Giving The Governor... The Boot!!

  If you have an R-10 or R-11 overdrive transmission chances are you have never seen one of these. That is not surprising, as most of these are long gone. This is the boot that originally covered the top of the governor. It kept moisture, dirt, and road grime, out of the inside of the governor.

As a rule... governors are typically trouble-free and require the least amount of maintenance, of any part of the overdrive, which makes sense because the only job the governor does is activate the overdrive via the relay when the vehicle speed reaches between 28 and 33 mph.

The two things that typically go wrong with the governor are the points inside of the governor housing (which look and work much like ignition points) become coated with oil dirt or road grime and quit making the electrical connection or...the cotton wrapped wire that comes up out of the governor metal cover will lose some of its insulation as it becomes dried out and brittle, causing a "short" in the circuit. The solution for the broken or missing insulation is to replace the governor wire with modern vinyl wrapped wire or new cotton wrapped wire if you want the original look.

The best solution for keeping out the moisture, dirt, and road splash out of the governor in the first place is to have the protective boot installed. But that has been a problem up to now as the originals are long gone and no new replacements were available.

As a replacement, I have seen soup cans, pop cans, beer cans, trash bags, and shop rags, even part of a bicycle tire tube. Most of those ideas were better than nothing but did not do a really good job of keeping the uglies out.

We now have for sale brand new exact reproductions of the rubber boot that once covered your governor from the factory. Installing one will keep out the moisture, dirt and road grime that will eventually cause you governor to stop working. You can find these along with new solenoids, relays, kick down switches, control cables, solenoid oil seals, and the gear oil, and a shop manual in the "parts" section of the website under what else...."overdrive parts."

You should now sleep better knowing your governor is well protected from the elements.

2019 Great Race...Jim and Louise Feeney

Jim and Louise Feeney and their 1936 Ford Police Car. This car is a driver! How did Jim and Louise get from their home in Endicott New York to the start of the 2019 Great Race in Riverside California? They drove this car! And how did they get home after the race was over in Tacoma Washington? Same way they got to Riverside for the start of this race, they will drive this car. And...that is how they got to and from all of the previous Great Races.

I first met Jim and Louise about twenty years ago as they were driving back to New York from a car race in Texas.  There generator quit charging someplace in Oklahoma. They called my store and wanted to know...."you are that guy who builds those alternators for the Great Race, do you have the parts on hand to convert our 36 Ford from generator to alternator?"

Yes indeed! "Well we are someplace down here in Oklahoma and our generator quit so we will buy another battery and our heading in your direction. See you later this afternoon. About 2:00pm they showed up tired and thirsty. I said I would work on their car and gave them directions, and my truck to go eat lunch and cool off.  By the time they got back I had the alternator on and wired and was just about to test things out. I told Jim to get into his car and hit the starter the amp needle immediately went to charge and stayed there. There was a big smile on Jim's face.

All of this was more fun because I live in a small town of 4,500 people. I installed the alternator on the street in front of the store which drew a crowd of the locals who wanted to know what an old Ford police car was doing in town... and more important what was I doing to it, and finally where were the people at that drove it here?

The local newspaper even wandered down the street to take a picture of the action and get the straight scoop. The rumors were flying by the time the next edition hit the street..."they are filming a movie here, Fifth Avenue bought the car for advertising, its being used to film a commercial locally",  it belongs to the Kansas Highway Patrol and they are giving a talk to the local grade school class.

The local paper set the record straight and even interviewed Jim and Louise. The rumor mill was much more exciting. Jim and Louise have been a customer every since and I see them often at old car rally events and we still have a laugh over the excitement they caused when they rolled into town that hot summer day.

Pretty Official looking...

Car 54 Where Are You...? yes they have heard them all...

Imagine seeing this in the Rear view mirror in 1936. Odds are... it would cost you some of your hard earned depression dollars to square things up!

Yes Jim is the navigator and Louise drives...any questions...?!

The end of nine days and 2600 miles, and they still like each other !

You know how all of this works, now you know how it works in a 1936 Ford!

Jim and Louise finished 3rd in their class and 6th place overall which is a good showing anybody would be proud of. The old Ford proved to be as reliable as ever and will no doubt be back for next year's race. Many people are afraid to drive an old car any distance for fear it might break down but you have to remember when these cars were new people often drove them cross country.

With the modern technology we have available today, modern engine oil being a good example (it does a much better job of lubricating than the oil available in the 1930's) cars can be made just as reliable as a modern vehicle as Jim and Louise have clearly proved!

