Older ez go brand charger question

[Brhow5]

I have an older Ez Go battery charger for a 1975 marathon i am restoring. I purchased some used interstate batteries (took the risk because i needed cores anyway). The batteries are reading 36.17 volts right now. When i connect the charger, it hums but no output. I let someone borrow it when i didnt need it and it was working then. Any suggestions? Cant find much info for this charger, everything is for the powerwise. Thanks for any help.

we were just talking about the old chargers

link ---> http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...capacitor.html

[JohnnieB]

A picture of the charger's faceplate would help us ID it.

Does it have a timer?

If so, is the first number clockwise from the OFF position 11 or 1?

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Humming, but no output. Blown fuse, bad diodes, bad ammeter or bad output cable.

[Brhow5]

Not home to get pics right now but yes it has a timer and 99% sure 1 is the first number to the right of "off"

[JohnnieB]

The actual battery charging part of all the ferroresonant transformer type chargers is pretty much the same, it is just the bells an whistles that are different.

Sounds like you have a manual charger that is turned on/off with a timer.
There are at least three variants of it, but the difference is whether there is a fuse or circuit breaker in the output circuit, what type fuse and where it is physically located.

This is a schematic for an old Lester unit, but it ought to match up with your charger close enough for troubleshooting.
The output fuse or breaker, if you unit has one, will be in a different location electrically and physically.

Diodes are the most likely suspects, so check them first. (If fuse is blown, it will blow again if the diodes are bad.)

The diodes are off-the-shelf components, so you can pick them up a lot cheaper than EZGO sells them.
A pair of 1N1184 diodes, or similar (IE: 100V - 35A) , will work. Replace both even if only one tests bad.

[rlw]

An easy check for diodes can be done with a multimeter or ohmmeter. If the diode is shorted, it will read (approximately) 0 (or a VERY small number) ohms in BOTH directions. If it's open, it will read infinity (or a VERY LARGE number) in both directions.

By "both directions", I mean test the diode with the red/black leads, then test it again with the leads reversed.

RLW

[Brhow5]

image.jpg

Here is a picture of whats inside. Fuse checks good, diodes are reading infinite one way and 435 ohms the other. Any suggestions?

[yurtle]

Originally Posted by Brhow5

I have an older Ez Go battery charger for a 1975 marathon i am restoring. I purchased some used interstate batteries (took the risk because i needed cores anyway). The batteries are reading 36.17 volts right now. When i connect the charger, it hums but no output. I let someone borrow it when i didnt need it and it was working then. Any suggestions? Cant find much info for this charger, everything is for the powerwise. Thanks for any help.

I'm sorry, but I don't get the symptoms. When you lent it to someone, did it work at that time on your buggy? Did it work for the person you lent it to? Can you have that person check to see if it still works on their buggy?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Brhow5

Here is a picture of whats inside. Fuse checks good, diodes are reading infinite one way and 435 ohms the other. Any suggestions?

Did you disconnect the black wires from the diodes and measure each diode separately?
If not, you were measuring the two of them in parallel and one could be open.

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However, before messing with the diodes any further, verify they are connected to the terminals in the output plug.

Make sure the charger is not plugged into AC power.
Measure the Ohms between the two terminal in the output plug.
You should get about the same readings as you did for the diodes, 435 Ohms in one direction and Infinite Ohms in the other.

[Brhow5]

Ok will check that later on, i did not have them disconnected. This charger should put out voltage at the plug without being connected to a cart, correct?