As the owner of an electric golf cart, you probably take your zippy vehicle to places apart from a golf course. Electric buggies are very useful and hassle-free machines, requiring only proper battery care to maintain their performance for years. However, if you’d like the battery to last a long time, there are some steps you have to take.

At Golf Cart Depot, we want all our patrons to enjoy their carts for a long, long time and that requires proper care. That’s why we’ve created this guide on battery maintenance. If you’re looking for electric golf carts for sale in Land O' Lakes and Clearwater, Florida, contact our sales department to check out our stock!

Note: Before you begin to work on your golf cart battery, you have to make sure you’re wearing protective clothing, including sturdy boots and goggles. If you’ve got a newer model, it’ll have a ‘Tow/Maintenance’ switch that you should turn off before you get to work.

Proper Charging

After you purchase a new golf cart, don’t keep riding it until it completely runs out of juice. You should charge the new cart before you use it and make note of how quickly the battery drains. This will be the benchmark of battery life against which you can gauge later performance. Always charge your battery before it drains completely. A flashing battery charge indicator isn’t something you should see often.

Cleaning Battery Acid

When you charge an electric golf cart battery, hydrogen gas, water and acid are released into the air, which then settle on the different components. If you don’t clean this quickly, it will corrode those parts. To avoid that, shut all vent caps and cover all electric parts. Make a mixture of one tablespoon of baking soda and a cup of hot water, and apply it to the terminals with an old toothbrush. Wash off the baking soda once the corrosion is removed by spraying it with cool water and wiping the battery.

Adding Water

The battery in your electric buggy requires electrolytes and water to produce electricity. When you put too much water in the battery, the electrolytes overflow. To avoid that, use a watering gun to fill the water. When there’s not enough water in the battery, the lead plates get damaged due to sulfation. It’s best to fill the water when the battery has been charged as that increases the electrolytes level. Always use distilled water for your battery.

Testing Battery

You should regularly check your golf cart battery to make sure it’s in proper working condition. Test each battery cell with a hydrometer. The hydrometer will measure the electrolytes’ density compared to the weight. A higher specific weight means that there’s a higher state of charge and a denser presence of electrolytes. When you start to use the battery, it discharges, which results in a lower weight of electrolytes.

Using A Battery Gauge

You’ll want to use a battery gauge to monitor the battery’s depth of discharge, so you can recharge your electric golf cart battery before it drains completely. If your batteries are older, these gauges will not give you a highly accurate reading. To get a more accurate result, use a battery load tester.

Replacing Battery

When you have to replace the batteries in your electric buggy, try to replace them at the same time. This makes your batteries last longer. If you charge new and old batteries at the same time, the new ones get overcharged because the old ones take much longer to charge fully. This reduces the lifespan of the batteries. If your electric golf cart starts suffering from repeated performance issues, it’s probably a sign you need to replace the battery.

We hope these tips help you increase the life of your batteries! If you’re looking for electric golf carts for sale in Land O' Lakes and Clearwater, FL, get in touch with us at Golf Cart Depot and have a chat with one of our expert staff. We’re also here for all golf cart parts, repair and service needs of all our clients from St. Petersburg and Lakeland.