Do I have a serious problem with my PDS

[martinkwright]

Yesterday I was going around the golf course and on the hills I got the, Beep Beep Beep, sound letting me know that the batteries where going weak. This started when I was furtherest away from my house so I then headed back. I made it 3/4's of the way back when it just stopped...

Luckily, I have a gas powered cart as well, so after a walk home in 90 degree heat, I managed to tow the cart back to the house.

Now, when I go to charge the PDS, it sits on 0 for about 5-10 minutes and then stops as if it won't take a charge.

I am really inexperienced when it comes to the diagnosing the problem and any assistance or advise in getting back on the golf course would be great.

[golfcartg]

Ah, that Beep Beep Beep sound is a familiar tune for many golf cart owners when their batteries start running low. It's like a friendly reminder from your cart that it's time for some juice! It's pretty common for that sound to kick in when the batteries dip below a 50% state of charge, especially on those uphill climbs.

Now about your charging issue, sometimes when the batteries get too low, the charger may not 'see' them. You might need to give each battery a boost individually to up the voltage enough to get the charger to kick on properly. While you're at it, it's also a good idea to check that your battery posts are clean and the connections are nice and tight. A little TLC in that department will go a long way.

Typically you can expect to get around 5 years of service life from your golf cart batteries under normal usage conditions with proper upkeep. To preserve the lifespan of your batteries for optimal performance, maintain proper charging habits and avoid deep discharges. Consistently operating batteries at low states of charge can lead to sulfation, where lead sulfate crystals form on the battery plates, reducing capacity and hindering their ability to hold a good charge. This can result in decreased driving ranges, diminished performance, and premature wear of the battery cells, ultimately shortening the overall lifespan of the battery pack. Additionally, low states of charge can increase internal resistance within the batteries, making it more challenging for them to accept and deliver energy efficiently.