Tips for Effective Golf Cart Battery Maintenance
If you own or plan on owning your own electric golf cart, one of the first things you must do is learn how to properly care for its batteries. The first thing you must understand is that while golf cart batteries are a lot similar to the standard automobile batteries, they are quite different. Most golf carts use deep-cycle batteries. These are batteries designed to drain and recharge slowly than the car batteries. The deep-cycle batteries are, however, similar to the car batteries in that they contain an electrolyte solution made of water and acid. The golf cart batteries require more maintenance in the form of cleaning and watering. Here are a few tips you can use when caring for your golf cart batteries.
Keep the top of the batteries clean, dry and tight
Bearing in mind these batteries contain acid, it is important that you wear eye protection as well as rubber gloves when cleaning them. You should clean the batteries using a mixture of water and baking soda and scrub using a bristle brush. It is also good to spray the cables using anti-corrosive spray to prevent rust and corrosion.
Charge for 8 to 10 hours
Using the right golf cart battery charger, you should allow the batteries to charge for at least 8 hours. Charging overnight is the best way to go. Even if you only used the golf cart for 10 minutes, you need to charge the batteries at the end of the day. There are several high-quality golf cart chargers you can buy which you plug in and never have to shut off manually.
Fill the golf cart battery cells after charging
The batteries need to be filled with distilled water to about ¼ or ½ inches above the plates. However, you should ONLY fill after charging.
Use the batteries often
You typically need to do a refresh charge at least once every 45 to 60 days. This can be hard to do especially if you only use your golf cart on a seasonal basis but doing it will extend the life of your batteries. If you are afraid you might forget to refresh charge your golf cart, you can go for a charger with an advanced storage mode feature which automatically refreshes the batteries provided the charger is plugged into the golf car.
Don’t discharge the batteries beyond an 80% discharge
Your golf cart batteries should be discharged to between 50 and 80 percent. Never discharge beyond 80% or to the point where the batteries are completely dead.
Record the battery voltage of each battery cell for future reference
When well cared for, golf cart batteries will last between 5 and 6 years. If you notice your batteries are sluggish after 5 to 6 years, it may be time to have them replaced.
Still on golf cart batteries maintenance, you should:
- Never charge frozen batteries
- Never over overcharge your batteries
- Check the water levels frequently and fill when needed
Making use of these tips will guarantee that you get the best performance from your golf cart batteries and for a long period of time. Don’t be afraid of bringing in a professional if you are not sure what is wrong with your golf cart batteries. If you need help finding the right battery for your golf cart, call Industrial Batteries – best golf cart batteries in Toronto at 1-905-965-4288