Tips on Maintaining your Golf cart

Without a doubt, the electric golf cart makes golf a more pleasurable sports activity, especially for the more mature golfer. That is why proper golf cart maintenance is important to keep your “electric assistant” in tip-top condition.

Keep in mind that for every advantage there is a disadvantage. Your electric golf cart may be silent with an electric motor for propulsion but the source of electricity is provided by a set of very expensive golf cart batteries. These golf cart batteries are electro-chemical resources with a limited lifespan and need the most attention to maintain propoerly.

Almost all electric golf carts use lead acid batteries. These golf cart batteries have their advantages and disadvantages. They are the cheapest batteries available on the market today but have the worst energy-to-weight/size ratio. They are very stable during the charge proses with limited “thermal runaway” but suffer damaged when left discharged for prolonged periods. This is caused by internal plates being in a lead sulfate (PbSO4) state when discharged. Remember high school chemistry? Sulfates tend to grow crystals. Over time the amorphous (non-crystalline) battery plates crystallize. So don't be surprised when you don't get your 18 holes after your golf cart batteries reach an age of 8 years. This is inevitable since crystallization will occur no matter how well you maintain your golf cart batteries.

Golf cart batteries lose water during the charge proses due to catalyzation accelerated by antimony minerals in the plate structure. The water should be replenished by filling with battery water only 1cm above the lead plate. As a rule: Do not allow the water to drop down below the top of the lead plate.

Golf cart battery chargers switch of automatically after the charge proses is completed. However, care should be taken against lighting strikes. Chargers work as much as the golf cart batteries. That is why they also break from time to time and need to be replaced. Most of the time repairs only lead to more break downs. When the charger breaks and fails to switch off during the charge proses, the golf cart batteries will be permanently damaged. When you notice any abnormalities during the charge proses, disconnect and ask for assistance. Available for less than a hundred rand, a voltmeter is a handy tool to detect over-charging. Battery poles and lugs can be kept clean with a solution of hot water and bicarbonate of soda.