How often should I charge my golf cart battery?
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.
Can I leave my golf cart plugged in all the time?
No, it’s not recommended that you leave your golf cart plugged in all the time. Although automatic chargers are designed to prevent over-charging, there is still the risk of the circuit breaker tripping, which would result in damage to your battery’s cells.
How many amps does it take to charge a golf cart?
With that said, for a 48 volt golf cart, 13 amps has been found to be the right balance between charging speed and long-term battery stress. For a 36 volt battery charger, 21 amps is standard. You'll want to avoid purchasing a charger with low amperage (2-5 amps) as it will take forever to charge your batteries.
Can I leave the charger plugged in all the time?
You can leave the charger plugged in even when you're gone for long periods of time (months), and your batteries will not die because they'll get a charge from time to time to keep the volts up.
How often should you plug in your electric golf cart?
Still, golf cart batteries should be recharged after four hours of use. Nobody likes to be stranded. It takes several hours to re-charge golf cart batteries that have gone completely dead. To lengthen the lifespan of batteries, make sure they are fully charged before each use.
How often do I need to charge my golf cart?
4) To keep your golf car batteries at maximum capacity, use golf cart batteries often. Always remember to do a refresh charge every 45 to 60 days, and even more frequently in hotter climates.
Should I plug my golf cart in after every use?
Should golf cart batteries be charged after every use? Yes. Charging your golf cart batteries after every use – even if you've only spent five minutes driving – is crucial for maximising their lifespan. Leaving batteries in a prolonged state of low charge can decrease their capacity over time and wear them out quicker.
How often should I charge my EZ Go golf cart?
If possible, charge your batteries every day that you use an electric golf cart. Do not drive the vehicle until the battery dies; lead-acid batteries won't last as long if you completely discharge them.
Can I leave my golf cart plugged in?
No, it's not recommended that you leave your golf cart plugged in all the time. Although automatic chargers are designed to prevent over-charging, there is still the risk of the circuit breaker tripping, which would result in damage to your battery's cells.
How long do golf cart batteries last on a charge?
Typically, an electric golf cart has between 45 and 90 minutes of full-power run time on a fully charged battery. Times depend on the age of the battery, with newer batteries having longer run times.
How much electricity does a golf cart charger use?
What is the cost of charging an electric golf cart? It will cost you $0.48 to $1.98 to fully charge your electric golf cart. The cost translates to $0.8 at its lowest to $0.33 per hour of charging, which is cost-efficient.
How do I extend the battery life on my golf cart?
Although golf cart batteries are designed to be deeply discharged and re-charged the battery life is improved if they are charged at about 50% discharge. Keep your golf cart battery in the top 50% of charge so that it takes less time to re-charge it.
What is the proper way to charge golf cart batteries?
6:037:14How to Charge Dead Golf Cart Batteries Manually - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipUse your 12 volt automotive battery charger to charge each individual battery in the case of 8 voltsMoreUse your 12 volt automotive battery charger to charge each individual battery in the case of 8 volts or 12 volts.
How long does a charge last on a 48 volt golf cart?
electric golf carts, a common question is, “How far will my electric golf cart go on a full charge?” The average range of the electric golf cart is 8-10 miles on a lead-acid battery. Lithium batteries cover up to 100 miles on a single full charge.
Can you overcharge golf cart batteries?
Overcharging your golf cart batteries may damage them. It is best to use an automatic charger that turns itself off when a battery is fully charged. Some older models lack this important feature. If you must use a manual charger, don't forget to turn it off.
How often do golf cart batteries need water?
The typical schedule is about once every 30 days, but this may vary by several days depending on your specific situation. When filling the batteries, add just enough water to bring it 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch shy of the indicator ring to prevent overfilling.
How long does a charge last on a 48 volt golf cart?
electric golf carts, a common question is, “How far will my electric golf cart go on a full charge?” The average range of the electric golf cart is 8-10 miles on a lead-acid battery. Lithium batteries cover up to 100 miles on a single full charge.
How do you know when golf cart batteries are dying?
8 Signs You Need to Replace Your Golf Cart BatteriesCharge Times Are Out of Hand. Just like any rechargeable battery, the repeated cycles of draining and charging your battery can take a toll on it. ... No “Get Up and Go” ... You See Visual Signs. ... Driving Until They Die. ... People Are Always Running The Radio.
How often do golf cart batteries need water?
The typical schedule is about once every 30 days, but this may vary by several days depending on your specific situation. When filling the batteries, add just enough water to bring it 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch shy of the indicator ring to prevent overfilling.
