how to test a golf cart battery charger

The battery is the most significant part of a golf cart. If one cares for it correctly, it can last for an extended period without causing issues, needing repair, or requiring replacement.

The battery’s life has a lot to do with how it is charged. If done correctly, one can make the battery last for a long time, which is essential because golf cart batteries are expensive. It is not cheap to occasionally buy a new one.

One way the life of a golf cart battery can be extended is by using the correct charger. The battery’s charging is dependent on the charger as the charger is responsible for ensuring that the battery works efficiently.

How To Test Your Golf Cart’s Battery Charger?

The said question is often asked by individuals who own golf carts whether there is a way they can, by themselves, test their golf cart’s battery’s charger. There indeed, is a way you can check whether a particular charger is the perfect one to charge that battery of your gold cart.

Here are some steps or suggestions that you can follow to test a charger for your golf cart’s battery;

Connect The Charger

The first step is to connect a specific charger to the cart to check whether it can charge your golf cart. Once the charger connects, you can check if it is charging the battery or not, and if the latter is the case, it means it is not the right charger for your golf cart.

However, if the charger is charging the battery, but the process is slow. This step might help you understand if the charger that is plugged in is the right one for the battery or not.

Check The Charging Speed

A wrong charger will also charge the battery of your golf cart slower than it should. When buying the golf cart, make sure to ask how much time it takes for it to charge sufficiently. The prescribed time is as accurate as possible, so if the battery is taking longer to charge, it could mean that the charger is not right for it.

A charger working too efficiently, i.e., the battery is charging suspiciously fast, could also indicate the charger not being the perfect one for the battery.

Quality Of The Charger

The performance of a golf cart battery charger significantly depends on its quality. A good quality charger will most likely be compatible with your golf cart. A charger that is of bad quality will harm the battery leading to a decrease in the battery’s life.

For this reason, when you are buying a charger to charge your golf cart’s battery, you invest in a high-quality one. It lasts you a long time and does not decrease the life of the battery.

Ask an expert

The best way to get guidance regarding testing the golf cart’s charger is by asking a professional. Asking an expert is a good idea because they are familiar with the said device and give you accurate advice.

You may not choose the correct charger, but an expert can guide you to make the final decision yourself. However, because a professional was consulted, it is less likely that your decision based on their advice will be wrong compared to when you buy the charger based on your knowledge of golf cart battery chargers.

How To Make Your Golf Cart Battery Charger Last Longer?

Suppose someone purchases a good quality charger to charge their golf cart’s battery, provided that the charger is well-maintained. In that case, it can last for a long time. Now the question is, how can one make that charger last long? There are a few tips/suggestions that you can follow to ensure the longevity of the charger.

Remove Once Charged

Once your golf cart battery has charged sufficiently, the best thing to do is remove the charger. Doing this will extend a golf cart battery charger’s life because it gets the needed break due to being plugged in for a couple of hours to charge the battery.

Keeping the charger plugged in all the time can also lead to reverse charging, ultimately causing harm to the golf cart’s battery too.

Choose A High-Quality Charger

The right way to make your golf cart battery charger last long is by investing in a good quality charger. The superior quality will ensure that the charger works for a good couple of years before it needs to be replaced.

A low-quality charger will not only need a replacement now and then. But will also harm the battery of the golf cart and may ultimately require you to get the golf cart repaired.

Check Voltage

Before putting your golf cart on the charge, make sure to check the voltage because if it is too high, it could cause harm to the charger and the golf cart’s battery. A low voltage will not charge the battery fast enough. Therefore the charger will have to stay plugged in for longer, which again is not ideal.

Research Before Purchase

If one does not research well before purchasing a golf cart battery charger, there are chances it might not work or work for only a short time. When buying the charger, one must ask around and take help from an experienced person to protect themselves from making the wrong decision.

How Much Should You Charge Your Golf Cart Battery?

A golf cart battery should be charged on average for 8 to 10 hours, slightly more or less depending on the golf cart itself. Not charging the battery enough can lead to a decrease in its life. It is important to charge it sufficiently before unplugging the charger.

Similarly, if the battery is overcharged, as mentioned above, one cannot expect its life to extend because this action reduces its life. Therefore, one should be mindful about neither under nor overcharging the golf cart’s battery.

The best way to charge a golf cart battery is by putting it on charge overnight, and by the time it is morning, the battery will be charged enough for you to be able to use it. If you use it every day, this tip will help you as you can utilize the golf cart during the day while at night it can be kept on the charge.

Experts advised that golf carts must not be kept on a low battery for an extended period. For example, you used to play golf every day, but now you have taken a break, but the golf cart was left with a low battery and is not charged for a long time since you do not use it. Keeping it without charging the battery could decrease the battery’s life significantly.

When Should The Charger Be Replaced?

Golf cart battery chargers can last for a reasonable amount of time if taken good care as mentioned above. However, golf cart owners often wonder when is the right time to change the golf cart battery charger.

When the charger starts to slow down the charging process, it can indicate that it has done its time, and one should now replace it. Besides that indiction, when the battery charger has been used enough and requires replacement, the battery will no longer work for as long as it did before but will die quicker.

Conclusion

Golf cart battery chargers can last long as long as one takes good care of them. If the steps mentioned previously are followed, you can test whether the charger is the right one for your golf cart’s battery. If there is any indication that it is not, it should be replaced.

References

• https://itstillruns.com/check-golf-cart-battery-charger-7711398.html
• https://www.petesgolfcarts.com/battery-charger-knowledge/how-do-you-know-if-golf-cart-battery-charger-is-bad-and-need-to-replace/