Sluggish ride

[kellybell]

Oh no. Put water in them, until it covers the little metal plates in them, then charge. We'll see............

[criley]

I thought if the cell is exposed to air, it's ruined?

[kellybell]

Maybe, but I would try and put water in it and charge, then check the pack voltage. You never know........
BTW, use distilled water.

[Jd62]

Originally Posted by criley

I thought if the cell is exposed to air, it's ruined?

If the little metal plate in the batteries are not stick together,, your batteries should be good

[radioman]

Originally Posted by mdaddyrabbit

I forgot to mention, when I charge the cart the smell in my building is nearly unbearable. Cross between rotten eggs and metal smell...almost scared to walk in the building. Is this normal?

That is hydrogen sulfide you smell. Don't do anything to create a spark around them when they are gassing.

[mdaddyrabbit]

Originally Posted by radioman

That is hydrogen sulfide you smell. Don't do anything to create a spark around them when they are gassing.

It got so bad last week I opened the garage door and the entry door of my shop. The strong smell was different this last time because there was no water in the batteries. I really regret not thinking of that but I just messed up.

This is the cart I bought for my daughter's Christmas. I ended up totally restoring the entire cart....everything but the batteries. Since Christmas she has only been able to enjoy it because of so much rain and cold here and my yard is so spongy that the cart goes down 2-3 inches in many spots.

If it ever warms up and stops raining I would love for her to be able to enjoy it but if I have fried the batteries she may be in trouble since my money is short.

[kellybell]

Batteries will sometimes surprise you. Fill them up and charge and wait 12 hours and take a reading. It could be that you only need to replace a couple of batteries - or maybe none! Good luck!

[mdaddyrabbit]

I don't have a test meter and hated to buy one just to check the batteries. After filling the batteries with water I did a full charge and it will only run about 100 yards before the batteries slow the cart down so slow, maybe about 1-2mph and then the cart stops after about 150 yards. I feel like the batteries were fried when I charged without water.

I see a lot of brand new Diehard batteries on Craigs list for $400-500 dollars I wonder if they are worth having?

[JohnnieB]

Since you are getting new batteries, be sure to break them in properly.
Here is how: http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Batter...n_Methods.html

While on the site, read everything on the menu that has the word battery in the title. Tons of good information there.

As for the Diehard batteries, it depends on what their AH (Amp-Hour) rating is.
Attached is a comparison list of 6V batteries I but together a while back.

A standard battery is 225AH and for the way most people use their carts, that is typically the minimum AH rating chosen. The higher the AH the longer the Run-Time and the longer the lifespan.

Batteries are very heavy (58-72 pounds each), so shipping is a major expense and most people buy from a local vendor or transport them from an out-of-town dealer themselves.

The best bang for the buck is typically the highest AH your budget allows, at the best price available from a local dealer. Think outside the box, I special ordered my 245AH Exide batteries through a local tractor supply.

[Jd62]