Why is my Taylor-Dunn Electric Cart not working in cold weather?
I have a Taylor-Dunn Electric flat bed cart Model # B-254, that starts to slow down when it starts getting cold. I recently had the cart serviced, th...
I have a Taylor-Dunn Electric flat bed cart Model # B-254, that starts to slow down when it starts getting cold. I recently had the cart serviced, they replace the forward and reverse coil, the speed pedal, tested the computer which tested fine, finally I replaced the batteries….(6 volt) Now that it’s starting to rain and get cold the cart is starting to slow down….have no freaking clue of whats going on.
It is not clear from the information below if you have the 36 volt model or the 48 volt model. When I compare the 48 volt and 36 volt model on the pdf I notice that the higher voltage model has a smaller motor and less capacity even though it is running with more batteries and a higher voltage. It is also not clear how the "GT" version may be different.
The fact that there are similar models suggests to me that regardless of the "160,000 units in service" this may be a work in progress. I would look to the manufacturer to explain if there are any known issues with your model.
In general, electrochemical storage batteries are known to have a reduced capacity in cold weather. The batteries rely on a chemical reaction that tends to slow down as it gets colder. This is somewhat dependent upon the chemistry of the battery. Yours uses a lead acid battery and again, this is a known problem. I would have expected you to find some explanation of this in the literature and perhaps if it is a known problem the various models reflects an attempt to improve the situation.
"A fully charged lead-acid battery loses a third of its cranking power at 32[degrees]F. At 0[degrees]F, it has less than half its cranking power, and at -20[degrees]F it has only 30 percent. If that’s what happens to a battery in good shape…" http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-181407341.html