Charger Question - has timer

[raymorgan]

Got my 1989 cart going - scottyb if you're reading this, a guy that ACE works with got it going for me.

Anyway, the charger works on a timer... meaning that when I plug it in, I turn a knob to "start" and it charges for 12 hours (or less depending on where I put the knob). So, my question is, when do I stop charging? Should I charge every time? Can I charge it too much?

Thanks for the help!

[rabbitreborn]

Ace Hardware working on carts still cracks me up........

Those chargers (assuming it is a "total charge") from E-Z-GO were designed for you to set the timer to 12 and walk away. They are supposed to reduce the level of amps as the voltage rises and eventually turn off once the proper voltage is reached (usually 42). The timer continues, but the charge function is off if the voltage is reached before the timer runs out.

That being said......

That charger (if it is a "total charge" is OLD and may not function correctly....... monitor it once or twice to make sure it is working properly, or replace it with new unit....

[JohnnieB]

Attachments 1, 2 and 3 are EZGO chargers that only have a timer.

Attachments 4 and 5 have timer and control board.

The timer only chargers, stay on for whatever time is set on the timer knob, up to 12 hours.

The chargers with timer and control board stay on until the on-charge voltage of the battery pack reaches a predetermined voltage, (typically in the 44V to 46V range) or the timer times out at 12 hours. The AC voltage to the timer's motor is connect though the same relay that turns the charger on/off, and how log it to the batteries to reach the cutoff voltage can be. Basically, the timer serves two purposes in this generation of chargers, elapsed time indicator and safety/backup shutoff.

Both types chargers look very similar externally, but you can tell which is which by looking at the numbers on the timer dial.

If the first number CW of the OFF position is a "1", it is timer only.
If the first number CW of the OFF position is a "11", it has both timer and control board.

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Both types are ferroresonant transformer chargers and the battery charging profile is contained within the matched transformer and capacitor pair. Either type starts out at about 15A to 20A and the amps will taper off to under about 5A as the on-charge battery pack voltage increases.