General Information - Club Car Gasoline Service Manual

SECTION 22 - BATTERIES
DANGER
• BATTERY - EXPLOSIVE GASES! DO NOT SMOKE. KEEP SPARKS AND FLAMES AWAY. VEN-
TILATE WHEN CHARGING OR USING IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE. ALWAYS WEAR FULL FACE
SHIELD AND RUBBER GLOVES WHEN WORKING ON BATTERIES.
• USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN USING TOOLS, WIRES, OR METAL OBJECTS NEAR BAT-
TERIES! A SHORT CIRCUIT AND (OR) SPARK COULD CAUSE AN EXPLOSION.
• BATTERY - POISON! CONTAINS ACID! CAUSES SEVERE BURNS. AVOID CONTACT WITH
SKIN, EYES, OR CLOTHING. ANTIDOTES:
- EXTERNAL: FLUSH WITH WATER. CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY.
- INTERNAL: DRINK LARGE QUANTITIES OF MILK OR WATER. FOLLOW WITH MILK OF MAG-
NESIA OR VEGETABLE OIL. CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY.
- EYES: FLUSH WITH WATER FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES. CALL PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY.
WARNING
• ONLY TRAINED TECHNICIANS SHOULD REPAIR OR SERVICE THIS VEHICLE. ANYONE DOING
EVEN SIMPLE REPAIRS OR SERVICE SHOULD HAVE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN
GENERAL ELECTRICAL REPAIR. FOLLOW ALL PROCEDURES EXACTLY AND HEED ALL
WARNINGS STATED IN THIS MANUAL.
• ALWAYS WEAR APPROVED EYE PROTECTION WHILE SERVICING VEHICLE. WEAR A FULL
FACE SHIELD AND RUBBER GLOVES WHEN WORKING WITH BATTERIES.
• TURN KEY SWITCH OFF, PLACE FORWARD AND REVERSE LEVER IN THE NEUTRAL POSI-
TION, AND REMOVE KEY PRIOR TO SERVICING.
• DO NOT WEAR LOOSE CLOTHING. REMOVE JEWELRY SUCH AS RINGS, WATCHES, CHAINS,
ETC. BEFORE SERVICING VEHICLE.
• ALWAYS USE INSULATED TOOLS WHEN WORKING NEAR BATTERIES OR ELECTRICAL CON-
NECTIONS.
• TO AVOID UNINTENTIONAL STARTING OF THE VEHICLE, DISCONNECT BATTERIES AS
SHOWN ON PAGE 22-5. DISCHARGE THE CONTROLLER ON POWERDRIVE SYSTEM 48 VEHI-
CLES AS FOLLOWS:
- TURN THE KEY SWITCH TO ON AND PLACE THE FORWARD AND REVERSE LEVER IN THE
REVERSE POSITION .
- SLOWLY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND KEEP IT DEPRESSED UNTIL THE
REVERSE WARNING BUZZER CAN NO LONGER BE HEARD. WHEN THE BUZZER STOPS
SOUNDING, THE CONTROLLER IS DISCHARGED.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The batteries supplied with a golf car are different from those supplied with an automobile. The outward
appearance of these two batteries is similar, but the operating characteristics are very different. The golf car
battery is known as a "deep cycle" battery, and the automotive battery is known as a "starting, lighting and
ignition" (SLI) battery. They should never be substituted for one another.
An automotive battery has to deliver high cranking currents of 300-400 amperes at a sufficient voltage for
several seconds and maintain an accessory load of 10-25 amperes in stop and go driving. The energy
removed from an automotive battery is immediately replaced by the alternator or generator of the car. As a
result, the automotive battery operates at 90 to 100% of full charge at all times.
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