[ajbrown]

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

I agree, if you're a snow bird, I would disconnect the batteries & use a trickle charge or make sure they're fully charged before you go home for the summer. Also & I know nobody would take 6 to 8 batteries out of a cart but if you would for some reason, DON'T SIT BATTERIES ON CEMENT, IT'LL RUIN THEM! TECHGC & yes 10 shops will tell you 10 different things. Also keep the battery post clean & the top of the batteries!

This is not true of modern batteries. From everything i read years ago, leaving them on a cement floor does no harm to the battery.

I recall a couple of sites that in fact thought it is better than a shelf as the floor is cooler. One link of many:

ASK THE EXPERTS: Batteries on Concrete | Home Power Magazine

[ajbrown]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

Is it ok to have the charger on the floor while charging? Lots of questions, but I want to do this right. Thank you all.

As long as the area is clean, why not?

My opinion... I would not overthink this. As folks have said, keep batteries watered, connections clean and tight.

So many easy to read articles on battery maintenance, have a read over coffee and 20 minutes later you will be a 'TOTV expert'

[MorTech]

"DON'T SIT BATTERIES ON CEMENT, IT'LL RUIN THEM!"

Is a myth.

Just get a proper 3-stage smart charger and that's all you need for maximum battery life.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

This is my rule of thumb for the entire life of the pack. You think that is being overly cautious?

For the battery conditioning period, I was instructed by dealer to wait until the battery meter was down to 3 bars before I charged the batteries. Because of this, during the conditioning period when my cart was new, I charged the batteries about once a week. The conditioning period is over now but I still continue to charge the batteries about once a week. I don't need to charge the batteries every night because I don't drive it very much. Neither my husband or myself plays golf.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Rollie

Batteries are not suppose to go below 50 percent.

Rollie

The literature I have when we purchased our 2016 Yamaha electric cart states to not allow the battery meter to go below 2 bars. That is more than 50% discharged.

What good is it to have a 60 mile range on one charge when you are supposed to go only 30 miles before having to charge the batteries?

[Bay Kid]

I have been breaking in Dad's new batteries for the past week. Distance and speed is getting better. Mom will enjoy the quiet, except from the noises you hear from the tires, Curtis Cab, etc. It is a golf cart Mom!

Taking care of the batteries, adding water, the smell of charging in the garage and the worry of how far can I go really reminds me why I love my gas cart!

[MorTech]

Coffeebean: If you don't keep the batteries fully charged, you will not get even 3 years from them. Battery replacement is $750.

What is your objection to keeping the cart plugged in when not in use?

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by MorTech

Coffeebean: If you don't keep the batteries fully charged, you will not get even 3 years from them. Battery replacement is $750.

What is your objection to keeping the cart plugged in when not in use?

probably thinking the are like Lithium Ion and don't want to get memory short charge???????

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by MorTech

Coffeebean: If you don't keep the batteries fully charged, you will not get even 3 years from them. Battery replacement is $750.

What is your objection to keeping the cart plugged in when not in use?

I don't have an objection at all. I just didn't know that not keeping them charged all the time would shorten the life of the batteries. I was told the batteries have a maximum amount of cycles before they will need to be replaced. I figured, the least amount of cycles, the longer the batteries would last. Right now, I'm only using one cycle per week by plugging it in only once per week. That is wrong to do?

Let me get this straight.....now that the batteries are "conditioned", I SHOULD charge the batteries every night even if I only drive 5 miles or less in one day? For example: to the mail center and back necessitates the cart to be plugged in?

Please advise. Thanks.

[MorTech]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

I don't have an objection at all. I just didn't know that not keeping them charged all the time would shorten the life of the batteries. I was told the batteries have a maximum amount of cycles before they will need to be replaced. I figured, the least amount of cycles, the longer the batteries would last. Right now, I'm only using one cycle per week by plugging it in only once per week. That is wrong to do?

Let me get this straight.....now that the batteries are "conditioned", I SHOULD charge the batteries every night even if I only drive 5 miles or less in one day? For example: to the mail center and back necessitates the cart to be plugged in?

Please advise. Thanks.

