Proper Battery Care is an Essential Part of Golf Cart Maintenance

To keep your golf cart running smoothly and minimize costly repairs, it’s important to perform regular preventive maintenance. For electric carts, that includes properly caring for the batteries. A properly maintained, high-quality battery should last four or five years with normal use. If you try to save a few dollars and buy inexpensive batteries, it will end up costing more in the long run when you have to replace them prematurely.

Be sure to wear safety glasses and heavy rubber gloves when checking battery fluid levels or adding water. Battery acid is corrosive. The batteries in a golf cart pack a lot of voltage. Enough to weld metal. So, always remove jewelry such as watches and rings. You don’t want them to come in contact with the terminals.

Unless you have sealed batteries, you should regularly check the electrolyte water levels in each cell of each battery to ensure the leaded plates are covered. People often ask if they need to add acid to golf car batteries. Under normal operating conditions, you never need to add acid. A properly operating battery will only need water added periodically.

Not only can dry cells shorten battery life, but they also can be a fire hazard. Use only distilled water to refill, and don’t fill the cell all the way up — add just enough water to cover the plates. If corrosion is present, you can use baking soda or cola to clean the terminals.

Dirt, dust, and grass also can interfere with the battery connections. That’s why we recommend cleaning the top and sides of the battery when you wash your golf cart. It helps with the vehicle’s long-term life and its day-to-day performance. Avoid getting other electrical components wet if you clean the battery compartment with a hose. This could cause a short in the system.