Breaker started tripping while charging

[Silverstreak]

My cart came back from the EZGO repair shop today. They replaced 2 batteries, and rewired my lights so they were now part of the key switch. (The guy who built the cart had put them in a funky place). I also noticed now that they must have added a fuse at one battery for the lights...??

He brought the cart at noon and said I must charge them. So I plugged in the cart and after 8 hours it was still charging. But about an hour after that, I realized the GFCI breaker had tripped. I am using an outside GFCI outlet and a 100' extension cord to charge the cart. I have done it this way for several years with no breaker tripping. Tomorrow when it's light out, I'll check the couple of other things outside on that breaker, but I don' t believe they're even in use right now.

Is there something they may have done to the cart to cause the breaker to trip........after 8 hours of charging? Maybe it's just coincidental that the breaker is tripping now, but I fear there may be a connection.

Any ideas?
Thanks.

[woodrow256]

Im surprised its never tripped before. Thats a pretty long extension cord to be using a charger. You might need a new gfci breaker.

[Silverstreak]

Its one of those heavy-duty orange extension cords. Could there have been anything they did (or forgot to do), while servicing the cart, that could trip the breaker?

[Sir Nuke]

Originally Posted by Silverstreak

Its one of those heavy-duty orange extension cords. Could there have been anything they did (or forgot to do), while servicing the cart, that could trip the breaker?

I wouldn't think so.....but even though you have used that long extension cord before.....I would do two things. #1: move the cart so you can plug in the charger directly into a the same receptacle with no extension cord. if it still trips....#2: try another receptacle....if it still trips. the next thing I would try to do is borrow a charger from someone to see if its your charger. NOW, if it doesn't trip, its your charger, it that one does it too, its your cart and I would be contacting the shop to come pick it up as they got something wrong.

[Silverstreak]

Thanks Sir Nuke,

As soon as it gets light out, I'll try all combinations of things. Unfortunately, all our exterior GFCIs are on the same breaker (which is also a GFCI). A nightlight outlet in our bathroom is on the same circuit, so it's easy to keep an eye on when the circuit is tripped. Also on that circuit is an exterior outlet that handles the deicer/pumps in my small water gardens...so the problem may be with that outlet.
If that particular exterior outlet trips.......that could trip the inside breaker, right?

But after I unplugged the cord from the outlet that supplies the cart charger, the nightlight stayed on all night. So I'm suspicious of that one outside outlet/cord/charger/cart. For some reason, this winter seems to have been really hard on some of our outside outlets.
Thanks for your help!

[Silverstreak]

Here's what I did this morning.

I have one of those things that you plug into outlets and it has 3 lights on it, and tells you which part is or isn't working.

I tried it on the exterior GFCI outlet and the right lights lit up. I tried it on an extension cord that goes to my bird bath heater, and it was all good. Then I tried it on the long extension cord to my golf cart charger and it said that the neutral was open.
What does that mean? I think it means I need a new extension cord.

I know extension cords aren't the best way to go, but at least it's to a GFCI outlet. Plus, I think when we get a new cord, we will bury it properly.........although still not the same thing a professional electrician would do.

Don't you think the open neutral means I need a new cord?
Thanks.

[DOOmsman]

Don't you think the open neutral means I need a new cord?

Yes you do, it also sounds as if you have quite a total load on that cicuit.
GFI's will get weak with on-curing tripping.
The cord end may be the problem from arcing as you plug in the charger.

[Silverstreak]

Thanks DOOmsman.

Is there a way around that arcing, or does it happen because of the problem?

[beach cart]

The circuit your using is certainly being maxed out or close. A 100 ft extension cord, even heavy duty which is 10 ga not 12 or 14 will have a significant drop of voltage. The service manuals all recommend dedicated 20 amp circuits. Just some thoughts.

[radioman]

GFCI breakers tripping usually indicate something leaking to ground. Could be the cord or the charger. Simple basic troubleshooting should determine if this is the problem. Sir Nuke gave you some good suggestions in post #4. An extension cord with a open neutral would be a good place to start.