power draw, balance bat pack,r&r pot

[PuttPutt]

Hello, working on a Club Car year unknown but older than 2000 based on seats and top, has a custom mustang body. HT Electric Inc. Model D377 series motor, Alltrax AXE 400 amp model 4846 has a date of 12/03 on it, 48 volts, batteries are one year old. Also has a 48volt to 12volt converter. Battery #2 (date code G1 X) was replaced about a month before the rest of the pack(date code H1 X). Battery 2 was wet on top other batteries dry on top. Doesn’t look over filled to me. Owner states it never did that until the new batteries were installed. Cart was charged the night before I picked it up. Batteries were 8.4 volts except #2 it was 8.5. Owner was told by battery shop that she had something continually drawing power. I drove it about a mile to my place. I thought it would have been faster with the 400 amp controller. As I was driving, I let off the go pedal to slow for a speed bump, when I pressed the pedal to go nothing happened I coasted to almost a stop pressed the pedal and everything worked fine. Same thing happened at the next speed bump. I called the owner and asked her about the go no go and she said other family members have commented about it happening to them. Then she said the cart just isn’t as peppy as it used to be.

Key off f&R switch in neutral, lights off radio off, as I disconnect the negative cable on #6 battery I get a big spark. Something is definitely drawing power. Removed the batteries to clean the tray and discovered a pin hole leak in the bottom of battery #1 hopefully it will be covered under warranty.

Batteries sat overnight. Here’s the hydrometer readings

#1 electrolyte leaked out overnight the crud on the tray must have been working as a plug

#1 empty 1.170 1.165 1.165 50%
#2 1.205 1.205 1.205 1.225 70%
#3 1.155 1.150 1.150 1.150 40%
#4 1.180 1.165 1.175 1.160 50%
#5 1.170 1.160 1.160 1.175 50%
#6 1.160 1.150 1.150 1.160 45%

Checked the potentiometer
1st step 291ohmes
2nd step 681
3rd step 982
4th step 1730
5th step 1
6th step 1 “just isn’t as peppy as it used to be”

So it boils down to this.

1. What is drawing power when everything is off?
2. How to balance the battery pack.
3. Repair or replace the pot?
4. Would the pot cause the go nogo problem?
5. If #4 is no then figure out go nogo problem.

Wow tht's pretty long, if you made it this far thanks, looking forward to hearing from you.

[sonicj]

1. Fix the battery situation first
2. A 12V automotive battery charger can be used to fix gross differences
3. Multi-Step Potentiometers suck
4. Possibly. Those numbers aren't right.
5. Fix the battery situation first. Get electrolyte in cell 1. Fully charge the pack.

-sj

[PuttPutt]

Batteries always first step clean tight and fully charged.

[hanny]

fix the battery first of course and check the convertor to be sure its on the 48v correct location. The go no go i would look for a loose connection at batteries, motor and f/r switch. thats where i would start,,,,,, dont know if that helps much? good luck with it, paul

[PuttPutt]

Originally Posted by sonicj

4. Possibly. Those numbers aren't right.
-sj

This is how I got the numbers.


And found this post about balancing the battery packhttp://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...tery-pack.html

[Stevegrmich]

. . . the "spark" is probably due to voltage reducer and if so, would be normal . . . my reducer causes a spark when connecting/disconnecting it from pack . . as for something constantly drawing power, disconnect reducer from pack because if that is not wired to keyswitch, it constantly draws power . . . disconnecting reducer while you continue to troubleshoot will remove reducer from equation . . .

[PuttPutt]

Originally Posted by Stevegrmich

. . . the "spark" is probably due to voltage reducer and if so, would be normal . . . my reducer causes a spark when connecting/disconnecting it from pack . . as for something constantly drawing power, disconnect reducer from pack because if that is not wired to keyswitch, it constantly draws power . . . disconnecting reducer while you continue to troubleshoot will remove reducer from equation . . .

I didn't know the reducer drew all the time, good to know. This is set up with a fuse panal so I can pull one fuse at a time to check each circut, but I think you got it with the reducer being direct wire to battery pack. Hope to get a new battery today get it charged up then move on. Thanks

[scottyb]

You should test the throttle signal at the control. 2000 CC should read 6k-0 ohms.
One bad battery will make it 'not as peppy as it used to be' .... check for an intermittent micro switch in the V-glide

[PuttPutt]

Originally Posted by scottyb

You should test the throttle signal at the control. 2000 CC should read 6k-0 ohms.
One bad battery will make it 'not as peppy as it used to be' .... check for an intermittent micro switch in the V-glide

Thanks Scottyb, The vglide/pot has five wires coming out of it Green with white stripe, white,blue black and a heavy black. I took my measurements off the wires at the controler terminals 2 &3 white and black wire. I don't know what year this cart is. I'm guessing mid 90s.
here's some pics.

[PuttPutt]

Boy do I feel dumb. While checking all the micro switches I discovered I had set the multi meter on to low of a setting when I checked the vglide, reset meter and vglide is fine. So back to those pesky batteries I'm taking four to the battery store and see if they can get them to take a charge.