Scootermad
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12v 14ah battery charger
- Thread starter Scootermad
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Yes, that should work fine. You'll have to charge them one at a time.
If you have multiple chargers and attempt charging more than one battery at a time, there is a possibility of them shorting via the ground pin on the AC plug. Most chargers are isolated between input and output, but I have seen some that aren't. Measuring resistance between the power ground pin and the output you would see a low resistance if is not isolated. Normally it should be more than about 1 megohm.
If you have multiple chargers and attempt charging more than one battery at a time, there is a possibility of them shorting via the ground pin on the AC plug. Most chargers are isolated between input and output, but I have seen some that aren't. Measuring resistance between the power ground pin and the output you would see a low resistance if is not isolated. Normally it should be more than about 1 megohm.
Scootermad
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The batteries are all connected together could I not put the charger on and it will charge them all at the same time
The batteries are all connected in series. To charge all of them at the same time with one charger, they would need to be in parallel. Switching from series to parallel is a big pain. I had a 48v lead acid scooter that I charged with two separate 24v chargers.
Scootermad
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This what they look like
I don't see a picture
Scootermad
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The only way to charge four 12v batteries with one 12v charger is to disconnect them all from each other in their present series configuration, then reconnect them all in a parallel configuration instead, with a different set of wires you'll have to make or get for the purpose.
Then when you're done charging you have to disconnect them all from the parallel configuration and reconnect them in series again.
There is significant risk of problems by misconnecting things at any point in this procedure, which you would have to do step one every time you charge and then do step two every time you are done charging or when you ride.
It's much safer and easier (if a bit more annoying) to charge just one battery at a time with the single 12v charger.
Then when you're done charging you have to disconnect them all from the parallel configuration and reconnect them in series again.
There is significant risk of problems by misconnecting things at any point in this procedure, which you would have to do step one every time you charge and then do step two every time you are done charging or when you ride.
It's much safer and easier (if a bit more annoying) to charge just one battery at a time with the single 12v charger.
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Scootermad
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How would I charge them parallel as its abit of a pain doing them individually how would I know there all fully charged would it show up on the battery charger screen as as one full battery
My previous post described the basics of what you must do to charge them parallel; if you really want to unbolt and disconnect all your wires every time you charge, then reconnect them all in a completely different way (with different wires you will have to make or buy) to do the charging, then disconnect them all again when charging is done, then reconnect them all again the way they were originally with the original wires to ride. This includes disconnecting the wires from the bike (and charger) to the batteries, and ALL of the wires that connect the batteries together.
Keep in mind this will have to be done every time you charge, and every time you ride afterward.
There is significant risk of damage or even fire if you misconnect something during the process at any point.
If any parallel connection is ever left in place while the series connections are made, or vice-versa, you'll be shorting across a battery (or multiple) which will short them out and possibly start a fire (will definitely damage the wiring and/or battery(ies)).
If you *really* still want to do that, you will need to first mark every wire you already have, and every terminal on every battery, so that they are clearly marked for where each end of each wire goes, and the markings cannot be confused with each other. This will help avoid misconnects (but it cannot prevent them, as mistakes are always possible).
Then you need to buy or have made or make six cables with the same size ring terminals your original cables have, on each end of the three cables, that will connect as shown in the modified image below. The three purple ones will connect all your positive terminals together, and the three green ones will connect all your negative terminals together.
It does not matter what color the wires actually are, only that all the black terminals connect to each other, and all the red ones to each other, and that no red connects to any black, and vice-versa. I recommend using two different wire colors (preferably red, and black), so that you have three of one color to use on the black, and three of the other color to use on the red, as it is harder to misconnect (but not impossible).
Once those six wires are connected *instead of* any of the wires originally on the batteries, you can then connect your charger to any pair of the red and black terminals per the charger instructions, and the charger will effectively see them all as one large 12v battery. As for how things will show up on the charger screen, you'd have to check it's manual for that, as I have no information about your charger.
I recommend using the same gauge wire that was used in the original wires, but depending on the charger's current and the maximum charge current listed on the batteries themselves (usually fairly small), you can probably get away wiht wires of half that gauge or even less.
The ring terminals should be crimped to the wires with the correct crimper for that terminal type. A cable maker will do this likely with better tools than you might want to spend money on for the one job, and experience with doing it that you may not have. But it is not too hard to learn how if you don't, as long as you use the proper tool. About $30 will get a usable one on Amazon that will do a lot of sizes and types of crimpable connectors and terminals so you can be pretty sure to have the right one for whatever terminals you might use--this one is the one I use for most things nowadays, it works fairly well (could be better)
Keep in mind this will have to be done every time you charge, and every time you ride afterward.
There is significant risk of damage or even fire if you misconnect something during the process at any point.
If any parallel connection is ever left in place while the series connections are made, or vice-versa, you'll be shorting across a battery (or multiple) which will short them out and possibly start a fire (will definitely damage the wiring and/or battery(ies)).
If you *really* still want to do that, you will need to first mark every wire you already have, and every terminal on every battery, so that they are clearly marked for where each end of each wire goes, and the markings cannot be confused with each other. This will help avoid misconnects (but it cannot prevent them, as mistakes are always possible).
Then you need to buy or have made or make six cables with the same size ring terminals your original cables have, on each end of the three cables, that will connect as shown in the modified image below. The three purple ones will connect all your positive terminals together, and the three green ones will connect all your negative terminals together.
It does not matter what color the wires actually are, only that all the black terminals connect to each other, and all the red ones to each other, and that no red connects to any black, and vice-versa. I recommend using two different wire colors (preferably red, and black), so that you have three of one color to use on the black, and three of the other color to use on the red, as it is harder to misconnect (but not impossible).
Once those six wires are connected *instead of* any of the wires originally on the batteries, you can then connect your charger to any pair of the red and black terminals per the charger instructions, and the charger will effectively see them all as one large 12v battery. As for how things will show up on the charger screen, you'd have to check it's manual for that, as I have no information about your charger.
I recommend using the same gauge wire that was used in the original wires, but depending on the charger's current and the maximum charge current listed on the batteries themselves (usually fairly small), you can probably get away wiht wires of half that gauge or even less.
The ring terminals should be crimped to the wires with the correct crimper for that terminal type. A cable maker will do this likely with better tools than you might want to spend money on for the one job, and experience with doing it that you may not have. But it is not too hard to learn how if you don't, as long as you use the proper tool. About $30 will get a usable one on Amazon that will do a lot of sizes and types of crimpable connectors and terminals so you can be pretty sure to have the right one for whatever terminals you might use--this one is the one I use for most things nowadays, it works fairly well (could be better)
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Scootermad
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So connect all the negatives together and all the positives together so one row of negatives and one row of positives and connect the negative to the negative on battery charger and the positive to the positive on the battery charger is that what your saying
To parallel all four 12v batteries to charge them with a 12v charger, yes.
But first you must disconnect all the other wires that are on them. If you do not, you will short them out, probably damaging them and your wiring, and possibly causing a fire.
But first you must disconnect all the other wires that are on them. If you do not, you will short them out, probably damaging them and your wiring, and possibly causing a fire.
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