be the problem?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by radioman

Has anyone suspected the charger might be the problem?

Everybody that has replied to this thread.