[RVRoadie]

I found a place on the web that sells the Flow-rite Pro-Fill line of battery watering systems at a pretty good price. It is Jan Watercraft Products. Just received a setup for my new Club Car.

I have used this line for many years, first on my RV, then last year when I got an older Par Car. It is very well designed and works with individual manifolds on each battery. So, for a 48v system you would have 24 individual valves that snap into the correct manifolds for your batteries. Rubber tubing and a fill port are included to connect the manifolds into a loop. It is very easy to install and only requires scissors to cut the tubing.

The 48v system runs $165, plus $20 for the hand pump. That allows you to stick one end of a short hose into a bottle of distilled water, then give it a few squeezes to top off the batteries. Shipping is free.

[zcaveman]

My 2008 EZGO came with one installed. I really like it. Clip the water supply onto the battery water connection and let the water flow until the wheel stops moving. Takes about 2 minutes.

[golfnut]

I also have the system from JWP and recommend it highly....gn

[RVRoadie]

Just sold my old Par Car without the battery watering system. If you are interested in purchasing this system used for $100, give me a call at 753-4958. It is set up for 8 6v batteries (US) and includes the hand pump.

[littleCedar]

So, no one has had any problems with Flow-Rite autofills???

No leaking lines or valves not shutting, causing over-filled cells?

Hmmmm!

Guess I'm the only one . . . and with two different fleets, one E Z Go and one Club Car.

Go figure.



In the E Z Go fleet (60 carts) I worked with, with a 2008 autofill system that was not a Flow-Rite, E Z Go wound up replacing 117 batteries before they finally agreed to just re-do the lease early, with 2012's. The previous system was fraught with problems from the git-go, and when I took it over at 6 months old, and pulled autofills for a visual inspection, there were numerous dry cells.

After stonewalling it, E Z Go finally replaced the valves (floats) with shorter shafts. It then went from underfills, with dry cells, to overfills from not shutting off.

The 2012s came with Flow-Rites, and at the first sign of not working right, E Z Go replaced each defective system without hesitation or questioning.

I'm dealing with the same problem with a fleet of Florida Club Cars now.

[KBusch]

Originally Posted by littleCedar

So, no one has had any problems with Flow-Rite autofills???

No leaking lines or valves not shutting, causing over-filled cells?

Hmmmm!

Guess I'm the only one . . . and with two different fleets, one E Z Go and one Club Car.

Go figure.



In the E Z Go fleet (60 carts) I worked with, with a 2008 autofill system that was not a Flow-Rite, E Z Go wound up replacing 117 batteries before they finally agreed to just re-do the lease early, with 2012's. The previous system was fraught with problems from the git-go, and when I took it over at 6 months old, and pulled autofills for a visual inspection, there were numerous dry cells.

After stonewalling it, E Z Go finally replaced the valves (floats) with shorter shafts. It then went from underfills, with dry cells, to overfills from not shutting off.

The 2012s came with Flow-Rites, and at the first sign of not working right, E Z Go replaced each defective system without hesitation or questioning.

I'm dealing with the same problem with a fleet of Florida Club Cars now.

I hear ya, They over fill, leak, don't fill, if I had a cart I wouldn't put one on. I can fill the batteries and do a better job without one. However, they do have there place, but as I tell my customers, if you are able bodied to check the level, do it the old fashion way. I took one off a cart today as it ruined 2 of the guys batteries due to not filling the cells.

[blueash]

My EZ GO has a watering system. It seems to work well. Additionally if you just look at each cell there is a visible white ?float that you can see telling you that each cell is properly filled. Seems simple and with the built in backup check and not having to unscrew 48 caps every two weeks, worth the cost.

[KBusch]

Originally Posted by blueash

My EZ GO has a watering system. It seems to work well. Additionally if you just look at each cell there is a visible white ?float that you can see telling you that each cell is properly filled. Seems simple and with the built in backup check and not having to unscrew 48 caps every two weeks, worth the cost.

That's what fools people into thinking the batteries have water in them, the problem is the float is stuck closed and no water is going in, thus running it out of water and ruining the battery. The single caps are just a 1/4 turn, so it takes all of 2 seconds to take the cap off, not really a big deal.

