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how many amps to charge a golf car battery

by Colt Wehner Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The ammeter on a 36-volt charger should show at least 15+ amps when the charger is plugged into the golf car, even if the batteries have not been used for a short while. A 15+ amp reading shows that the charger is actually charging, not just humming (humming is NOT an indication that the charger actually works).

Full Answer

What voltage do you charge a golf cart battery at?

While some of plugs are exclusively for either 36 volts or 48 volts carts, others will work with both voltages. The optimum battery charging voltage depends on the type of batteries that you use in your golf cart. A typical wet-cell lead-acid battery should be charged to about 14+ volts.

How many amps should I charge my car battery?

It is safest to keep your charging amps at 10% or less of the total amp hours of your battery to not damage your battery or harm yourself in the process. For most vehicle batteries that will be anywhere from two amps up to about 7.5 amps. A 10-amp charger is really is as high as you should go.

What is amperage in an electric golf car?

It determines how far you can travel before having to fill up the tank. Well, Amperage in a golf cart is like the gas tank in your car. It will determine how far you can travel on a single charge in an electric Golf Car. The more amperage in a battery pack, the further you can drive before having to charge.

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How many amps should you charge a golf cart battery?

Any 36-volt battery charger should initially start by providing at least 15+ amps to the batteries. The amps may drop down very quickly if the batteries are fully charged but the ammeter should show at least 15 amps to start off.

How many amps should I charge my car battery to?

It is best to slow charge the battery. Slow charging rates vary depending on the battery's type and capacity. However, when charging an automotive battery, 10 amps or less is considered a slow charge, while 20 amps or above is generally considered a fast charge.

How many amps does it take to run a golf cart?

On average, electric golf motors operate at 36 or 48 volts and draw between 50-70 amps of current while cruising at about 15 miles per hour. Keep in mind that the current draw during acceleration or while going up a hill is much higher.

What is the best way to charge golf cart batteries?

6:057:14How to Charge Dead Golf Cart Batteries Manually - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo charge each individual battery for a half-hour. And then plug. In your old charger your regularMoreSo charge each individual battery for a half-hour. And then plug. In your old charger your regular golf car charger. And if it clicks on and starts to register voltage.

How many amps are needed to charge a 12v battery?

Most battery manufacturers recommend sizing the charger at about 25% of the battery capacity (ah = amp hour capacity). Thus, a 100 ah 12 volt battery would take about a 25 amp 12 volt charger (or less).

Is it better to charge a car battery at 2 amps or 6 amps?

For faster charging, get a higher amperage charger. If you need a charge in a hurry, it makes sense to increase the amperage. Going above 12 amps can be risky if done for an extended time. Charging for too long puts the battery at risk of exploding. To avoid this, only use chargers above 12 amps for an hour at a time.

How many amps is a 12 volt golf cart battery?

The Five Most Common Golf Cart Battery PacksBattery System TypeVoltageAmps (Estimated)4-12 Volts48 Volts6006-8 Volts48 Volts1,0208-6 Volts48 Volts1,8006-12 Volts72 Volts9001 more row•Nov 3, 2020

Does AMP matter in golf cart charger?

Well, Amperage in a golf cart is like the gas tank in your car. It will determine how far you can travel on a single charge in an electric Golf Car. The more amperage in a battery pack, the further you can drive before having to charge.

Can I charge my golf cart with a regular battery charger?

Golf carts usually come with their own charger, however a car charger can also be used to charge a golf cart. The trick is matching the voltage of the charger to the voltage of the batteries.

How many amps should my golf cart charger show?

The ammeter on a 36-volt charger should show at least 15+ amps when the charger is plugged into the golf car, even if the batteries have not been used for a short while. A 15+ amp reading shows that the charger is actually charging, not just humming (humming is NOT an indication that the charger actually works).

How long should it take to charge golf cart batteries?

Charge your batteries for 8 to 10 hours with the proper style of golf cart battery charger. The best practice is to charge overnight after you are done using your cart for the day. Even if you only used the cart for 5 minutes, you'll want to give the golf cart batteries a good charge.

Can you use a trickle charger on golf cart batteries?

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.

How to choose a golf cart battery charger?

How to Choose the Best golf Cart Battery Charger. You must choose a battery charger according to the voltage of your cart to prevent the possibility of damage to your batteries. Check the charging receptacle of your golf cart and select your charger accordingly.

How Long Does it Take to Charge a Golf Cart Battery?

A new golf cart battery that is fully discharged will take 2-4 hours to completely charge. On the other hand, a 5 year old battery may take up to 10 hours to fully charge.

