You get into your car early in the morning with your child buckled in the back seat and you’re running late to get said child to school. You turn the key and nothing… nada… zilch. The battery is as dead as a Dodo. Or, you’re leaving the community pool with your family and it’s blazing hot and you get into your golf cart and turn the key and crickets.
Whether you are in a car, a golf cart, a boat, RV or motorized hang glider, no one likes a dead battery.
So let’s cover some simple, effective ways to make sure your golf cart batteries never leave you hanging.
Choose the Right Battery Charger
Making sure you have the right battery charger is very important. First, choose a charger that has an automatic cut-off when the battery is fully charged. Why? Overcharged batteries compromise the effectiveness of the battery and can and probably will cause you problems.
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.
Auto cut-off chargers are convenient. You don’t have to completely drain the battery each time and then recharge. You simply recharge after every use and never worry about not having enough juice or overcharging.
Clean Your Batteries
Batteries prefer cleanliness. Make sure your terminals are free of dirt, grease, grime, peanut butter or anything else. Use a water-baking soda mixture with a small brush. Eliminate corrosion build up and wear some eye protection so you don’t get battery acid in them.
Be Mindful of Driving Distances
If you are a golfer and using your own cart, you don’t want to run out of battery power and get stranded on the 14th hole because your golf “buddies” will laugh and make fun of you. A full round of golf, especially for high-handicap hackers, can demand a lot of battery power. Again, get one of the those handy auto shutoff chargers and let that baby charge overnight before every round.
If you are just driving the golf cart back and forth to the community pool or to your buddy’s house for some cornhole it’s not as important that you charge it each and every night but be mindful of driving distances.
Batteries Get Thirsty
You may need a drink after you shoot a 112 on the golf course but your golf cart batteries need a different type of drink -water.
Batteries need distilled water so ensure that you maintain at least ¼ inch of water above the plates. But don’t overfill the batteries because it could lead to acid build up on the top, so try to keep it as close to ¼ inch as possible. Completely dry batteries will not run effectively if they run at all.
Ride Your Cart Consistently
If you never use your cart your batteries will fail you. Make sure you get that cart rolling regularly as this will keep the batteries healthy.
Watering should be done every 45 to 60 days, and if you live in a warm climate, consider watering more frequently. Sustained exposure to golf cart batteries can destroy them.
Also, regularly check your connection cables, making sure that all connections are tight.
Batteries are the heart and soul of your vehicle and maintaining them is critical. Hopefully, we helped you identify some easy but important ways to maximize your batteries’ performance and longevity.
Read out Golf Cart Safety Guide here
