I am throwing all at once with a golf cart for the kids

[Retired Troop]

I am new to this forum, and am not sure if I should put all my issues up at once. If I have done this rudely, please forgive me. I know just enough about golf carts to be dangerous and costly to myself. So thanks for any help from you experienced owners. I just bought a 2008 ezgo gas rxv and it is a jewel. Now I want to keep my old 1986 club car ds for the kids to use, but it needs work and I need experienced information. So here goes:

A) I am Trying to improve performance of a 1986 36 volt Club Car DS. Batteries do not stay charged long (new trojans bought in 2010 because old batteries did the same thing and now these are beginning to act like the old ones).
B) I also see the headlights are wired to two batteries for 12volts and wonder if that had anything to do with it, instead of using a 36/12 voltage reducer (I just purchased one and am going to change that wiring next). Any tips on that would be great as well. Also the large fuse with the clear bubble cover(near the back of the forward/reverse switch) has that new bubble I replaced beginning to melt again like the first one did. Not sure if that is any type of problem clue.
C) I am not completely sure that the former owner has the cart batteries wired properly. Where can I check for that diagram. I have searched but there are so many, and some do not seem correct.
D) The speed controller on the cart seems to be missing a speed. It's either very slow or wide open. I have the second speed switch clicking without moving (and that is the novice in me, I am not sure of that proper wording this properly). So I am looking for help on how to fix this and order what I need.
E) How do I get the reverse buzzer to work again. Lost the front windshield because of this, and need to find a new one.

[Keith]

Welcome to GCF Trooper! To start you out let's make sure your battery pack is wired as shown in the attached '85 wiring diagram. It would also be helpful if you could post what each battery tests out at (voltage) after waiting 1-hour from being fully charged.

[Retired Troop]

Thank you: Would it make a difference (since I have done nothing yet) if I put a load test on each battery before I charge them, and then load test each one after?

[Retired Troop]

I load tested all batteries and they are all good, just slightly week and I assume need to be fully charged to start out. I did notice that on battery #3 (from the sketch above, someone had added an extra straight ground, with a wire that ran directly from that batteries negative post directly to the frame, I have disconnected it for now, until someone else tells me I need to reattach it.

[Keith]

Yes, do not reconnect that ground wire to the frame. Golf carts are not designed to require a ground to the frame. I am not sure what kind of load tester you are using to test your batteries so I will suggest you use a volt meter and test each battery. Your voltage readings should be around 6.37 @ 100% state of charge and no load. Also, check to make sure that the battery water level is correct. If they are low, below the plates, add just enough distilled water to cover the plates. Once you have completed charging up the battery(s) you can then add additional water as needed.
You said the batteries are two years old, but I need to ask you how old are the battery cables? If they have been on the cart since 1985 I recommend changing them all.
Also, can you check to see what the wattage is for each of the head lights, and does the cart have tail lights? You said you purchased a 36/12 voltage reducer, but you didn't list the amperage. It might not be able to hadle the lighting demand that you have. A quick way to check it out is take (total wattage demand) divided by 12 (volts) = amps (needed).
A voltage reducer is a good way to go because it draws the power needed equally across the battery pack.

[Retired Troop]

Wow Keith, you ask good common sense questions and I certainly appreciate it. It makes common sense come alive in an over charged brain. The load tester is a basic 12/6 volt battery load tester and all batteries are good, and do give the readings you gave with a volt tester.
I do have headlights and tai lights on the cart. The converter I bought handles 15 amps, so I hope that will be sufficient, I have no other accessories except for a led (that stays on constant) battery level indicator that I installed to replace the needle type that jumped all over the place each time I accelerated.
The battery cables have all been upgraded by the previous owner (and can see that they are new looking). Most all of the wiring (from what I can see) looks good. Also, I have noticed that golf cart charger which I had been using on a drop cord gets hot where I plug it in. I will stop using the charger with a drop cord to see if that works.
But I have noticed in the charging port, that those wires behind the port (one going to the reverse/forward switch) gets really hot to touch, and that big 80 amp clear fuse cover has started some slight melting due to the heat. Not sure about that. Water level is good, but when I hooked up the battery charger today just to see if it still worked (and yes this was after the batteries were all charged individually) and the batteries started boiling in about 4 minutes. What should I and can I check or change here to cool the heat?
I have found that two of my five solenoids were bad (I have ordered 5 new ones to change all at once). Would that have anything to do with the batteries draining quicker than normal?
With your help, I am on my way to feeling a little better anyway. Thank you.

