Is my ClubCar XRT 810-E overcharging?

[onetwothreetim]

Hello,

I hope that I'm posting in the proper forum (I couldn't find an XRT subcategory).

My father-in-law has a XRT 810-E that is having erratic charging problems. I am just starting to attempt troubleshooting. I know very little about the charging system at this time(I just looked at it briefly last night). I plan to read more about it throughout the day.

I would like to confirm a voltage that I’m sure is wrong but in an attempt to be through, and as I know nothing about the system, I would like to verify that it is incorrect.

The charger seems to be running over-voltage.

Apparently the charger will charge sometimes and sometimes not. When we plugged it in last night it appeared to work properly and the current meter went to full scale deflection (I didn’t really bother looking to see how much current was being drawn). After a short while the meter started showing about half current draw (halfway in the middle of the scale).

When the charging current dropped to the halfway point I measured the voltage across the terminals of a few of the batteries and found the charge voltage to be 16+ volts. Because of this, I stopped the charger and found that several batteries were making boiling sounds.

Having worked on different charging systems in the past I know that the charge voltage per individual battery shouldn’t really go over 14 volts. I just would like the verification just in case there is something strange with this system. I’m totally sure that 16 volts is way too much for any 12 volt acid battery.

Thanks in advance for any replies. I really appreciate the help.

Here is all that I know about the car at this time:

The system that I will be working on is 48 volts. 4 – 12v deep cell batteries.
The charger is a Powerdrive 3.
The Club car has a tow/run switch(currently on the run position).
The batteries are fairly new. (Less than a year old.)
Didn’t check for dead cells.
Reading 16+volts across single battery terminals (Didn’t bother to read the total series voltage).
I assume that the car has an OBC somewhere. I think that the OBC might control the charging.


Thanks in advance for any advice or comments. I would really appreciate any advice.

Regards,
Tim

[Fairtax4me]

It's normal for a 48V pack to reach 60+v while charging. The PD3 charger can top out around 65V depending on battery brand and model.

Some newer electronic chargers reach 70+v while charging a 48v pack.

The voltage isn't a concern unless it's low. The proper way to charge deep cycle batteries is to use a high current that tapers down as the voltage of the pack rises. The charge computer will then maintain a high voltage at low current for an extended time to completely charge and balance the batteries.

Some bubbling in the batteries during charging is normal. Check the electrolyte level and make sure the plates are covered.

f the cart has not moved since the last charge and you unplug the charger and plug it back in, the OBC will start a desulfation charge which is designed to make the batteries bubble because that bubbling action removes sulfur buildup from the lead plates. It's designed to reclaim battery capacity and extend the service life.

[onetwothreetim]

Originally Posted by Fairtax4me

It's normal for a 48V pack to reach 60+v while charging. The PD3 charger can top out around 65V depending on battery brand and model.

Some newer electronic chargers reach 70+v while charging a 48v pack.

.

Thank you Fairtax4me. I'm glad that I asked.

Wow, 70 volts. That's 17.5 volts per battery. I had no idea that a deep cycle battery could handle that.

I'm not sure how close the charger was to being finished....it seemed to ramp up to 16 volts pretty quickly. The bubbling seemed pretty intense but I'm not really used to charging at such high voltages. I could hear it from probably four feet away and my hearing isn't all that great.

The club car had been run a short distance since its last charge.

I guess that I have some reading to do....I think that my next step will be to reset the OBD. unless someone knows of something else that I should do first. I'll check the wiring too.


Thank you again Fairtax4me.
I appreciate your help.

Regards,
Tim

[Fairtax4me]

You're welcome, and welcome to BGW!