Battery Charging - Club Car 1995 Golf Car Maintenance Service Supplement

Vibration Damage
The battery hold-downs should always be tight enough to keep the battery from bouncing. Battery life may
be severely shortened if the battery hold-downs are too loose. Excessive vibration causes the plates to shed
prematurely and shortens the life of the battery. It may also cause acid to leak out of the vent caps and cor-
rosion to build up on surrounding metal parts. The acid which is lost reduces the capacity of the battery and
cannot be replaced.
Battery hold-downs should NOT be so tight as to crack or buckle the battery case. This may cause leaks
which would dry up a cell or cause internal shorts (See Replacing Batteries, Page 18-4).

BATTERY CHARGING

General Information
The charger supplied with the CLUB CAR DS Electric Vehicle solves the most common problems in charg-
ing. Undercharging and overcharging are prevented provided the charger is allowed to shut off by itself. Also,
all cells are automatically given an equalization charge at low current, which prolongs battery life. Batteries
should never be left in a discharged state, as this too affects the internal components and can reduce the
capacity of the battery. The batteries should be charged every day they are used, even if only for ten minutes
or after nine holes. However, the batteries should not be charged if they have not been used. When running
36 holes per day, it is wise to put the cars on charge after the first 18 holes. Even if the charger is only on for
an hour or two, it will prevent the batteries from being discharged deeply. If a charger is still on in the morn-
ing and it becomes necessary to send the car out before charging is complete, be sure the car gets a catch-
up charge between rounds. The following night this car must get a full charge.
Charger Doesn't Shut Off
This may be due to one of the following factors:
1. New batteries
2. Hard use - more than 36 holes per day
3. Cold temperatures
4. Short charging times - in late at night, out early in the morning
A catch-up charge may be necessary when these conditions are present. On a rainy day or an off day, when
all or some of the cars do not go out, check the batteries in the cars for state of charge. Any batteries with a
specific gravity lower than 1.250 need a catch-up charge. If the problem continues after a catch-up charge
has been performed, refer to the charger section of the service manual.
Deep Discharge
Never discharge a vehicle's batteries to the point that the vehicle will no longer run. This will shorten the cycle
life of the batteries considerably, and may permanently damage the batteries. It is possible that the batteries
will not accept a recharge if they are completely discharged. The deeper the discharge, the harder it is on the
batteries. For this reason, it is recommended that cars be charged between rounds. Placing the batteries on
charge between rounds reduces the depth of discharge and prolongs battery life.
Early Excessive Discharging
When golf car batteries are new, they do not reach their full capacity until they have been used and recharged
20 to 50 times. If they are excessively discharged early in their life, their effective service life will be short-
ened. It is advisable to limit the use of any car with new batteries to 18 holes per day for at least the first 4
weeks and then gradually increase their range.
Incoming AC Service
Insure that the incoming AC line service is sufficient. If circuit breakers are tripping, fuses blow during the
night or the charger does not give the required starting rate when perfectly good batteries are put on charge,
an AC line problem exists. The electrical service to your car storage facility should be sufficient to deliver 115
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