How to Test Golf Cart Batteries
Golf cart batteries are a vital component of a golf cart, especially in electric golf carts. Like any vehicle, the batteries provide power to the engine. Good batteries keep the golf cart running well, so learning how to test the batteries is an important skill.
Things You’ll Need:
- 6 to 12 volt battery tester
- Protective gloves
- A cloth
- Spray Bottle
- Water
- Baking soda
- Charge the batteries until they are fully charged; this usually can be done overnight.
- Disconnect the batteries from each other and set them off the charger for about 8 to 12 hours. This will give you the most accurate voltage reading.
- Locate the negative and positive terminal on the batteries; if corrosion is present, use a spray bottle and spray the terminals with a mixture of 1-½ gallons of water and a ¼ cup of baking soda. After spraying, put on your protective gloves and wipe off the excess water with a clean cloth.
- Connect the tester clamps to the corresponding terminals on the battery. A good voltage reading is based on the kind of battery you own: If you have 6 volt batteries, the meter should read 7.0v for each, if you have an 8v battery, the reading will be 9.3v.
If any of the batteries are below the recommended voltage, they will need replaced. Unfortunately, if one is going bad, the others will shortly follow suit, so it is best to buy all the batteries at once.