The 2019 Great Race... John Hudson

Winning the Great Race does not happen overnight, it literally takes years and years of practice so most everything you do becomes second nature, you don't have to think about what to do, you automatically do it. In the 2019 race John Hudson and his son Greg drove John's 1940 Chevy coupe in the Great Race. John is an excellent mechanic who ran an auto repair garage in Baldwinsville New York for forty years.  His son is now running that garage, so both are excellent mechanics.

John has been helping Howard Sharp for close to thirty years work on the cars he has entered in the Great Race. Howard started out in the Great Race with a 1929 Dodge Sport Roadster one of only 1200 made. Howard was my second Great Race customer in 1990 after he watched Bud Melby and his 1936 Cord go thru the entire race and not change out a battery the entire race.

Howard, like most entrants in those early days swapped batteries at noon each day, the charging systems on the antique vehicles simply couldn't keep up with the electrical load. In the early days... the rule was the cars entered had to be 1945 and older. Today they can be as new as 1965.

I grew up driving Chevrolet pickups and owned and fixed up close to 50 of those during my high school years (which is how I came to invent the 6-volt alternator) so  knew all of their weak spots. John is an old Chevrolet man at heart so we immediately hit it off.

About five years ago John decided he wanted to try his hand at the Great Race. He knew he could make his Chevrolet reliable enough for the task and with a few parts from Fifth Avenue he was in business. He employed his Grandson Scott to be the navigator who was very good at math and they did well. Scott newly married, and a new job didn't have the time to compete in the 2019 race so John's son Greg stepped up and served as navigator for the 2019 Race.

Car 60 finished 27th out of 125 cars which is a very good showing especially with a new navigator. The navigation is very mentally challenging and it takes about ten years to learn it well but John's son picked it up pretty quickly. I was happy to sponsor John and his son in part because I can relate to his Stovebolt Chevrolet roots. We also had a long working relationship with the cars Howard owns.

Made it all the way to the finish line!

Over the pass in Oregon saw the temperature drop to 28 degrees

Who wouldn't be proud to own this Chevrolet...?

John Hudson the driver and his son Greg the navigator...

By now you know what the clock, speedo, and lap board is for...

Check out this optional accessory steering wheel. It is the only one I have ever seen. It is a very rare factory accessory.

Yes those are Ace awards for a perfect score on a leg, which is the distance between two check points. Wide whites...it doesn't get any better than that!

Howard and Douglas Sharp Win the 2019 Great Race !!

It happened again... and I am proud to say this one was the best to date. The Great Race Team of Howard and Douglas Sharp and their 1916 Hudson Pike Peak Hill Climb Car crossed the finish line in Tacoma Washington (after nine days and 2600 miles) fourteen seconds ahead of the next car!

Typically the race is much closer than that, such as last year when the top four finishers all had scores within the same second, which is why the Great Race is scored down to a hundredth of a second. So this win was unprecedented. It also means the Sharp team had to lead the scoring most every day, which they did... for seven out of the nine days. They did it in an open car which makes it even more of an accomplishment.

They suffered thru the weather extremes with the hottest day being in California at 103 degrees and the coolest being the trip over the pass in Oregon where it was 29 degrees and snowing.

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words... so here are a few of the winning team doing what they do best, for this, the third time... enjoy.

You can determine the temperature by the way they are dressed...

That Fifth Avenue Tag Topper has been a lot of hard miles...

     Yes, that is a Chevrolet 6 cylinder carburetor. Simple, and reliable is good. One of the big advantages to this engine is that it came balanced from the factory and was designed for the Pikes Peak hill climb race in Colorado. So it has a long stroke and lots of low end torque which helps with climbing hills, which they do a lot of in the Great Race. The engine is also very smooth, which helps keep the rest of the car from being damaged from vibration.

That little round sticker on the dash that says "ACE is an award for a perfect score on a leg, a leg being a specified portion of the race, usually between two checkpoints. If you look at this car it is covered with them. They have actually ran out of space for ace awards and have been removing old ones to make room for the new ones. And there is some prize money associated with those as well.

If you read the story on the home page about how the Great Race works I talk about a lap board. This is one of those, every team sets them up different, this just happens to be the one from the winning car.

I also talked about how the team has to go out and practice and learn how to be consistent in the way they accelerate and decelerate each time, then they have to make a chart. Well everybody has to do that, even the winning team.