How long do you charge a golf cart?
A relatively-new battery – say 1-3 years old – will typically charge quicker than an older battery. For comparison, a five-year-old battery that is almost fully discharged may take 10 hours or more to charge while a newer battery with the same discharge level may only take 1-3 hours to reach full power capacity.
Confusion Among Golf Cart Owners
At present, there are three major manufacturers of golf carts: Club Car, E-Z-GO, and Yamaha, and it comes off that most of the confusion surrounding the issue at hand is their difference of instruction. It can become confusing for many when each of these three prominent golf cart companies gives opposing instructions.
Why Should You Leave a Golf Cart plugged in?
Manufacturers suggest leaving your golf cart plugged in all of the time while using an auto battery charger, as it will keep the batteries fully charged and always available. If batteries are not charged for prolonged storage, they may damage over time and deliver less capacity.
Conclusion
A crucial point to remember is that a golf cart battery is built to discharge and recharge. Retaining a persistent state of full charge is not adequate for your overall battery performance. Enabling the battery to lose its charge before plugging it up again boosts its operational stability, resulting in optimal functioning for much longer.
How to ensure electric golf cart longevity?
One other way to ensure the longevity of your electric golf cart is not to overwork its battery when out on the course. Stick to pathways and flat terrain as much as possible and don’t over-rev or work the cart as you move up and down the course’s undulation s.
Why won't my golf cart battery charge?
Putting too much or too little water in your golf cart batteries can be detrimental to the battery’s lifespan. Too much water and you can flood or overflow the acid tanks inside the battery as you charge it. Too little water and you’ll find the battery won’t charge as there is not enough water to allow the electrolysis charging process inside of the battery to take place.
Can You Overcharge An Electric Golf Cart?
You can overcharge an electric golf cart. Overcharging can damage the cells in your golf cart’s battery, reducing the battery’s longevity, making your cart more likely to lose its charge faster than if you used an automatic charger that turns itself off when the battery is full. Don’t drive a golf cart until the battery dies; lead-acid batteries won’t last as long when drained to 0.
How to prevent golf cart batteries from overcharging?
My best advice to prevent overcharging your golf cart batteries is to set a timer while you charge the battery. You will also want to ensure that you check the battery’s heat and charge at regular intervals to ensure the battery doesn’t overheat and hasn’t finished charging too soon.
How long does it take for a GPS golf cart to charge?
It also has the capability of being fully charged in approximately five hours. As it was designed for multiple golf games, the battery will take you up and down the straights of the course and help you improve your golfing game.
How many volts does a golf cart battery have?
A standard golf cart battery will have between 38 and 46 volts of power. The higher the voltage, the longer the golf cart’s battery will last, and the more power you’ll get out of that cart – that depends on the speed you’re using on the golf cart and how you use that cart over its terrain.
Why is it bad to leave a golf cart plugged in?
Leaving your cart plugged in for too long can increase electricity consumption, which will inevitably cost you more money the longer you charge your cart. So when not in use, it’s wiser to avoid overcharging your golf cart to the extent that you are overloading the battery’s voltage.
How to store golf car batteries?
Remove the batteries from the golf car and store them in a cool, dry place that stays between 0°C (32°F) and 30°C (90°F).
What happens if battery charger is disconnected?
If power to the electrical source is disconnected or interrupted the battery charger will continue to check the charge on the battery pack, this will draw power from the battery pack and eventually drain the batteries if power is not restored in a timely manner.
What is an OBC in a club car?
The Club Car’s On-Board Computer (OBC) is designed to detect low battery pack voltage and automatically start the charger to recharge the batteries.
Does Club Car have a lithium battery?
Club Car currently only offers new golf cars with either a 48V Lead Acid battery pack, or the Lithium. Historically, they offered a 36V golf car as well, as evidenced by the 1991 Club Car sitting on my lot that I just took in on trade.
Should battery chargers be plugged in during storage?
This is what the manufacturer recommends: Leave battery chargers plugged in during storage. The onboard computer will automatically activate the charger when necessary. If the battery charger is left plugged in during extended storage, the electrolyte should be checked monthly to ensure that proper level is maintained.
Do you disconnect the wiring harness from the battery?
If you have a golf car, or utility vehicle with an on-board charger, and are planning to store the vehicle for an extended period of time you should disconnect the wiring harness from the batteries.
Can you take the batteries out of a golf car?
Yamaha recommends completely removing the golf car batteries and storing them externally from the golf car.
