Powerdrive 2 Battery Charger Features; Battery Warning Light - Club Car 2008-2011 Maintenance And Service Manual

5
POWERDRIVE 2 CHARGER (EXTERNAL)

POWERDRIVE 2 BATTERY CHARGER FEATURES

• Charge Interlock
PowerDrive 2 battery charger DC plugs have three pins rather than two blades common on most stan-
dard charger plugs. Two of these pins are the positive and negative leads as on standard chargers; the
third pin is a sensing lead that is the communication link between the charger and the onboard com-
puter. When the charger plug is plugged into the vehicle receptacle, the onboard computer locks out
the vehicle drive system. This prevents the possibility of driving the vehicle while the charger is plugged
in and potentially damaging the vehicle and charger.
• Long-Term Storage Charge
IQ System, PowerDrive, and Precedent vehicles with PowerDrive 2 chargers are designed to be left
connected with AC power to the charger during off-season storage. The onboard computer will auto-
matically activate the charger every 15 days. To return the vehicle to service, unplug the charger DC
cord, wait 15 seconds for the computer to reset, and plug the charger back in. See following WARN-
ING. This will ensure the batteries are at their optimum charge prior to returning the vehicle to service.
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WARNING
• The charger plug must be pulled slowly from the receptacle (Figure 5-4, Page 5-5). Jerking or
pulling the DC cord out quickly could cause arcing and burning that could damage the plug
and receptacle and could cause batteries to explode (Figure 5-5, Page 5-5).

BATTERY WARNING LIGHT

Precedent, IQ System and PowerDrive vehicles, feature a dash mounted warning light (above the steering
column) that, when the vehicle is in operation, indicates low battery voltage or, when the vehicle is being
charged, indicates a charging problem. The battery warning light is controlled by the onboard computer.
When the batteries receive an incomplete charge because 1) the DC power cord is disconnected, 2) AC
power to charger is interrupted, 3) automatic charger shut-off occurs after 16 hours of operation, or 4) charger
malfunctions, the warning light will indicate as follows:
• The battery warning light will not illuminate if the charge is 90% or more complete. The onboard com-
puter will retain in memory the amount of charge needed to replenish the batteries and will complete
the charge during the next charge cycle.
• When the charger DC cord is unplugged during a charge cycle, the battery warning light will illuminate
and remain illuminated for 10 seconds (25 seconds for Precedent vehicles) if the charge is less than
90% complete but the vehicle has enough power for 60 minutes of operation. This will alert the opera-
tor that the vehicle may be used, but that it must be charged to completion as soon as possible.
• The battery warning light will repeatedly illuminate for 10 seconds, at 4 second intervals (25 seconds,
at 10 second intervals for Precedent vehicles), if the charger times out at 16 hours and the batteries are
not sufficiently charged. This indicates an abnormal charge cycle. The charger and batteries should be
checked by your Club Car distributor/dealer.
• The battery warning light will repeatedly illuminate for 10 seconds, at 4 second intervals (25 seconds,
at 10 second intervals for Precedent vehicles), during a charge cycle (with the DC plug still connected)
if AC power to the charger is interrupted. The light will go out when AC power is restored.
Page 5-2 2008-2011 Domestic Battery Charger Maintenance and Service Manual
General Information