The Fifth Avenue Tag Toppers have been along for the ride since 1989. Sometimes they end up a little worse for the wear... but in this case they have done better than the 1916 New York License plate it is attached too.

Douglas Sharp is the Navigator and has proven to be a pretty darn good one!

Howard is the driver and his job is more difficult than you think. If he is off by just one mph going either up hill or down, that will result in their time being off over 60 seconds in an hour! These guys are off on average, less than five seconds in an eight hour day!

Focus , Focus, Focus !

The guy in the middle is Jeff Stumb director of the Great Race. Yes that is yet another award for a perfect day on the Great Race.

At the awards banquet the Sharp team received two of the famed eagle awards... one for winning their class and one for winning the race overall. In the future there is likely to be the Howard and Douglas Sharp Bird Sanctuary Foundation.

This shows how big the birds really are. The banquet was held at the LeMay automotive museum in downtown Tacoma Washington. Harold LeMay was a local businessman who started a refuse and towing company shortly after World War II. At the time of his passing in 2000 his collection included over 3,000 vehicles along with a huge automobilia collection located in Spanaway Washington, a suburb of Tacoma Washington. At its peak Harold's refuse service ran 400 trucks every day.

The charming lady to the right is Janet Sharp. Howard's wife. She is the calm one who keeps everyone focused and takes care of the details.

There was a large crowd at the banquet but when 125 cars are entered and you add in the support people and the Great Race staff... that comes to a total of about 490 people moving across the country and staying at a different motel in a different town every night for ten days.

This year with the race being on the West Coast and most of the racers living on the Eastern half of the United States, many of them elected to ship their cars out to California and then fly to the starting line. 

The Reliable Carrier company hauled 80 of the 125 cars entered, to the starting line in Riverside California. That took 17 trucks who all arrived on the same day in Riverside. That was quite a sight! 

Now..imagine the logistics of getting those 80 cars back home where they came from,  which amounts to locations all across the country.

I not only sponsor the Sharp Racing team which I first began sponsoring in 1989 I also sponsor a car in the expert class and one in the rookie class. Check out the other blog for the details on the 1940 Chevrolet coupe and the 1939 Ford Police car.

The Follow Up

One thing that seems to have disappeared in modern business is the personal relationships. The one on one relationships have been traded for a simple email or text and often times people do business with each other for years, but only communicate via a text or email and as a result know nothing about each other except telephone numbers and email addresses.

I may be showing my age but when I started business in 1980's customers (and even today) customers were/are identified by name not a number and eventually you would meet most of them at a car show or swap meet.  Even as my business has grown and customers call and order from places like England, Sweden, and Belgium I still take the time to get to know them, what cars they own and a little about them.

New customers are surprised even today,  when they get a real person on the phone, and that they are not assigned a customer number at Fifth Avenue, instead we use their name and will also take the time to answer questions along with taking their parts order. "You mean I don't have to call a tech line to get my questions answered before I order?..." It is still one stop shopping, the same guy, (me) who will take the order, answer any questions and you are done, simple as that. But that is the way it should be, the guy or gal on the phone should now how every part they sell works, and how to install it correctly, and be able to answer any questions you have!

Which brings me back to the original point of this discussion. I have sponsored Howard Sharp in the Great Race for 30 years. We grew together learning how the Great Race works, he learned the navigation and driving skills, and I learned the importance of how to make an antique car reliable enough to be driven 4500 miles (as the Great Race was in the early days) and not break down so Howard could do what he did best.

We both learned a lot in those early days... from each other and from our hands on experiences. Even in those early days after the race was over and we each had a week or two to gets things back to normal, I would get a hand written letter from Howard, thanking me for the my sponsorship, for the parts I donated, and for the knowledge I shared, and for making his car reliable so he could focus on what he needed to do. He said he liked never having to worry if his car would start when it was hot, or if he would have a dead battery before the end of the day.

To a guy just starting out in business and not having a wheel barrow full of money... that meant a lot to me. Money was tight in those early days and I always had to decide what I could do for advertising that would get me the most bang for my buck. Sponsoring Howard was always a no brainier.

Howard would hold show and tell at night in the parking lot of the hotel for all of the Great Race teams, showing what parts I put on his car and how they worked  Because he was always finishing in the top ten and his car seldom broke down and he never had a dead battery, they figured he must be doing things right. Those teams began calling me asking for "what Howard has on his car..." That put Fifth Avenue on the Great Race map, thanks to Howard.

