· Electric Scooter Alarms
· Electric Scooter Locks
· Moves Strangely Issue
· Range Decreased Issue
· Scooter Battery Issue
· Scooter Chargers
· Scooter Controller Issue
· Scooter Fuses, Wires, Etc.
· Scooter Motors
· Scooter Repair
· Scooter Stopped Issue
· Scooter Throttle
· Unusual Noises Issue
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The battery charger for your Light Electric Vehicle, or LEV, is just as
important as the battery itself. You will find that there are many options
from which to choose but you do not need to feel overwhelmed by decisions.
The business or manufacturer that you are working with will be able to answer
any questions and ensure you have exactly the type of battery charger needed.
Let us look at some of the different options.
A 12-volt battery charger has the capability of charging the scooter's
batteries, going to approximately 14.4 to 15 volts, and prior to dropping
into the 13.8-volt maintenance area. To determine if this is occurring,
you will be required to monitor the charged voltage as it goes through all
of the cycles of charging. A 24-volt charger will top out at 28.8 volts
then cycle going back to the voltage should it every go below 27.6 volts.
For the Soneil 24-volt chargers, the most voltage that can be output will
range from 27 to 28 volts but never more than 30.5 volts. If talking about
a 36-volt charger, it should finish the charge at 44.4 volt at which time it
would drop to 41.4 volts simply for maintenance. Another popular choice is
Deltrans, which is a constant current charger type much like Soneil. However,
there are differences in that the Deltrans is compromised of three charge modes:
- Constant current - BULK charge - Red LED
- Slower top-off charge as voltage nears a peak of 14.9 volts - Red and Green blinking LED
- Stand-by charge of 13.5 volts - Green LED
If your charger should stop working for any reason, you should try fixing it
yourself by opening it, re-tightening all connectors, and shutting it. This
will often fix the problem but if not, then you will need to have it fixed or
purchase a different one.
When fully charged, smart chargers will turn down their voltage in order to
comply with the manufacturer's "maintenance voltage" of approximately 13.8
volts or 27.6 for a pair. You can tell when the battery is 100% charged
simply by watching the charging current. If that current dips to the 125 to
150ma range, you will know the battery is completely charged. On the other
hand, just as there are "smart chargers", there are also "stupid chargers."
Most of these chargers have a 1-amp capacity and just do not drop voltage.
Instead, they keep charging at the level of 28.7 volt, whereas the "smart"
charger would drop at this level. Pay attention to what is going on. For
example, if you should hear a faint sizzling noise, that is a prime indicator
that the battery is being overcharged. If this happens on occasion, nothing
will happen. However, if this is happens on a consistent basis over time, it
could cause serious damage.
In the case of the Exide 3 LED (smart charger such as EV-Warrior and ZAP),
look for the following:
- Yellow LED on - Charger is property connected to batteries
- Red and yellow are both on - Indicates the battery is charging
If your charger never reaches the phase of alternating yellow / green, which
indicates charged and float - consider the following:
- One battery cell has shorted internally - battery will not hold a full charge
- "Pot" needs adjusting for proper voltage output. To adjust, first unplug
the charger. Unscrew and remove back casing. The pot is a tiny plastic
white dial that has a small slot. Insert a small screwdriver and slowly
turn clockwise for one to two degrees. Close the back casing and screw
back on. Allow one half hour charging time to reach full capacity. If
charger does not alternate yellow / green stage, repeat process until it
finally does. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, you can have
a professional do it for you.
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