Electric Golf Cart Battery Maintenance

Anyone who with an electric golf cart often find themselves driving their vehicles in places other than golf courses. When you depend so much on one machine, you should make sure to take proper care of it. Luckily, with an electric golf cart, all you really need to do is maintain its battery. At Dever Golf Car Sales, we want to help you increase the lifespan of your battery so we’ve compiled some maintenance steps you can follow. 

If you’d like to learn more or if you’re looking for golf carts for sale in Lexington and Louisville, KY, drop by one of our dealerships today!

Remember: before you start working on your electric golf cart battery, you need to put on protective gear, including gloves and goggles. If you’ve got a newer model, it probably has a ‘Tow/Maintenance’ switch that should be turned off before you get to work.

Charge Properly

Some people make the mistake of driving their new electric golf cart around until the battery dies on them. You should charge your new buggy before you use it and see how quickly the battery drains when you use it. This gives you an estimate of battery life to which you can compare later performance. Make sure you always charge your battery before it drains completely. You shouldn’t see a flashing battery indicator often.

Clean Battery Acid

When you charge an electric golf cart battery, it releases hydrogen gas, water and acid which settle on the components. If you don’t clean this, it’ll corrode whatever it settled on. Before you begin, shut all vent caps and cover all electric parts. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda into a cup of hot water and use an old toothbrush to apply it to the terminals. Once the corrosion is removed, wash off the baking soda by spraying it with cool water. Wipe down the battery properly.

Add Water

To produce electricity, electric golf cart batteries need electrolytes and water. If the battery is filled with too much water, the electrolytes will overflow. To stop the process before it can overflow, use a watering gun. When there isn’t enough water, the lead plates are damaged due to sulfation. The best time to fill water is when the battery has been changed as that increases the level of electrolytes. Always use distilled water for your battery.

Testing Battery

To ensure that the electric golf cart battery stays in good working condition, you should check it from time to time. A hydrometer will let you test each battery cell by measuring the density of the electrolytes as compared to the weight. A higher specific weight means that there’s a higher state of charge and a denser presence of electrolytes. As the battery is put to use, it discharges, which causes the electrolytes’ weight to decrease.

Use a Battery Gauge

A battery gauge is used to monitor the battery’s depth of discharge and it should be used every time you perform routine maintenance on your electric golf cart. The battery gauge will measure the depth of the discharge so you can recharge the battery on time before it drains completely. If you have older batteries, these gauges may not give you the most accurate readings. To get a more accurate result, you'll have to use a battery load tester.

Replace the Battery

If you have to replace your electric golf cart batteries, you should replace them all at the same time. This increases the lifespan of your new batteries. When you charge old and new batteries together, the old ones charge slower, causing the new ones to overcharge. If your electric golf cart starts suffering from repeated performance issues, it’s probably a sign you need to replace the battery.

We hope these tips help you keep your electric golf cart running smoothly. If you’d like professional service or if you’re still looking for a golf cart to call your own, come on down to Dever Golf Car Sales in in Lexington and Louisville, KY.