Just picked up 4 new Trojan batteries..

[The Gem Saloon]

Just wanted to thank you all again for the help including the voltage chart and wiring diagram.

After charging my 4 new Trojan batteries we took several trips around our subdivision. I checked the voltage today based off your guidance and it read 49.4. Lower than 80% however I plugged it in and wouldn't have known to do so w/o your help. Thanks!

[JohnnieB]

Actually, 49.4V is below 70% SoC. (70% = 49.5V)

However, if you took the voltage reading shortly after you stopped the cart, the reading will be lower than the true SOC.

To get an accurate SoC estimate from the battery voltage, the batteries have to be at-rest. (Neither charged nor discharged for a period of time)
After charging, they need about 12 hours of rest to get a relatively good SoC estimate from the terminal voltage.
After discharging (Using cart) they need 15 minutes or more rest.

When I want highly accurate SoC estimates, I let my batteries rest for about 24 hours after charging and about an hour after discharging.

For maximum battery lifespan, recharge after each use, no matter how slight the usage.

Letting batteries sit in a partially discharged state increases the plate sulfation rate (aging). Anything less than 100% charged is partially discharged.

New batteries have to be broken in to obtain their maximum storage capacity, so keep from discharging below about 75% SoC for the first two dozen charge cycles.
After that, going down to 50% is okay, but avoid going much lower that that or lifespan will suffer.

Many battery manufacturers and vendors say that taking their batteries down to 20% SoC (80% DoD) is okay, but remember, they sell batteries for a living.

If you install a dash mounted digital battery meter so you can monitor battery voltage in real time. try not to take the batteries below 1.75VPC (Volts per Cell) when under heavy load (IE: Climbing a steep hill). For a 48V pack, that would be 42.0V.

The absolute minimum VPC under load is 1.5VPC (36.0V for a 48V pack), lower than that may cause physical damage to the plates.

Hope this helps.

Many battery manufacturers and vendors say that taking their batteries down to 20% SoC (80% DoD) is okay, but remember, they sell batteries for a living.

from battery break in guide

Plug charger in and leave it alone until charger shuts off by itself then drive cart to about 50% battery life
and plug back in and repeat charge cycle.

johnnie why do they say to do this if it's bad ?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by crash test dummy

from battery break in guide

johnnie why do they say to do this if it's bad ?

Where did you find a "battery break in guide" with the term "50% battery life" in it?
The two terms used to express the amount of energy stored in a battery as a percentage of its rated storage capacity are SoC (State of Charge) and DoD (Depth of Discharge).

In addition to using the wrong term, the break in information is also wrong.
The first couple dozen discharge/charge cycles should be light ones.
This is the break in protocol to use: http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Batter...n_Methods.html

One thing I would change in the protocol is the statement "Then drive to discharge the batteries to 75% of battery pack capacity", I believe it should read: "Then drive to discharge the batteries down to at least 90% SoC, but no less than 75%, of battery pack capacity".

-------------
As for why bad information exists, I cannot read the minds or see into the hearts of those that put it out for others to read, so I don't know,

I do know it is difficult to convey technical information in a clear and concise statement that cannot be misread or misunderstood.

Here is a set of statements from Trojan Battery and #5 is an example of how to confuse the casual reader. (The statements are for all Trojan deep cycle batteries in all applications, not just golf carts. And there isn't a consensus of the majority of battery experts on 85% to 50% usage range for any application, so the word "Many" should have better defined by listing alternative practices along with the ratio of battery experts that advocate those practices, or the statement should have been omitted.)
http://www.trojanbattery.com/Battery...scharging.aspx

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

Where did you find a "battery break in guide" with the term "50% battery life" in it?

from BUGGIES GONE WILD "STICKEY"

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...ery-guide.html

Originally Posted by scottyb

You are discriminating against Yamaha?

It is good for the newbies.... Newbies should learn proper use and care of their golf cart batteries. They are expensive and they are a finite resource. Proper use and care can easily influence how much service we get from them. In extreme examples I have seen from 18 months to 10 years of service out of the same make and size battery pack. Mis-use results in abuse = results in sulfating the plates, reducing their ability to take and hold a charge(amperage), proper care can start today and help you get the most out your pack. Go lift the seat and take a good look at the connections and cables.....clean everything up and put a corrosion inhibitor on connections.

i have been passing this out to all my friends with new batteries and have posted to a couple of members .. if it is wrong then why is it a sticky ?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by crash test dummy

from BUGGIES GONE WILD "STICKEY"

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...ery-guide.html

Originally Posted by scottyb

i have been passing this out to all my friends with new batteries and have posted to a couple of members .. if it is wrong then why is it a sticky ?

That is in the Club Car section and I don't have a Club Car, so I've never read the stickies over there.
Perhaps a PM to the forum member that composed (cheapjeep2) it might shed some light as to why it was written that way.

It also appears that scottyb had an epiphany at some point after the comment he posted in that 2010 thread. I suspect his current belief is what he has posted on his website (Carts Unlimited).

------------
All I can find out from battery manufacturers websites and their published literature is that it takes several discharge/charge cycles for their batteries to reach their maximum storage capacity, but none of them spell out any break in procedures.

Here is a thread containing a response from Trojan when asked about how to break in their batteries.
http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...cedures-2.html

pm sent to cheepjeep2, scottyB

[cheapjeep2]

When I first put that guide together, I took the information from the wisdom in this thread http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...rocedures.html

I used that process many times with no issues, but I must admit really this is how I have done it the most with no issues, simply put in new batteries, give them an initial charge before driving, and then just drive it, I tell people to do the same, and tell thm after about 30-40 charge cycles you will notice an increase in the length of the charge and performance as they will be broke in.

I can update that PDF if needed as long as a moderator can update it.

The main thing is complete charge cycles, good maintenance and try to prevent going below 50% as much as possible, but of you do from time to time it is not like you are committing a crime.

I live in a community where all teenagers drive their carts like cars to school. My carts get heavy, heavy use. And in the end whether I did it just like the PDF says or if I just drive the snot out of it I see no real difference, again the big thing is the number of complete charge cycles. 30-50 and you are going to see a difference.

Originally Posted by shadowman

this is how i exp;laine it to customers and it has never failed me........brand new batteries are approx70 to 75% so once they are installed ( correctly ) the 1st 10 to 12 complete charge/discharge cycles are as follows plug charger in and leave it alone until charger shuts off by itself than drive cart to about 50% battery life and plug back in and repeat charge cycle.......very important you leave it charge until its completly done and this is what you want to do 10 to 12 times ......by the 12th time you,ll notice a differtence in powr/speed and runtime.........i have never had a customer say they havn,t........ther most common comment i get is wow its like a different cart..........thats the break inperiod pretty simple wouldn,t you say..........while doing this keep an eye on water level as i have sen it take 16 hours or better the 1st few times as they break in you,ll notice charge time gets less also........................after that the 2nd most important thig is maintaining the batteries........very critical you get into a ruintine of spending a whole 20 minutes a few times a month to keep things in good/clean and tight condition to get a lot more time out of your batteries......................................... ..............

another 50% er