Imagine your car running out of gas. If it happens, you cannot move from that spot until you find gas. The same way gas affects your gas-powered engine is how a golf cart is affected by batteries without adequate water. The water in your cells allows it to charge and retain energy to power your cart.
Save the maintenance-free golf cart batteries, your cart batteries water level need regular checking. The maintenance-required golf cart batteries contain electrolytes and sulfuric acid that submerged the lead plate, which stores electric energy. The water level is responsible for the electrolytes and acid to be available for the lead plate.
Therefore, a low water level can affect the energy holding capacity of your battery.
Why is it important to top your battery water when it’s low?
During charge, discharge and recharge cycles of batteries, the water decreases. With more charges, the water gets lower and lower. Especially in summer, when it’s all hot, the water in the battery evaporates.
If you don’t check and maintain the batteries regularly, you risk the water level getting low. As the water level reduces, the cell plate in the battery is exposed, dried, and flake off to cause sulfation.
One of the reasons to avoid overcharging or leaving your golf cart plugged all the time is to prevent your battery from an early grave.
What happened when your batteries enter sulfation?
A battery with sulfation cannot retain energy; it cannot recharge. It means the battery is damaged! Sadly, an improperly maintained battery could stop working anywhere. If you are lucky, it could happen on the golf course. Imagine if your golf cart stops on your way home; if you run a street-legal electric golf cart.
When to Refill Golf Cart Battery Water?
The need to refill your golf cart batteries water depends on the frequency of use. Ideally, it would help if you recharged your electric golf cart after use. Using your cart creates heat, and charging also creates heat; heat could cause your battery water to evaporate. Thus, the frequency of use and recharging could cause the water level to reduce.
Therefore, if you recharge your golf cart batteries regularly, chances are you will need to refill often. Also, if you do not use your golf cart often, it is recommended to check for a water level state. This is because your environment and weather may warrant a refill.
What the best time to refill your golf cart battery water?
It is best to refill your golf cart batteries water when it’s low. Read your battery maintenance manual to know how to check your battery water level. You can also consult your golf cart maintenance expert to check or teach you how to check the water level.
Usually, checking a battery water level is a DIY activity, and reading up the maintenance manual is best.
How often do golf cart batteries need water?
If you noticed the water level falls below the maximum line, it is advisable to refill with the recommended battery water.
Before you refill your battery water, ensure the battery is charged! That is, do not refill a discharged battery.
Why?
A charged battery will increase the water level of the cell. Therefore, the best time to refill your battery is when the battery is charged. If you refill the water in the discharged state could cause leaks when charging.
When you add water to the battery, it mixed with the electrolyte and sulfuric acid. If the water then leaks, it could destroy the inner compartment of your cart and cause unexpected damages.
Is it Necessary to Refill the Acid or Electrolyte?
You don’t have to refill the electrolyte or acid of your battery. The quantity of the acid and electrolyte do not reduce unless there is a leak. Once you refill the water, the acid and electrolyte are back in shape and working as usual.
However, in the event of sulfation, you need to change your battery.
Conclusion
Your golf cart batteries, if well maintained, could last up to seven years. If your set of batteries requires maintenance, check the water regularly to detect when to refill. Improper checking or delayed topping of battery water could cause sulfation, which means your battery stops to charge.
For proper maintenance of your golf cart battery and early low water detection, check your water level as you recharge.
LUXE Electric Car
LUXE Electric Car is the only Luxury, Custom, Electric Golf Car manufacturer in the Coachella Valley.
Not only does LUXE Electric Car Custom Build them right here in the desert, but their showroom, located at 74-125 Hwy 111, Palm Desert, is open and ready to help you decide what style and extras you want for your next new golf cart.
As one of the leading electric golf cart companies in the United States, they are also the trailblazers for innovation, including the power plants. Seeing the future in power shifting from Lead Acid Batteries to Lithium, LUXE Electric Car can not only fit your new car with batteries that need no maintenance, a warranty of five years and change the life of up to 100 miles between charging, but they can retro-fit existing carts with Lithium Batteries.
To contact us – LUXEElectricCar.com
760-408-0139
