So, kinda dumb, after charging 2 batteries I tried the Zivan again and still got the angry beeping and flashing LED. So I drove it - not sure why. Battery level showed 15% at first, and then when it went down to 10% it started screaming at me – this is what they did before inventing “turtle mode”? Going back to charging the wet cells with car charger with the battery main switch off, but this isn’t getting me anywhere in the long run. I doubt this error warning is going away. OH - also - got a code of “-04” which goes away when the parking brake is released? The P-brake switch also seems funky and I think I saw somewhere there was a recall on these? Going to charge up all 6 wet cells and see what happens, but I think the Zivan needs to go somewhere to get fixed, unless someone knows what this is? It would probably be in the manual if I had one… Yes water levels are fine and the batteries have only been charged a few times. Car drives great, it’s like it’s been through a time machine from 2002. Would like to upload video of horrible noise and flashing LED but can’t seem to. Is there a way to do this?
No, batteries are not flat - sorry, I got off topic. Someone suggested bringing them up to 12v (they were 11.4) to see if that would get the Zivan to kick on. That’s what I’m doing now, but I don’t think it’s going to fix anything in the long run. I’m wondering if anyone has had this “code” warning and flashing lights and knows what it means? I thought maybe batts were overcharged, but disproved that theory by driving it and watching the levels drop. It just bugs me, the vehicle is trying to tell me something, and I don’t speak the language!
-04 is parking brake engaged. Chances are the parking brake recall has not been performed. Check VIN in recall database.
Someone? More like everyone.
A 12V battery is dead at 12v. 11.4 is super dead. Lead acid cells are 2.1 each. 4 seconds of research on batteries would tell you that. Yet, you ignore it and go charging off.
Charging 2 batteries and driving it at 10% rather than following any advice. Ok… Congratulations Don Quixote, if those batteries weren’t destroyed, they probably are now.
The charger won’t start with the batteries that low. Told you that back around post 2. Told you how to fix it too.
Do you actually listen to anything anyone here has to say? Based on your responses you are either a) not or b) to godammn obtuse to understand.
Fix the battery. Fix it first. It’s an electric car. You know what an electric car with no battery is? It’s a bloody brick. Or a lawn ornament depending where you live. If you can’t get it to run, the brake doesn’t mean anything. There is a recall on the brake Polaris will fix it for you.
You won’t listen yet you are constantly baffled by stuff you won’t follow basic directions for. Then you won’t spend 7 seconds to attempt to find an answer on your own, and you keep coming back with the same problem. Can’t make you listen and not here to do your homework for you… You’re on your own from here .
If this were a NCIS episode Gibbs would be slapping you up backside of your head.
Start over. Go back to the beginning. Do not collect $200.
also - got a code of “-04” which goes away when the parking brake is released?
I continue to be baffled that you are baffled by this. It sounds like perfectly normal behavior to me. But what do I know?
Key ON - Brake ON - It gives you a warning. It’s not good to drive around with Brake ON.
Key ON - You drop brake - Warning goes away. You may go now.
What does it do when you Key OFF - Brake OFF ?
Wow! sure are some cranky people in here. Hang in there 2013GEMtruck. When I picked up my GEM I had all the same questions and problems you have. I spent weeks researching how I could bring back what I thought were decent looking batteries. I had the same “code” warning and flashing lights/beeping issues you are seeing. Today I installed a new set of batteries, which is the last thing any of us want to do, because they are so dam expensive, and hard to find in stock! We’ll all went really great! After the install, I turned the key and all my problems went away. No beeping, no codes, no flashing lights! What a thrill it was taking my newly working gem car for a first test drive, and an awesome drive it was, super zippy even up my hill. Dont let these guys get you down. Keep at it, keep reading, keep asking questions, and you will thoroughly enjoy the quest that takes you on your first test ride. Today it was my day, get some new batteries, soon it will be yours! 
One more thing to know is that the warning beeps/lights you are seeing, could mean that the main power switch is in the off position. The main switch needs to be ON during charging. Here’s a video that shows the switch. You’ll need to set it to the Green dot, thats the ON position, then plug in the charger. I had to move the main switch back and forth a couple of times before it stopped beeping/flashing and the charger’s fan actually kicked in and started to charge.
