96 Electric Club Car charging issues

[Guiedoboy]

I am security at a high school and have taken on the duty of getting the cart here back up and running. I talked them into new batteries( got the Trojans seeing they seem to be one of the top brands)
It ran like a trooper. After a few days it lost it's spunk and seems to no get a full charge overnight. The charger turns on when I plug it in and when I get back in the morning, it is off. I have to disconnect the charger from the cart and take off the brake make it move and then the charger will turn back on.

I saw on the other forums how to reset the OBC but this cart does not have a toggle switch for towing. Is this right or has someone messed with it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am freaking out since I talked them into $750 in batteries and they seem to not be charging.

[dougmcp]

Your cart is probably a series cart and may not have a run/tow switch.
Check this out and tell us what you have: http://www.golfcartsforum.com/genera...-regen-iq.html
When you plug in the charger it should start at about 15amps then shut down briefly and restart. The charger should run for about 6 hours or so after you drive it around for awhile on duty.
You will need a digital voltmeter to start checking some things on the cart to ascertain that the charger is working, do you have one?

[Guiedoboy]

It is a series, according to the shifter knob.
I have access to a volt meter.

[Guiedoboy]

When I plug in the charger to the cart the charger turns on and goes to 15 send stays on and drops to 10amd slowly goes to a little under 5 and stays there.
Are there supposed to be any wires attached to the batteries other than the battery series wires and the positive and negitive to the motor?

[dougmcp]

Yes there should be a red wire that runs from the Positive on the battery pack to the charger receptacle.
Here's a photo:
Click to enlarge

[dougmcp]

I would measure all the battery voltages and post up the numbers. You don't have to disconnect anything. They should be somewhere in the 8.25v to 8.50v range.

[Guiedoboy]

I will measure the voltage. BTW, I have two red wires on mine one that runs just like yours and another on the other side of the batteries. I need to follow that as well.

[gaminde]

1st of all don't worry your in good hands with doug.

If I may add there is one thing I would like to see if you could measure all batteries one at a time. Then plug in the charger and measure all voltages again and post both measurements.

doug is ? thinking the charging leads are not installed correctly and this test will let him us know.

[Michael Eddie]

Yes there should be a red wire that runs from the Positive on the battery pack to the charger receptacle.
Here's a photo:
Click to enlarge

I miss that cart

[dougmcp]

I miss that cart

I just got an email from the guy who bought it, he's still thrilled with it and has had a ton of compliments as well.

[Michael Eddie]

That is good to hear, that cart with your work and craftsmanship deserves it!

[Guiedoboy]

I need to see if I can get the meter from the mechanic shop I was unable to reach them yesterday. I will check them as soon as possible, I think the cart is not charging at all. I did not use it at all yesterday and kept turning in the charger and this morning the thing barely got to the parkinglot
The batt light is going on and off just sitting here with it off.

2 questions,

one- does it matter where the solenoid wire and the charger wire are attached to the batteries? Should they be on the positive terminal of the last batterie in the series(same one as the + lead from the cart is on)?

Two- is the gray wire one of the deal breakers when it comes to charging?
Also there is a fuse looking thing attached to the charg outlet of the cart how do you know if it is good? It looks pretty rough but I don't see any breaks.

I will try to upload pics from my I phone. If I can't I will mail them to you if that's acceptable.

Well can't add pics from I phone, oh well
Thanks guys

[gaminde]

Grey wire to charge receptacle from OBC is what makes the charger come on with charger plugged in remove grey wire from OBC and touch the grey wire to -48 volts of battery pack and charger will kick on.

also the fuse your talking about is it on the grey wire? if so above test will check it.

[Guiedoboy]

Ok, bought a meter this weekend(Along with a new heat pump/AC unit, but that is another story) I checked the voltage on the batteries they were,(from the negative lead side to the positive side) 1 through 5, we're oo8 volts, and (the positive terminal battery)6 was 003volts. The voltage across the entire string was 038volts

I plugged the charger in and did the same test and got, 1 through 5, 010 volts, and the 6th battery (positive terminal to the cart) was -002. The voltage across the entire string was 052volts

This seems a little strange. I am wondering if the two leads(one from the selinoid and one from the charger connection) are causing any trouble. The red wire from the selinoid is connected to the positive terminal of battery number 2 and the red wire from the charger connector is connected to the positive trminal of battery number 5 (the one before the positive lead battery)

I am now wondering if both red wires need to be connected to the 6th battery positive terminal? Now that I am beginning to understand a little more about the system.

