A family Christmas Present......

[BobBoyce]

Please be wary of most desulphating devices offered for sale. I have tested many to check for effectiveness. If a seller offers that their device can be connected all of the time during operation, then it will not really work. True desulphating technology will destroy electronics that are connected to the batteries being desulphated. I'll not delve into intricate detail, but spikes can be in excess of 100 volts on a 12V battery bank, higher on a 36V battery bank. Very fast rise time, very short duration, so fast that each spike peaks before the battery chemistry can absorb it. That is what it really takes to fracture lead sulphate crystals. Alternating between a session of spikes (to fracture the crystals) and a session of charge current (to dissolve the fragments) is the best way to recover sulphated batteries.

Bob

[Double00Kevin]

BobBoyce, thanks for all the info!! I will definitely keep all that in mind!! Funny funny thing is, I mentioned the BLS-36N, the previous owner dropped off a box full of goodies late last night and in mixed in was a brand new BLS-36N unopened in a small box......at this stage of the batteries.....can't hurt right?

Sir Nuke, thanks for another attachment, between this site, the attachments ya'll have share and a few other links I've found useful.....I'm off to a good start!!! My cart is a Series drive by the way.

My obvious original idea was to just buy a cart for the family to ride around the neighborhood on..........that simple plan was completely lost as soon as I started doing a little research. I'm consumed by it......and my OCD has been compared to that of a Master Drill Sgt. during basic training back in the 50's (according to my dad).

I plan to go through the cart completely, that should give me a good idea of the full state of everything.......not to mention, learn what I need to know for troubleshooting in the future, as well as things to look for, how test, what type of upgrades I can do with this thing, etc.

This is what I've been up to so far......

*For starters, the batteries were/are my priority. They started out too dead to charge, so I used my 12v charger to bring them back to life so the Powerwise QE can take over. The batteries seem to be coming back to life more and more with well with each charge cycle.

*Although the battery cables aren't the worst.....there are a few that seem to be failing (swelling where the cable meets the crimped terminal under the shrink wrap and a few have broken rings).....so I will be replacing the whole set next week with 4ga.

*The cart has a few things added and were wired to two of the batteries (for 12 volts, I assume".....this may be "normal" but I unhooked all of that in hopes of maybe adding marine battery for all the 12 volt stuff (designing some sort of charging setup with another small charger I have for that).......or installing some type of voltage reducer?

*Basically a set of front/rear lights and a 12 volt air horn......along with all that, I found a few cables that were hooked to those same two batteries but just tucked into the side of the cart, not terminate and not hooked to anything (slightly odd but I definitely understand with a cart this old, anything is possible I reckon).....I obviously removed that as well.

*Speaking of......are the rear lights supposed to work as brake lights or just running lights?

*A battery meter seemed to be added at some point (has 3 wires)......which seems to be wired correctly through the ignition switch and ran to the first/last batteries in the bank but I plan to replace with a digital volt reader from Amazon...

*As I stated before, there doesn't seem to be any real rust under the cart.......I may need to re-weld a "cross-member".....looks as though battery acid has started to get to it at some point. Seems like the integrity is still very strong.....but something to be aware of and replace in the near future.

Thanks again for everything so far, looking forward to digging deeper and learning more!!!

[DIRTPIT HC]

00K, welcome to the land of the OCD cart owner. Check out Scotty at cartsunlimited.net. He is a site sponsor. He has very good cable sets, DVMs, and reducers. I have a set of his cables and DVM. Along with a bunch of other stuff from him. They come with very easy to follow directions and great support. I have not personally ordered anything from Revolution Golfcarts but I have only heard good things about him also. You can trust the site sponsors.

One other thing. Your already teaching us stuff here. I will shortly be wrapping the wife's presents, In aluminum foil. Thanks, Happy carting.

[orangeman6]

Kevin, loving how hard you're jumping into this thing. I guess every wacko feels better when they see someone with a similar issue. :). I just wish I was in your neighborhood so I could root on your new addiction from up close.

FYI- the guys that have responded so far are very respected and well known; other than me anyway, haha. Give plenty of credence to the advice you've been offered so far.

EZGO, from the factory, tapped 2 batteries for the 12v accessories. The overwhelming consensus is that method was no good as it draws down those two batteries unequally and is bad for the whole pack. I've seen plenty of posts from smart guys on here that used a separate additional battery instead, but most people added a voltage reducer. I put one in that I got from Scotty, and it was a very easy install.

Baking soda and water are your friend. I've started keeping a spray bottle in the garage and give anything that even looks like battery acid a couple squirts as soon as I see it. That, and a quick rinse, will help keep the corrosion at bay. If you have any areas, such as the battery rack, por 15 works really well as a rust inhibitor. You probably ought to pull out all of the batteries so you can get a good look at the whole thing.

I'm not into spending any more money than necessary but would caution a bit against getting new parts from Amazon and eBay. I can't say that I've heard of anyone specifically having a problem with a soc meter from there, but you probably aren't saving a whole lot compared to what Scotty B has them for. That dude doesn't di** around when it comes to the parts he supplies. If you haven't already, check out his site. Even if you don't buy anything, it's very educational just to read through it.

The rear running lights should work as brake lights as well. The rear bulbs should be dual filament and, assuming it's a factory light kit, there's a switch built into the brake pedal. If you fiddle around with the pedal, you should be able to hear that switch click.

It sounds like you're pretty handy, but I've seen plenty of guys on her that built their own cables admit they should have just purchased them. It sounds like you're on the right track as far as materials, but I'd weigh the cost of purchasing.

Merry Xmas.

[Double00Kevin]

Slightly overwhelmed by all of the help so far with everything......ya'll know how to make a new fella feel right at home ;)

DIRTPIT - I just finished looking over that site you mentioned......just about everything I could ever really need is right there. Between all the stickies on here and that, I have a butt-ton to read through. Oh, and yes.......the aluminum foil for xmas wrapping is awesome.....easier......cleaner looking.......not to mention, who in their right mind wouldn't want to receive a gift all "chromed" out??!!

Orangeman - there is a house up the road for sale!!! Bama does have a few things to offer depending on what you're into. lol

Anyway, thanks again for the guidance.....I'm sure I'll be hitting yall up in the future on various things.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!