[npwalters]

I'm considering replacing my EZGo RXV batteries with lithium. There are lithium battery "packs" (batteries and a charger) available online, including Amazon. The price is typically about 70% of the cost locally.

There are a few brands that have good reviews but no information on warranty service except possibly an option to ship them back at your own expense.

Finally the question....has anyone bought lithium batteries on line and then used warranty service? If so; what brand and was there a dealer nearby to complete the service. Nearby to me includes Orlando.

I would also consider buying from a dealer if the cost was somewhat comparable.

If you choose to answer please leave the gas vs electric and other extraneous discussions to another post. Thanks in advance.

[Maker]

You also need a battery management system. That is the brains between the battery, cart, and charger.
If you have never done this yourself, a local dealer might be a better bet for help when things stop working. They would have service techs familiar with the system who could help. Might be able to do warranty work without shipping things away yourself.
Also, BMS need a computer to program it. Keep that in mind because if on your own you need a PC, an interface box or cable, plus the software. That's great to have, but might have a cost.
There are a number of FB groups with people doing the same thing you want to try. Also see TY videos.

[npwalters]

Originally Posted by Maker

You also need a battery management system. That is the brains between the battery, cart, and charger.
If you have never done this yourself, a local dealer might be a better bet for help when things stop working. They would have service techs familiar with the system who could help. Might be able to do warranty work without shipping things away yourself.
Also, BMS need a computer to program it. Keep that in mind because if on your own you need a PC, an interface box or cable, plus the software. That's great to have, but might have a cost.
There are a number of FB groups with people doing the same thing you want to try. Also see TY videos.

Interesting, according to the sites I've looked at most are a drop in replacement. Some of them are fully enclosed in a single box. I'm not talking about building my own lithium cells but rather purchasing a complete battery pack.

[jbsnarkin]

Originally Posted by npwalters

I'm considering replacing my EZGo RXV batteries with lithium. There are lithium battery "packs" (batteries and a charger) available online, including Amazon. The price is typically about 70% of the cost locally.

There are a few brands that have good reviews but no information on warranty service except possibly an option to ship them back at your own expense.

Finally the question....has anyone bought lithium batteries on line and then used warranty service? If so; what brand and was there a dealer nearby to complete the service. Nearby to me includes Orlando.

I would also consider buying from a dealer if the cost was somewhat comparable.

If you choose to answer please leave the gas vs electric and other extraneous discussions to another post. Thanks in advance.

Be extremely careful when charging your cart especially indoors. Only charge while at home and never overnight. If you can leave it outside do that.

If you choose to charge in your garage I would recommend a CO detector close by the charging area. If the batteries start to fail either while being charged or at anytime the CO detector will alarm first before any other signs of battery failure.

I know people will bring up the alarms while cars are running but I would also recommend having the garage door open and exiting the garage quickly once starting the car. When coming into the garage turn the car off as quick as possible and leave the garage door open for a period of time to greatly reduce the possibility of the CO alarm activation. It may be a pain in the ass but it is better than having your house burn down because of a golf cart battery.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Maker

You also need a battery management system. That is the brains between the battery, cart, and charger.
If you have never done this yourself, a local dealer might be a better bet for help when things stop working. They would have service techs familiar with the system who could help. Might be able to do warranty work without shipping things away yourself.
Also, BMS need a computer to program it. Keep that in mind because if on your own you need a PC, an interface box or cable, plus the software. That's great to have, but might have a cost.
There are a number of FB groups with people doing the same thing you want to try. Also see TY videos.

Originally Posted by npwalters

Interesting, according to the sites I've looked at most are a drop in replacement. Some of them are fully enclosed in a single box. I'm not talking about building my own lithium cells but rather purchasing a complete battery pack.

You are correct in my experience. The "Controller" is an entirely different device. The previous post is like saying you can't use a different kind of battery in your hearing aid or flashlight. The Controller has no clue how your battery is producing power, only that the power is sufficient/compatible. The Battery Management capability is in the charger, not the cart.

