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Old 08-20-2012, 09:24 AM   #1
bigpoppi
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Default battery questions

Apperently I'm not on the cart as often as others, I haven't charged my batteries in 4 weeks, haven't been on the cart in 3... tested my batteries yesterday, 36.8, went to daughters house for some vball and spirits, 1.1 miles away, and when I returned at nite, 36.2, figured I'd test each battery, 4 read 6.1 while the 2 that the lights are connected to read 5.9. now should I throw the charger to them, even thou I'm not on it that often, or invest in a battery tender to charge them..?
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Old 08-20-2012, 09:37 AM   #2
scottyb
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Default Re: battery questions

First rule of wet cell lead acid batteries is that the battery wants to be fully charged as much of its life as possible..... Basically it will last indefinitely if kept fully charged constantly.

The worst thing you can do besides horribly deep discharging is to leave the batteries to sit in a state of discharge for any period of time.

38.2 is a full charge.
Anything below 37.8 is a state of discharge which will allow the sulfates to form hard crystals on the lead plates. Some percentage of this hard crystal does not break up during recharge and the battery lead plate's useful surface is permanently diminished by this process each time.

Which reminds me I have to go charge a cart that sits in my barn, later.
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Old 08-20-2012, 02:50 PM   #3
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Default Re: battery questions

Thanx Scottyb, always a help..... will charge when I get home...
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Old 08-20-2012, 02:50 PM   #4
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Default Re: battery questions

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Originally Posted by bigpoppi View Post
Thanx Scottyb, always a help..... will charge when I get home...
Me Too
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Old 08-20-2012, 04:54 PM   #5
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Default Re: battery questions

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Originally Posted by scottyb View Post
Which reminds me I have to go charge a cart that sits in my barn, later.
Scotty, if you happen to know anyone that sells DPI chargers, they go into a float charge mode at the end of the regular charge cycle, which eliminates the self-discharge issues.

@ bigpoppi:

I use my cart more often than you, but it often sits for several days at a time.
I got my 36V DPI charger from Scottyb and think it is the best thing since sliced bread.

A battery minder thingy or float charger of some kind will extend the life of your batteries and your cart will have more oomph even after it has set for a while.

Measure the battery voltages again, about 12 hours after your charger turns off automatically and then use a 12v charger to bring the two that run your accessories up to the same voltage (after rest voltage that is).

Try an on-charge voltage about 14.8 for the pair, let them rest and see what you get.
If still lower than the rest, you can go up to about 15.6V in 0.2V increments.

Keep an eye on the electrolyte level.
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Old 08-21-2012, 02:26 PM   #6
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Default Re: battery questions

If the electrolite level is the level of water, than all are just to the bottom of the holes, That's how they came... going to check the charge in the next couple of days, going to go do some joy riding more so to drain the batteries a bit and do another charging, will be installing the digital voltage display and want to find out what kind of range i have, running to and from the daughters house, if 38.22 is fully charged, run it down to 29.00, just above 75%, and recharge them.... Not running anything but the cart, no lites, no radio, no ground lighting....
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Old 08-21-2012, 05:05 PM   #7
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Default Re: battery questions

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Originally Posted by bigpoppi View Post
If the electrolite level is the level of water, than all are just to the bottom of the holes, That's how they came... going to check the charge in the next couple of days, going to go do some joy riding more so to drain the batteries a bit and do another charging, will be installing the digital voltage display and want to find out what kind of range i have, running to and from the daughters house, if 38.22 is fully charged, run it down to 29.00, just above 75%, and recharge them.... Not running anything but the cart, no lites, no radio, no ground lighting....
That sounds a bit high for the water level. These diagrams are for Trojan batteries, but most brands look about the same with the caps off.
http://www.trojanbattery.com/Battery...ngDiagram.aspx

Don't know where you got that 29.00V is 75% State of Charge, but if you do run you batteries down that low, they turn into boat anchors.
Here is a Voltage vs State of Charge chart for deep cycle cart batteries. (As you see, 29V is completely off the bottom of chart)
Voltages listed are take 12 hours after charger shuts off automatically.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg StateofChargeChart.jpg (53.8 KB, 0 views)
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Old 08-21-2012, 05:11 PM   #8
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Default Re: battery questions

I use a product called Inox Battery conditioner on my boat batteries. Seems to really prolong the battery life and power. I would love to hear your comments about his, or any other battery additive.
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Old 08-22-2012, 08:02 AM   #9
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Default Re: battery questions

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Originally Posted by Kingpaul View Post
I use a product called Inox Battery conditioner on my boat batteries. Seems to really prolong the battery life and power. I would love to hear your comments about his, or any other battery additive.
Lead Sulfate (PbSO4) is both part of the normal charge/discharge cycle and the killer of batteries.
There are, however, two types of Lead Sulfate, Amorphous (soft) and Crystalline (Hard).
During discharge, the sulfuric acid in the electrolyte reacts with the Lead (Negative) and Lead Dioxide (Positive) plates and yields Amorphous Lead Sulfate, which forms on the plate surface.
Once the plate surface is coated with Lead Sulfate, it is no longer reactive.
The plates are constructed with a sponge-like texture to increase the surface area of the plates, thereby increasing the amount current that the cell can produce.
During re-charge, the process is reversed.

The re-charge process is not 100% efficient and some of the Soft Lead Sulfate that is left behind transforms into Hard Lead Sulfate, which continues to block that area of the plate surface. This is the natural aging process that limits battery life expectancy.

The same thing happens when a battery is allowed to sit in a discharged or partially discharged state. Please note, while you are actually using a battery, it is partially discharged while being used and is getting progressively more discharged as it is being used.

IF an additive can delay the transformation of Soft Lead Sulfate into Hard Lead Sulfate, it might extend battery life if added before Hard Lead Sulfate forms.

Does Inox Battery Conditioner, or other similar product, delay the transformation? I have no idea and from what I've read in their brochures, none make a clear statement to this being true for the product.

On the other hand, the various "Battery Rejuvenator" additives cause some of the already formed Hard Lead Sulfate to slough off the plate surface, exposing reactive material, but deposit conductive debris at the bottom of the cell, which will cause shorts between the plates when the battery is agitated.

To each their own, but personally, I believe keeping a battery as fully charged as possible and practical and adding nothing except distiller water to them is the best way to make your batteries perform the best and last for the greatest number of years.
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Old 08-22-2012, 08:32 AM   #10
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Default Re: battery questions

That's a great answer JOHNNYB.
Even I can understand that one
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