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View Full Version : Electric golf cart help please.



FREIND OF AA AND TA
01-28-2006, 01:34 PM
I just bought a 6 seater ez-go with new batteries. Both dogs and the wife and both dam kids got stranded a mile away from home. The battery gage went from full to less than half and finaly died. Less than a mile cruise. Luckily a neighbor picked them all up and brought them home for the tow cart. YES gas cart. Anyways here are my questions.
1. Never count on the batery gage?
2. Is mine screwed up?
3. How long can you let the cart sit without a full charging? Mine was 2 weeks of just sitting?
4. Should I put it in Maintence mode to charge or does it matter?
5. How long should I leave the charger on it? Can I over charge the batteries, or is the e-z go charger smarter than that?
And for you smart asses I did not sell the Rhino for it!! It is for the Islander!!
Thanks for the help guys!!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1721CART.jpg

djunkie
01-28-2006, 01:47 PM
Well if no one here can help you then try this place.
http://server1.buggiesunlimited.com/phpBB2/index.php
I would think that you could leave it on the charger all the time. But I don't know for sure.

Flying Tiger
01-28-2006, 01:54 PM
The Buggies unlimited forum is the best source.
They've seen the problem before and can give you the straight scoop.
It's probably something simple, which is the big plus with electrics,, simple to find simple to fix,, and usually cheap.
Are all the cells full?, I mean all of them.
Even new batts after an initial charge they can evap to a low level.
Any cable corrosion,, inside the cable, not just the connectors to the batt terminals? Always change to new cables with new batts,, always!!!
Ya can store them for long long periods of time if you fully charge the batts, then click the run - store/tow toggle to store/tow setting when not in use for a spell..
After 6 months of storage our easy go is still full charged.
A specific gravity checker can tell you the batts condition,, I think you can buy one at Kragen under 10 bux, even though you have new batteries,, ya can still get a bad one.
We had a guy in camp hook up his batts wrong,, then it ruined a few of them when he charges them.
On top all that,, he returned them to COSTCO,, they exchanged them and put them back out for sale,, which his neighbor then bought,,
So,, all kinds of ways to end up with bad batts,, even if new.
Chances also that if the is the maiden voyage with the new batts,, the cables may have been hooked up wrong. Happens all the time.
It'll be a simple thing to track down.
Nice cart by the way.

FREIND OF AA AND TA
01-28-2006, 01:57 PM
Thanks, I kinda left the switch in normal position. I will check those forums. I can't believe another forum to watch!!!!!

djunkie
01-28-2006, 02:04 PM
Thanks, I kinda left the switch in normal position. I will check those forums. I can't believe another forum to watch!!!!!
Ya tell me about it. I'm about ready to throw this damm computer out the window just so I can get away from these damm forums. :rollside:

Nubbs
01-28-2006, 02:07 PM
1. Battery gauges are nice, but you should also be able to feel if the cart is dying. The battery gauge is just a voltmeter with a different display. Put a voltmeter across the batteries and see what your voltage is.
2. I don't know. Is it running again? Did it just all the sudden stop? Or did it get slower and slower and slower?
3. Mine has sat for over two weeks and it still works fine. However, I typically try to give mine a full charge if I know it's going to sit for a while.
4. There is a switch in the charger receptacle that shuts the controller off when the charger is plugged in so you can't drive it. So, the controller is shut off when it's charging, regardless of the mode. That being said, I usually put the switch in tow/maintenance mode when charging.
5. If the charger is functioning properly, it will automatically shut off.
Nice looking cart by the way.

FREIND OF AA AND TA
01-28-2006, 02:08 PM
Sure enough a couple of cells were low!! Geeze I can't believe how fast they went. Just checked them the other day. Thanks a million. Now to figure the gage out.

FREIND OF AA AND TA
01-28-2006, 02:13 PM
1. Battery gauges are nice, but you should also be able to feel if the cart is dying. The battery gauge is just a voltmeter with a different display. Put a voltmeter across the batteries and see what your voltage is.
2. I don't know. Is it running again? Did it just all the sudden stop? Or did it get slower and slower and slower?
3. Mine has sat for over two weeks and it still works fine. However, I typically try to give mine a full charge if I know it's going to sit for a while.
4. There is a switch in the charger receptacle that shuts the controller off when the charger is plugged in so you can't drive it. So, the controller is shut off when it's charging, regardless of the mode. That being said, I usually put the switch in tow/maintenance mode when charging.
5. If the charger is functioning properly, it will automatically shut off.
Nice looking cart by the way.
Just ran down and put it in Maintenence mode!! Ya it got slower and slower. I think I will put my satalite radio where that frickin gauge is at!! Thanks

OutCole'd
01-28-2006, 03:48 PM
Mike, what everyone else said.
Glad I was able to help.

Phat Matt
01-28-2006, 03:52 PM
Mike, what everyone else said.
Glad I was able to help.
Good advice! :hammerhea

OutCole'd
01-28-2006, 03:55 PM
Good advice! :hammerhea
Thanks.
Also Mike. The charger not only has a plug that you plug into the cart, but it should have another cord coming out of it that gets plugged into a wall outlet.
Glad I was able to help again. :cool:

Nubbs
01-28-2006, 08:18 PM
Just ran down and put it in Maintenence mode!! Ya it got slower and slower. I think I will put my satalite radio where that frickin gauge is at!! Thanks
Anytime. It sounds like your gauge is working correctly. A few bad cells will definitely cause your cart to die quickly. How old are the batteries? You may be able to get them warranteed.

H20 Toie
01-28-2006, 10:33 PM
just get a rhinao then you donrt have that problem

FREIND OF AA AND TA
01-28-2006, 11:28 PM
Mike, what everyone else said.
Glad I was able to help.
I can always count on you!!

RUCAV
01-29-2006, 08:42 PM
That happened to mine too. I sent it to Premier Golf Carts in Lake Havasu. The technician told me it had to do with one or more of the batteries starting use at a lower level than the rest. This causes the others to drain more quickly. He used some sort of battery tester to find out which batteries were lower than the rest. I had to charge them all the way up individually, then plug in the charger for the whole unit. If you dont, and you plug in the charger for the cart, it will only charge up to the point where the first battery reaches its fully charged point.
My long term answer. I bought a gas cart. The way to go.
Good Luck.

TOBTEK
01-29-2006, 08:54 PM
ALSO...... im sure you have a voltage reducer RIGHT? I learned the hard way on my limo that those reducers will have a constant draw on the batt's. I made a male/female connection on the ground wire on the voltage reducer so when the cart isnt in use nothing can create a draw. I toasted two batts before I learned of this. Looks like your getting ISLANDER ready......I/we just walked in the door from there :)

OutCole'd
01-29-2006, 09:12 PM
ALSO...... im sure you have a voltage reducer RIGHT? I learned the hard way on my limo that those reducers will have a constant draw on the batt's. I made a male/female connection on the ground wire on the voltage reducer so when the cart isnt in use nothing can create a draw. I toasted two batts before I learned of this. Looks like your getting ISLANDER ready......I/we just walked in the door from there :)
Tob, when I hooked up my reducer, it only has a draw when you turn something on. If there is no power draw, the reducer does not take any power. Does this make sense?

TOBTEK
01-29-2006, 09:33 PM
Tob, when I hooked up my reducer, it only has a draw when you turn something on. If there is no power draw, the reducer does not take any power. Does this make sense?
that makes sense to me.......BUT the guys at escondido GCC said these have a slight draw at all times. Just what I was told, the limo would go dead if it sat for a longwhile, before I started unpluugin this reducer.....no big the limo is gone. Im gonna build a SICK FAST std cart now....