Golf Cart Battery Maintenance
Replacing golf cart batteries is an expensive cost to owning and operating a golf cart - almost $500. Normally you can't just replace one golf cart battery. For example you can't put in one new battery with 5 old batteries. You need to buy 6 new batteries. So the goal is to keep your used golf cart batteries around for as long as possible. There are several aspects to help keep your batteries working well and for a long time. Golf Cart Battery Wiring√ Check the golf cart battery wiring for loose wires, or frayed/broken cables.
Replace frayed cables and reconnect the new cables. A loose or bad connection will cause a burned out post. Loose connections cause heat which then melts the lead. You can coat terminals with a thin layer of petroleum jelly or battery terminal anti-corrosion gel. Battery cables can be purchased easily on line. They are specific to your make, model and year of your golf cart. Golf Cart Battery Cables and CorrosionMy son-in-law's golf cart suddenly stopped this winter while my daughter was out on the golf cart paths. The first place I checked was the golf cart battery cables - the cables and posts were so full of corrosion - it was a wonder it hadn't died sooner. Cables were melted onto the posts. Regular golf cart battery maintenance could have prevented this.√ Check the battery cables and posts for corrosion. Is there a lot of dirt or corrosion like this picture? All that white stuff is corrosion. 
I cleaned the worst battery terminals and cables with some sandpaper and a wire brush. Reconnected them and "voila" the cart started right up again.You can also clean the terminals with a solution of baking soda and water - but be sure none of the mixture gets into the batteries. You can use a battery post cleaner to kill the acid on the posts. You can spray on battery terminal cleaner to loosen the corrosion. It turns red if acid is there and turns yellow once the acid or corrosion is neutralized. Once it is neutralized just wipe it off with a rag. Depending on the use, it's a good idea to check your battery terminals monthly for corrosion and to tighten the lugs. √ Check the water in the battery. If the water is low add distilled water. Tap water can shorten the life of your batteries. The plates inside the battery should be covered with water, but be careful not to overfill it. √ Check for leaks or cracks in the battery container. Do you see any acid leaks? If you see any around the edge of the battery you need to buy new batteries. Charging a leaking battery can be dangerous. √ Have your batteries sat unused for several months. The worst thing you can do to your golf cart batteries is to allow them to sit in a less then fully charged state for a few months. Charging Deep Cycle BatteryCharging a deep cycle battery properly is also part of proper golf cart battery maintenance. Charging correctly will also help to increase the life of your electric golf cart batteries.There are just a few principles to learn, like do NOT let it completely discharge - meaning - don't let it completely run out of juice. It is possible to run the batteries down so far, that they won't even take a charge. When you see the battery charge indicator light flashing because you're almost out of power - this is NOT a good thing. To find out other ways of charging deep cycle batteries that will extend the life of your batteries click here: Charging Deep Cycle Batteries Watering Electric Golf Cart BatteriesOver or underwatering electric golf cart batteries can damage your batteries and shorten the life of your deep cycle batteries.Learn how to check your water levels, how frequently to check them and what water to use by clicking here: Watering Electric Golf Cart Batteries Golf Cart Battery HydrometerBattery hydrometers measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte solution in your golf cart batteries.The higher the specific gravity the higher the state of the charge of the batteries. To watch a video of me testing my electric golf cart batteries with a hydrometer click here: Battery Hydrometers Electric Golf Cart Battery GuideThe best written manual on maintaining your electric golf cart batteries is written by Ken MacKenzie.Go from Golf Cart Battery Maintenance to Golf Cart Batteries
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