Is it my charger or batteries?

[joesam]

Well! We don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure this one out!

If you have a battery reading 6 volts - its a dead soldier (AKA dead cell) - and it sounds like at least two of its brothers at 7v (in an attempt to work overtime because of their dead brother); are in intensive care. When one battery fails and you continue to drive on the remaining 5 batteries - the healthy ones start to slowly commit suicide (eg. over charging/draining) trying to make up for the bad one.

That's over half of your battery pack! I hope they were more than a couple years old, 'cause I think its probably too little, too late. Buying three "used" batteries (which is what you would need to do - because new batteries in an old pack are gonna be really short lived) is not liable to work for long at this stage.

It sounds like its time for a new set of batteries - but more importantly - its time to get that winch a 12v battery of its own, or to buy a heavy duty converter to share the load!

[Rammer]

Ok, update to the update:

Checked the individual voltage of each battery today after an overnight charge and they were as follows:

8.6
8.4
8.5
8.4
8.3 (this is the winch/headlight battery)
7.9

I know I saw a 6.0 the other day!! . Anyway, is it possible that the one battery was 6.0 the other day and now is 7.9 after the overnight charge? If so, do you think I can get away with changing that one battery. Oh, and I disconnected the winch and the radio just to be safe in case they were the "parasites". Also, the dates on three batteries were December, 2006 and three were June, 2009.

[Rammer]

Oh and Joesam, yes, I know that it's time to designate a battery to all the accessories!! sounds like new batteries are in my future, so that'll be a good time to do that!! Thanks for your help so far!!

[joesam]

Batteries don't properly expose themselves until they've sat off-charger for 24 hours. You could easily get a 6 volt battery to look like 7 volts or more immediately after charging. If you really saw 6 volts at some point we kinda know what's going on.

Your date codes are suspiciously all over the map too. You really can't hurt these much more than they are now. Might as well just run these and (assuming you aren't at risk of getting stranded) replace them in spring when you can cycle the new set gently and kindly to provide many years of happiness!

[Rammer]

Originally Posted by joesam

Batteries don't properly expose themselves until they've sat off-charger for 24 hours. You could easily get a 6 volt battery to look like 7 volts or more immediately after charging.

Ahhh, didn't realize that! I'll pull it off charge tomorrow and take new readings after it's sat for at least 24 hours. But yes, I know I saw 6.0 on one of them , just can't remember which now. Anyway, ya, I just tool around the neighborhood so not worried about getting stranded. if it is just one that is truly "dead", can I replace it with a good used battery and go a little longer before replacing all six, presuming the other 5 have good readings?

[joesam]

The definitive answer is maybe. I wouldn't buy more than one used one to replace the dead soldier though, because the next worst battery is probably on borrowed time too. If the price is right it couldn't hurt but its a crap shoot for sure. The odds of getting more useable battery life is better than the same amount poured into a slot machine! Shop for a good price!

[Rammer]

Ha, point taken and understood!! . I'll still get those readings after the 24 hour period and go from there. Thanks again!

[Rammer]

Waited the 24 hour period, actually it was more like 48-72 hours, and got the following readings:

8.5, 8.3, 8.4, 8.4, 8.0 and 6.6! Eureka, definitely have a dead soldier! :) I found a good used 8v at the right price (FREE!!) from my "golf cart mechanic" buddy and installed it late Saturday night. Checked on the cart Sunday morning and all batteries read good (even had several 9.1 readings - that normal?). Anyway, I was surprised to find the charger still charging that next morning! Against my better judgment, I unplugged the cart and took it for a test drive and it seemed to run fine; maybe a little slower than normal (remember it was still charging when I drove it), but definitely had power! But if you remember, the cart always seem to run ok after an overnight charge or short refresh charge, even with the dead soldier, so the real test will come tomorrow or the next day after it's sat for a while to see if the pack/each battery is holding the charge.

Originally Posted by Rammer

Ok, update to the update:

Checked the individual voltage of each battery today after an overnight charge and they were as follows:

8.6
8.4
8.5
8.4
8.3 (this is the winch/headlight battery)
7.9

I know I saw a 6.0 the other day!! . Anyway, is it possible that the one battery was 6.0 the other day and now is 7.9 after the overnight charge? If so, do you think I can get away with changing that one battery. Oh, and I disconnected the winch and the radio just to be safe in case they were the "parasites". Also, the dates on three batteries were December, 2006 and three were June, 2009.

[joesam]

I'm gonna guess that Mr. 7.9 is your *new-used* battery - if so - use a 12v battery charger on it for 1/2 hour (@2 amps) prior to plugging in the big charger. That'll give it a little individual boost ahead of the others, and hopefully push it into the 8's after two or three cycles of doing this. If it isn't the new/old battery....do it anyway....but then we know whose next to be weak in the knees (but you should probably get a new pack in spring anyway). Yes, you can see 9v in some cells after a fresh charge - that's usually the "extra good" batteries taking in food from the charger that it's buddies are "refusing".

[Rammer]

No, Joesam, that 7.9 was a prior reading on the dead soldier! Also the same battery that ready 6.6 after the 24 hour period. I replaced him with the good-used!