I am new to this forum and have a question hopefully someone can help with., i have a gem e4. i am using deka batteries with 760 cranking amps. i live on an island in the caribbean and is somewhat hilly. i am finding that the batteries lose power very quickly, sometimes 2 or 3 miles and the power is below 30%. when this happens i have almost no power. am i using the wrong batteries. i am also charging the system with a ride4fun charger as the zivan charger stopped working. can someone give me any ideas on whats going on. thank you
How old are your Deka batteries and what type and size? Need more details. NOTE: If using car batteries, they aren’t going to work well if at all. They simply aren’t designed for heavy amp draw over extended time. You need batteries designed for this application.
Hi there
thank you for replying, the batteries are DEKA . part no. 1031MF
cca @ zero degrees 760
maintenance free
is this enough information regarding the batteries, they are approximately 1 year old but have not used the cart for about 7 or 8 months as i was waiting for a charger.when i connected the charger it took approx 6-8 hours and they were charged up.
thank you for your help
Don’t know about the DEKA nomenclature but what I did find at ATLANTICBATTERY.COM, WHOLESALE, RETAIL, BATTERY, BATTERIES, DEKA, MARINE, BOAT, AGM, GEL, MIAMI FL, 33166, 305 883-6001 suggested the 1031MF are “deep cycle marine cranking” batteries. “Cranking” batteries are designed for a different application entirely (starter motor, running lights, etc). Also the 1031MF battery weight is pretty “light” (lead is your friend for this application). You’re really need an “industrial deep-cycle” type battery designed for tow motors, floor scrubbers, scissor lifts etc. These are designed for heavy current draw over extended periods of time. They are heavier with different chemistry inside. Neither “Marine deep cycle” or standard automotive batteries won’t cut it for very long. I personally recommend Trojan 30XSH or T1275 batteries but I’ve heard of others successfully using DEKA, East Penn, NAPA batteries - don’t know which model numbers however. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the DEKA line can jump in here or maybe contact AtlanticBatteries directly for their advice.
Also if your batteries sat unused for 7 or 8 months without being charged, they may need to be run through a charge cycle a few times to take and hold their full charge. My Trojans took about 30 charge cycles to reach full potential. You’ll also want to make sure your Ride-4-Fun charger is setup with the correct charging profile for the type of battery you’re using.
Good luck!
Al
thank you for your help, i will look have the batteries looked at as to buy new batteries in antigua is quite expensive. thank you again
I use MDC31 Marine deep cycle batteries. I’m on my 3rd set. I can get 25 miles range @ 50%i If I don’t run wide open all the time. These are made by East Penn and sold by many after market people. I bought these from Pep Boys for $620. Were on flat ground and I get 3+ years of service. I have a 1999 4 seater.
8 months without charging was not good. Agree that 20 charges will probably help the range. However GC rated batteries are far better in hilly environments.
I usually plug in after every use and my longest trips don’t exceed 10 miles so range is not a problem for me.
Hello Houseboater,
thank you for your reply, when you say GC rated , batteries, can you give me more detail on this rating. do you think i should change from the batteries i have or do you think with more charges it will get better
thank you
!. Make sure your charger is set for Flooded batteries. Check the voltage of each battery to make sure you don’t have a bad one. This is possible even with a new set. Check Specific gravity a couple of hours after charging. Should be 1260 or above on batteries that are less than a year old. If they are only 1235 your charger is probably set for Gels. This will degrade a set of flooded batteries in 6 months or less.
- MAKE SURE YOUR BRAKES AREN’T DRAGGING!!! Make sure you have 30 PSi air in your Tyres.
3 Go thru at least 10/20 charging cycles to see if you have a range gain.
- Only then consider new GC (Golf Cart) rated Batteries. The most popular rated batteries are Trojan and Deka. The rating you look for is AH at 20 minutes. 100/105 is a common rating while the best (also heaviest) will have a 150 AH rating. GC batteries don’t have cranking amps rating. Your batteries should weigh 59 to 70 pounds depending on capacity. If they are less than that they are car batteries and unsuited for your cart.
NOTE: Your Marine Deep Ccycle batteries may have a 100 AH rating and will serve for awhile but they might only last a year or 2 in hilly country. ( I use these in my cart because of cost considerations)
- To get the best life out of your batteries plug in after every use.
Note if your batteries are “maintenance free” with sealed cells, (I.e. no caps), you probably won’t be able to check specific gravity which requires access to the fluids which are typically sealed with maintenance free batteries.
Also check your charger is set to the appropriate battery type be it flooded lead acid or AGM or GELs. Using the wrong charging profile can be a disaster for the batteries.
Al
thank you very much for your reply, this clears up alot of questions i had. you have been most helpfull. i will check the batteries and see where i am at, will let you know the outcome, thank you once again
Looked up your batteries, They are designed for starting service and wont give you a lot of range. However they should do more than 3 or 4 miles. The dual purpose battery in this family is 7T31. Note the weight difference , 55 VS 62 pounds. I suggest you charge them up and sell them to a person who needs high amp starting batteries.
If you’re getting different batteries, which I think you’ll need to eventually, I’d strongly suggest ones rated for golf carts OR industrial usage and the heavier the better. I understand they can be expensive but they are the heart of the system.