Battery leaking Club Car 48volt

[tn2tool]

Technical data: 2000.5 Club Car DS 48volt with Trojan batteries.

I have been assigned maintenance on a 2000 Club Car and need help with the batteries. I am new to golf carts and I am not sure what's wrong. We just recently purchased this car from a local golf course and wondering if he sold us a lemon. I checked the battery water level and couldn't see any so I turned to this forums threads and added distilled water just up to the top of the metal fin things(sorry can't remember the proper name). Once it was charged I checked the water levels but did not add any more water. I used the cart for about 30 minutes or so and didn't put it back on the powerdrive charger. I then left for a business trip and returned 4 days later and put it on the charger. Two days later I unplugged it from the charger and when I backed up I noticed a puddle of fluid on the ground. Knowing it was not water I looked at the batteries and they apparently leaked out from the top vents. The cart seems to run fine although it is stock and only goes about 8mph on the GPS. Did leaving it on the charger for several days cause the boil over? I thought the charger shuts down once the batteries are charged. Also, the batteries are swelled out on the sides, is this normal? Right now it is currently not plugged in.

I went back out to the car a few hours later and noticed a very faint gurgle or bubbling sound coming from that batteries and the battery light comes on for a few seconds and goes off and then back on.

Any help would be great.

Tim

[scottyb]

I would suggest taking it back to the guy who sold it to you! And assign someone with some experience to maintain it.....IMHO

[phasetim]

what year are the batteries.. If they are original batteries, then you need to go ahead and plan on buying new ones. Older batteries gas out, no way around it... Old batteries, Old people, both get gassier and time goes by.

[SP-Electronics]

LOL. That's a great quote if ever I heard one. "Old batteries, Old people, both get gassier as time goes by". I can see it popping up in sig lines everywhere.

[tn2tool]

I don't know if they are the original ones or not. There isn't any stickers or anything on them other than the words Trojan. Where is the cheapest, best place to get batteries? I live in Ohio and don't want to buy them online because shipping would hurt the wallet. Do normal auto part stores carry golf cart batteries or would it be best to go to a golf cart store?

[SP-Electronics]

I would recommend going to a golf cart dealer. I found locally that the golf cart dealer sold batteries for less than most other sources. Some costco or sam's locations sell golf cart batteries as well (ours has the tag for them, but none ever seem to be in stock). There are also stores that sell nothing but batteries, like Batteries Plus or similar stores, which may or may not have good prices. I know the BP store near me is about $30 more per battery than the golf cart shop was.

[shadowman]

there should be a date code stamped right at the terminal in the lead.......also if your in ohio try Ken-Ray battery.......every bit as good as trogens but a little cheaper...........buying cheap batteries is somrething you will regret unless you really keep up on the maintence..........................

[tn2tool]

Ken-Ray is a little further north than what I'd want to drive, the gas price would probably offset the cheaper battery. There is a local sleezy-go dealer here, I'll see what they want for batteries along with Sam's. By the way the positive terminal says I27 and the negative terminal says K9. So according to Trojan's website, the batteries were made on Sept 27th and shipped around November 1999. So is the general consensus that it's time to replace the batteries?

[tn2tool]

Thanks for all your help guys, I guess it's time to buy batteries.

[Fishing Dude]

Hey tn2tool could try local Sams for energizers.