[Keith]

Okay, where do I start? Let's start with the A/C power source for battery chargers. For electrical safety reasons, Club Car reccommends a minimum of #12 AWG wire if an extension cord must be used. Also, keep it short, no more than 12 feet!
The problem your seeing with hot wires and signs of melting plastic are caused by high current flow with resistance that causes heat. This can be caused by a loose wire connection, under sized wire, corroded connection, or it's wired incorrectly. You could also have a malfunctioning battery charger.
If you charged all six batteries seperately and then you plugged in the battery charger the ammeter should not be showing no more than a 1 or 2 amps on the meter. If the battery pack is drawing more than that, something is wrong with the charger.
You may want to try to borrow another charger from someone to see if it also causes an overheating/overcharging problem.

The new solenoids should fix the smoother speed increases.
The reverse buzzer: With the keyswitch "on" and the F/R switch in "R" the buzzer should activate. If it doesn't, take a volt meter and test for voltage at the buzzer connectors. If there is voltage and no "buzz", replace the buzzer.

[Retired Troop]

Keith, you are great. I am really appreciative.
I do have reverse movement, but I have no buzzer. I have looked at the schematics and see a buzzer on the sketch. But for the life of me, I cannot find that buzzer. I ordered a 9-48 volt reverse button made for an ezgo (says it will work for all). So I am going to try to install it as soon as I figure which wires I need to use.
While writing this repost I did go out and replug my charger to check the golf cart charger voltage as soon as I plugged it up, I heard my batteries start to boil, wires started getting hot. I also found that my volt meter read 43 volts on the charger plug blades before I disconnected. So I am under the assumption that the Lestronic II 36 volt charger is bad (I cannot believe I havent started a fire on the cart before now). Now I think my restoration project just became expensive. I will have to find a charger.
If nothing else, I am learning a lot about golf carts.
Thanks again: Paul

[Retired Troop]

SOMEBODY HELP!!!!http://www.golfcartsforum.com/images...s/confused.gif
I just had the charger tested and it is fine. So I am now worried that the previous owner may have rewired or replaced some wiring near charging port at the 80 amp fuse assembly. The power supply wire coming through the side of the fuse on one side is a bigger size wire than what comes off the fuse and travels to the forward/reverse switch (that wire on the underside of the fuse side was also found to be slightly loose which may have been the reason for the arcing when the charger was attached). But my biggest dilemma though that stumps me is,,,,,Why is there high volts and the batteries boiling and voltage reading on the battery bank reading 43 volts when the charger is plugged up? Just seems as if something is not wired correctly. And the larger schematics need a little more detail. I do remember when I first got this cart that it had two batteries in the bank different than the other four. Which may have been the issue back then as well.

Does anyone out there have a close up diagram of that wiring area, and what would be the proper gauge wire that is used at these feeds?

Boy do I need knowledge,,,, No wonder Solomon asked God for wisdom instead of wealth. It is worth a fortune, if nothing but for your own peace of mind.

[Retired Troop]

Latest find after calling buggies unlimited and talking to tech support. They were good enough to send me some up close schematics of the charger fuse and f/r switch area. I found that someone had wired the positive side of the key switch to the positive side of my charger fuse and it was supposed to be on the bottom of the side of the forward/reverse switch. That took away my arcing and hot fuse and positive hot (real hot) wire issue.
Now if i could just figure out why the charger is throwing 42.6 volts and boiling the batteries when I plug it up. That is the confusing issue. Anybody faced that issue before? Battery charger has been checked out to be putting out 37 volts on another cart. Keith I am missing your guidance right now. http://www.golfcartsforum.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[erict]

Latest find after calling buggies unlimited and talking to tech support. They were good enough to send me some up close schematics of the charger fuse and f/r switch area. I found that someone had wired the positive side of the key switch to the positive side of my charger fuse and it was supposed to be on the bottom of the side of the forward/reverse switch. That took away my arcing and hot fuse and positive hot (real hot) wire issue.
Now if i could just figure out why the charger is throwing 42.6 volts and boiling the batteries when I plug it up. That is the confusing issue. Anybody faced that issue before? Battery charger has been checked out to be putting out 37 volts on another cart. Keith I am missing your guidance right now. http://www.golfcartsforum.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

When the charger is connected and near the end of a charge cycle it's in an equalization stage and that is normal for the pack to read higher then 36v. After charging let the pack rest for 12 hours and take a reading. My 48v cart will read around 58v towards the end of a charge cycle.

Boiling batteries is also normal as they are just de-gassing and are more pronounced as batteries age.

[Retired Troop]

Thank you erict, So I am good? I did charge all batteries with a charger individually since I thought the charger was bad, so would that make it go directly into the equalization stage and utilize the high voltage immediately?
And so I should try to just plug it in, and let it run it's complete charging cycle?
Thank you once again.

[erict]

Thank you erict, So I am good? I did charge all batteries with a charger individually since I thought the charger was bad, so would that make it go directly into the equalization stage and utilize the high voltage immediately?
And so I should try to just plug it in, and let it run it's complete charging cycle?
Thank you once again.

The next time you charge them just plug the charger in and let it finish..