# Gem battery dashboard question
**URL:** https://community.electricforum.com/t/gem-battery-dashboard-question/2538
**Category:** GEM Forum
**Created:** [May 10, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/gem-battery-dashboard-question/2538 "2012-05-10T13:36:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@glmsas](https://community.electricforum.com/u/glmsas)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/gem-battery-dashboard-question/2538/1 "2012-05-10T13:36:02Z")
Hello, i have an 2006 GEM E4 and the batteries are a little old.
I keep them all up top Volts, i took it out for a long drive today and after about 6mi i still had 4 green bars. I stopped for a STOP sign and then when i took off again the turtle came up and GEM was slowing.
I thought the turtle came on at the yellow bar not when there are 4 bars?
when i got home, and turned off the key and back on again, i got the error code 15( lower volts, need to charge the bateries).
They charged up to all the green bars again.
My question is that i usually check the green bars to see how to turn back to the home, but now i’m a little confused. Does this happen when the batteries are dying?
Why doesn’t the green bars go down to the yellow bar if the Volts are way down?
thanks
gary
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### Author:  [@GEMmechanic](https://community.electricforum.com/u/GEMmechanic)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/gem-battery-dashboard-question/2538/2 "2012-05-13T21:11:16Z")
I recommend that you load test the batteries. Voltage tests alone can be deceiving. As a large battery starts to wear out, it begins to behave much like a smaller battery. The voltage will drop off much sooner. This effect causes the electronics to show the battery discharging rapidly.
Daniel