batteries dead overnight

[alchemy]

Originally Posted by Wronglong

Cart had been running normally. Went to move it the next day and nothing. Batteries well maintained. Plugged in charger and would not charge. I decided to disconnect the negative cable on the last battery and noticed a small spark! Two batteries were warm.Checked batteries and they are drained out totally. I'm a newbie with car experience but no cart experience. Where do I start?

Not good but they might forgive you for running them down and soon noticing and getting them back up. My cart had a bunch of small wire connections on the batteries and it turned out I only needed one black wire on the end negative and the two mains for the cart to run and drive normal (with no lights etc). That black wire wasn't the problem. I then added the wires back to see which one was drawing and it was the one that ran all lights, turn signals, horn. I could tell watching my digital volt gauge. I put a second nut on the terminals where the wires had been so I didn't have to disconnect the battery cables to check each one. Your draw sounds a lot more but you can narrow down where it's at that way. Not sure if thats an acceptable method but worked for me. Something on the cart still draws a little, like .1V per day unless it's in tow mode, not sure if that's normal. If the draw is on your mains then you'l have to wait on the experts here to talk about OBC and stuff.

[Wronglong]

Back at it today. Individually charge batteries and then plugged in regular charger. Showed 20 amps for a couple hours. One battery boiling up and can smell charging gas. When I went to move it, it goes forward but will not back up. Raised the rear wheels and in forward wheels spins up. In reverse first a little movement and now none. Batteries are not strong voltage wise. Some 6.2 to 6,4 and a couple worse. Is it time for new batteries or is it the motor?

[Wronglong]

Back at it today. Individually charge batteries and then plugged in regular charger. Showed 20 amps for a couple hours. One battery boiling up and can smell charging gas. When I went to move it, it goes forward but will not back up. Raised the rear wheels and in forward wheels spins up. In reverse first a little movement and now none. Batteries are not strong voltage wise. Some 6.2 to 6,4 and a couple worse. Is it time for new batteries or is it the motor?

[LabRat]

The only difference for a dc motor rotation is the directions of them electrons, If it work good in forward than it should work good in reverse...IF all the controls are working properly...controller, F&R. I have seen EZGO curtis controllers lose reverse while having forward, so i guess the same can happen to a Club Car

[Wronglong]

More follow up two of the six volt batteries are at 6.3 and the other four are truly junk. When the cart goes from running one weekend and dead the next, is that normal? When batteries fail. do they go all of a sudden, or a little at a time. Up until now they would charge up and when i noted the cart slowing, i'd recharge.I know I'm getting batteries replaced, but I'm worried something is killing them and don't want to ruin new ones. I placed my ammeter in series on the last battery and saw nothing.

[Wronglong]

To lab rat. I'm a newbie so please excuse me. Do all the batteries always feed reverse? Seems like they should but I've seen two batteries singled out as "reverse" some where on line. Thanks.

[Sergio]

First You should charge your batteries at the end of any day that You have driven the cart, regardless if it was just to the mailbox and back.

What cart do You have (first 6 letter/digits from the Serial Number will tell us)?

Batteries don't die like that overnight, you either left something ON or other component(s) have failed, but we can not properly help any further until we know the type of cart and electronics it has (the serial number will help).

It may be a good time to upgrade to 48v if You have a resistor type cart or a 36v model.

[Wronglong]

Well mistake number one. I have not been charging properly so that will change in the future.
I bought this used as a little project and I know it is but need a hint as to where to find the serial number.

[Wronglong]

Found it

Club Car 36v A9011201740

[alchemy]

Had a 130# fairly new tractor battery that just died suddenly. I think it got too hot at the terminals trying to jump it from a bad alternator or something. That was an expensive battery. Had a truck battery just go completely dead after hitting a bad bump and it had to have broken a connection inside. Never had anything like that with a golf cart battery yet.