Batteries – Electric Vehicle
distilling process results in a water source which is free of minerals that can lead to the degradation of battery
performance and life.
•
Deionized Water:
Deionized water is created by inducing electrically charged resins that attract and bind to sodium,
calcium, iron, copper, chloride, and bromide ions. The result of this electrical filtering is a purified water, which
contains little to no mineral ions. To make sure the deionized water remains at a high quality, replace the filter in the
deionizer per the manufacturer’s recommendations.
The Service Parts Department at Club Car offers two different deionizer systems: one for vehicles equipped
with the Single Point Watering System (SPWS), CC P/N AM1240701 and the other for vehicles without SPWS,
CC P/N AM10974.
Alternate Methods
•
Reverse Osmosis:
Reverse osmosis involves forcing water through a membrane that allows the water to pass
while trapping the solids. The choice of membrane used determines the amount of solids or impurities which get
trapped and hence the purity quality of the filtered water. In addition, the usage frequency of the membrane can
also contribute to the filtered water quality. Due to the variance in water quality consistency, Club Car recommends
the use of the deionizer or distilled water.
•
Tap Water:
While the use of tap water without filtering is an alternate method of battery watering, its use should be
limited due to the levels of dissolved minerals and chemicals that can degrade battery performance and life. If
unfiltered tap water is used, regular water analyses must be conducted to check for impurities. The following chart
lists the maximum allowable minerals, solids, and contaminates in parts per million and their impact on battery
performance. Water testing, however, is expensive, and water quality can change from day to day depending on
additives, water main leaks, etc. Due to the cost and labor of performing water quality tests, Club Car recommends
the use of distilled water or a deionizer.
IMPURITY
ALLOWABLE CONTENT (PARTS
PER MILLION)
EFFECTS OF IMPURITY
Suspended matter
Trace
-
Total solids
100.0
-
Organic and volatile matter
50.0
Corrosion of positive plates
Ammonia
8.0
Slight self-discharge of both plates
Antimony
5.0
Self-discharge, reduces life, lower
on-charge voltage
Arsenic
0.5
Self-discharge, can form poisonous gas
Calcium
40.0
Increase of positive plate shedding
Chloride
5.0
Loss of capacity in plates, greater
loss in positive plates
Copper
5.0
Increased self-discharge, lower
on-charge voltage
Iron
3.0
Increased self-discharge, lower
on-charge voltage
Magnesium
40.0
Reduced life
Nickel
None allowed
Intense lowering of on-charge voltage
Nitrates
10.0
Increased sulfation of negative plate
Nitrites
5.0
Plate corrosion, loss of capacity,
reduced life
Platinum
None allowed
Violent self-discharge, lower
on-charge voltage
Villager 6 and 8 Owner’s Manual
Page 39