How important is battery maintenance for golf carts?
When it comes to golf cart battery maintenance, one of the most important aspects is the manner in which you keep it charged. Batteries are complicated, and there is some legitimate information out there that suggests that keeping batteries plugged in all the time is the right thing to do.
Why does my cart charger stop working?
This basically means that the automatic turnoff function could stop working, causing the charger to send a constant flow of electricity to your battery, overcharging it and thus damaging it. Another issue that can occur when leaving your cart plugged in that the charger could lose AC power from the outlet. When this happens, the charger starts ...
Why Should You Leave It Plugged In?
However, if it sits there empty of juice for a prolonged period of time, it may negatively affect the long-term performance of the battery.
Why shouldn't you leave a charger plugged in?
Why Shouldn’t You Leave It Plugged In? When you leave a charger plugged in for prolonged periods of time, things can go wrong. For example, a common issue that people who leave their cart plugged in find that their circuit breaker keeps tripping.
What happens if a car battery charger loses AC power?
Plus, if the charger loses AC power from the outlet, it will start pulling power from your batteries , which is both counter-productive and damaging. The best thing you can do for your battery is to charge it up fully and then disconnect the charging plug from the vehicle receptacle.
Is it good to keep a battery charged?
A key point to remember is that batteries are designed to discharge and recharge. Maintaining a constant state of full charge is not good for your battery. Allowing the battery to lose charge before charging it up again supports its operational strength, keeping it performing optimally for much longer.
Is it a good idea to use an automatic charger?
And theoretically, it’s a good thing to do, provided you have an automatic charger. Non-automatic chargers would cause batteries to overcharge and damage the cells, creating long-term problems that are basically impossible to fix.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 a golf cart battery last?
Depending on the use and maintenance, your golf cart battery can last up to seven years. However, regular maintenance can make your battery serve its intended lifespan.
How to stop a cart from rolling?
Disengage the brake. Free the hand brake and ensure the cart is secured from rolling.
Can you leave a golf cart unplugged?
Caring for your golf cart battery with regular charging is a way to extend its longevity. However, experts advise not to leave your cart unplugged all the time. It is essential for golf cart batteries to undergo a charge-discharge-recharge cycle for durability.
Is it better to leave a gold cart plugged or cold?
Research has shown that heat is more detrimental to a battery than cold. Leaving your gold cart plugged always heats the cells. It is cost-saving to observe proper battery maintenance to avoid replacing your battery soon.
Can you store a battery in a dirty condition?
Ensure the batteries are clean. Never store your battery in a dirty condition before storage; this could destroy the terminals.
Should I leave my golf cart plugged in all the time?
Depending on your type of charger, some chargers indicate when the battery is fully charged. Once the battery is charged, and the charger has shut off, it is recommended to disconnect the DC power cord.
How often should you charge golf cart batteries?
Golf cart batteries should be kept fully charged at all times – this means hooking them up to a charger as soon as you are finished using the cart. Regular charging will prevent damage to the battery and give it longer-lasting life.
How many volts does a golf cart battery use?
Most modern-day golf cart batteries come in either 6, 8 or 12 volts (the voltage being the force needed to create an electrical current, indicating the strength of the battery).
Should your golf cart be turned on when charging?
No. You should turn your golf cart off when charging its batteries. Trying to charge a golf cart while it is running is a pointless exercise, as the battery will be draining while you’re trying to charge it. A golf cart should only be turned on once its batteries are fully charged.
Should golf carts be plugged in all the time?
No, you should not leave your golf cart plugged in all the time. While automatic battery chargers are designed to shut-off once at full capacity, leaving a battery connected to power for long periods leaves it susceptible to damage should the electrical circuit be overloaded.
Should golf cart batteries make noise when charging?
If your golf cart uses a standard 12 volt flooded lead acid battery, then it is quite normal to hear a bubbling sound when it’s charging. However, if your cart uses a sealed battery (such as a gel or AGM battery), then a hissing or bubbling sound may indicate damage.
How do I keep my golf cart batteries from dying or corroding?
To ensure long-lasting life for your golf cart batteries, make sure you: keep them fully charged at all times; keep the water level in your battery cells at an optimum level; and keep the terminal connections on your battery clean. Doing these three things will prevent your battery from corroding or dying.
What type of lead acid is used in golf cart batteries?
Golf cart batteries do come in different types and models – including Flooded Lead Acid; Gel Lead Acid; and AGM Lead Acid – so it’s important to seek clarification if you’re uncertain about which replacement to buy.
