Golf carts are used in a variety of different applications, from providing transportation in a gated community to monitoring security on college campuses. Regardless of its purpose, every cart has the same power needs. You don’t want your cart to end up with lackluster power at the beginning of the day. Take a few tips from the pros by learning about the latest golf cart battery charging tips. They can last long with clever care.
1. Know About Proper Charging Techniques
For the golf cart that’s always on the go, select a three-phase charger. These products are designed for charging your golf cart batteries. Battery University advises that you should avoid these charger types, such as:
- Rapid
- Fast
Follow the professionals’ golf cart battery tips by using a three-phase charger with these defined steps, including:
- Bulk charging
- Absorption period
- Float section
About 80 percent of the charger’s time is spend in bulk mode where a solid charge enters the battery. Absorption occurs during the last 20 percent of the charging time.
When a golf or car battery reaches the float mode, it merely keeps the battery’s charge at a full level.
If you tend to use the golf cart during the warmer months and store it during the winter, pick a trickle charger to make the battery last longer. These chargers connect to the battery over weeks or months at a time.
They provide enough power to the battery to keep it charged but without harming the internal components. Use trickle chargers on almost any vehicle so that they start right up when necessary.
2. Opt for Quality Products
One of the most important golf cart battery charging tips involves your purchasing power. Don’t buy a battery based on the least expensive cost. Consider the quality built into the product.
Remember that this battery must power an electric motor to get you anywhere in a hurry, reports How Stuff Works. Ideally, look for AGM or absorbed glass mat products. The electrolytes are trapped in a mat configuration, which means that liquid cannot spill from the battery.
Set the tops of the batteries in any orientation with an AGM product. This versatility is perfect for the wide variety of golf carts in the world today. Using golf cart battery water for other products is still reliable, but it doesn’t have the same flexibility as the AGM products.
Don’t forget that vibration is always an issue for golf carts. A good tip involves selection of a vibration-resistant product. The internal parts can take on the road’s challenges without a short lifespan.
By purchasing a quality product and sticking with a professional’s battery maintenance tip, these cart batteries might last for a decade.
3. Keep up a Strict Maintenance Schedule
Start out with an inspection of the golf cart battery water. Grab a jug of distilled water, and top off the battery’s reservoir. Most batteries have a line to indicate the proper level. Always avoid overfilling or neglecting the reservoir. The water protects the internal components from degrading.
Whether you drove the cart for one hour or all day long, put the vehicle on a charger each night. This strategy ensures that the battery will be ready in the morning, and it’s not dropping below 70 percent of its reserve capacity. A long-lasting battery shouldn’t be discharged to the lowest levels every day. That process puts excessive wear on the internal plates.
Be a fan of lubricants, such as petroleum jelly. Cover the terminals with this product while adding electrical tape to any exposed wires. All of these maintenance tasks will prevent corrosion, which is one of the most common reasons why a battery declines over time. Regular maintenance fights off that telltale, white residue.