Electric Golf Cart─Battery Maintenance

If you own an electric golf cart, we bet you love to drive it around places other than your local golf course. There’s a lot to love about these zippy vehicles, but if you don’t take care of its battery, your cart won’t last too long. If you want your electric buggy’s battery to last longer, there are some steps you need to take.

To help you keep your electric golf cart battery in proper working condition for a long time, we at Van WertCarts have compiled this informative guide. If you face problems you can’t fix, contact our service department so our trained technicians can whip it into shape for you. We’re here for the golf cart maintenance needs of our friends from Decatur and Fort Wayne, IN.  

Note: Before you get down to maintaining your electric golf cart battery, ensure you’re wearing protective clothing, including gloves and goggles. If you’ve got a newer model, it’ll have a ‘Tow/Maintenance’ switch that you should turn off before you get to work.

Charge Properly

When you purchase a new electric golf cart, don’t ride it around until the battery dies.Charge your new buggy before you use it and see how long it takes for the battery to drain. This will give you an idea of the battery life, to which you can compare later performance. Always charge your battery before it drains completely. A flashing battery charge indicator isn’t something you should see often. 

Cleaning Battery Acid

When you charge an electric golf cart battery, it releases hydrogen gas, water and acid that settles on other components. If you don’t clean this discharge, it’ll lead to corrosion of these parts. 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. Wash off the baking soda once the corrosion is removed by spraying it with cool water and wiping the battery until it’s clean.

Adding Water

To produce electricity to move the golf cart, the battery requires electrolytes and water. If you fill too much water, the electrolytes will overflow, so use a watering gun to fill the water and stop before it can overflow. If there’s too little water, the lead plates will get damaged due to sulfation. It’s best to fill the water when the battery has been charged as that increases the electrolytes level. Always use distilled water for your battery.

Testing Battery

Ideally, you should check the battery regularly to make sure it’s in good working condition. Use a hydrometer to test each battery cell. A hydrometer will measure the electrolytes’ density compared to the weight. A higher specific weight means that there’s a higher state of charge and a denser presence of electrolytes. When you use the battery, it discharges which in turn decreases the weight of the electrolytes. 

Using A Battery Gauge

It should be part of your electric golf cart maintenance to use  a battery gauge to monitor the battery’s depth of discharge. The gauge will measure the depth of discharge so you can recharge the battery on time, before it completely drains. You won’t get a highly accurate reading if your batteries are old; to get a more accurate result, use a battery load tester.

Battery Replacement

If you think you should replace a battery in your electric golf cart, you should probably replace them all at once. This helps your new batteries last longer. When new and old batteries are charged at the same time, the old ones charge more slowly, causing the new ones to overcharge, which reduces their lifespan. If your buggy has been experiencing repeated performance issues, it may be time to replace the battery. 

By following these steps, you can increase the lifespan of your battery. If you need professional service for your electric golf cart, contact Van Wert Carts and let our experts tackle the problem for you. We’re also here to fix the electric golf cart maintenance issues of our patrons from Decatur and Fort Wayne, IN.