Easy question about XB-600 full charge.

The voltage, PER 12 volt battery, as measured at each battery, while still charging, with an accurate voltmeter, with batteries near normal room temperature, (after sufficient time to nearly complete the charge)-above 50 degrees F. but below 100 degrees F., should be about 14.0 volts at full charge, although this value is somewhat dependant on the precise chemistry of the battery, as well as battery temperature. In normal situations, charged maximum voltage decreases with hot batteries, and inceases with very cold batteries. If charging a battery that is at, or below, 35 degrees F. charging voltage may be around 15 volts! This same battery, at 110 degrees F, would be happier at 13.2 volts. If room temperature 12 volt lead-acid batteries are charging to over 14.5 volts, or not reaching 13.6 volts, it is likely that there is a problem!-Batteries getting comfortably WARM at/near the end of charge is OK, but they should NOT feel HOT to touch. Good luck, remember:In a series arrangement, it is very important that the batteries be as IDENTICAL as possible, and yes, this means they should be purchased and replaced as a SET. Initial charging SHOULD be done in parallel.---Bob

This is all interesting but what I'd like to know is does anyone have any idea or can explain how to check to see what the charger float (when the light goes green) is on the charger from xtreme for the XB600? Some may recall that I posted awhile back my original charger was making noise but still apparently working. So, I bought a new one from x-treme just in case the original failed. The new charger would not go into float...so I put in a ticket at x-treme and they promptly sent me another one. It's been fine up until yesterday. It like the previous began failing to go into float. So, now I'm wondering... I have two new chargers and neither is working apparently properly because I ran the scoot just a few minutes...enough to make a charger charge for a few minutes, and hooked up the old original charger and sure enough it went into float very shortly. But, not the case with the second new charger that's been working fine. Trying to figure out what to do. I'm sure if I contact x-treme they'll work with me on this issue...but I'm just wondering why these chargers stop working!

Gushar

Just another quick question which might have an obvious answer....but do I have to disconnect the leads wiring the batteries in series to check the individual voltage of each battery or can I just check each battery with the wires all connecting them?

Gushar

Gus,
This is not the answer you want to hear but, Your battery pack may be on its way out. When you had your pack open recently did you check each batteries voltage? I found my charger was not going to float sometimes just before my meltdown. The range on a full charge was down to about half or less of new batteries and the charger seemed to " act up" when I had discharged the pack quite low. In hindsight the charger was fine it was the pack that would not charge to float level. There is an adjustment inside the charger that sets the cutoff voltage and a tenth or 2 of a volt will make the charger keep running and not enter float mode.
I kept turning the charger down, but eventually the the extended charging resulted in a meltdown. Now that same charger is working fine with new batteries.
Of course this was just my experience and yours may be different.

James-

Thanks for the comments. Yeah, I've thought maybe the batteries might be going south. I've had my xb600 over two years now...so that's a definitie possibility I guess. I still have pretty good range...but this charger problem seems to give me the idea that maybe there's a battery pack problem. The pack tested at 57v last night when I realized the charger wasn't going into float...charging about 5 hours after only a 2 mile ride. And then I checked it about an hour later and it was at 52.4v. So would that indicate anything about the pack or individual batteries? My old charger started making noise and pulsing the lights at the end of the charge cycle even though it still seems to charge properly and goes into float mode. But then why are these new chargers giving me such poor service? I mean the last one they sent worked fine up until yesterday. I did take it with me in the under the seat storage, to my workplace, and so maybe it got bounced around and that made it stop working right. Or, maybe it is the pack going bad and I just need to replace them. Just wish I could determine what the problem is. By the way, did you replace your batteries with the originals or some others?

gushar, I just went through this with extreme. My problem was one of the batteries was bad so they sent out 4 replacement under warrenty. When charging in series if one of the batteries is lower than the rest it continues to try an charge the pack till it gets to float level. Which will burn out your good batteries by overcharging them. They had me check the batteries for bulging and I had a couple that were so they replaced the whole pack. You can test the float voltage on your stock charger with your multimeter. What the output voltage from the 3 prong connector is when plugged to wall is the float voltage. Mine was 55.6 on stock 48v charger. When reaching that voltage in the pack it should turn off. Good Luck