How to turn off golf cart battery?

Turn the ignition key of the golf cart to the OFF position. Although there is no battery draw when the key is left on, doing this is considered to be a safe practice.

How many volts does a golf cart charger have?

There are about 8 different types of charger plugs that you can find across various golf cart models. While some of plugs are exclusively for either 36 volts or 48 volts carts, others will work with both voltages.

What is the power of a golf cart generator?

The generator can charge the batteries that supply the power to an electric motor responsible for moving the cart. The 48 volts system in a golf cart usually features an onboard computer (OBC) that controls the battery pack charging process and restricts the charging when the cart is moving.

How to keep golf cart from accumulating?

Keep the golf cart where there is good ventilation to prevent gases from accumulating during the charging process.

Why does my golf cart go into tow mode?

Your golf cart usually runs in tow mode when it does not have enough power to get moving on its own. One reason may be that the batteries are old and do not have the same power as new ones. If this happens with new batteries, the most likely reason is that they don’t have enough charge.

How many volts are in a golf cart battery?

Now that we understand the differences between Amperage and Voltage, we can begin to break this down so we can locate the differences between various battery packs. For standard golf carts, we will typically see a Six Eight Volt Battery System. This can be visually determined by locating six batteries with 8 cells per battery. A cell is distinguished by a battery cap that is used for watering the batteries. With batteries used in Golf Carts, each cell will represent 2 Volts. Let’s take a look at the 5 most common battery packs we see in the market:

Why is it important to know the difference between golf cart batteries?

The reason understanding their differences is so important is due to the large expense of replacement batteries. By knowing their differences ahead of time, you will be able to decipher which battery pack is suitable for you when making your golf cart purchase.

How does amperage affect golf carts?

It determines how far you can travel before having to fill up the tank. Well, Amperage in a golf cart is like the gas tank in your car. It will determine how far you can travel on a single charge in an electric Golf Car. The more amperage in a battery pack, the further you can drive before having to charge. Click here to learn how ...

What is the relationship between horsepower and MPG?

To get a better idea of what amperage is like in a car, let us discuss the relationship between Horsepower and MPG. Horsepower within a car determines the acceleration and power of your car . If there is no fuel in the car though, then the vehicle is not going to go anywhere. That is the importance of MPG and also how big your gas tank is in your ...

Is voltage in a golf cart battery similar to horsepower?

Therefore, Voltage in a battery pack inside of an electric vehicle has to do with power. It does not have to do with fuel. Therefore, voltage in a battery pack within a golf cart will be comparable to the horsepower in a car.

Where is my User’s Manual for my golf cart battery charger?

Our manufacturer does not provide owner’s manuals. Here are the links to the Lester charger manuals (they are also linked to on our product pages):

How long does it take to charge a golf cart?

It depends on three factors, 1) the quality of your batteries, 2) how discharged your batteries are and 3) the quality of your charger. If you have 5 year old batteries that are very discharged and you have a lightweight 2-5 amp charger, it may take a very long time (10 hours or more). If you have brand new batteries, they are 20-30% discharged and you've got a heavy-duty charger, it can be pretty quick (1-3 hours). Again, it depends on all of the above factors, so it really could vary quite a bit.

How Do I Troubleshoot My Golf Cart Battery Charger if It Isn't Working?

Just so you know, this situation happens EVERYDAY. The first question we always ask is, how long has it been since you've charged your batteries? We ask this because often times if it has been a while (a couple weeks or more), or if you just got brand new batteries, or if your batteries have been really run down recently, it is possible that the batteries may not have enough voltage in them for the charger to start working. An automatic golf cart battery charger needs a minimal amount of voltage in the golf cart battery to even start working. They need somewhere in the range of 20-35 volts in the batteries to allow the chargers to know that they are connected up to batteries and to kick on.

What are some symptoms of a bad golf cart battery charger vs. bad batteries?

Bad Batteries: IN GENERAL, if the charger doesn't kick on or show any signs of life when you plug it into your cart, this is most likely a battery/connection issue. Learn more about the signs of a bad golf cart battery.

Will the golf cart charger automatically stop charging once the batteries are fully charged?

Yes. All automatic chargers are designed to charge your batteries until they are fully charged and then stop charging. So you do not need to manually shut off the charger or worry about overcharging your batteries. All Lester chargers are made with a number of internal safety mechanisms that ensure that they will never overcharge batteries.

What if I charge my batteries until my battery charger stops charging, but my golf cart won’t drive very far?

