View Single Post
Old 06-24-2007, 01:01 PM   #1
roady89
nimda
Club Car
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 13,022
Default Everything to do with batteries!

Golf Cart Battery maintenance



Watering your golf cart batteries


Only add distilled water AFTER fully charging. The only time you should add water before charging is if the lead plates are exposed. Only then fill just above the lead plates.

It is important that all battery cells be filled properly to obtain good battery life. The water should completely cover the plates inside the battery, but should be about a quarter inch below the bottom of the fill tube.*Using a battery fill bottle will eliminate the quess work. Again, always use distilled water.

Use only distilled, deionized or demineralized water to replace the lost water in batteries. Using tap water from homes or buisnesses can produce calcium or magnesium sulfate crystals that can fill the pores and coat the plates therfore reducing battery life


Charging your batteries


Charge the batteries daily after each use. If you play golf; charge between rounds if possible.

Before you plug in the golf cart battery charger, inspect all battery cables for frays or corrosion and make sure the terminals are clean and tight.


Cleaning your batteries


Always neutralize the battery acid first before rinsing of with water. You can use a mixture of baking soda and water or get some battery acid cleaner from an auto parts store. Cleaning your batteries once a month is a good practice. If you minimize corrosion to the electrical system battery life can be increased and properly maintained batteries can last as long as 5 years.

Let the cleaner set for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse off with clean water. Be careful not to spray water directly into electrical components like your speed controller.

After rinsing if there is still deposits of battery acid spray again with the baking soda solution or cleaner and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before rinsing; repeat if required.

These deposits on the batteries must be removed because they can cause your golf cart batteries to self discharge. If there is still evidence of corrosion get some protective gloves and a stiff bristle brush and scrub the deposits off. Dirt and debris can build up quicker on lifted golf carts because they are typically used off road.

These basic cleaning tips also work on gas golf cart batteries
roady89 is offline