Thanks again for all the help guys.

After looking at the picture of the cart you posted I am going to connect both red wires to the positive lead on the sixth battery. And see if anything changes.

[gaminde]

2 things can be wrong you could have a bad battery; but most likely the charge wires are not hooked up correctly. It sounds like a 1 battery is out of the charge loop. You have a black wire from charge receptacle 2 o b c; another black wire from OBC TO -48 pack. and a red wire from charge receptacle to +48 pack. 1 of those 2 wires is connected incorrectly.

[Guiedoboy]

I switched the red wire from the charger receptical from battery number 5 to the 6th battery(+48?) I put the charger on and for the first time the charger turned on and then for a quick min went off and then back on ( like Doug said it should) and I waited an hour and checked the voltage and with the charger on the voltage in the first 5 batteries is 11 and the voltage in the 6th battery has gone from -002 to 007 and is still charging. The total charge has gone up to 68 maybe the wire change helped.

[gaminde]

YA Think ok that was the smart ass answer sorry

You can put a auto charger on that one battery and hit it hard for a couple of hours, then put the cart charger back on. you need to level out that # 6 before driving any more. guess you could take that battery back and say it was bad

[dougmcp]

I think your problem has been solved, let the charger finish it's cycle and shut off by itself.
Post up your success if it all goes well.

[Guiedoboy]

I guess I should learn how to use a voltmeter first before testing batteries.
I had it on DCV 1000 it reads 8 if I drop it down to 200 it gives me .something readings. I move it down to 20 it gives me 8.15 readings
Any way the +48 batt is showing 7 charge when it showed a 3 yesterday. That is on the DVC1000 setting.

I will take a new set of readings when the morning rush is over here at the High School.

Also, can I use a 12v charger on these 8 volts (not for an overnight charg just to bring them up to full capacity) someone was saying you could use a 12v for a few hours to bring up each individual battery? I trust you guys more than the person (not that they are not good people, just not tech people)
Thanks again

[gaminde]

I would be thinking about taking the one battery back and telling them it was bad, by running it down that low it just may be shot.

[Guiedoboy]

The other batteries are all back up the #6 is at 7.11 I put my floating charger on it this morning and I will check it in an hour. If it doesn't get any better I will bring it back. It is less than 1 month old and they will switch it out I am sure. But if the charge comes back it will save me a bunch of hassle.

Thanks again guys for the help. This site rocks.
Gaminde, the Ya think was very fitting and funny. That was pretty stupid I have learned a lot about batteries and voltage. I would love to buy a cart but I think after seeing how expensive the batteries were and how much trouble I had with the electronics I will get a gas powered cart. The next thing I need to get is a siren and light bar for my cart. Maybe a pushbar for those pesky kids that get in the way

[gaminde]

Forget the light bar you do not want them to see you coming. You'll want spikes front and back . Then we'll see you on the national news and we can all say "I know that guy "

[gaminde]

The other batteries are all back up the #6 is at 7.11 I put my floating charger on it this morning and I will check it in an hour. If it doesn't get any better I will bring it back. It is less than 1 month old and they will switch it out I am sure. But if the charge comes back it will save me a bunch of hassle.

Thanks again guys for the help. This site rocks.
Gaminde, the Ya think was very fitting and funny. That was pretty stupid I have learned a lot about batteries and voltage. I would love to buy a cart but I think after seeing how expensive the batteries were and how much trouble I had with the electronics I will get a gas powered cart. The next thing I need to get is a siren and light bar for my cart. Maybe a pushbar for those pesky kids that get in the way

Stupid no not at all this same thing is done 50% of the time. your dealing with a few days of a learning curve, I have had 45+ years on my learning curve yours is much steeper stick with electric. someone is here to help

[rickpiontek@yahoo.com]

How can you tell if your charger is working properly?

[Guiedoboy]

Sorry it has been so long, holidays and all. Replaced batt and now charging perfectly. Charger kicks on and then off for a few sec's and back on. Left it alone for over 2 weeks and checked the charge and 8.52 across each batt. You guys are awesome. This forum is a great resource. Rickpiontek, early in this thread they tell me to check the voltage of each batt and then across the entire pack. Post that then put the charger on and check the voltage across the entire pack. Post that and put it on charge. After you post these things these guys will shower wisdome on you. Thanks guys and good luck Rick.