When to Replace Golf Cart Batteries?

Golf cart batteries have a significant role for all golf cart users as they support the game while playing. It can be embarrassing and irritating when in the mid of the game, batteries turn dead. It is necessary to check whether all the accessories are in the proper condition.

When we talk mainly about golf cart batteries, it is essential to keep them charged before stepping into the golf ground. At times it happens when you feel like the batteries are fully charged, but they die while you’re playing golf. When batteries have completed the life, they start to give signs whether to get them repaired or replaced.

How to know whether you should get it repaired or replaced? Well, we suggest getting it checked thoroughly by an expert and then take a decision accordingly. But there are a few things that indicate a clear message that it is time to replace the batteries.

Have a look at the signs, How to know whether you should get it repaired or replaced?

When to Replace Golf Cart Batteries?

If you notice the behaviors mentioned below from your golf cart batteries, it is highly suggested to replace them.

More Power Drain

Any regular golf cart typically maintains at a speed of 10 to 12 kilometers per hour on a single charge for a few hours. Usually, an eighteen hole-round of golf games take around 3 to 4 hours to complete. In this case, one single charge should be enough to support until the game is finished.

When you observe that the cart starts to slow down before the time, that is a clear sign that battery is no longer able to support during the entire game.

This issue gets worsen with every passing day, and even when you get, it repaired it often happens again after some time. When you see that battery is showing a frequent power drain even after charging for four to five hours, it’s highly suggested to replace it.

Shows Acceleration Issue

Since the technology has improved a lot over the past years, now electric golf carts have a better performance than the counterparts powered by gas. When you hit the gas on an electric cart or a gas cart, you will expect it to start charging fast. It is supposed to move gently when the pedal is pressed without a high-intensity kick.

Still, it is required to hit the high speed even when it’s down. When the golf cart batteries start to lose their power, they take longer hours to accelerate and may not reach the required speed at all. They will have a tough time climbing hill and will die in acceleration. When it’s not getting the power that is required to perform well, that’s an indicator for switching to another set of batteries.

We suggest instead of repairing, opt for replacement because this issue will happen again and again. A fully charged cart should support over the hills and across greens with no trouble at all.  

Leaking Issue

All kinds of batteries contain liquid electrolytes, which allows the units of the battery to charge. The electrical charge starts to drain over time, and the electrolytes will begin to deteriorate more frequently. You will observe that these chemicals have started to react more than the required tendency.

Batteries that have issues will expand, bulge, and will show cracks. When it happens, you should handle it carefully, and you must cover the hands under gloves for safety. Batteries with corrosion alongside and on top are required to be cleaned or replaced.

Battery corrosions are the reason which makes the connections spotty. When you observe that the battery gains or loses the power on each kick, clean it off. Sometimes batteries leak acid when they indicate deterioration signs.

It becomes a sensitive issue as leaking acid is dangerous for both the battery and the garage where it is placed. When you notice this kind of problem, don’t take a risk anymore to wait for more signs. The last thing is to see the symptoms like bulging on the battery case and corrosion or leaks at the battery terminals.

It is the final indicator that tells that it is time to replace the batteries. Don’t rely on cleaning and repairing anymore. Just get the new batteries and replace the old ones.

Using Until the Batteries Die

If you have a habit of charging the batteries only when they are about to die, you will find that they will need to replace more often in this case. If every single unit of power is drained and batteries are left like that for hours, it causes the risk of damage. To let the golf cart batteries die pretty often is equally wrong as overcharging them.

When we talk about batteries’ makeup, every battery has its specifications when talking about how much it should be drained or charged ideally. We highly advise carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions to increase the battery’s performance and life.  

Do Not Use Other Electronics Where Battery is Charging

Many people are unaware of something, using lights, radios, and other electrical components where the golf cart battery is charging. If there are other electronic components placed where the golf cart is, they all must be turned off when the battery is charging. This way, it will allow the batteries to consume the required electricity easily. When the power supply gets divided into more components, it affects the necessary supply for the battery.

People often are either unaware or overlook this matter. Golf cart batteries are not regular batteries of light intensity equipment. They require more intensity and electricity to charge; that’s why it is terrible to let the other electricity consumers on while charging the golf cart batteries.

Which Battery Is Better For Golf Cart?

Choosing a suitable battery for your golf cart is very important. The cart’s performance depends mainly on its battery. If the golf cart battery is not of a fine-quality, you will be left dry and high.

First, you need to research and choose the battery carefully, keeping benefits and shortcomings in mind. Few things are required to consider before you make a final decision about which battery you should buy. Your battery selection depends on your requirements like lifespan, warranty, the capacity of charging, etc.

When we talk about replacing the batteries, there are two types of batteries available for the golf cart. The more significant disrupter in this industry is lithium batteries. A lot of people are switching lithium batteries from lead-acid batteries.

There are a lot of reasons why people are switching from lead-acid batteries to lithium batteries. To know better, have a look at the pros and cons of lithium battery and lead-acid batteries.

Lead-Acid Batteries Vs. Lithium Batteries

Cost

Cost is the first thing that we need to keep in mind before making any purchase. When we compare lithium batteries’ cost with lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries are far costly than lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries cost around half of the lithium batteries cost.

Body Weight

Lithium batteries have a lighter weight than lead-acid batteries. The cost is almost double, but the bodyweight is half, allowing the cart to achieve better speed and perform more efficiently.

Lifespan

The lifespan of batteries is defined in terms of charge, recharge, and discharge cycle. Lead-acid batteries contain the maximum capacity of charging up to 300 charge cycles at a depth of fifty percent. On the other hand, lithium batteries have a better lifespan.

Any typical lithium battery has around 3000 to 5000 charge cycles at a depth of eighty percent. It is a considerable difference in both the batteries.

Performance

How long does a battery take to be fully charged and how efficiently it can perform even when it is not fully charged defines the quality of the battery.

When we compare the lead-acid with the lithium-ion battery, the lead-acid battery takes around eight hours to fully charged. On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries can easily reach eighty percent in just one hour.

Conclusion

Golf cart batteries play a significant role in the golf game as fifty percent of the performance depends on it. If the batteries stop working while playing the game, it is both an embarrassment and a turnoff at the same time. The battery’s quality and the charging should be good enough to play a game for up to four hours.

Sometimes, the golf player doesn’t realize whether he/she should get the golf cart battery repaired or replaced.

We have discussed the signs indicating that you need to replace the batteries instead of repairing them. We suggest replacing the lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion batteries.