Did I kill my battery (ies)

[sleepyluke]

I have been away for a while, but back into the nightly neighborhood rides. typical evening ride is 5-7 miles with some decent hills. Usual load is 1 adult and 2-4 kids. I have been having to add more water lately than I used to, but it is over 100 degrees and we are riding almost every night. Some water help with the kids, so every once and while I am sure it is overfilled and we lose a little electrolyte. Spec wise it is a TXT, lifted, converted to 48 volts running about 400-425 amps out of an Alltrax from ScottieB. Crown CR-190 Jan 2019 batteries.

Last night on the way home we got almost back, going up hill my volts dropped from 47/48 down to 25 in about 20 feet and smelled the dreaded rotten egg Sulphur. Let it sit, volts get back to 50-50.5 on the meter, go another 10-20 feet, volts drop again. Did this several times before the kids ran home and got a neighbor who came back and helped me push it up the hill and got it back to the house.

Get home pull the seat and check the water levels. Some are good, some little dry and one cell is steaming. I have refilled the cells with water. Planning to run by Autozone today and see about getting a mix tester and some acid, but any other ideas to hopefully save it, or should I just go with it and hope it does not leave me stranded 5 miles from the house? I did not put it back on the charger last night, wanted it to cool down and sit, but will charge again today.

If I have killed it, how off am I going to be replacing that one battery until I can get the money for a new set?

Thoughts? Thanks

[buckmanmike]

I would fill water levels above the plates and charge. Then check each batteries voltage. Then check batteries under load. You will need a multi meter for this. Cheap at Harbor Freight.
If a battery is bad its decision time. Your batteries are 50%+ through a normal life with good maintenance. Try to find a used battery to extend the pack if available, or consider a lithium battery pack and have minimal maintenance. $$$$

[buckmanmike]

Also check your battery cables. Steaming is heat. Heat generally from poor connections. Feel the cables and rub them. If you can hear or feel a crunchie feeling, especially near cable ends, they are probably corroded under the cable insulation. Replace cables. Bigger is better.

[sleepyluke]

Originally Posted by buckmanmike

Also check your battery cables. Steaming is heat. Heat generally from poor connections. Feel the cables and rub them. If you can hear or feel a crunchie feeling, especially near cable ends, they are probably corroded under the cable insulation. Replace cables. Bigger is better.

I have checked the cables, they are good and cool. The batteries are what has the heat. I am running 0 gauge welding wire, so the cables can handle getting rid of a little of the heat. At rest all batteries are within .05 of each other, but one definitely uses more water than the others. I have not checked to see if it is the one that is killing it under load, but will try that next. Flat ground they seem to be pretty close on total volt drain, but with any hill it drops several more than it used to. It seems short as far as life span, but it now literally gets ridden 5 plus days a week, 2-4 kids and a driver with multiple big hills 5-12 miles per evening. We gotta figure something out, it is going to not be pretty if i tell them neighborhood rides are over unless we all start a lemonade stand! Which may be the solution!!