Quick Question about Generator Charging

[donnie5336]

Hi guys... I have a 1996 TXT and I'm not sure if the battery is being charged correctly. I know the battery is old and most likely needs replacing anywy but I do want to test the charging system while I'm at it. I always assumed as long as the engine was running that the generator would be charging the battery but I haven't tested voltage yet. So I would run the cart in neutral for a few minutes to warm it up also thinking I was putting a little charge in the battery. From reading about genrators/voltage regulators on here Ive noticed people talking about raising the wheels off the ground and putting the cart in gear. Does it only charge when the cart is in gear? I know the battery was dead one day and hooked my jump starter pack to it to get the engine running. I had it in neutral, got the engine running and unhooked the pack and kept it running thinking I was charging the battery but it quit after a couple minutes. I thought my charging system might have been bad, but is this because I didn't have it in gear?

Thanks in advance.

[beachcarter]

The starter generator will charge the battery regardless of where the cart is in neutral or in gear. With the engine running you should see approx 14.5 volts at the battery if the generator is working properly. I have a similar problem with my cart. I have a new battery and my generator is charging properly yet my battery dies when my carts sits as little as overnight. I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with mine as well. Good luck with yours.

[donnie5336]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like mine probably isn't charging then since I can jump it to get it running then it dies pretty quickly after the jump pack is removed. I'll check the voltage this afternoon.