Poor contact

reinman88 · 07-30-2014, 07:35 AM

Yesterday I was coming back from a run I make quite often and noticed I didn't seem to have the speed I should have had. Also thought the power was a little low going up the big hill I always have to go up.

I have an 08 drive with 4 12 volt batteries that are only three months old, which is how long I have had this cart.

When I got home I took a look under the seat, and noticed some of the batteries showed corrosion on the positive terminals. When I went to clean them I noticed they were not as tight as the others. They weren't loose, but you didn't have to pull very hard to get them loose. All negative cables were clean and much tighter.

I had charged the cart the night before so I know I was working with what I assumed was a full charge. Would the corrosion cause poor contact which would cut down my power, or would it be a case of poor contact not allowing a full charge on the batteries. Or could both have happened.

I gave it a full charge again last night, and later today I will make the same run to see what happens.

smallblock450sl · 07-30-2014, 09:07 AM

Definatly could be your problem. I recommend tightening the nuts every month when checking water levels.

reinman88 · 07-30-2014, 04:38 PM

Tightening and cleaning seems to have helped. Made the same run today and it was back to normal for speed and climbing ability on the hill.

cgtech · 07-31-2014, 12:00 AM

Lucky you didnt melt a terminal. Sounds like more frequent cleaning is in your future. Might want to try a battery coat, a clear coat, or even a smearing of grease on the terminals (effective, but my least favorite option due to greasy mess every time terminal nuts are checked).

reinman88 · 07-31-2014, 07:33 AM

I'll check on a clear coat. These had some grease on them and it was a mess cleaning. Rather not have to go through that again.

Fortunately they weren't real loose. I didn't pull on the cable before loosening to see if they were loose to wiggle the cable, but I didn't have to pull nearly as hard to loosen the nut as I did with the negative cables. So I suppose you could say they were not as tight rather then call them loose. Either way any looser and it wouldn't have been a good thing.

I've only had this cart a couple months, so I was a bit surprised they were that loose and corroded after such a short period of time. Guess I've gone from adjusting the valves on my gas EZ GO on a quarterly basis to checking my batteries on a monthly basis.

Quick question.

All of my driving is either on a gravel road or dirt farm roads. Which means lots of dust and dirt under the cart. I noticed the batteries are covered with dust and wonder what's the easiest way to clean them all off. Wasn't sure if I can just wash everything off with a hose and water or if I'll short something out with all that juice under the seat.

cgtech · 07-31-2014, 08:13 AM

Baking soda & water to neutralize acid & corrosion, then rinse well with plain water. Not gonna short anything out. Be sure water caps are tight, dont want soda water inside the cells.

smallblock450sl · 07-31-2014, 08:26 AM

Also, don't overfill the batteries, it promotes battery acid getting on to the terminal/cables/nuts and lay's on and around the batteries. Just cover the lead plates by a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch. Don't fill that it would touch the case plastic extrussion that goes into the cell. We use a high pressure washer on the whole car.

reinman88 · 07-31-2014, 12:24 PM

Good to know I can wash the batteries off. They get a lot of dust with all my off road driving. I thought I could wash them to get it all off, but I wasn't sure what would happen if I got too much water on the motor since it's bound to get wet if you wash off the batteries.

cgtech · 07-31-2014, 02:46 PM

Just try to get all the crud with "soda water mix" so you are not spreading corrosive acid to the frame, or anywhere splatters may land. Heres where the water should be ( a ). Only add water to fully charged batteries, unless plates are not covered, then just cover the plates (the electrolyte will increase in volume as charging occurs).

reinman88 · 07-31-2014, 04:08 PM

Thanks, I'll give them a soda water wash this weekend.

Since this is the first weekend of the month, maybe I'll start a first weekend of the month maintenance schedule of washing off batteries, tightening terminals, and checking water levels.

Of course that schedule mat be slightly altered come Jan and Feb when it's probably going to be 0 outside. I'll use my cart all year, so it doesn't sit for the winter. But when 0 I may skip the wash the batteries off part.