Hey hguido thanks for that info. I'll check that on all three chargers. Maybe I do have one or more batteries going south. James above says you can adjust the charger. Do you know where that is on the board inside just in case these chargers aren't set with the correct float voltage? Also, and this is probably a dumb question...but I asked it above and nobody has replied to the question specifically...but do I need to disconnect all the battery wiring to check the voltage of each battery or can I do that leaving all the series wiring connected? Much appreciation in advance for responses!

Gus (har)

You can check them individually still connected in series. My experience has been that a fully charged sla battery will be somewhere around 14.0v here in florida. I think that might be different depending on the temp as someone I think said above. If your stock charger is putting out around 56v it should be set correctly and the problem could be the batteries. If you install some anderson powerpoles and wire the batteries in parallel for charging only this is the best why to charge each battery equally. There is some information on doing this on this site.

Also, Im not sure were on the circuit board in the charger you would change the float voltage. It is probably some sort of pot on the board. Just a guess. Good Luck

Dana, it seems that this will go on forever, via computer! Why not just TELEPHONE me, at 301-439-3873, and I will try to talk you through finding out just what is right and wrong with your batteries and or chargers? Have everything accesssible when you call-Voltmeter, batteries and charger(s)-Bob Curry

I think the previous offer was addressed to me even though I'm not "Dana" but "Gus (gushar)." I'll take you up on that offer! For the rest who may be interested I did check the output of the chargers and each of the two new ones was putting out 55.4 volts at float (plugged in and volt meter attached to output plug). Couldn't really get a steady reading on the old charger. When it was powered and not plugged into the scooter but with the volt meter connected to the output on it there was a pulsing of the charge lights and the voltage was jumping all over the place. Guess that's why it started making noise awhile back even though it still seems to charge when plugged into the scooter. Anyway, I also checked the pack voltage again since last charging and it was at about 52 volts...so my good sense told me that if the pack was lower than the float output of the charger then if I hooked it up then the pack should charge a few minutes until it hit that 55.4 volts for float. I did plug in that last new charger (the replacement xtreme sent me that had been working fine till this last charge) and sure enough in a few minutes it went to float and the pack then measured 55.4 volts...the same as when the charger goes into float. So, don't know but maybe I just have a batt in my pack going south like James described above. My next test will be to ride a few miles and get a pretty good discharge on the pack then try charging again (deeper discharge) and see if it goes into float when the charge gets to the pack level of 55.4 or around that. Last time after that 2 mile ride it did not go into float after charging several hours and when I measured the pack it was 57.2 volts. So, I'll be anxious to see what happens this time...

Thanks to all who have provided info and comments. And thanks to (can't see the name while writing this) whoever offered for me to call them. I'll sure do that after this next ride and test charge if I can't come to some reasonable conclusion of what's going on. I'm also going to check each batt this weekend to see what the voltage is on each after a charge and that should tell me if I do in fact have one or more batts which are going south.

Gus

That sounds like a good plan Gus. Good Luck

Checked the batteries like I described above. The first was at 13.5 volts and each of the others were at 13.4 volts. That seems pretty darn good to me for a pak that's over 2 years old! So, maybe my charger just temporarily screwed up somehow on that one charge cycle. Seems to be fine now although I haven't discharged the pack much and tested. But anyway, don't think I could have any bad batts when they charge to that level and that closely matched. I still am going to look at wiring up an LED volt meter with some kind of switch to easily check the voltage in each battery. Heck I just got a sale book with coupons from Harbor Freight and there's a digital multimeter for $2.47 with the coupon! That and a multiposition switch could probably be made into my on board batt volt checker. Don't guess I'd have to use wire any larger than the probe wire on the multimeter??? Anyway, so that's the results as I just measured things today.

Gus