How to Revive Golf Cart Batteries
The batteries used in a golf carts are a type of lead-acid battery called deep-cycle batteries. They are resilient to the warping and pitting of deep discharges. They have thicker plates and there are less of them. They cannot get the charge as fast as starter batteries and therefore, sometimes may need to be revived which can be done easily.
This type of battery can have issues with sulfation much the same as a starter battery. The sulfation coats the lead plates making the battery hard to get the charge to start. Sulfation is the biggest reason that batteries die. To revive a golf cart battery simply follow the steps.
- Take off the battery cables and then move the battery to a well-ventilated spot. Remember to always wear safety gear when doing battery work such as safety glasses and protective gloves.
- Find the plastic cell caps on the top of the battery and remove if possible. If the caps are sealed, simply drill a hole in the top of all three cells. The cell will have a shadow mark to easily spot them. Be sure the make the holes large enough to let the end of a funnel pass through.
- Use a microwave to heat a quart of distilled water. The temperature needs to be between lukewarm and boiling. Never use tap water because it has minerals in it. The minerals in tap water will coat battery plates and hinder the charging process.
- Pour twelve tablespoons of Epsom salt into the quart of water. Dissolve the salt completely.
- Pour the Epsom salt and water solution into all of the open holes in the top of the battery. Use a funnel to do so. Use the demarcated line for the level of water to pour in the holes.
- Fill the drilled holes with caps that can be found at an auto supply store. If the holes did not need to be drilled for the cells, simply replace the cell caps that were previously removed.
- Plug battery into a charger and let it charge until the battery is fully charged. Use the appropriate charger for the type of battery being charged.