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Golf Cart Battery Maintenance Tips

Written by Crown Battery | Sep 25, 2015 12:00:00 PM

How often do you replace golf cart batteries? Extending the life of a golf cart battery is an effective way to improve the golf cart's performance and protect the battery investment. Crown Battery golf cart batteries are easy to maintain, however they require regular monitoring. With these tips, you can ensure that you get the best performance out of your battery and increase the lifespan.

Be sure to follow proper safety precautions when performing any battery maintenance. Battery electrolyte, hydrogen gas, and electricity can all be extremely dangerous so be sure to exercise extreme caution.

Charging Guidelines

Original equipment systems usually include an automatic charging system for battery charging. To maximize battery life and performance, batteries should be charged as outlined in the operating instructions included with the charging equipment. A battery should always be recharged immediately following a complete discharge period. Be sure to turn the charger off before connecting it to the battery, which could cause sparking. It is also important that a battery be allowed to warm to room temperature before charging, never charge a cold or frozen battery.  

Watering Maintenance

When providing watering service it is important to only use distilled or de-mineralized water. Prior to charging make sure that the fluid levels are covering the top of the plates. Never charge batteries if the battery plates are found to be uncovered. After a battery has completed charging, top off the fluid to ensure that the plates are still submerged in electrolyte and that the fluid is no higher than the battery cover vent well, this can cause overwatering.

Overwatering dilutes the battery's electrolyte levels and leads to diminished performance.  If you have a battery with a PROeye indicator, check if the indicator has turned from green to either white or clear, which means it needs to be watered with distilled or de-mineralized water.

Preventative Maintenance

To extend the life of your golf cart battery, you will want to engage in preventative maintenance. There are a few ways to ensure your battery stays in its best possible condition which include:

  • keeping battery covers and terminals clean, dry, and free of corrosion
  • clean battery terminals with biodegradable cleaning solutions that can be safely disposed of
  • inspect all battery connections (e.g., cable-to-terminal) and make sure they are tight and uncorroded with no exposed wires
  • inspect the battery's specific gravity and open circuit voltage regularly using testing equipment

Battery Troubleshooting

Even with proper maintenance, it is possible that you will run into some issues with your battery over the course of its life. If your battery is not performing to its full capacity ensure that there are no visible issues, such as defective connectors or low electrolyte levels. Be sure that the battery is charged properly and that the ambient temperature is not too cold for proper battery operation. You can always contact customer support at Crown Battery for more troubleshooting tips.

Battery maintenance does not have to consume a lot of time. With a little bit of practice and the right batteries on your side, a golf cart batteries can last for many years with few performance issues.