Golf Cars, Etc.

Golf car batteries operate to their fullest ability when they are charged after every use. Running batteries down low shortens the life span of the battery and also puts strain on the electrical components of the drive train. Not having enough power to turn the motor over makes the motor, controller, FNR switch, and solenoid work harder.

Batteries in your golf cart are connected in a series, one to another, by cables. In order to get the best performance from your cart (that is, all 36- or 48-volts) you need to have good connections across each battery. 

Anytime you have dirt, grass or residual battery acid on your batteries, you have the potential for these to collect in areas where cables need to have good contact with terminals. That’s bad. On the other hand, dirt and corrosion could also provide a path for current to flow, thereby allowing the batteries to self discharge. Either way, it’s not good.

Wash your battery tops every week or so (more frequently if needed). Corrosion damage caused by poor maintenance is a major factor in cart failure. A little water under the seat won’t hurt other components of your cart, but don’t shoot water straight at electrical components. And be sure all battery caps are on tightly.  Speaking of battery connections…

Batteries are connected by 6 gauge wire with 5/16 terminals that hook onto the battery posts. Each negative connects to a positive. Cables should be kept intact and tightly connected to the battery posts at all times. Torque to 70 in-lbs initially and re-torque as needed to 65 in-lbs. If you have any room for vibration on the battery terminal at all, you can melt the post and render the battery useless, kaput, history.

Golf cars usually take anywhere from 2-8 hours to charge depending on how long it was used for and what kind of load you had on the car.

Yes. As your batteries age, they will require water more often and longer charging times. They may also have a higher finish rate (amperage at the end of the charge cycle). Capacity also decreases over time. To extend the life of your batteries, be sure to keep them free of debris, keep the acid at the appropriate level, charge your cart as needed and do not stress the system by running your cart on low charge.

When batteries are connected in a series as they are with golf carts, you will need to replace an entire set rather than single batteries. Each battery within the pack needs to be of approximately the same age, size and usage level. Do not put a new battery in a pack that has over 50 charge cycles on it. Instead replace with all new or with a good used battery of approximately the same age.

In these cases what happens is that the weak battery (or batteries) will draw down the power from the others in order to equalize the power across the pack. This is especially evident in carts that have accessories connected to a battery or two.

You might want to check your tire pressure. Tire pressure affects the performance of your car a lot. You want it to be anywhere from 20-22 on a golf car and 10-15 on a lifted car. Another way to find out is to check what the recommended PSI is on the tire itself.

On both an E-Z-GO and Club Car it is the Tow/Run switch. This switch is only on PDS or IQ system cars. The speed on these cars is controlled by a speed sensor that is connected to the motor, if something goes wrong with the car, you move the switch from run to tow and tow the vehicle at a very low speed. Not putting it from run to tow and towing it can cause substantial damage and is a very costly fix.

15-20 years depending on how the cart is taken care of.

Count the number of water holes
3 holes = 6 volts
4 holes = 8 volts
6 holes = 12 volts

Your batteries have gone bad.

You need a converter from 48 or 36-volt to 12-volt. That way it draws power off of all the batteries equally or eventually your golf cart will not run right since one or two batteries will be dead. None of them will charge properly until those batteries are individually charged to match the others.