Brand new batteries, only 37.1 volts

[theskyiscrying]

Hi gang,
I have a 1998 DCS cart.
Brand new Crown 235 batteries. Put them on charge over night and after 12 hours the voltage read 37.1

I found a similar thread where JohnnieB told the guy to jumper the relay on the control board. I started to do that, but since my charger was a powerwise and not a powerwiseII, I thought I better check before I let the smoke out of the electrical components and they don't work without smoke......

Attached is a pic of the control board with the relay circled.

Thanks!

[yurtle]

Is it possible the charger timed out, before reaching full charge?

[theskyiscrying]

Not sure, so should I put them back on charge?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by theskyiscrying

Hi gang,
I have a 1998 DCS cart.
Brand new Crown 235 batteries. Put them on charge over night and after 12 hours the voltage read 37.1

I found a similar thread where JohnnieB told the guy to jumper the relay on the control board. I started to do that, but since my charger was a powerwise and not a powerwiseII, I thought I better check before I let the smoke out of the electrical components and they don't work without smoke......

Attached is a pic of the control board with the relay circled.

Thanks!

The control board is different, but jumping the relay is the same. Just connect the two wires plugged into the black box together.
Those wires carry around 10A at 120VAC, so the jumper wire needs to be at least 16Ga.

-------
However, before you you do that:

Does the transformer hum? If it does, the relay is closing and there is no need to jumper it.

Also, if the ammeter is showing an amp reading, the relay is working.

------------
New batteries can take a lot more than 12 hours to charge and we don't know what the pack voltage was before putting it on charge, but 37.1 is mighty low for being on charge for 12 hours, so something is wrong and it needs to be fixed before the new batteries are damaged.

Was the charger working on the old set of batteries?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by theskyiscrying

Not sure, so should I put them back on charge?

Yes, put them back on charge and when you do, the ammeter should read about 18-20A or so.
If it doesn't, something is wrong.

[theskyiscrying]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

However, before you you do that:

Does the transformer hum? If it does, the relay is closing and there is no need to jumper it.

Also, if the ammeter is showing an amp reading, the relay is working.

------------
New batteries can take a lot more than 12 hours to charge and we don't know what the pack voltage was before putting it on charge, but 37.1 is mighty low for being on charge for 12 hours, so something is wrong and it needs to be fixed before the new batteries are damaged.

Was the charger working on the old set of batteries?

The transformer hums.

The ammeter was up around 20 when I first put it on charge.

The old batteries never got out of the 36.? range. I just got the cart and they were 8 years old.

[theskyiscrying]

Plugged it back in.
Amp meter went to 20 amps, but within 5 seconds it had worked it's way down to 5 amps.
Measured voltage for about 1-2 minutes. Went from 44.0 to 44.3

Thanks again for the help.

[JohnnieB]

Sounds like the charger is working.
It should shut off automatically around 45V, but it will probably take hours to get there from 44V.

The proof is when you measure the pack voltage about 12 hours after the charger shuts off.
It should be at least 38.2V, and most likely higher since they are new batteries.

Be sure to break them in properly. Here is how: http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Batter...n_Methods.html

[theskyiscrying]

Thanks JohnnieB

[simple man]

It will take several charge cycles for your new batteries to reach a 100% SOC. Don't be alarmed and follow the procedure in the link "JohnnieB" gave you.