Club Car Golf Cart Shudders and Won't Move

Fuzzymike

New Member
I am at wits end on a Club Car golf cart I am trying to buy from a widower. The charger plug says 48V so I guess that is what it is even tough it appears to have 6 volt batteries in it. Maybe they are 8 volt. They do measure 7.8 V on the meter. Nice looking cart. Batteries are 2 years old. Found 1 lug loose and it had welded the nut on the stud due to use of cart while loose. Corrected that but everytime I push the acelerator, the golf cart shutters and won't go. When I push the pedal, I hear the click, when the cart attempts to move it the golf cart just shudders. Acts like what you would expect from a slipping belt (do they have one?) or what you would expect if a relay was chattering. Is it possible that it just isn't charged enough? What should each battery read?
Thanks for your 2 CENTS. H E L P
 

Fuzzymike

New Member
Looks like I have found the problem just by searching this site. The battery Percentages charts really helped a lot. My batteries all read 7.8 volts. I thought initially they were 6 volt. Did not know they made 8 volters. After reading the page, I see that my batteries are DEAD. I guess the loose nut on the lug, which caused the loose connetion, also wasn't allowing a good path for charge. This is a wonderful site!!! Thanks "HOTRODCARTS' for posting that info.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
No problem, your welcome. 7.8 volts is to low for a 8 volt battery and I'm sure that's your problem. If the cart has been sitting a while unused it may take a couple charge cycles to bring the batteries back up. Make sure to check and add distilled water to the batteries if needed. Let us know if you have any other questions and congrats on the new cart.
 

Fuzzymike

New Member
Actually I have found that it is an 02 model 48V. The batteries definitely look to be the problem. But when I hook the charger up, the meter goes to 10 amps. Slowly swings down to about 4 amps over a 45 minute period then shuts off. Been doing this for 2 days now. Have I got a bad charger? I'm suspecting not. Think I got a bad battery? Maybe it's because it's been sitting a year without use? Is thee a way of making sure the charger is performing correctly?

BTW, thanks for responding back like that HotRodCarts!
 

BadToTheBone

Moderator
Check the volts on each battery and post them here. It could be batteries, OBC or charger. We need to see what condition the batteries are in first.
 

Fuzzymike

New Member
All batteries are 8.5 volt except 1 which is 6.8 volt. When I finally got the thing to start charging, while charging, all are 9.7 except the suspect bad one and it is 8.4. The cart is a 2002 48V model and has sat for 2 years.
Currently with the partial charge, I can push the accelerator just until the solenoid/relay clicks and it will move however, if I push the pedal any farther, it shudders. Lights come on bright. I figure the bad one in the bunch is my problem? Any way of de-sulficating it with a quick 12V zap...momentary hook a 12 volt cable to it using the same principal I've used on NiCads?
I'm new at all of this. Can you tell?
BTW, thanks for the help.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
The battery with 6.8 volts is shot. You need to get that straightened out first than see if the cart charges like it should.
 

gornoman

Well-Known Member
NiCad and Flooded Lead Acid batteries are not the same. Overvolting a FLA can lead to an explosion. Don't do it. Replace it.
 

Jach

New Member
If you are having ongoing difficulty with this cart, or others have a similar difficulty you carry out the same test as the stationary test previously performed but this time put the cart under load .,this is a laymans discharge test.

Safety first.
raise the rear wheels and/or remove any persons from the area/ clear a path in front of you just in case you do take off unexpectedly! With voltmeter connected to the battery pack, attempt to drive the cart forward (normally easier with the seat off) whilst looking at your multi-meter.

Test total Battery pack voltage first,(you should notice voltage drops under load of attempting to drive vehicle, then test each individual battery voltage (again under load)to locate any failing battery(s). If the batteries are all even but low i.e all around 7.2V DC, try charging again. If one battery is failing i.e 5.9 vdc and its voltage reading just keeps falling on the test, this usually means the battery has reached retirement.

Wearing safety glasses and no smoking or naked flames!!!!
Remove the battery cap you may notice a mist rising from one of the cells(hole in top of battery). The shuddering is either low battery voltage or a bad connection, the Club Cars dont use a drive belt on the electric carts, the clicking is most likely the main power solenoid/relay.

To check age of batteries
A date code is usually stamped on the negative terminal of each battery ,i.e B9, the letter is the month , the number the year. So B9 would be...(B)February (9)2009 D7= DApril 2007 etc

The onboard computer controls the charge cycle ,that is its primary function.

Batteries that have remained in a discharged ( FLAT) state too long are sometimes unable to be successfully charged the conventional way,due to sulfate covering the internal plates of the batteries preventing charging.
To overcome this some technicians bypass the charge computer in an attempt to force more charge into the batteries and disintegrate the sulfate , sometimes this action is successful.

You can also buy a Hydrometer from an auto parts store which tests a battery acid level (Technically called Specific gravity level) which is generally more accurate in locating less detectable battery problems.
 
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