Charger Shuts Off After 16 Hours; Deep Discharge; Early Excessive Discharging; Incoming Ac Service - Club Car 1998 Maintenance And Service Manual Supplement

BATTERIES
by itself. Also, all cells are automatically given an equalization charge at low current, which prolongs battery life. Bat-
teries 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. However, the batteries should not
be charged if they have not been used.

CHARGER SHUTS OFF AFTER 16 HOURS

This may be due to, 1) new batteries, 2) hard use or 3) cold temperatures. A catch-up charge may be necessary when
these conditions are present. On those days when all or some of the vehicles do not get used, check the batteries for
state of charge. Any battery with a specific gravity lower than 1.250 will need a catch-up charge. If the problem con-
tinues after a catch-up charge has been performed, refer to Section 14–PowerDrive Battery Charger.

DEEP DISCHARGE

Never discharge batteries to the point the vehicle will no longer operate. This will considerably shorten the
cycle life of the batteries, and may permanently damage the batteries. It is possible 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 PowerDrive Plus vehicle batteries be charged after each use (provided
the charge cycle will not be interrupted and the charger will be allowed to shut off automatically). Placing the
batteries on charge after each use reduces the depth of discharge and prolongs battery life.

EARLY EXCESSIVE DISCHARGING

When vehicle 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 shortened. It is advis-
able to limit the use of any vehicle with new batteries for at least the first four weeks and then gradually increase
their range.

INCOMING AC SERVICE

Make sure 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 vehicle storage facility should be sufficient to deliver 115 volts (mini-
mum 105 volts, maximum 128 volts) and 10.7 amps per charger with all the chargers turned on. If not, consult your
local power company or electrical contractor.

FLEET ROTATION

Rotate your vehicles. It is very hard on batteries if the last vehicles in at night are the first ones out in the morning.
Spread the workload evenly, giving all vehicles the same amount of use. This will keep your fleet in balance and will
not overwork certain sets of batteries.
NOTE
• WHEN VEHICLES ARE BEING ROTATED, THE CLUB CAR CDM (COMMUNICATION DISPLAY MODULE) CAN BE A VERY
HELPFUL SERVICE TOOL. MONITORING THE VALUE OF FUNCTION 3 WITH THE CDM SIMPLIFIES VEHICLE USAGE
SCHEDULING. SEE SECTION 11, PAGE 13-22.

NUMBERING VEHICLES AND CHARGERS

Return the vehicles to the same charger each night if possible. Numbering the vehicles and the chargers and return-
ing each vehicle to its designated charger each night can significantly reduce the amount of time spent trouble-
shooting a problem.
1998/1999 PowerDrive Plus Vehicle Maintenance and Service Supplement Page 13-7
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Battery Charging