Sorry, this will be long, you should check your batteries before you give up, if you want to replace with non-miles batteries you will need to do something similar to what I've done either wiring them into the back of the rear seat or clearing out your spare tire area for extra battery space.
If you do decide to get all new and trash the old batteries LET ME KNOW as I WILL TAKE THEM!!! I will pay the scrap value for them if you are nearby should you decide to get rid of them.
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Originally Posted by mspradz
I bought a 2005 Miles ZX40 electric vehicle in July and I think the batteries are dead. It worked a little in July and August but then it died and I had to have it towed back to my house. I have been searching the net to find out how to purchase new batteries and it has been difficult to find this information. Any suggestions?
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First, Did you try contacting Miles itself? Doug Rosen (the owner) is very helpfull.
Miles Electric Vehicles
310-390-4890
I am very tempted to order one battery myself (yes they do sell them), the batteries aren't as bad as some describe them to be but they work best if used which yours and mine probably weren't. I think they are an OK value for large capacity AGM's and they obviously fit without any "work"
Anyway I myself received a car with 4 "bad" unused batteries, I eventually brought them into a local mom & pop battery mart and they ran them on an automatic high amperage charge/discharge desulphating charger for a few days and 2 of the 4 came back. On my own I brought back 1 more battery and the last just keeps dropping in voltage down to around 11v and is probably shot.
If you know of any small locally owned battery places (especially ones that service golf carts) find out if they will cycle and desulphate your batteries for a small fee, state that you think they are probably on their way out. The place I brought mine to did it free.
Also I would strongly recommend before you buy any batteries that you do the following.
1. Buy a multmeter
2. Buy a cheap 10-20 amp automatic DIGITAL 12v battery charger.
(or a pair of jumper cables to hookup to your car whiles its running if you aren't afraid of doing it that way)
3. Buy a cheap battery tester/ discharger from harbor freight (or some place similar)
These batteries are fairly durable but once they get "screwed up" you need to charge them rapidly then discharge rapidly.
To check your batteries....
(the miles website has a file on how to fix bad batteries, you can ask them for access when you call)
After your vehicle finishes charging, check the voltages of each of your batteries, if one is significantly lower than the others hookup the 12v battery charger and let it charge until it finishes.
Let the batteries sit overnight with the charger unplugged, check the voltages in the morning. This reading will be your resting voltage, it should be around 13.2 volts if the batteries are in really good condition, around 12.6 volts if they are moderate to good conditionl. Below 12.6v and the battery is likely failing but don't give up on it instantly, cycling it with the small 12v battery charger (or better yet a pair of jumper cables and your cars alternator) and then discharging it with your battery discharger can make it start coming back. Or like I said there are places that can do it more quickly and effectively if you look around
My guess is if you check you will probably find only a few of your batteries (possibly one) are not up to the proper charge level (which is around 13.2v for these batteries)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bennelson
Replacing the batteries is easy. Pull one out. Measure it. Go to Walmart and buy a bunch of the same size!
Put them in. It's real easy.
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Its easy but not that easy, you will need to put some styrofoam, plywood or whatever to hold up/hold in the batteries you buy as the ones in the car are very odd large 12v batteries (6.4"x18.35"). The size is such that 2 normal 12v are way too small, need to be mounted 90 degrees differently (a c-clip and wire routing has to be changed) and you need to tie them down (and the range sucks from them compared to the 101lb Tianjan AGMs) And the 4x 6 volt batteries are too wide/long to fit in the compartments for the pair of 12v miles batteries.
Anyway if you don't like the miles battery the cheap models you can get at wallmart and other places will need to be 6 volt or 8 volt to get any range, take care on what you select as they likely won't fit without some effort AND the car has 2 24 volt bins of batteries one in the front and one in the rear under the seat, THEY MUST BE 24v as there are 24v electronics hooked up to each pack separately.
I've found that if you take out the top metal battery holdown rack and put a piece of plywood under you can fit 3x 8 volt trojan T-875/895 batteries in place of each 12v set. This is probably the easiest (albeit not perfect) way of replacing the batteries with non-miles batteries. If you go with 6 volt batteries look at the picture of my car. (that is what you will have to do)
Or you need to clear out the spare tire area.
(also remember non-miles batteries will require the copper bus bars replaced with a normal battery cable for terminal type batteries available from any Fleet farm or store that sells deepcycles as the bus bars are sized specifically for the lug spacing on the miles battery)
Good Luck, if you have specific questions feel free to ask, I have been there done that and yes batteries ARE available from Miles.
But you can get cheaper batteries elsewhere but DO NOT BUY 12volt deepcycles as you will be VERY dissappointed.
I also have some email addies I should give you of dealers that are more helpfull providing mods and suggestions.