If you think shanking your pitching wedge into the sand bunker is bad, imagine being stuck on hole 13 with a dead golf cart battery. Your golf game is just starting to come together, you press on the gas pedal, and nothing happens…Like golf games, your golf cart is going to benefit from attention and care. In this article, we breakdown 5 tips to maintaining your golf cart batteries, and important things you can do to keep your golf cart running optimally, that way you can spend more time on your golf game.
Choosing The Right Battery Charger
Choosing the right battery for your golf cart is crucial to keeping your battery running smoothly. The first thing you’ll want in a battery charger, is to make sure that the charger has an automatic cut-off when the battery is fully charged.
Overcharged batteries can cause just as many problems as undercharged batteries. If you purchased a battery charger from one of the major golf cart manufacturers, chances are, you already have a high quality charger.
Auto shut-off batteries are great for the daily golf cart user. The golf cart can be put on the charger, even if you haven’t discharged the battery all the way. This way, anytime you need your cart, you know you’ll be fully charged, and you don’t have to worry about overcharging the battery.
Cleaning Your Batteries
Batteries need loving too. It’s always smart to keep your battery clean, and the best way to do this, is by cleaning your terminals at least once a month.
The best way to clean battery terminals is to use water, baking soda, and a small wire brush. This can help to keep corrosion from building up. Remember to use eye protection, since the battery acid is toxic, you won’t want that getting in your eyes.
It’s also smart to spray your terminals with a non-corrosive product. This can help prevent corrosion, and also help to keep rust and gunk off of those very important connections.
Keep Driving Distances Down
Like most vehicles, the more you drive it, the more power or gas is getting used. If you don’t hit the ball tee to green every time, then your golf cart is going to get a lot more use. Believe it or not, a golf cart can use quite a bit of juice for 18 holes of golf.
If you use your golf cart for golfing, then we recommend buying an auto shut-off charger, and leaving it on the charger anywhere between 8 to 10 hours to ensure a full charge.
If the golf cart is for leisure riding in your neighborhood, then charging it every night with a high quality charger should do just fine.
Watering The Batteries
After your round of golf, chances are, the battery is going to need a drink just as much as you. No, we’re not talking about whiskey, we’re talking about distilled water.
Batteries love distilled water, and if your batteries need water, you’ll want to make sure that you have at least ¼ inch of water above the plates.
It’s very important that you don’t overfill the batteries. Overfilling can cause more acid to build up on the battery top, so try to keep it as close to ¼ inch as possible. If your batteries are bone dry, then they may not properly run, or run at all.
Using Your Golf Cart
Your golf cart wants to do exactly what it was built for, riding around! Your batteries are going to run better when you use them regularly. Charging after use is also a great way to keep your battery running optimally.
Watering should be done every 45 to 60 days, and if you live in a warm climate, this may be even more frequent. Batteries don’t enjoy being left out in the heat. Battery cells can fail in extreme heat, so without proper care, you could find yourself buying a new battery.
Also, remember to regularly check your connection cables, making sure that all connections are tight.
Above all, have fun! If you have an awesome custom golf cart in your garage, give that vehicle attention. It wants to be driven, and will ultimately last longer with regular use.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining your batteries is the most important thing you can do for your custom golf cart. The batteries are what power the vehicle, so keeping those healthy is crucial.
In this article we helped you identify some of the most important things you can do to maintain healthy battery life for your golf cart. You learned that the battery charger can play a big role in how long your battery will last.
We also explained how driving distances, and battery watering can affect how long your batteries last. Above all, you learned that using and charging your golf cart regularly can also have an affect on how well the vehicle runs.
We understand that these 5 steps won’t cut strokes off your game, but we do hope that this article has helped you to pinpoint the important things you should be doing in order to keep your golf cart running smoothly for years to come.
If you have any questions regarding battery maintenance, or have any information to add, please leave us a comment below. Thanks for reading!
