How do you take care of golf cart batteries?

Taking care of your golf cart battery isn’t as tough as it may sound.  If you follow a monthly battery maintenance routine, you can get your battery to last as long as 6 years.  We have even heard of batteries lasting 10 years.

You also get the added benefit of strong performance on the course without lagging behind.  No one wants to be that person…

There are only a few steps to the perfect schedule:

• Check for terminal corrosion and battery leaks.
• Check for loose wires or fraying wires
• Check the electrolyte levels and add water when necessary.
• Clean the battery and all around it.

 

We recommend you do this each month, even when not in use.

6 monthly Battery Testing

A 6 monthly battery test is another key area of maintenance. The easiest and safest way is by taking your golf cart to one of our InGolf & Utility locations and letting the professionals handle it.

If however you like to do it yourself, you can always grab a Hydrometer. A hydrometer tests the state of charge for each battery cell. The hydrometer will measure the density of the electrolyte by way of its gravity. The higher the specific gravity the denser the electrolyte is, which results in a higher state of charge for the battery.

 

Can you overcharge your golf cart batteries?

 

The simple answer here is yes, you can definitely overcharge your battery. The problem here is that overcharging your golf cart batteries may damage them. The solution is to use an automatic charger which will turn itself off when the battery is fully charged, which may not be an option on some earlier models but the new models all have this feature. If you end up using the manual charger, you need to remember to turn it off when you hit full charge.  Set an alarm on your phone and come back and check.

For the best results follows these few rules on charging and you can save years of life on your battery:

 

1. Charge your Battery everyday you use your cart.
2. Do not drive your cart til the battery dies, this will eat into the life of your battery.
3. Do not overcharge.

 

How far can you go on a full charge on a golf cart?

 

There are many different types of batteries out there so saying how far you can go on one charge is tough.  But for your standard battery, you should be able to get 40-60kms from one charge.

 

Golf Carts have about 450-500kgs hauling capacity and will last for 15 to 25 years, depending on the quality of maintenance.

 

How much does it cost to replace electric golf cart batteries?

 

Batteries last about five to six years depending on how well they are cared for. Replacement batteries can cost up to $600. Batteries that are not properly cared for need to be replaced as often as two to three years.

 

Do you add water before or after charging battery?

 

Water is lost during charging. Therefore, the best time to water your batteries is always at the end of the charge cycle. However, if the electrolyte level is extremely low or the plates are exposed to air, add some water to cover the plates before starting the charge cycle.