Ezgo MPT 1000 48V, Owner'S Manual

Page: 68 / 78

MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
Read all of this manual to become thoroughly familiar with this vehicle. Pay particular attention to all Notices, Cautions, Warnings, and Dangers.
Page 62
Owner’s Guide
Do not overfill batteries. The charging cycle will expel electrolyte and result in component damage.
• The electrolyte level in all cells must be at the recommended level and cover the plates.
• The charging must take place in an area that is well ventilated and capable of removing the hydrogen gas that is
generated by the charging process. A minimum of five air exchanges per hour is recommended.
• The charging connector components must be in good condition and free from dirt or debris.
• The charger connector must be fully inserted into the vehicle receptacle.
• The charger connector/cord set is protected from damage and is located in an area to prevent injury that may result
from personnel running over or tripping over the cord set.
• The charger is automatically turned off during the connect/disconnect cycle and therefore no electrical arc is gener-
ated at the DC plug/receptacle contacts.
AC VOLTAGE
Battery charger output is directly related to the input voltage. If multiple vehicles are receiving an incomplete charge in a nor-
mally adequate time period, low AC voltage could be the cause and the power company should be consulted.
TROUBLESHOOTING
In general, troubleshooting will be done for two distinct reasons. First, a battery that performs poorly and is outside of the man-
ufacturers specification should be identified in order to replace it under the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty. Different
manufacturers have different requirements. Consult the battery manufacturer or the manufacturer’s representative for specific
requirements.
The second reason is to determine why a particular vehicle does not perform adequately. Performance problems may result in
a vehicle that runs slowly or in a vehicle that is unable to operate for the time required.
A new battery must mature before it will develop its maximum capacity. Maturing may take up to 100 charge/discharge cycles.
After the maturing phase, the older a battery gets, the lower the capacity. The only way to determine the capacity of a battery
is to perform a load test using a discharge machine following manufacturer’s recommendations.
A cost effective way to identify a poorly performing battery is to use a hydrometer to identify a battery in a set with a lower than
normal specific gravity. Once the particular cell or cells that are the problem are identified, the suspect battery can be removed
and replaced. At this point there is nothing that can be done to salvage the battery; however, the individual battery should be
replaced with a good battery of the same brand, type and approximate age.
Hydrometer
A hydrometer is used to test the state of charge of a battery cell. This
is performed by measuring the density of the electrolyte, which is
accomplished by measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte.
The greater the concentration of sulfuric acid, the more dense the
electrolyte becomes. The higher the density, the higher the state of
charge.
To prevent battery explosion that could result in
severe personal injury or death, never insert a metal
thermometer into a battery. 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 battery will
test at 1.275 - 1.280 while a discharged battery will read in the 1.140
range.
FLOAT BULB
CYLINDER
THERMOMETER
Add to Float
Reading
Subtract
from Float
Reading
WEIGHT
Hydrometer