Bad charger, Meter, or battery???

[2010PDS-Joe]

i have a 2010 pds. Every time I charge my cart the battery meter will not go back to full. If i disconnect my + cable then reconnect it, meter goes to fully charged. Also i am getting a lot of venting form my batteries. Almost everytime i charge there is a smell and a little bit of water on top of batteries. I have replaced cables and cleaned all connections. My batteries are about 3 years old, but i wouldn't think they should be having trouble yet.

[cgtech]

Check the highest the voltage reaches during charging, just before charger shuts off. The meter does not increment up step-by-step while charging, it must hit a preset voltage while charging to reset to full . I bet your batteries aren't reaching that voltage (a bad sign for your batteries). The meter will reset to full when it gets disconnected, no matter what the true state of charge is. This info is for the genuine Curtis 10-led meter, the Chinese clones do just whatever they feel like.

[Rickochet]

If you don't have a handheld digital volt meter maybe time to get one. You can get them most anywhere for $10. Make sure you Run/tow switch in in tow and charge to termination. Check pack voltage about 10 hours after charge termination. My PDS would settle at 38.2v. Most prefer a digital volt meter in the dash over the bar type. I have the DVM from Cartsunlimited. You can get it with a plate that fits the PDS dash with holes for the key switch and DVM.

Outgassing of the batts during charge is normal as is the sulphur smell. Water on the top might indicate that the batts were over filled a bit.

[2010PDS-Joe]

So yesterday i pulled it off the charger and let is sit all night. This morning switched it to tow and checked the batteries. 38.14 across the whole battery pack. when i checked them one by one most were around 6.35 with one battery that was as low as 6.27. They are crown batteries. Also i know someone said the venting was normal but we have had this cart for almost a year and it wasn't till about a month ago that it started having this problem. Every time i charge it leaves a little water on top of batteries. So much so that i have to fill at least 6 or 7 cells once a week if i charge everyday. I make sure to use distilled water, and only fill after i have done a charge. Are Crown batteries just crap or am i doing something wrong here?

[swm63]

Is it possible that you're over filling the batts?

Water level should only be about 1/4" above the plates when full. You are correct on filling only after a completed charge.

[Rickochet]

Originally Posted by 2010PDS-Joe

This morning switched it to tow and checked the batteries.

Just curious but why do you not switch it to "tow" during the charge? With it in "run" while charging perhaps there is some type of current draw not allowing the pack to reach termination voltage.

[cgtech]

But no on-charge voltages...

[2010PDS-Joe]

It is possible that I have over filled the batteries one or two times. But this is always happening and if I don't feel the batteries it will drop below to where I can see the plates. Also didn't realize that I should be putting it in tow to charge. But I will do that from now on.

[kernal]

The "on charge voltage" is important I believe. Also what is amp meter (if there is one) on the charger reading when charger is near shutting off.
The possibility here is that the batteries are at end of life and the charger isn't seeing the peak voltage it is looking for and keeps charging at relatively high current until it times out. In this scenario the batteries gas for a long time and heat up.
3 years is still relatively young for a quality matched battery pack but they could easily be at end of life if they have a lot of cycles on them--charged every day or almost every day with deep discharges per cycle. Hot weather speeds this process. Neglect also.

Crowns are not crap batteries IMO

[2010PDS-Joe]

The charger is showing about 16 to 17 amps toward end of charge. We got the cart from a air force bace a little less than a year ago. It was used by the plane mechanics. The batteries at that time were only two years old but im sure those guys used the cart alot and put a lot of charge cycles on the batteries.