Overcharging or bad battery?

[Heliarc]

I got a battery from a battery "rebuilder".I've been buying them for years from this guy and the oldest one is about three years and still works great in my Mercedes diesel.I bought one for the golf cart and it cranks fine, but not for very long.Also it doesn't seem to hold a charge.I took a reading on it and it was putting out over 16 volts while the engine was running.Is it possible that I've already cooked the battery, or is the battery malfunction making the generator put out full tilt trying to keep up?

Another thing, I might have a total of 3-4 hours on this battery so far.I just installed a voltage regulator.Before that I ran it briefly, but never to the point of total battery depletion.

He offers a one year guarantee, I just don't wan't to go exchange it if the battery isn't at fault.

[1fast67]

Your should charge normally at 14.5-15 volts. I wouldn't the the battery is overcharging. What is the voltage without running it?

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[Heliarc]

You mean disconnect the battery while it's running?Not doing that.I have yet to cobble some cable extensions so I can hook up a regular battery and check the voltage.Just too **** busy around here lately.

[1fast67]

No I meant what is battery voltage not running.

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[1fast67]

I usually check voltage with my multimeter.

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[Heliarc]

Oh I gotcha.On one day when it was drained pretty badly I checked it and got 12.4 volts.I hit the starter and it dropped to just over 4 volts.So I'm pretty sure the battery is kaput, I just don't know whether it was bad to start with or if it overcharged.I would think if it were overcharging I'd have that sulfur/fart smell.What i'm guessing is that the battery has a shorted cell and the regulator is going full bore trying to compensate.I don't really know how they work though.

[1fast67]

From what you said I'm gonna go with a dead battery. Every once in a while you will get one that will swell but not usually.

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[Heliarc]

So if you have a crap battery, the voltage regulator might go crazy like that?I'm still going to get an automotive battery hooked up and take a reading, but I'm thinking dead battery too.

[1fast67]

It should be a group 24 battery in your cart? That's probably why the regulator went. You you got a regulator right? You should be good to go with a new battery. Make sure all the grounds are tight and clean.

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[Heliarc]

Originally Posted by 1fast67

It should be a group 24 battery in your cart? That's probably why the regulator went. You you got a regulator right? You should be good to go with a new battery. Make sure all the grounds are tight and clean.

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Not sure what a group 24 battery is, but it's not a deep cycle and it's pretty much the right physical size for the cart.The original regulator went when I first got it running and a wire(I think the green one from the gen.) got against the hot exhaust, melted through the insulation, and shorted.I saw something in the regulator(which had no cover) glow for a second and die out.

I bought a new regulator and installed it before I started this post.The next day, or thereabouts, I was having trouble with it cranking.Then I tested it with a meter.

So tonight I went out, disconnected the cart battery, and took the battery from my IH Scout and hooked to the cart with jumper cables.I put it up on stands and ran it.With the engine pretty well screaming(didn't hold this for more than a few seconds) I got a reading of almost 16 volts testing at the Scout battery.This battery is good, holds a charge, and starts the Scout every time.At cruising speed, it's putting out 14.5-15 volts.

Strange thing is, before I hooked up the Scout battery, I went out tonight and started it with the cart battery.It spun it over and started like nothing was wrong.I jacked it up after this and actually ran it with the cart battery and I got just over 16 volts with the throttle balls to the wall(again, not for long).

This is really confusing the hell out of me now...