Ahhh, now I see where your coming from. Charge Cycles don't work that way...One charge cycle is from dead battery to full battery charge and not the number of times you plug it in. If you charge to 100% and then discharge to 70% full (About 25 miles with your Yamaha - EZGO RXV maybe 30 miles since it is more efficient/less powerful), you have used about 1/3 of a charge cycle. Trojan T batteries (The brand in your Yamaha) have about 2500 charge cycles with this depth of discharge. If you drive 25 miles everyday and plug it in every night you should see 2500 / 365 = Almost 7 years of battery life. You did not need to ever "condition" the batteries because the Yamaha smart charger takes care of everything for you. Charge your batteries full even if you only drive one mile that day. basically, plug in your cart, and leave it plugged in, every time you pull in the garage. The charger will cycle on and off on its own. It will even automatically perform a charge cycle every 2 weeks when your away for 7 months(snowbird?). The charger will also automatically perform an Equalize charge about every month. Keep them watered and charged...That's all you have to do.

I do this - When I pull into the garage and I know I will leave again in less than 30 minutes, I will not bother plugging it in. Any longer that 30 minutes and I always plug it in. I have the plug sitting on a shelf right next to me when I pull in the garage. I just reach over and plug it in before I even get off the cart. Plugging in is easier than putting on a seatbelt and it becomes second nature just to plug it in every time...Even after "a number" of beers

lead-acid and lithium batteries don't have charge memory problems. Only Nickel Cadmium batteries do.

[Biker Dog]

Originally Posted by MorTech

Ahhh, now I see where your coming from. Charge Cycles don't work that way...One charge cycle is from dead battery to full battery charge and not the number of times you plug it in. If you charge to 100% and then discharge to 70% full (About 20 miles with your Yamaha), you have used about 1/3 of a charge cycle. Trojan T batteries (The brand in your Yamaha) have about 2500 charge cycles with this depth of discharge. If you drive 20 miles everyday and plug it in every night you should see 2500 / 365 = Almost 7 years of battery life. You did not need to ever "condition" the batteries because the Yamaha smart charger takes care of everything for you. Charge your batteries full even if you only drive one mile that day. basically, plug in your cart, and leave it plugged in, every time you pull in the garage. The charger will cycle on and off on its own. It will even automatically perform a charge cycle every 2 weeks when your away for 7 months(snowbird?). The charger will also automatically perform an Equalize charge about every month. Keep them watered and charged...That's all you have to do.

I do this - When I pull into the garage and I know I will leave again in less than 30 minutes, I will not bother plugging it in. Any longer that 30 minutes and I always plug it in. I have the plug sitting on a shelf right next to me when I pull in the garage. I just reach over and plug it in before I even get off the cart. Plugging in is easier than putting on a seatbelt and it becomes second nature just to plug it in every time...Even after "a number" of beers

lead-acid and lithium batteries don't have charge memory problems. Only Nickel Cadmium batteries do.

Correct!!!!!

[coffeebean]

MorTech. Thank you for your comprehensive explanation. I'm going to plug in the cart right now.

BTW........It was my Yamaha saleman who instructed hubby and I to "condition" the batteries. We were also given a handout about the process.

[MorTech]

That's not how you "condition" a lead-acid battery...That's how you ruin them...No wonder people are only getting 3 years from their batteries. Your charger will automatically run an Equalize charge when necessary or about every month that should help clean the lead-sulfate crystals off the battery plates. The charger ramps up the voltage for about 4-5 hours in an attempt to "boil" the plates clean. You may smell a bit of sulfur in the garage when Equalizing occurs and it is perfectly normal.

Believe me - Your Yamaha smart charger is smarter than your salesman

[coffeebean]

WOW. I'm so glad you made that perfectly clear to me. We've had this cart since it was new in October of 2016. I guess I haven't done the utmost best for this battery pack but I'm going to keep it plugged in all the time starting today. Thanks again, MorTech.

[Hacker1]

MorTech, your description of charger function appears to indicate that a battery minder is unnecessary. Battery minder is sold as a sort of "trickle charger" & battery desulfator. If the charger actually performs as you describe, then that would seem to render the battery minder useless. Is this correct?