So here we are in 2019 thirty years after it all began and Howard along with his son Douglas have won the Great Race for the third time taking home $50,000. And true to tradition here comes the Thank you note, hand written, just as they have been since the beginning! As a sponsor it means a lot to me to get a hand written note, even after all of these years. I shows they truly appreciate the sponsorship when they take the time to sit down and write a hand written note.

Howard and I work on many projects together throughout the year, but the Great Race has always been something special. Douglas, has acquired the same business manners and also follows up with hand written letters. It is the little things they do. that matter.

So if you think the old ways of doing business have disappeared I can tell you there is still one class act on the planet. and I know how lucky am to still get to experience that.

API - 100 Years And Counting...

One of my first jobs growing up was learning the proper way to change oil. In my early days that involved the old canister oil filters that you had to use a turkey baster to remove the old oil after the filter was removed.

While I seldom paid much attention in those days... all of the oil cans had a rating on them that guaranteed the oil inside was refined to a specific standard. I did not realize until recently, that the testing of motor oil formulas is voluntary and has been going on for a hundred years (in 2019). Here is how it works... 

The American Petroleum Institute traces its beginning to World War I, when Congress and the domestic natural gas and oil industry worked together to help the war effort.

At the time, the industry included the companies created in 1911 after the court-imposed dissolution of Standard Oil and the "independents", companies that had been "independent" of Standard Oil. They had no experience working together, but they agreed to work with the government to ensure that vital petroleum supplies were rapidly and efficiently deployed to the armed forces.

The National Petroleum War Service Committee, which oversaw this effort, was initially formed under the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsequently as a quasi-governmental body.

After the war, momentum began to build to form a national association that could represent the entire industry in the postwar years. The industry’s efforts to supply fuel during World War I not only highlighted the importance of the industry to the country but also its obligation to the public, as the original charter demonstrates.

The American Petroleum Institute was established on March 20, 1919: to afford a means of cooperation with the government in all matters of national concern to foster foreign and domestic trade in American petroleum products to promote in general the interests of the petroleum industry in all its branches to promote the mutual improvement of its members and the study of the arts and sciences connected with the natural gas and oil industry. That is the official explanation.

For us, as the end-user, the API oil ratings are insurance that we are getting what we pay for. The ratings/standards have changed over the years as technology advanced in both the refining of oil and the metals that make up the engines. Here is what rating was popular when your antique vehicle was new...

SN Current Introduced in October 2010, designed to provide improved high-temperature deposit protection for pistons, more stringent sludge control, and seal compatibility. API SN with Resource Conserving matches ILSAC GF-5 by combining API SN performance with improved fuel economy, turbocharger protection, emission control system compatibility, and protection of engines operating on ethanol-containing fuels up to E85.

SM Current For 2010 and older automotive engines.
SL Current For 2004 and older automotive engines.
SJ Current For 2001 and older automotive engines.

SH Obsolete CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1996. May not provide adequate protection against the build-up of engine sludge, oxidation, or wear.

SG Obsolete CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1993. May not provide adequate protection against the build-up of engine sludge, oxidation, or wear.

SF Obsolete CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1988. May not provide adequate protection against the build-up of engine sludge.

SE Obsolete CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1979.

SD Obsolete CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1971. Use in more modern engines may cause unsatisfactory performance or equipment harm.

SC Obsolete CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1967. Use in more modern engines may cause unsatisfactory performance or equipment harm.

SB Obsolete CAUTION: Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1951. Use in more modern engines may cause unsatisfactory performance or equipment harm.

SA Obsolete CAUTION: Contains no additives. Not suitable for use in most gasoline-powered automotive engines built after 1930. Use in modern engines may cause unsatisfactory performance or equipment harm.

For us who own and drive antique vehicles one of the things that disappeared in the 1980s, was the zinc additive package from motor oils. The zinc additive package was an anti-wear additive package to protect the older engines built 1970's and prior from excessive wear in the areas like between the lifters and the camshaft, rod bearings, and main bearings, and other high-stress areas.

Besides the stress of metal on metal engines didn't seal as well as they due today so it was common to have engine coolant leak into the cylinders from a leaking head gasket, which in turn would contaminate and dilute the engine oil. The zinc additive package helped reduce the damage from that coolant contamination.

