I used to think that my golf cart was just adorable. I use my golf cart to jaunt from here to there. I gave little thought to golf cart batteries. I talked to a mechanic on the campus of my college and he said that the campus golf carts are probably driven more rigorously than the campus line of cars. My mechanic said that golf cart drivers don't really think of them as vehicles that require maintenance and give little thought to golf cart batteries. I thought that if I just plugged my golf cart batteries in and charged them up, that I was maintaining the cart properly.

My cart stopped working last month. I was late to a class and wanted to get across campus quickly. I was frustrated when I was unable to get there in my golf cart. I did not realize that the reason it was not working was my own entire fault. I had my golf cart and my golf cart batteries inspected and found that my cart was not properly maintained and posed a serious, even formidable threat.

My cart is six lead-acid batteries mounted on a metal plate beneath the front seat. I am supposed to add distilled water to ensure that the battery's leaded plates stay immersed in sulfuric acid electrolyte. The byproducts of the electrochemical reaction that charges the battery are sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas. Without water, the battery will start to smoke and can catch fire. An overheated lead-acid battery can vent the flammable gas and potentially explode. My mechanic said that each of my golf cart batteries has the force of a small bomb.

My golf cart was not working and I did not even suspect a problem with the golf cart batteries. When the cart was serviced, my mechanic discovered that the cart's six batteries were out of water and one had caught fire at some point and blown off the battery cables. I was really surprised.

My mechanic replaced the batteries and cables on the cart. He told me that he had recently worked on a golf cart that smelled like rotten eggs. This is a sign that the golf cart batteries are leaking. The owner of that cart had been lucky as it would have only taken a spark for the golf cart batteries to blow up.

I really didn't know that my golf cart batteries needed maintenance. My car has a maintenance free battery that doesn't require additional water. I assumed that golf cart batteries operated the same way as my car's maintenance free battery.

My mechanic has developed a regular preventive maintenance schedule for me to follow to better care for my golf cart and my golf cart batteries. I also learned that in addition to checking fluid levels, users also should make sure that cables are free from corrosion. The golf cart batteries are the only part on the cart that's potentially explosive, but ignoring a cart's brakes or tires also could also result in serious injury. As with a car, bald tires are dangerous. A tire can blow after striking something as small as a pebble if the tire is bald.

I have learned my lesson and will care for my transportation in a more responsible way. I understand now that golf cart batteries need attention and care.

 

Choosing An 8 Volt Golf Cart Battery

All batteries are not created equal. Even when they have the same voltage different types of batteries are designed for different usage. So choosing the right 8 volt golf cart battery is important. Here’s an example of how batteries differ. Your car battery is designed to give of lots of amps f...

Golf Cart Batteries

I used to think that my golf cart was just adorable. I use my golf cart to jaunt from here to there. I gave little thought to golf cart batteries. I talked to a mechanic on the campus of my college and he said that the campus golf carts are probably driven more rigorously than the campus line of ...

Golf Cart Battery Charger FAQs

Question: “My golf cart battery charger hums and clicks, but the needle isn’t moving at all. What is the most likely explanation for this type of behavior from my golf cart battery charger?” Suggestion: There are several reasons why the unit may be acting this way. As such, there are a number o...

Page 2: Golf Cart Battery Charger FAQs

After a few months, the golf cart batteries will become ‘dead’ or weak. The newer kinds of electronic golf cart battery chargers have to sense a particular amount of voltage coming from the golf cart batteries before the battery charger will come online and charge the battery. If the golf cart ba...