E-Z-GO FLEET PDS GOLF CAR Owner'S Manual & Service Manual Download

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OPERATION AND SERVICE INFORMATION

Page 24

Owner’s Manual and Service Guide

Read all of manual to become thoroughly familiar with this vehicle. Pay particular attention to all Notes, Cautions and Warnings

tery. Use a hydrometer with a built in thermometer
that is designed for testing batteries.

Specific gravity is the measurement of a liquid that is
compared to a baseline. The baseline is water which is
assigned a base number of 1.000. The concentration of
sulfuric acid to water in a new golf car battery is 1.280
which means that the electrolyte weighs 1.280 times the
weight of the same volume of water. A fully charged bat-
tery will test at 1.275 - 1.280 while a discharged battery
will read in the 1.140 range.

Do not perform a hydrometer test on a battery
that has just been watered. The battery must

go through at least one charge and discharge cycle in order to
permit the water to adequately mix with the electrolyte.

The temperature of the electrolyte is important since the
hydrometer reading must be corrected to 80° F (27° C).
High quality hydrometers are equipped with an internal
thermometer that will measure the temperature of the
electrolyte and will include a conversion scale to correct
the float reading. It is important to recognize that the

electrolyte temperature is significantly different from the
ambient temperature if the vehicle has been operated.

Using A Hydrometer

1. Draw electrolyte into the hydrometer several times to

permit the thermometer to adjust to the electrolyte
temperature and note the reading. Examine the color
of the electrolyte. A brown or gray coloration indicates
a problem with the battery and is a sign that the bat-
tery is nearing the end of its life.

2. Draw the minimum quantity of electrolyte into the

hydrometer to permit the float to float freely without
contacting the top or bottom of the cylinder.

3. Hold the hydrometer in a vertical position at eye level

and note the reading where the electrolyte meets the
scale on the float.

4. Add or subtract four points (.004) to the reading for

every 10° F (6°C) the electrolyte temperature is
above or below 80° F (27° C). Adjust the reading to
conform with the electrolyte temperature, e.g., if the
reading indicates a specific gravity of 1.250 and the
electrolyte temperature is 90° F (32° C), add four
points (.004) to the 1.250 which gives a corrected
reading of 1.254. Similarly if the temperature was 70°
F (21° C), subtract four points (.004) from the 1.250
to give a corrected reading of 1.246 (Ref Fig. 31 on
page 25).

5. Test each cell and note the readings (corrected to 80°

F or 27° C). A variation of fifty points between any two
cell readings (example 1.250 - 1.200) indicates a
problem with the low reading cell(s).

As a battery ages the specific gravity of the electrolyte
will decrease at full charge. This is not a reason to
replace the battery, providing all cells are within fifty
points of each other.

Since the hydrometer test is in response to a vehicle
exhibiting a performance problem, the vehicle should be
recharged and the test repeated. If the results indicate a
weak cell, the battery or batteries should be removed
and replaced with a good battery of the same brand, type
and approximate age.

BATTERY CHARGER MAINTENANCE

The only maintenance required of the charger is the peri-
odic cleaning of the DC connector auxiliary contact.

To clean the auxiliary contact, slide an emery board
between main contact and auxiliary contact located in the
hole of the charger plug nearest the rounded corners
(Ref Fig. 32 on page 25). Press emery board down to

Fig. 30 Hydrometer