Modern engines seal much better, are built using roller lifters and the cam shafts, and have a hardened wear surface to prevent wear... so the zinc additive is not as critical in today's engines. The zinc was removed from engine oil originally because it was plugging up catalytic converters which in turn affected the emissions and the performance of the vehicle. Our antique vehicles still need that additive package to prevent internal engine wear.

Getting Certified...
API’s Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System (EOLCS) is a voluntary licensing and certification program that authorizes engine oil marketers that meet specified requirements to use the API Engine Oil Quality Marks. Launched in 1993, API’s Engine Oil Program is a cooperative effort between the oil and additive industries and vehicle and engine manufacturers Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler and those represented by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association. The performance requirements and test methods are established by vehicle and engine manufacturers and technical societies and trade associations such as (ASTM), (SAE), and the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

The Engine Oil Program is backed by monitoring and enforcement program that ensures licensees adhere to program requirements. This includes running physical, chemical, and performance tests on licensed engine oils and verifying that the API-registered Marks are properly displayed on containers and convey accurate information to consumers.

About half of the program’s licensees are based in the United States, and the other half are spread around the globe.

Marketers of engine oil must obtain a license from API to use the API Engine Oil Quality Marks: the API Service Symbol "Donut" and Certification Mark "Starburst." The use of the API Marks is a marketer's warranty that its licensed oils comply with the requirements set forth in API 1509 and API's Application for Licensure. The use of the marks also identifies the oil marketer as the marketing organization responsible for the integrity of a brand name and the representation of the branded product in the marketplace.

The license application requires the applicant to certify that its oils meet Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System (EOLCS) requirements. There is an initial charge for an oil company to get their oil certified, followed up by an annual renewal fee. Here is what it cost as of 2019.

Fee Schedule (USD)
License application fee $4,500
License renewal fee $4,500
Additional renewal fee based on volume $0.007

At time of annual license renewal, licensee must report volume of API-licensed engine oil sold. API assesses $0.0070 per gallon fee on each gallon reported in excess of 1 million gallons. All API-licensed engine oil brands, whether sold in packages or in bulk, must be counted in the volume reported.

Note... that the application and renewal fees are per license, not per engine oil. For example, if an oil marketer submits an application for one oil, the application fee is $4,500. If the marketer submits an application for more than one oil, the application fee is still just $4,500.

And like everything else there are those who do not follow the rules and display the API logos on oil containers that have NOT been tested and certified. The API takes that violation very serious... and catches numerous violators each year.  Here are a few of the most recent bad guys...

So now you know a little bit more about the engine oil you buy, and who checks up on the companies selling engine oil, to insure you are actually getting what you are paying for. That should make you sleep better at night knowing somebody is minding the store...especially in this day and age. Your welcome.

Series VS Parallel Battery Connections...Which Is Which?

Series vs. Parallel Battery Connections
You have all heard the rules about connecting more than one battery together to either get more reserve power or more more voltage. The confusion lies in knowing which is which and understanding the results. Lets start by understanding how the battery cable connections are different between to two.

Batteries in parallel. When you connect two batteries together in parallel the output voltage remains the same as the original voltage of the electrical system. The benefit is that the reserve capacity is almost doubled. This is common in RV's and trolling motors on small fishing boats where you need lots of reserve capacity to run small electrical loads like interior lights and accessories. Typically you will see two deep cycle batteries in these applications. Deep cycle batteries are made to be discharged / recharged slowly over and over and are designed to deliver a steady output over multiple hours.

Parallel battery connections can also be used in automotive applications. I use two Optima 6-volt automotive batteries along with my 6-volt alternator in applications like antique fire trucks and ambulances That combination  provides plenty of reserve battery power to run the flashing lights and siren during a parade while still providing plenty of reserve capacity for engine cranking.

Each Optima 6-Volt Battery is a thousand cranking amps! So connecting two in parallel along with one gauge battery cables results in 2000 cranking amps! That will start about anything!

To connect two batteries in parallel… connect the positive terminals of both batteries together then connect to the original positive connection of the charging system, which is usually the starter solenoid or starter button on the starter. The connections on the battery end of the starting system are the same as they were originally, there is just a little more help in between.

You want to do the same with the negative battery cable, all of the negative posts are connected together. And as you learned earlier if you connect the ground end of your battery cable to the starter mounting bolt or as close to the starter as you can get..(not to the painted frame or engine block) your vehicle will start much easier, because you have then created a direct path between the battery and the starter.

