Do I need new batteries?

[mtwain69]

Originally Posted by yurtle

Though I've never seen a battery do this, I've often come across computer cables that were apparently born with the wrong identity. They opted to have gender-benders surgically installed.

Like Chaz Boner...er Bono

[pggroves]

Originally Posted by BuggyGoodie

Boy, you guys are good.
All batteries report 6.1 to 6.3 Volts after charging under no load. The two bad batteries do, too.
I know you said "8-12" hours, but it has been 14 hours. After that the bad batteries report a healthy 6.1 and 6.3 at rest. I don't know what that means.
Thanks, again.

Connect your meter to the main positive and negative of the pack and drive it and note the voltage drop from at rest upon initial acceleration. Then do the same thing with the individual batteries. Should give you a good idea of condition. A "poor man's load test" as it were.....

Good luck.

[JohnnieB]

That will separate the bad from the might be okay.

Originally Posted by BuggyGoodie

Boy, you guys are good.
All batteries report 6.1 to 6.3 Volts after charging under no load. The two bad batteries do, too.
I know you said "8-12" hours, but it has been 14 hours. After that the bad batteries report a healthy 6.1 and 6.3 at rest. I don't know what that means.
Thanks, again.

After a full charge and 14 hours rest,6.1V is not healthy!!!! And 6.3V might not be either!!!!

Individual battery voltages must be defined to hundredths to be meaningful. (IE: 6.37V is a full charge while 6.31 is only 90%)
All 6.3V says is that the State of Charge is >80% and <100%.
All 6.1V says is that the State of Charge is >50% and >70%.

However, since 6.35V and above would (or should) round up to 6.4V, I can deduce that either your batteries are bad, your charger is bad, your charging practice/procedure is bad or some combination thereof.

Originally Posted by BuggyGoodie

The other four batteries usually run at 5.5 and never drop below 4.5 or higher.
Thank you.

Those numbers are completely off the bottom of the chart. (5.75V is the lowest reading given and you should never discharge your batteries below 50% or 6.05V)
However, giving the benefit of doubt, the readings my have been taken while or immediately after the batteries were heavily loaded and the electrolyte was stratified.

Just as batteries must be rested several hours after charging to get meaningful readings, they also have to rest several minutes after being discharged.

I am fairly certain you have two bad batteries, but the rest might be okay and just not being fully charged for some reason or other. Need better info to determine.
It would also be helpful to know what your cart is and which charger you are using.

[BuggyGoodie]

Total Output is 41 Volts initially, drops to as low as 28 Volts when failure occurs.
Thank you

[BuggyGoodie]

Originally Posted by pggroves

Connect your meter to the main positive and negative of the pack and drive it and note the voltage drop from at rest upon initial acceleration. Then do the same thing with the individual batteries. Should give you a good idea of condition. A "poor man's load test" as it were.....

Good luck.

I wasn't clear in my introduction. I had conducted a test exactly as you suggested. One trip down to the meadow and back up to the tasting room is all the cart would do. (1/2 mile round trip and elevation change of 250 one way.) When it failed I saw 28 Volts total and two batteries indicated less than 3 Volts each.

Thank you.