Club Car V-GLIDE, Maintenance Service Supplement

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BATTERIES Battery Testing
2004 V-Glide 36-Volt Electric Vehicle Maintenance and Service Supplement Page 13-9
13
BATTERY TESTING
See General Warning, Section 10, Page 10-1.
Four tests have been developed to help diagnose problems with batteries that have not performed as
expected. Because each test becomes progressively more detailed and time-consuming, begin with the first
test and follow through with the other tests until the problem has been identified as outlined in the Battery
Troubleshooting Chart (Figure 13-7, Page 13-8).
BATTERY CHARGER TEST
The easiest way to monitor the condition of a vehicle’s batteries is simply to observe the reading on the battery
charger ammeter at the end of the charge cycle. After a full charge, disconnect the charger DC plug, wait 20
to 30 seconds and reconnect the charger DC plug. The ammeter needle will jump to 15 amps or more and
then taper to below 6 amps within 10 to 20 minutes, indicating sound, fully charged batteries.
Continued poor performance may indicate a problem in the vehicle electrical system, brakes, or battery
charger. If the problem is not found in the vehicle or charging system, proceed to the on-charge voltage test.
Batteries that remain at 8 amps or higher should be tested further using the on-charge voltage test.
ON-CHARGE VOLTAGE TEST
When the batteries are fully charged, disconnect the charger DC plug. Wait 20 to 30 seconds and reconnect
the DC plug to restart the charger. After 5 minutes, use a multimeter to check and record the voltage of the
battery set as well as the individual batteries. Set the multimeter to 200 volts DC. Place the red (+) probe on
the positive (+) post of battery no. 1 and the black (–) probe on the negative (–) post of battery no. 6
(Figure 13-5, Page 13-4). Record reading. Then set multimeter to 20 volts DC and place the red (+) probe on
the positive (+) post and the black (–) probe on the negative (–) post of each battery. Record the readings.
The on-charge voltage for the set should be between 42.0 volts and 47.4 volts depending on the age and state
of charge of the batteries being tested. If individual batteries read above 7.0 volts and are within 0.5 volts of
each other, go to the hydrometer test. If any battery reads below 7.0 volts and not within 0.5 volts of those bat-
teries above 7.0 volts, replace battery. If readings are below 7.4 volts but within 0.5 volts of each other, the bat-
teries are old. Old batteries may have enough capacity left to last several more months. Go to hydrometer test.
See Battery Troubleshooting Chart on page 13-8 and the examples on the following pages.
HYDROMETER TEST
A hydrometer measures the specific gravity of the battery’s electrolyte. The higher the specific gravity, the
higher the state of charge of the batteries. A fully charged battery should read between 1.250 and 1.280 at
80 °F (26.7 °C). Never add acid to batteries to obtain a higher specific gravity.
Performing the Hydrometer Test
1. Be sure batteries have sufficient electrolyte to cover plates by approximately 1/2 inch (13 mm) and are
fully charged prior to beginning test. If water must be added, recharge the batteries before performing the
hydrometer test.
2. Remove the vent cap. Using a battery thermometer (CCI P/N 1011767), record electrolyte temperature
of the no. 2 cell.
3. Squeeze the rubber bulb of the hydrometer and insert into the cell. Slowly release the bulb, drawing elec-
trolyte up into the glass tube of the hydrometer.
4. When the float rises off the bottom, adjust the electrolyte level so that the float rides free of the bottom
but does not strike the top of the glass tube. Remove the hydrometer from the cell and release the pres-
sure from the bulb.