After charging your battery, can your golf cart travel across the course? Does it last for hours without any hiccups? If not, then you might have to test your golf cart battery.
Before getting a new battery, it would help if you checked your battery life. When it comes down to it, the problem might not come from the battery itself. Imagine spending hundreds of dollars on getting a new battery that you might not need.
There are several ways to check the health of your golf cart batteries. Read on to learn more.
How to Test Golf Cart Batteries
If you want to test your golf cart batteries, you can use a voltmeter or hydrometer. You can even check on the charges with a load tester.
It is easy to test your golf cart batteries. For this task, you should get the right tools and use the following methods.
How To Test Golf Cart Batteries with a Hydrometer
If you want to use a digital hydrometer to test your battery, you will have to check the specific gravity of the electrolyte. As expected, this method does not include many steps.
Do you have a reading of 1.280? Well, this means that your battery is in perfect condition. But if the value stays at 1.225, you might have to get a new set of batteries.
Asides from the above-listed values, you might notice several readings. For instance, if the hydrometer reads between 1.100 and 1.220, you should just connect the battery to a charger.
How To Test Golf Cart Batteries with a Voltmeter
There is nothing much to using a voltmeter. All you have to do test the negative and positive terminals of the battery. For this task, you should use the probes of the instrument.
The value of a healthy battery stays within 50 – 52 volts. But if the value goes less than 48 volts, it would help if you considered replacing the battery.
Even if it is a great way to test your batteries, load testing can be a risky business. So before using this method, try wearing protective gear and eyewear. You should even carry out the activity at room temperature.
Now use the following steps to determine the battery strength.
Bring out a battery load tester and ensure that it’s turned off.
From a load tester, take a red clamp and place it on the red terminal of the battery. Next, take the black clamp and hold the black terminal.
Supply the battery with up to 300 – 350 volts. For this task turn on the load tester and turn a dial to the preferred current in amperes.
Whip out a voltmeter and confirm the volt reading on the battery. If the volt reading on the load tester is lower than the volt reading on the voltmeter, the battery can power up a golf cart without any issues. But if the reading on the voltmeter goes too low, you should consider installing a new set of golf cart batteries.
Why Do Golf Cart Batteries Go Bad?
During your investigations, you might discover a set of bad batteries. With this in mind, you might even wonder what led to the failure of your batteries. Normally, a weak battery is caused by the following problems:
Excessive Charging: If you plug in your battery for long periods, you might shorten the lifespan of your battery. You can avoid this problem by staying close to the charging devices.
Heavy Usage: Bright lights and loud sounds can consume excess energy from a golf cart. When used frequently, these conditions can also drain the juice from any battery.
Old Age: Even if you maintain a battery properly, it will still get old. In this condition, the battery will become weak and have problems with holding a charge.
Using Low-Quality Chargers: Do not go for cheap, low-quality chargers as they can harm your battery. Instead, stick with compatible models from the trusted brands
What Should I Do with a Bad Golf Cart Battery?
If you find a bad battery on your golf cart, dispose of the unit properly. You can throw it in the trash or drop it at any battery disposal center in your location.
Wrapping Up
There are several ways to check the strength of a battery. But you should stay safe by using the best protective gear and equipment.
If you want to reduce the strain on your battery, consider listening to less music on your golf cart radio. You might also charge the battery properly and avoid overcharging.