07-30-2014, 07:35 AM	#1
reinman88 Gone Wild Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nebraska Posts: 665	Poor contact Yesterday I was coming back from a run I make quite often and noticed I didn't seem to have the speed I should have had. Also thought the power was a little low going up the big hill I always have to go up. I have an 08 drive with 4 12 volt batteries that are only three months old, which is how long I have had this cart. When I got home I took a look under the seat, and noticed some of the batteries showed corrosion on the positive terminals. When I went to clean them I noticed they were not as tight as the others. They weren't loose, but you didn't have to pull very hard to get them loose. All negative cables were clean and much tighter. I had charged the cart the night before so I know I was working with what I assumed was a full charge. Would the corrosion cause poor contact which would cut down my power, or would it be a case of poor contact not allowing a full charge on the batteries. Or could both have happened. I gave it a full charge again last night, and later today I will make the same run to see what happens.

07-30-2014, 09:07 AM	#2
smallblock450sl Sometime's............ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tacoma Washington Posts: 11,875	Re: Poor contact Definatly could be your problem. I recommend tightening the nuts every month when checking water levels.

07-30-2014, 04:38 PM	#3
reinman88 Gone Wild Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nebraska Posts: 665	Re: Poor contact Tightening and cleaning seems to have helped. Made the same run today and it was back to normal for speed and climbing ability on the hill.

07-31-2014, 12:00 AM	#4
cgtech Over This Interview Is... Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: AZ Posts: 17,449	Re: Poor contact Lucky you didnt melt a terminal. Sounds like more frequent cleaning is in your future. Might want to try a battery coat, a clear coat, or even a smearing of grease on the terminals (effective, but my least favorite option due to greasy mess every time terminal nuts are checked).

07-31-2014, 07:33 AM	#5
reinman88 Gone Wild Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nebraska Posts: 665	Re: Poor contact I'll check on a clear coat. These had some grease on them and it was a mess cleaning. Rather not have to go through that again. Fortunately they weren't real loose. I didn't pull on the cable before loosening to see if they were loose to wiggle the cable, but I didn't have to pull nearly as hard to loosen the nut as I did with the negative cables. So I suppose you could say they were not as tight rather then call them loose. Either way any looser and it wouldn't have been a good thing. I've only had this cart a couple months, so I was a bit surprised they were that loose and corroded after such a short period of time. Guess I've gone from adjusting the valves on my gas EZ GO on a quarterly basis to checking my batteries on a monthly basis. Quick question. All of my driving is either on a gravel road or dirt farm roads. Which means lots of dust and dirt under the cart. I noticed the batteries are covered with dust and wonder what's the easiest way to clean them all off. Wasn't sure if I can just wash everything off with a hose and water or if I'll short something out with all that juice under the seat.

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07-31-2014, 08:13 AM	#6
cgtech Over This Interview Is... Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: AZ Posts: 17,449	Re: Poor contact Baking soda & water to neutralize acid & corrosion, then rinse well with plain water. Not gonna short anything out. Be sure water caps are tight, dont want soda water inside the cells.

07-31-2014, 08:26 AM	#7
smallblock450sl Sometime's............ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tacoma Washington Posts: 11,875	Re: Poor contact Also, don't overfill the batteries, it promotes battery acid getting on to the terminal/cables/nuts and lay's on and around the batteries. Just cover the lead plates by a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch. Don't fill that it would touch the case plastic extrussion that goes into the cell. We use a high pressure washer on the whole car.

07-31-2014, 12:24 PM	#8
reinman88 Gone Wild Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nebraska Posts: 665	Re: Poor contact Good to know I can wash the batteries off. They get a lot of dust with all my off road driving. I thought I could wash them to get it all off, but I wasn't sure what would happen if I got too much water on the motor since it's bound to get wet if you wash off the batteries.

07-31-2014, 04:08 PM	#10
reinman88 Gone Wild Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nebraska Posts: 665	Re: Poor contact Thanks, I'll give them a soda water wash this weekend. Since this is the first weekend of the month, maybe I'll start a first weekend of the month maintenance schedule of washing off batteries, tightening terminals, and checking water levels. Of course that schedule mat be slightly altered come Jan and Feb when it's probably going to be 0 outside. I'll use my cart all year, so it doesn't sit for the winter. But when 0 I may skip the wash the batteries off part.

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