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Old 08-30-2018, 10:21 PM   #9
Tropicalcats
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 24
Default Re: There is so much I don’t know

Quote:
Originally Posted by yawood View Post
I agree with Lockman1 that it sounds like your accessories are wired directly to the batteries. Let me expand on that (seeing that you want to learn more):

Accessories generally run on 12V. The cart runs on 48V from the full pack of 6x8V batteries (or 4x12V for some carts). To get the 12V required by the accessories you can run a 48V-12V reducer (the best method) or wire the accessories directly to one or two batteries. This is not preferred because then more power is being drawn from those batteries than from the rest of the batteries in the pack. This makes the pack unbalanced and results in reduced life for the pack. So, not fitting a reducer saves money in the short term but eventually costs more because you need to replace an expensive battery pack sooner than you otherwise would have to.

When a reducer is fitted (or the accessories wired directly to the batteries) it can be done via the on-off switch or not. If it is wired via the on-off switch then the accessories (& reducer) are off when the cart is not being used. If it is wired directly (i.e. not via the on-off switch) then the accessories (or their individual switches) have power all the time. If the accessories are wired through the switch then they are off when the key is off, even if the accessory (like the lights) has been accidentally left switched on at its individual switch. This protects the batteries by ensuring that everything is off if the key is off no matter what position the other switches are in.
Understood, I appreciate the lesson. Like I said I wake up every day and realize there is so much I don’t know and I love to learn.
Would it be an easy switch ( yes I like puns) to put a reducer in now?
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