"Winterizing" 2001 CC DS

[sawyer]

This is my first year with a buggy, (a 2001 DS with original batteries), at our seasonal place, and I'm wondering what my best steps are for over-wintering. I don't have an indoor storage site and up here in Canada it can get cccccold. What are the best steps to take?

Charge up and detach the battery leads?
Leave the charger plugged in all winter?


Thanks

[TahoeDawgZ71]

Winterizing! lol... It's 94 degrees outside! But I'm in Georgia.

Anyways, for a 48 Volt system just leave it plugged in and flip it into the TOW position if it's a Regen car. If it's a series car, you won't have a TOW switch and don't need to worry about that. Just plug it in and make sure the batteries have plenty of water in them. Although, you may want to try and take any precautions you can to keep the batteries from freezing. A good battery shouldn't freeze if the electrolyte levels are up, but an old worn out battery with a lot of water in it will freeze hard as a rock.

[erict]

Originally Posted by TahoeDawgZ71

Winterizing! lol... It's 94 degrees outside! But I'm in Georgia.

Anyways, for a 48 Volt system just leave it plugged in and flip it into the TOW position if it's a Regen car. If it's a series car, you won't have a TOW switch and don't need to worry about that. Just plug it in and make sure the batteries have plenty of water in them. Although, you may want to try and take any precautions you can to keep the batteries from freezing. A good battery shouldn't freeze if the electrolyte levels are up, but an old worn out battery with a lot of water in it will freeze hard as a rock.

Dumb question. Is the IQ cars considered a Regen car?

[sawyer]

Originally Posted by TahoeDawgZ71

Winterizing! lol... It's 94 degrees outside! But I'm in Georgia.

Anyways, for a 48 Volt system just leave it plugged in and flip it into the TOW position if it's a Regen car. If it's a series car, you won't have a TOW switch and don't need to worry about that. Just plug it in and make sure the batteries have plenty of water in them. Although, you may want to try and take any precautions you can to keep the batteries from freezing. A good battery shouldn't freeze if the electrolyte levels are up, but an old worn out battery with a lot of water in it will freeze hard as a rock.

Yeah... still in the 70's here, but it'll be winter before we know it and it is sure to go < 0 F. Yes it is a regen. Is there any issue with the OBC not working if in "tow"

Thanks

[TahoeDawgZ71]

Originally Posted by sawyer

Yeah... still in the 70's here, but it'll be winter before we know it and it is sure to go < 0 F. Yes it is a regen. Is there any issue with the OBC not working if in "tow"

Thanks

No issue at all. The OBC still functions perfectly in the TOW position.

[TahoeDawgZ71]

Originally Posted by erict

Dumb question. Is the IQ cars considered a Regen car?

The IQ car has regenerative features, minus the Regen problems, however it's not referred to as a "Regen" car. That name refers to the mid 90s - 2001 Regen1 and RegenII cars.

[shadowman]

the only problem with leaving the charger plugged in is if there are any power surges...............not sure what it would do but the elec,s i don,t want to find out...........now my carts arn,t in canada but right near lake erie we get some brutal winters...........this year i plan on bringing 2 of them home and storing in my garage but for the past 15 years they have spent winter months outside at camp uncovered and not plugged in..............i tried the cover thing but the critters would get up under the covers and eat the freakin seats and make nests in the battery compartment out of the weather......lots of damage.......................now with good solid strong fully charged batteries i can leave the carts sit outside with no sort of protection for 5 months and have 0 issues with them...........your not gonna get away with this if you have iffy batteries but a good soluid pack will hold their own thurout our winters......and i don,t come back to dead carts in april either.........there are also times when i go to camp thurout winter maybe once a month or 2 times over all thur winter and if i do i,ll throw the charger on while i,m there over night.....but if i don,t make it in the winter i no longer worry about in.........on the other hand with iffy batteries your in big trouble you,ll go back and find your batteries had froze and blew the sides out and are crap........we have to many power outages up there in winter for me to feel good about leaving charger plugged in all winter........................