Battery question. Is this normal?

[TRPetr]

I have an 04 EZGO txt, 36v. I picked the cart up about 3 months ago, and I have done a bunch of work to it. I have a question about the battery charging indications.

The batteries are Duracell, and I believe they are a 2016 vintage. F6 and G6 stickers on them. They don't seem to have a lot of amperage. I did a PlumQuick raptor upgrade on the AMD motor and installed 2g cables. Controller, solenoid and F/R switch are original. The cart is lifted with 23" tires. Going up small inclines in my neighborhood seems a challenge. Probably at 7-8 mph. When I put the batteries on charge, pack voltage starts at about 36v and slowly climbs to about 44v before the charger kicks off. Once the charger is off pack voltage drops to about 37.5 to 38v. It's an original Powerwise charger, built in 99 I think.

I know that with batteries almost 5 years old I am on borrowed time. Is there much I can do with these batteries before I must replace them? My banker has been informed of the cost of new batteries, as well as the cost of going to 48v. I would like to go up to 48v but my banker is not thrilled!

[Bama Brad]

Not much, just make sure that water is keep up and all connections are clean and tight to get the best out of what's left in them. Unfortunately, they are probably on their way out, so save up. About 5-7 years is normal life of FLA batteries. And that's IF they have been taken care of.

[scottyb]

5 yr old batteries are done for. Some body got their moneys worth. 5 yrs is good. Some of the performance woes are definitely battery related. Is this a SERIES or PDS cart?

[TRPetr]

Battery connections are tight, water levels are good. And after having read quite a bit on this forum, I was pretty sure that 5 years on these batteries was probably pretty good.

Its a series cart.

I have the money for new batteries, its just that I have to convince myself that staying at 36v will be ok for the next 5 years. I'd love to upgrade to 48v, but I need a convincing argument for my wife.

[scottyb]

The series cart will produce 30% more speed and torque on 48v. But you will need a 48v compatible solenoid, controller, and charger.

[nickdalzell1]

Duracell in name only. Surprised you got 5 years out of them. Please don't skimp on batteries.

[Bama Brad]

If you are going to upgrade to 48v & have to buy a new charger, I would investigate Lithium packs. By the time you buy 8 batteries and a charger, you are about the same price. Most come with chargers and the difference in longevity makes it a no brainer. Not to mention performance and no maintainance.

[Cobra,1]

I got almost 6 years out of my Trojan batteries.
I replaced them 2 years ago with U S batteries due to slightly better specs then Trojans. I expect to get 5 to 6 years with religious care and charging practice.
I never let pack get below 80%.. charge after use regardless if driving 20 minutes or or all day use. Check water before and after each charge. Charge monthly during off season.

Off season battery maint. And allowing batteries to discharge to low before charging along with messy task of monitoring water level are main battery killers
IMO 😊

[Bama Brad]

Originally Posted by Cobra,1

I got almost 6 years out of my Trojan batteries.
I replaced them 2 years ago with U S batteries due to slightly better specs then Trojans. I expect to get 5 to 6 years with religious care and charging practice.
I never let pack get below 80%.. charge after use regardless if driving 20 minutes or or all day use. Check water before and after each charge. Charge monthly during off season.

Off season battery maint. And allowing batteries to discharge to low before charging along with messy task of monitoring water level are main battery killers
IMO 😊

Cobra is correct! Must do all of that to keep batteries properly maintained to get most years out of them....that's why I went with Lithium --- I'm lazy

[EzIndyGo]

Originally Posted by nickdalzell1

Duracell in name only. Surprised you got 5 years out of them. Please don't skimp on batteries.

Duracell's are East Penn manufactured. I think they can be a solid battery for the cost if taken care of.

OP - My Duracell's are 2017's and I only have a pack charge of 37.6 +/- .1V after charging and sitting overnight. I believe the owner before me did not maintain them correctly, as they took a gallon of distilled water when I purchased it and check the levels. Downgrading from 23" mud tires to 20" all-terrain definitely helped the discharge rate.

My buddy next door is in the market for batteries and he's going Duracell for the cost.

IF it was me in your position, I'd do this:

Duracell's can't hardly be beat for the cost. Invest in a cheap 36V pack.

Allow time to work in your favor for Lithium to come down in cost. This will allow you to start allotting saved dollars for the next 3-5 years for your build.

When your pack gives out next time, Lithium should be cheaper and you have the dedicated dollars to spend on a 48V lithium upgrade.

If your wife is anything like mine, even if you have the money for it, if a project like this wasn't budgeted, it's harder to get buy-in. If you plan for the next few years, maybe you'll get less grief about it.