The main switch: Turning Off Power on 1999-2004 GEM Car Before Servicing - YouTube
Wow, y’all have been super helpful until the bourbon came out, or whatever happened last night. YES, I realize I went in a big circle and am now back where I started. SORRY I pissed a few of you off with my inexperience. When I said “12v” I meant full charge - those of us who come from internal combustion really don’t care if a 12v battery has 12 or 14 volts as long as it cranks the engine over. And yes, after posting about the -04 code I realized that was a nothing burger. My 2013 beeps but does not give an error code when you do that, but I saw the recall notice so my mind went off like a gerbil on a spinning wheel.
Again - this is not my vehicle, I’m just trying to help someone out. Nothing in it for me except I’m just trying to be nice. I was appreciative that some of you were doing the same, but apparently I’ve pushed the “stupid” button too many times and some of you have lost patience with me. For that, I apologize.
The woman who owns this thing got it from her mom who died a couple years ago, and she wants to keep it going. “Bob” charged her $1,000 each for new wet cell batteries in the spring of 2021, she barely used it and is now getting this alarm when she plugs it in that sounds like a European ambulance siren. It’s disturbing to her, and she has nowhere to turn. We live in nowheresville, Northern Michigan, and she has no ability to trailer this thing to a dealer — whom it sounds like most of them don’t know what they are doing anyway. The dealer that sold it to her mom in 2002 in Petoskey Michigan will not touch these things any more.
Jrjava: Sorry I’m too stupid to deserve oxygen. But you WERE very helpful at first. I learned about the recalls, and I was just using this forum as a sounding board even though sometimes I would post stuff that I realized almost immediately did not follow a chain of logic. These vehicles are new to me.
BTW - when I was a lawyer I would get incredibly stupid questions from fairly intelligent people all the time. I never responded they way Jrjava did. Nice until not nice, Mr. Java. Sorry I wasted your time.
w
William Harper
105 Mill St. PB 442
Northport, MI 49670
(231) 715-0118
wsharper@me.com
If you say so. /rolleyes
You were getting paid.
Try not to make things difficult for the people offering free help might get you further. But if you are just going to constantly ignore suggestions and advice and go off on your own wild tangents then come back complaining about the same problem, you’re bound to fail and tick everyone off in the process.
Actually I wasn’t getting paid, I worked for Legal Aid for free. I’ve never been paid for legal advice - chose another career after passing the bar.
Not sure what advice I ignored, and I certainly wasn’t trying to make life difficult for anyone. I greatly appreciate all the information I have gotten on this forum and have always been polite and thankful.
I knew driving the cart with only two batteries charged was dumb. I said so. It doesn’t seem to have hurt anything. The parking brake thing was some idea that got in my head that there were two circuits going through that indicator switch - one to shut down the motor controller and one to allow the charger to start. There are 3 wires - it didn’t seem impossible to me. Maybe stupid to you. Just trying to eliminate variables.
So, now…
I charged all the batteries up individually to about 14v. They seem fine. Cart drives great. Dash shows 90% + charge. Charger still gives alarm warning when I plug it in. My guess is the charger has gone bad, going to send it to the guy in California if he’ll take it. It might have burned out the fan and overheated or something like that. No idea, but it’s 20 years old and failure is not unexpected at some point. It would be good to get it updated anyway. So, until I get that done I won’t waste any more of your time.
And lastly, I DO thank you for all the help you have given me. I’ve learned a lot, even though you don’t think I’m listening. I would never have known about the recalls or the guy in Sacramento – so seriously - THANK YOU. I’ll try not to be a pain in the butt ■■■■■ going forward. Or backward. Or nowhere in this e825 right now… 
Tahoe Joe, thanks. I found the main battery switch right away, messed with it, also tried it again after your post – didn’t do anything. I think the fan in the charger is bad, and it may have overheated. Or it may have gotten water damage, the owner just told me yesterday this problem started after she washed the vehicle using a LOT of water, “spraying it everywhere.” This was new info in the last few hours, so, off goes the charger to “the guy” in Sacto. Fingers crossed…
Parking brake switch doesn’t control charger IIRC.
Plug in charger, lockout will shut down the cart.
Call electric conversions, get repair price first. You might be better off buying a Delta Q from Michael. (lithiumgods)
There are 2 fuses inside the Zivan. One by the power supply, one at the other end of the board. It’s a ceramic with a weird rating. If it blows, charger is probably toast.
Fan failure with blown ceramic fuse was the same symptoms the one in my 02 had when it clapped out. Never got it working, was easier to put a new charger in.