Loose battery connections and dirty terminals are the main reason why your golf cart battery will get too hot. A battery that feels too hot while charging usually means that the water level is too low. Troubleshooting a Hot Golf Cart Battery
Why do my golf cart batteries feel warm?
It’s quite normal for golf cart batteries to feel a little warm while in use or during charging. This comes as no surprise as a large amount of energy is being transferred when using your golf cart.
Why is my golf cart battery charger not charging?
This must ideally be your golf cart battery pack voltage. Check if the black and white wires connected to the charger plug are hooked to the proper terminals at the other end. Check if the connectors of the charger receptacles have worn out. This is a common problem.
Why do golf cart batteries die so fast?
Low water levels are far and away the most common reason for golf cart batteries dying too fast. This problem is so common because it’s difficult to catch without performing regular checkups and maintenance on your golf. Most golf cart owners aren’t even aware that they need to regularly balance their water levels.
Why is my golf cart heating up so fast?
If the motor of your golf cart is relatively old, then there are chances of carbon dust getting accumulated on both its brushes and interior. This can lessen the motor’s efficiency, thereby causing a strain on the battery cables and heating them. Get your golf cart’s motor cleaned from time to time and keep it dust-free as far as possible.
Why does my battery get hot when charging?
Heat generation during charging is not abnormal. However, how much a charger heats up depends on: The type of charger that is being used (quick charging versus normal charging) Whether or not a protection cover is being used.
Should batteries boil when charging?
When charging amperage exceeds the level of the natural absorption rate, the battery may overheat, causing the electrolyte solution to bubble creating flammable hydrogen gas. Hydrogen gas, when combined with oxygen from the air, is highly explosive and can easily be ignited by a spark. Yes. You shouldn't boil them.
Can you overcharge batteries in a golf cart?
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 do I stop my battery from boiling?
My batteries are boiling or smelling during charge!Heat. Solution: Allow the batteries to cool after heavy use, or wait until ambient temperatures are lower before charging. ... Old/Poor condition batteries. ... Inadvertent equalization. ... Incorrect charge profile.
Should all cells bubble when charging?
If sealed batteries make a bubbling sound but remain within the safe charging ranges, then they should be able to recombine the evaporated electrolyte internally. If they are hissing, then you know you've gone too far and either need to reduce the voltage or amperage or both.
What happens if you boil batteries?
Lithium batteries generally don't like high temperatures, on the other hand, but besides the risk of bursting into flames, we had no idea that heat could kill them. When the battery's voltage is already low, though, it turns out it can.
Find A New Golf Cart Battery Charger Or Batteries
1. All Golf Cart Chargers 2. Club Car Chargers 3. EZGO Chargers 4. Yamaha Chargers 5. Buyer's Guide - Picking the Best Golf Cart Charger. 6. Golf C...
Troubleshoot An Old Golf Cart Battery Charger & Batteries
1. Why is my golf cart battery charger not working? 2. I manually charged my batteries, that did not work, now what? 3. Do I have a battery or a ch...
Golf Cart Charger Questions
1. How do I choose a replacement charger for my Powerdrive, Powerwise, etc.? 2. What's the difference between the Links & Summit charger? 3. How lo...
Golf Cart Battery Questions
1. Do I have 6v, 8v or 12v golf cart batteries? 2. Do I have a 36 volt or 48 volt golf cart? 3. How long do golf cart batteries last? 4. How can I...
Why does my golf cart battery melt?
The main reason why golf cart battery cables will melt is because of too much current passing through the jumper cable; resulting in overheating and melting. A poor contact connection or a missing ground strap between the chassis and the engine may also result in the melting of your golf cart battery cables. Alternatively, corrosion of either of ...
What happens if a golf cart battery leaks?
If you have a leaking battery, then corrosion is inevitable and it will affect the battery terminals. This will eventually seep into the posts and melt them. Check out for a battery terminal protector from your golf cart parts store. This is usually available in the form of a spray.
What causes a cable to overheat?
Excessive internal resistance. The internal resistance of the cables used to connect to the terminals may be very high, leading to overheating followed by melting. Check the resistance of the cables with the help of an ohmmeter. The resistance between both ends should ideally be zero or as negligible as possible.
