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Charging Deep Cycle Batteries

Charging deep cycle batteries correctly can improve and extend the life of your golf cart battery.

Electric Golf Cart Batteries

If you are a new golf cart owner, you simply plug the charger into your cart and 2-5 seconds later, you will hear it automatically turn on.

It is important to charge the batteries completely before you use your electric golf cart - especially when it is new.

By running the new golf cart until the battery charge is way down, you shorten the life of your new batteries.

The charger will turn off automatically when the batteries are fully charged. There is nothing to turn off. Simply unplug the charger from the cart when the charger has shut off.

You can certainly run your batteries down to 80% or so if you are using it for several rounds of golf or for a long trip on your golf cart but this may shorten the life of your batteries. Avoid deep discharging whenever possible.

Be sure to charge the batteries fully after every use.

When you have a new golf cart or a new set of batteries, they will need to be fully charged around 20-50 times before they've reached their full capacity.

Golf Cart Battery Charging

Good golf cart battery charging practices can lead to to a longer lifespan.

Charging deep cycle batteries needs to be done after every use for optimal care of your batteries. Even if you only use it for 10 minutes or 9 holes.

This is especially important for those of you who live in a golf cart community like I do - many times we use our golf cart just for a few minutes each day to go to a neighbors house or to run to a store.

The worst thing you can do to your electric golf cart batteries is to let them sit in a hot garage without ever charging them.

Avoid running your golf cart on a low charge as this can be very hard on your batteries and can shorten their life span.

A few times after 36 holes of golf, my battery charge indicator is flashing, which means, it could die at any moment. This is what you are NOT suppose to do.

Understanding Golf Cart Batteries

By understanding golf cart batteries you may save yourself some serious money. Because we live in a golf cart community and I love to play golf, our golf cart gets used (and abused) a lot.

So, I have done everything good and bad to my golf cart. The one thing I have not yet done is to run it so long and so far that the cart will no longer run. This can really shorten the life of your batteries and in fact, you risk the possibility that the batteries will not accept the recharge if it is completely discharged.

So understand that the deeper the discharge the harder it is on your batteries.

The amount of time it takes when charging deep cycle batteries depends on how much they are used and how old they are.

Tips for Charging Deep Cycle Batteries

1. Batteries need to get fully charged between uses.

2. Be sure to check the water level of your batteries frequently (more often in the summer).

The hotter the temp, the quicker the set of batteries will discharge.

The older the batteries, the more frequently you need to check your water levels. Older batteries use more water.

3. Dry batteries are the number one cause of premature failure.

If the batteries are new or fairly new use distilled water rather than tap water.

4. Water should be added after charging (unless the water is below the level of the plates).

If you fill the batteries before you charge them, you risk overfilling. During the charging process the electrolyte level will rise and may bubble out of the cap.

5. Batteries need to be kept clean and dry to prevent self discharge. Dirty batteries can cause a trickle of small current that can slowly discharge your batteries.

6. When it comes time to replace your batteries, replace all of them. Do not mix new and used batteries.

A little warning if you are finding that your golf cart batteries are not holding their charge as long or as well as they used to, it may be time to get new batteries - Ouch! They keep jumping in price and it will cost you a couple hundred dollars.

7. When you are pulling the battery charger plug from your golf cart, be sure to pull on the actual plug, not the cord.

If you repeatedly pull from the cord, which is what my wife does all the time, you can damage the wires inside the plug and pull them loose. If this happens your charge won't work.

I have found that after a few years, my batteries take a longer time to charge and don't hold a charge as long as the new batteries. The older they get, the more apt I am to check the water levels.

Golf Cart Batteries Winter Storage

After batteries have sat for a long period of time they will lose their charge. How long it will take for them to "die" depends on the age of the battery and the temperature. The worst thing you can do to your golf cart batteries is to allow them to sit in a less than fully charged state for a few months.

If they have sat all winter and have lost most of their charge, your regular charger may not detect enough voltage to activate.

If you don't use your golf cart in the winter, try to check it and fully charge it at least once a month.

Batteries sitting in higher temperatures will lose their charge quicker than those in a cooler climate. To learn more tips about winter storage click here: Golf Cart Batteries Winter Storage