Did she ruin batteries?

ROBinGA · 11-19-2013, 07:22 PM

Ok my wife and a neighbor took our EZGO TXT 36 v series cart out today without checking with me to deliver newsletters in everyone's mailbox in our neighborhood which has about 220 homes. The last time I charged it was probably 5 days ago or so and my guess is that it could have stood to be topped off before she took off. Well I get a call that the golf cart had stopped working on her and I needed to come home and get them. They were about 3/4 of the way done and had been doing stop and go driving with hills mixed in for about an hour and half. So sure enough I find them in a culdesac and the cart won't move more than 5 feet. They said they kept trying after resting and it would move a few feet, then - click, click, click. My multi meter showed 33.7 volts

. Her friend says Uhoh he looks mad. So I go hook up my trailer, push it on and take it home. I put it on charger and has been charging for a couple hours now. The meter on charger started out a bit over 20 amps and now is at 12 amps after 2 hours and pack shows 43.3 volts right now. The water level was very low ( that's my fault) so I have added enough distilled H2O to cover plates evenly in all batteries. So what do you think? Are my batteries gone? They are about 3 years old and usually settle around 38 after charge and sit time. They are Powertron P2000G batteries. Still charging and gurgling away....

pjmia96 · 11-19-2013, 07:34 PM

I doubt she "ruined them" but it definitely didn't help them. It is normal for your multimeter to show that much voltage if you took the reading fresh off the charger. Let it charge all the way and either drive it for about a minute afterwords or let it sit off the charger for 24 hours and then take the reading again.

Matt

ROBinGA · 11-19-2013, 08:20 PM

after 3 hours the charger shut off and I just measured 39.2 with my meter. I unplugged the charger connector and kicked on charger again.

eflyguy · 11-19-2013, 08:20 PM

They don't like to be drawn that low, but they weren't left that way for too long so that's something. Depending on their condition prior to this, they'll probably keep ticking along for a while.
..a

pjmia96 · 11-19-2013, 08:39 PM

Sounds like you are good to go!

Matt

gornoman · 11-19-2013, 08:55 PM

The only thing you probably did to them was to shorten their lifespan. In other words, if they WERE going to last 6 years, now they might last 5 years and 10 months. The numbers are not accurate, but you get the idea.

technomayor · 11-19-2013, 09:16 PM

Make sure you give her a hug and tell her you love her.

bokeasmowl · 11-19-2013, 09:25 PM

Plug the cart in EVERYDAY. Even if you don't use it that day, pull out the charger plug and plug it back in. I don't use my cart everyday, but it goes through a charge cycle daily. My batteries are over 3 yrs old and I can still get 25-30 miles on a neighborhood cruise. I live in the country so the neighborhood is quite large.

ROBinGA · 11-19-2013, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by technomayor

Make sure you give her a hug and tell her you love her.

I did and all seems ok now. You mean the cart, right?

scottyb · 11-19-2013, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBinGA

I did and all seems ok now. You mean the cart, right?

11-19-2013, 07:22 PM	#1
ROBinGA Not Yet Wild Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: GA Posts: 70	Did she ruin batteries? Ok my wife and a neighbor took our EZGO TXT 36 v series cart out today without checking with me to deliver newsletters in everyone's mailbox in our neighborhood which has about 220 homes. The last time I charged it was probably 5 days ago or so and my guess is that it could have stood to be topped off before she took off. Well I get a call that the golf cart had stopped working on her and I needed to come home and get them. They were about 3/4 of the way done and had been doing stop and go driving with hills mixed in for about an hour and half. So sure enough I find them in a culdesac and the cart won't move more than 5 feet. They said they kept trying after resting and it would move a few feet, then - click, click, click. My multi meter showed 33.7 volts . Her friend says Uhoh he looks mad. So I go hook up my trailer, push it on and take it home. I put it on charger and has been charging for a couple hours now. The meter on charger started out a bit over 20 amps and now is at 12 amps after 2 hours and pack shows 43.3 volts right now. The water level was very low ( that's my fault) so I have added enough distilled H2O to cover plates evenly in all batteries. So what do you think? Are my batteries gone? They are about 3 years old and usually settle around 38 after charge and sit time. They are Powertron P2000G batteries. Still charging and gurgling away....

11-19-2013, 07:34 PM	#2
pjmia96 Gone Wild Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 551	Re: Did she ruin batteries? I doubt she "ruined them" but it definitely didn't help them. It is normal for your multimeter to show that much voltage if you took the reading fresh off the charger. Let it charge all the way and either drive it for about a minute afterwords or let it sit off the charger for 24 hours and then take the reading again. Matt
pjmia96 Gone Wild Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 551

11-19-2013, 08:20 PM	#3
ROBinGA Not Yet Wild Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: GA Posts: 70	Re: Did she ruin batteries? after 3 hours the charger shut off and I just measured 39.2 with my meter. I unplugged the charger connector and kicked on charger again.

11-19-2013, 08:20 PM	#4
eflyguy Gone Wild Join Date: May 2009 Location: Marietta, GA (USA) Posts: 368	Re: Did she ruin batteries? They don't like to be drawn that low, but they weren't left that way for too long so that's something. Depending on their condition prior to this, they'll probably keep ticking along for a while. ..a

11-19-2013, 08:39 PM	#5
pjmia96 Gone Wild Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 551	Re: Did she ruin batteries? Sounds like you are good to go! Matt
pjmia96 Gone Wild Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 551

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11-19-2013, 08:55 PM	#6
gornoman Stay thirsty my friends! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Suburban Chicago Posts: 24,292	Re: Did she ruin batteries? The only thing you probably did to them was to shorten their lifespan. In other words, if they WERE going to last 6 years, now they might last 5 years and 10 months. The numbers are not accurate, but you get the idea.

11-19-2013, 09:16 PM	#7
technomayor Not Yet Wild Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 25	Re: Did she ruin batteries? Make sure you give her a hug and tell her you love her.
technomayor Not Yet Wild Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 25

11-19-2013, 09:25 PM	#8
bokeasmowl friends call me Boke Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Smithfield, North Carolina Posts: 7,772	Re: Did she ruin batteries? Plug the cart in EVERYDAY. Even if you don't use it that day, pull out the charger plug and plug it back in. I don't use my cart everyday, but it goes through a charge cycle daily. My batteries are over 3 yrs old and I can still get 25-30 miles on a neighborhood cruise. I live in the country so the neighborhood is quite large.

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