When you go to the auto parts store to have the battery cables made, be sure take the measurements of the distance between the battery posts. Tell them you are connecting your batteries in parallel and you need the cables to look like the cables they use on golf carts. One gauge cable works best for both the positive and negative cables because now you have twice the current to deliver. Both batteries should be the same size and have the same rating. Adding a second battery will double your reserve capacity or the length of time you have before all of your battery current is gone.

Batteries Connected in Series – when two batteries are connected in "series" it is done most often to increase voltage and efficiency, (just like when the car manufacturers went from 6-volt to 12-volt). To build a "series" battery circuit, connect the positive of the first battery to the negative of the second battery, then on to the 12-volt positive connection of the charging system as it was originally. Connect the negative post of the first battery to the positive post of the second battery then connect the ground end to a starter mounting bolt or as close to the starter as you can get it.

Your goal is to create a direct path between the battery and the starter. You want both battery cables to be one gauge or bigger because now you have twice the current to deliver.  Connecting two 6-volt batteries in series will yield 12-volts. The negative side will work the same as the positive. And connecting two 12-volt batteries will result in 24 volts. Some antique tractors had 24 volt electrical systems, many of the early John Deere tractors for example.

Batteries connected in series should be the same size and have the same rating. The total reserve capacity of the batteries will remain the same even though there is a second battery, because each battery is independent of the other but working towards the same goal. Electric golf carts are a good example of an application that use batteries wired in series to increase voltage. Electric golf carts, are powered by drive motors that are typically 36 volts and require six (6-volt) batteries connected in series to obtain the 36 volts.

As we learned elsewhere in this blog when converting from 6-volt to 12-volts, when you double the voltage, the amperage load goes to half, so in the case of the 36 volt motor in a golf cart, the higher voltage makes the electric motor more efficient and will require less amperage from the battery than it the electric motor was 12 volts. That explains why you sometimes see a 48 volt golf cart.  Those carts (Club Car) is a popular brand will climb hills better and have more power. Many have been converted to off road applications.

The difference in those 48 volt golf carts is how they get to 48 volts. That can happen one or two ways, either (4) 12-volt batteries or (6) 8-volt batteries.

(Now you know where those 8 volt batteries come from that I tell you NOT to put in your antique to try to get it to start better)

You know from reading this blog that the (6) eight volt batteries will have more reserve capacity (more power) than the (4) 12-volt batteries, because the 8-volt batteries contain more lead (more surface area inside the battery so more output). It makes the golf cart cost more initially... and also when it comes time to replace the batteries five years down the road. But think of the fun you had in between!

That is also true in 6-volt vs 12 volt applications, two 6-volt batteries will have more reserve capacity than one 12-volt. Again two 6-volt batteries have twice the surface area so twice the output). That is why you will see off road construction equipment with two 6-volt batteries connected in series instead of one 12-volt battery. The extra cranking reserve will make it easier to start the diesel engines.

As for that 48 volt golf cart withe the 8-volt batteries...that extra efficiency will insure the cart can be driven all 18 holes without a dead battery. That extra reserve may be necessary if the players get extra thirsty, and require more trips to the club house to retrieve adult beverages.

So remember parallel battery connections are the same as you are used to...positive to positive and negative to negative and the resulting voltage will NOT change. The benefit is that you get extra reserve because now you have two batteries to drain instead of one. In applications with a heavy electrical load like an antique firetruck this is almost a must.  To remember parallel... think two parallel lines on the highway, they are both the same at the end as they are at the beginning.

Think of the series battery connections, as like baseball. Every battery connection builds voltage just like every player in baseball is scoring points. The more players that cross home plate the higher the score. In Series battery connections the more battery posts the cables connect to... the higher the voltage. In the example of the 36 volt golf carts described above...the battery cables (both the positive and the negative) will each cross 6 terminals to get the resulting 36 volts.

So...what if forget your lesson here and connect the 6-volt batteries in your golf cart in parallel instead of series? It is doubtful your 36 volt golf cart would even move... because the electric motor would only have 1/6 of the current it needs to operate. Even if it did operate... you wouldn't get very far.

The only reason I bring that up is that every spring I have one or two customers call after they put new batteries in their golf cart and it "is still dead."

Yep...you guessed it... they connected their golf cart batteries in parallel instead of series, They were ready to declare their new batteries defective! Then they realized that the chance of all 6 batteries being defective is pretty slim. It was a simple fix in both cases, they both had made the same mistake, and got the same results.

Here is a simple chart to remind you how to connect battery cables for Series AND Parallel applications. Now you know which is which and why...your welcome!