[mbene]

If you buy a single 48v battery, it's pretty much just drop in, connect the wires and go. Nearly all the batteries come with the BMS built in that will connect to your phone via Bluetooth, no computer needed.
You will need to buy a new charger although some lead acid battery chargers can be reprogrammed to charge lithium batteries.
If you go to Amazon there are many different batteries and kits including the charger listed there and Prime days are coming up in October. You can get a lithium kit for around $1200 and up, sometimes even less.
The only other thing I have seen is that the wires that connect to the battery and motor should be 4 gage.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by mbene

If you buy a single 48v battery, it's pretty much just drop in, connect the wires and go.

The auxiliary electrics in my cart - lights, horn etc. - appear to be connected to just two of the (6v) batteries, as if they need only 12v. Is that correct and, if so, what is the work-around when using just one 48v battery?

[mbene]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

The auxiliary electrics in my cart - lights, horn etc. - appear to be connected to just two of the (6v) batteries, as if they need only 12v. Is that correct and, if so, what is the work-around when using just one 48v battery?

You buy a 48v to 12v converter, $20-$30.

[npwalters]

Originally Posted by mbene

You buy a 48v to 12v converter, $20-$30.

Good info

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Golf Cart Batteries | Dakota Lithium Batteries

a bunch of choices. . but i would buy a separate charger, Victron has alot of options,

For our fifth wheel, I bought a 12 v 200 Amp hour LiFePO4 battery with 200 watts of solar panels to charge it, from Dakota Lithium. All the batteries are made in China, however, I would recommend using an american distributor with us based customer service. It will cost a bit more, but you will have someone to talk to. .
However, the truck alternator can charge it, as well as shore power. So my point is that LiFePO4 batteries charge at 14.6 V, whereas a lead acid charges at 13.6 V. You would need a lithium ion battery charge to get to 100% full with 14.6 V.

Victron also has BMS, and charger controllers for all kinds of batteries and charging systems.
Chargers - Victron Energy

I will be converting our electric cart to LiFePO4 sometime after we relocate, and we have a second gas cart for distance. . .

Are Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries Safe? A Comprehensive Guide

They are amongst the safest batteries you can buy, but like any Li battery, you need to take precautions and know what you are doing.

[Laker14]

OP, I don't know how far along you have travelled down this road of Li-Ion conversion. I bought a used Club Car 3 years ago and it needed batteries. I researched Li-Ion conversion for it at that time and would have done so but I needed something done more quickly than I could get it done doing a conversion.

I wound up spending over $800 on a new 48v set of lead-acid batteries. They have now degraded to the point that I am again looking at doing a conversion.

I will be calling Battery Brothers today and tomorrow and getting their price on a RoyPow conversion. I started a new thread on the subject but haven't gotten any replies yet.

I will share my information on this thread and the new one I started once I get it.

[PoolBrews]

Most modern lithium batteries for golf carts have the BMS module inside the battery case when you buy the battery. The BMS DOES NOT need to be programmed by a computer - it's a circuit board that contains firmware (software permanently installed in chips on the board) and runs on its' own.

You will also have a controller that controls many functions of the cart like top speed, acceleration, etc. You do need a computer, special software and a cable to change any settings in controller. There are a few carts that may offer a built in method to change 1 or 2 parameters in the controller, but it will be limited.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Where To Buy Lithium Batteries? | Battle Born Batteries

good luck

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

The auxiliary electrics in my cart - lights, horn etc. - appear to be connected to just two of the (6v) batteries, as if they need only 12v. Is that correct and, if so, what is the work-around when using just one 48v battery?

As noted on a previous reply, you need to get a 48 VDC to 12 VDC converter.

Double check the MAXIMUM voltage on the new battery and make sure the convert will handle this voltage. For example a "48 vdc" battery can see 56 vdc during charging, no idea of the range for Lithium Ion batteries.
Next you need to determine the 12 VDC load of your cart, the easiest way is to disconnect the positive lead, install an ammeter 20 amp or higher range and turn on ALL of your auxiliary equipment and see what the current draw is, then order a converter with 50% higher rating.

[npwalters]

There is some good information here and that is appreciated.

However, no one has answered the actual question "....has anyone bought lithium batteries on line and then used warranty service? If so; what brand and was there a dealer nearby to complete the service? Nearby to me includes Orlando."