What causes a battery to melt down?
A stalled motor can cause the terminals of a battery to have a meltdown. It happens when a motor receives enough power to get started but it fails to turn. This is common when the cart is over a steep incline or a curb. It may be time to charge your battery and replace the melted terminals with new ones.
Why do the bolts on my cable terminals melt?
The bolts on the terminals often melt because of excess heat and even tend to break. When this happens, the terminals are also affected. One main reason for the heat generation is a corroded connection. This corrosion increases the cable resistance and thereby the heat, which leads to melting.
What happens when two cables touch each other?
Short circuit or fused connection. Two cable ends that accidentally happen to touch each other can result in a short circuit or a fused connection. Remove the shorted cables and use new cables to reestablish the proper connection between the terminals.
How thick should a golf cart cable be?
When you replace a heated high current cable, you can consider replacing all such cables with at least 4 Gauge thickness.
What is an OBC on a club car?
When you plug the charger into your Club Car, the OBC will tell the battery charger when to start and stop charging based on the voltage levels in your batteries.
What voltage do you need for a 36V golf cart?
You must match volts to volts. A 36V cart requires a 36 volt golf cart charger. A 48V cart requires a 48 volt golf cart charger. You can burn up your batteries if you do not charge with the proper voltage.
Why is my golf cart charging red?
Occasionally a red fault light on a golf cart charger can mean that the batteries do not have enough voltage in them to allow the charger to kick on (see Charging Dead Golf Cart Batteries above).
How many volts does a golf cart battery need?
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.
Why is my golf cart battery charger not working?
Bad connections will cause any battery charger to not function properly. After you've charged up your batteries and checked every connection and you are still having issues, it's probably safe to say you've got a golf cart battery charger problem and may need to service it or buy a new one.
Why is my charger making a clicking noise?
If the charger makes a loud clicking noise, this is likely a battery charger issue.
How to keep a charger from getting hot?
But here are a few general tips to keep the charger from overheating: Make sure that your battery cable connections are correct, clean and tight.
How many volts should a wet cell battery be charged to?
A typical wet-cell lead-acid battery should be charged to about 14+ volts. Some manufacturers allow their batteries to support a maximum charging voltage of 14.3 volts. A sealed battery like a gel battery must generally not be charged beyond 14.1 volts. You may want to check whether the manufacturer offers a variation.
How to charge a deep cycle golf cart battery?
The following tips give an insight into the effective charging of a deep-cycle battery. Charge the deep-cycle battery fully between two consecutive uses of the golf cart. The battery must complete at least one full cycle before use. Check the water level periodically.
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.
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.
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.
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 long does it take for a 5 year old battery to charge?
On the other hand, a 5 year old battery may take up to 10 hours to fully charge. With a good charger, you should be able to get your cart on the move with a few hours of charging. The charging time depends on various factors and following the right steps can help you get the best out of your battery.
How many amps does a coach charger use?
That is based on the onboard wattage regulator for the outside outlets. However, the charger requires at least 15 amps.
Is the coach outlet wire too small?
The wire size on the coach outlets is probably too small to support a high amperage charger. Like you mentioned, the outlet is just an extension of the line from the coach to the supply box. Although the cable to the supply box is adequate, the coach is probably internally wired with 14 ga wire which is too light to carry the amperage.
How to clean corroded battery posts?
Undo the terminals from the battery posts and soak the corroded area in the cleaner or baking soda solution for about 5 or so minutes, then put on some gloves, grab your wire brush, and keep scrubbing until it’s all gone. Repeat as necessary, then rinse with a lot of water.
What happens if your golf cart battery fails?
Obviously, for electric golf carts, the battery is what provides power to your motor. If your batteries start to quit on you, the golf cart won’t move, or will drastically decrease in range. With a gas motor, the battery is what starts the motor and keeps it running by providing electricity to the spark plugs. Without it, your motor won’t crank.
How does a battery work?