[littleCedar]

Originally Posted by KBusch

That's what fools people into thinking the batteries have water in them, the problem is the float is stuck closed and no water is going in, thus running it out of water and ruining the battery. The single caps are just a 1/4 turn, so it takes all of 2 seconds to take the cap off, not really a big deal.

Absolutely.

In our case, false readings eventually cost E Z Go 117 batteries, before they gave up and took 60 carts back, rewriting a new lease with new carts. That all started in 2009, on first-run 2008 RXVs, and they redid the lease in 2012.

It got to the point where half of our 30 carts were marked "do not use" because they would not do 18 holes. Of course, we had to send them out any way, knowing we'd be taking another out to them before too long. Most of them died on the furthest holes away.

Then, when some of the new carts had faulty autofills, they didn't try stonewalling it. They just replaced the bad autofills.

But, to those who have not had a problem, it's not a problem. If I was a single cart owner, I'd do it the old-fashioned way.
- - - - - -
I just had a similar problem with a fleet of Club Cars at my Florida course. It took four months of emailing and calling the dealer before he'd even look at what I was talking about. The one he looked at was just a minor problem, a leaking line. But, after that he said he'd look at all of them.

[OnTrack]

I thought I wanted an auto-fill system when I first got my cart, but after doing some research and reading a few threads here.....I'll stick to doing it myself.

What still astounds me, is the price they're getting for what amounts to about $10 worth of plastic.

I think there's a market.......for a simple do-it-yourself kit.

.

[littleCedar]

Originally Posted by OnTrack

I think there's a market.......for a simple do-it-yourself kit.

.

Not that long ago, when I first started taking care of fleets at golf courses, we used a hose-end attachment the design of which is to shut off when the fluid got to the proper level.

It was unreliable, too.

I still see them around.

We had some older "vanilla" Club Cars, along with the new Precedents, at my Florida course, and I filled all of them manually. They had the "3-Cap" apparatus so each battery was just one removal and put-on.

[littleCedar]

I was suspicious of a cart today because I got a blinking red light on the charger. It also smelled sulfury and there was excessive heat in the battery compartment while charging.

I spot-checked the fluid level in the batteries, and the ones I checked were OK.

Then I filled it with the Flow-Rite system. One valve did not close and that cell overfilled.

[littleCedar]

We serviced batteries at my northern course today . . . with the Flow-rite autofills. Several did not work properly, either leaking lines or valves not working and cells overfilling.

I was not keeping the log, but I'd say about 15 out of 65.
- - - - - -
I do have to add that no one seems as concerned about this as me. Another manager, the Head Pro, and the GM.

But, then, neither of them went through the ordeal from 2009 through 2011, except they came in on the end of it . . . what the failures led to . . . 1/2 a fleet that we couldn't even put out on the course.

[littleCedar]

Originally Posted by littleCedar

We serviced batteries at my northern course today . . . with the Flow-rite autofills. Several did not work properly, either leaking lines or valves not working and cells overfilling.

I was not keeping the log, but I'd say about 15 out of 65.
- - - - - -
I do have to add that no one seems as concerned about this as me. Another manager, the Head Pro, and the GM.

But, then, neither of them went through the ordeal from 2009 through 2011, except they came in on the end of it . . . what the failures led to . . . 1/2 a fleet that we couldn't even put out of the course.

I looked at our "form", and it was 14 carts out of 65. Leaky lines and sticky valves.

It sounds like our E Z Go tech has a way of repairing them. Something about baking soda, which we appear to have an ample supply of, it coming on board during my Winter absence.

We have the four 12-volt battery systems, and my co-manager told me that back one is problematic for terminal corrosion and access.

[littleCedar]

I serviced all the batteries myself the other day, and recorded the problems. That's the first time I've done it myself, so know what's going on, since last year.

There were no leaky lines.

But, at least 20 of the 60 carts had at least one cell that the valve did not shut off, so it overfilled.

I told our E Z Go rep about it last month, and he/we put it on hold until I could provide him more information.

Now I can.