You probably need to test your batteries and likely will need to get new golf cart batteries.

Should I charge the golf cart after each use?

Yes. It is healthy for the batteries to be fully charged at all times. So, you should charge your golf cart every night. Automatic golf cart chargers will shut off once the batteries are fully charged, so there isn't a concern that they will be over charged.

How much are batteries for a golf cart?

Pricing varies from pack to pack. The general consensus for golf cart battery replacement ranges from $600 on the low end to $1600 on the high end. If you are buying batteries in the lower end of the price range, then they are most likely cheap golf cart batteries that will not last as long (you really do get what you pay for when it comes to batteries). Some packs cost as much as $2500 when you start dealing with 72 Volt systems and sealed for lithium batteries. But, for the typical lead acid battery pack, $900 to $1500 is about the norm. This price range is assuming you are working with a local golf cart dealer.

How powerful is a golf cart battery?

Let’s take a close look at Voltage in a battery pack. For comparison, we like to take a look at cars since we are familiar with horsepower and miles per gallon (MPG). Therefore, voltage in a battery pack inside of an electric golf cart has to do with power. It does not have to do with fuel. Therefore, voltage in a battery pack within a golf cart will be comparable to the horsepower in a car. With this knowledge in place, we can determine a 72 volt system can be more powerful than a 48 volt system, and a 48 volt system can be more powerful than a 36 volt system. If you took notice, we said that it “can” be more powerful. The reason for this is due large in part to the controller inside the vehicle. A controller determines how much amperage is delivered from the batteries to the controller.

How to know when golf cart batteries are dying?

When your batteries are starting to die, there will be a few signs to look out for. If you have been taking care of your batteries as we have taught you , then you should be happy with the years of use you have gotten from them.

How to tell 12 volt golf cart battery?

A 12 volt battery can be identified by seeing batteries with 6 cell caps on top of the battery indicating 2 volts per cell. A single 12 volt golf cart battery will have the least amperage capacity and is commonly used in 72 volt battery systems which are not terribly common among golf carts. EZGO golf cart batteries are known to be use 4-12 volt battery systems in some of their golf cart models.

How to tell if a golf cart battery is 6 volts?

A 6 volt golf cart battery can be identified by seeing batteries with 3 cell caps on top of the battery indicating 2 volts per cell. Generally speaking, a single 6 volt battery will have the highest amperage capacity and will allow for the greatest range in an 8-6 volt battery system.

Why are golf cart batteries so expensive?

Simply put, Golf Cart Batteries are expensive because you aren’t visiting the gas station every week. When you purchase them, you are essentially pre-paying for fuel. Yes, you still have to charge the vehicle, however the electricity cost usually breaks down to pennies per mile. In some studies, it was shown a golf cart costs less than $.02 per mile to operate in terms of electricity cost. Buying higher quality batteries versus cheaper ones will be better in the long run and will actually cost you less since you are replacing them less frequently.

What to do when buying an electric golf cart?

If you are in the market to purchase an electric golf cart, then the simplest thing to do first and foremost is considering the age of your golf cart batteries. This is important due to many consumers being misled as to the age of the batteries in the cart they are purchasing. At times, a consumer will be told by a private party or dealer ...

How Many Amps do I need to Charge a 12v Battery?

It is safest to keep your charging amps at 10% or less of the total amp hours of your battery to not damage your battery or harm yourself in the process.

What happens if you hook up a 100 amp battery to a 50 amp charger?

If you had that same one hundred amp hour battery and hooked it up to a 50 amp charger, the amperage would exceed the battery’s ability to convert electrical energy into stored chemical energy. When this happens the battery has to do something with the excess electricity that cannot be converted.

Can you Overcharge a Battery at 2 Amps?

Assuming your car battery is low enough that you feel it necessary to hook up an actual battery charger, charging at 2 amps can take quite a while just to reach a full charge, let alone overcharge it.

Do I need to Disconnect My Car Battery before Charging It?

Disconnecting your car battery before charging it is not necessary as long as you are using a microprocessor-controlled smart charger. These chargers are sophisticated enough to not cause any damage to your vehicle’s electronics.

What is the best charger for a 100 amp battery?

Most vehicle batteries will fall between 50 and 70 amp-hours, so a 5 to 7.5 amp charger would be ideal.

Why won't my charger charge?

This is due to your battery’s voltage being too low for your charger to recognize it.

How many amps does a Ford Escape battery have?

As you can see, my Ford Escape battery has 590 Cold Cranking Amps.

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