Your battery works by having two metals, a cathode and anode, react to each other to create chemical energy that we harness as electrical energy. With wet cell lead-acid batteries, these metals are kept in a liquid electrolyte, a liquid solution comprised of pure water and hydrosulphuric acid mixed to a set specific gravity. Other types of batteries typically use a gel, mat, or solid electrolyte to perform the same function. For the purpose of this topic however, the only battery we’ll be discussing is the traditional lead-acid battery, as this is the only type of battery for which you will have to worry about electrolyte levels.
Why is my golf cart battery failing?
The most common thing that leads to early golf cart battery failure is corrosion. The problem goes deeper, too. It will ruin your cables, terminals, and even cause damage to battery trays and tie downs. Replacing a whole battery cable can be costly and difficult, so it’s best to avoid that problem.
Why is my battery puddled?
If your battery gets dirty, muddy, grimy, or anything else, make sure to clean that off too. These things can cause extra resistance in your electrical system, putting an unnecessary drain on your battery and shortening its life.
How often should you check your electrolyte level?
These two metals are usually bound to each other in a series of plates called cells. You should check your electrolyte level about every couple weeks or so.
How long do batteries last?
All joking aside, every battery is different, but most properly maintained batteries will last about 4 to 6 years depending on usage, charge cycle, and a bunch of uncontrollable variables. Lead acid batteries will require a lot of maintenance to do so, however.
How does a Lester golf cart battery charger work?
The Lester Electric Golf Cart Battery Charger you purchased is a transformer style charger that is designed to apply amperage and voltage for a length of time that replaces the energy used from last discharge. This is fairly old technology but very effective to charge your golf cart batteries. Depending on the battery chargers output (Amperage), the batteries size (Capacity), and DOD (depth of discharge), all this will determine the amount of time required to fully charge the battery bank in question. In the process as they reach maximum capacity the more electricity that is forced into the batteries the more it excites the electrolyte and gets electrons moving in the battery itself… (That is the boiling sound you hear)
Why are AGM batteries so picky?
AGM and Gel style batteries are even more picky than traditional lead acid batteries because they like more voltage and amperage to complete the same process. Hopefully this was helpful and insightful to ease your worries about your golf cart batteries and the golf cart battery charger.
Why do lead acid batteries make noise?
Make no mistake lead acid batteries will always make noise in the charge process and finishing phase because of the specific chemistry and design that make a lead acid battery. It is also an important part to insure good battery health as well.
How many cycles does it take for a lead plate to cure?
The gurgling sound is common – and okay! It takes 15-20 charging cycles to “cure” the lead plates. Add more water during this phase. The boiling sound will become quieter. There will (and should) always be a bubbling noise. This process helps the battery to charge and function. Rick – response.
Why does my golf cart smell?
Golf cart batteries may emit a burning smell due to damaged wiring or a low level of water. If batteries are lacking water, they tend to give off a smell of burning plastic due to the lack of electrolytes. This should be the first thing you check if you can smell burning. If the water level looks fine, then it could be an issue with the wiring, ...
What is the by-product of sulfur and water?
A by-product of sulfur and water is hydrogen sulfide (H₂S).
Is hydrogen sulfide flammable?
If the smell isn’t reason enough to keep well away from it, then the fact that it is pois onous, corrosive, and flammable should be. Avoid open flames and ignition sources whenever hydrogen sulfide is present in the air. Due to its moderate levels of toxicity, the gas is also not particularly good for the lungs.
Can you leave the garage door open when charging?
At home, your best bet is to simply leave the garage door open when charging, or park it outside. As long as the gas can be replaced by air from outside, it shouldn’t linger for too long. Under normal circumstances, this smell will start to taper off after the initial charging cycles.
Do lead acid batteries smell?
As unpleasant as it smells, it does not necessarily mean that your batteries are faulty. It is just a chemical process that will even itself out after a few charge cycles, after which you will no longer have to deal with the smell.
Who is Nick Lomas?
Nick Lomas is the founder of GolfSpan, an avid golfer, not quite a pro but has over 15-years of experience playing and coaching golfers from all over the world. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience then it comes to choosing the right golf gear, and finding the right set up for your game.
