Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

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Bubba1235

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We have a Club Car Precedent golf cart which has a 48 volt system. Four very large (and expensive) 12 volt deep cycle batteries. I stored it in the machine shed over the winter and when I checked it a couple days ago the batteries were all but completely discharged. (Can turn the lights on but not enough power to move the cart.)

Ok, no problem. Hook up the charger, plug it in, turn it on and,,, blow the over load breaker. Apparently the batteries are so discharged the load is exceeding the chargers max output (20 amps at 48 volts) and it trips the over load. (Pegs the charge gauge for a few seconds before tripping the overload.)

In this electric car part of the charging circuit (the brains part) is in the car and it controls the charger so there is no way to use an alternative charger. I guess my only real option is to disconnect all the batteries (don't want to smoke the electronics) and charge each battery one at a time with my regular battery charger. A real PITA the way the thing is set up.

I'd love to hear suggestions from anyone with a set up like this and a way to use the charger that came with the car.
 
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joed

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

I would measure the voltage across each battery sitting idle and then measure again while they are charging. You may find one of them is the problem.
Also if they are wet cells, check the fluid level in all the cells.
 
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rbh

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

YUP, pull the batteries and charge separate.

Can you do a load test?
If it got really cold possibly they could have froze if they where to low.
 
Tim Frank

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

If you are only showing 9.5 volts there may have been a small current draw while they were stored....an accessory or something. That is lowwww.
Healthy batteries should not drop that low if they were stored and maintained properly....charged fully before storage and regularly checked.

I've had the same trouble with 4 by 6 volt in a series hook-up and was able to disconnect the final negative and charge each one for about an hour at which point the 24 volt charger could take over. If I recall they were initially about 5.5 volts and the one hour got them to about 5.75 V.
You are way below that....proportionally.

Also, maybe give Club Car a call and see what they advise. They have a pretty good reputation and probably have a fairly effective customer service group.
 
sasto

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

I had this trouble a couple times. I live in a village full of golf carts. I bypassed the charge relay. It is located in the hot (black) wire after the fuse and goes to the (black) transformer wire. I remove them from the relay and connect them directly. If the bypass works...all is well...they are cheap enough. (I hope I explained this well enough)

Good Luck Bubba!
 
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rbh

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

That draw could have been just dirt/dust build up across the top of the battery/batteries.
It is amazing how much voltage travels across the top of the battery from terminal to terminal when you get a build up of crud.
 
Tim Frank

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

rbh said:
That draw could have been just dirt/dust build up across the top of the battery/batteries.
It is amazing how much voltage travels across the top of the battery from terminal to terminal when you get a build up of crud.
Click to expand...

Sure. Just meant that it was likely an external issue, not an internal battery problem.
 
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Fishing Dude too

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

Club Cars have an OBC unless voltage is high enough will not let the charger come on need about 40v on a 48 volt system. Hate to tell you but if this is the trouble your batteries are toast. Your OBC could be bad or need reset. To reset disconnect the neg battery on the last one in the pack. Then put in rev till buzzard goes silent then re connect the batteries. try charger.

Also you would be ahead to leave plugged in even when stored if able to do this the charger will cycle every 14 days on it's own.
 
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rbh

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

Tim Frank said:
Sure. Just meant that it was likely an external issue, not an internal battery problem.
Click to expand...

I figured I should just throw that one out, considering its spring cleaning for the fleet and thats a big one I deal with.
Nothing worse than the sand and gravel and the salt build up from the winter.
 
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Outsider

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

Put a few hours charge on each battery with a 12v charger, then plug in the 48v charger ... :)
 
Tim Frank

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

Outsider said:
Put a few hours charge on each battery with a 12v charger, then plug in the 48v charger ... :)
Click to expand...

That's what I did with 6V batteries....12V should be similar.
 
Tim Frank

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

rbh said:
I figured I should just throw that one out, considering its spring cleaning for the fleet and thats a big one I deal with.
Nothing worse than the sand and gravel and the salt build up from the winter.
Click to expand...

Except it sounds like OP put it away for the winter. So salt should not be an issue.
 
bruceb58

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

There could never be enough crud on top of a battery to conduct 20A...a few mili-amps maybe.

If the batteries were stored discharged, that is a great way of ruining the batteries but typically that would only cause a false full charge, not an over current condition.

Probably one or more bad cells somewhere in one or more of the batteries in the bank.

Just disconnect one lead at the end of the battery chain and then charge each battery independently or 2 at a time if all you have is a 12V charger.
 
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rbh

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

Tim Frank said:
Except it sounds like OP put it away for the winter. So salt should not be an issue.
Click to expand...

BAAHAHAHA!!

Somehow visualizing Bubba out there with his golf cart, tires chained up, (4x4 an option??), middle of winter, pounding down the backroads.
Puts a smile on my face. :D







(and I read he put it away in the fall, but batteries get dirty all year)
 
Tim Frank

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

bruceb58 said:
There could never be enough crud on top of a battery to conduct 20A...a few mili-amps maybe.

If the batteries were stored discharged, that is a great way of ruining the batteries but typically that would only cause a false full charge, not an over current condition.

Probably one or more bad cells somewhere in one or more of the batteries in the bank.

Just disconnect one lead at the end of the battery chain and then charge each battery independently or 2 at a time if all you have is a 12V charger.
Click to expand...

OP has 4 x 12 Volt batteries....I confused the issue by mentioning sixes.
He also said that the discharge state has them reading 9.5V....for deep-cycle batteries that is beyond dead, but apparently they can still come back happily.
 
Tim Frank

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

rbh said:
BAAHAHAHA!!

Somehow visualizing Bubba out there with his golf cart, tires chained up, (4x4 an option??), middle of winter, pounding down the backroads.
Puts a smile on my face. :D



(and I read he put it away in the fall, but batteries get dirty all year)
Click to expand...

I know he said that he put it away, but he was also complaining about the winter,,,and cold and snow.
He must have a driveway.

I'm suspicious about the "put away" part of this post. :)

snowplow.JPG
 
Tim Frank

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

Bubba1235 said:
Talked with the help folks at Club Car (good folks) and explained I charged the batts. before storing but did NOT leave the charger connected. Bad move... Apparently the on board electronics (motor controller and dash read outs) pull a low amount of power all the time and I've really stepped in it by not keeping the charger on it. They suggest, charging each batt. on a 12 volt charger at it's lowest amp setting for 4 hours and then go to full charging and see if they come up to voltage properly using a hydrometer on each cell. (may have bad cell even if it charges).

Maybe the batts, can be saved, maybe not. I sure hope so because these are some big honking batts. and the cheapest I've seen them is $270 each and there are four of them.. OUCH!!!



EDIT: As a side note, these folks are so kind they sent me a PDF of the owners manual. Yup, in BIG BOLD letters it says to leave the charger on it during the winter and it will cycle every so often for a maintenance charge. RTF dummy...
Click to expand...

Can't believe how many otherwise competent companies continue to hide useful and important info in an Owners' Manual.
How the heck are guys going to find it there? :)

Some good tips here:
DEEP CYCLE BATTERY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
 
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Fishing Dude too

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Re: Golf cart charger can't recharge batteries

Bubba you can get the batteries cheeper than that. if you need ew batteries you may want to change the pack to 6 8's for longer run time. You would also have to change OBC can get you the right number for it but will need year of cart
 
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