When your golf cart loses battery rapidly after taking it off the charger, it can be incredibly frustrating – especially if it completely loses charge while you are out and about. There are multiple potential reasons that your golf cart’s batteries have stopped holding a charge. Along with the many reasons they could be malfunctioning, there’s an equal number of fixes to get them working again. Let’s look into some of the issues and solutions to your golf cart quickly losing its charge.
Causes of Golf Cart Battery Not Holding Charge
When your cart’s batteries start to lose their ability to hold a charge, there are multiple different causes that you can look into. Some can easily be fixed, while others require a bit more effort to get your batteries back to proper functionality. If you are located in the Holly Springs, North Carolina area and feel like you need extra assistance with your cart’s batteries, reach out to J’s Golf Carts! We are happy to take a look at the cart and see exactly what is happening. The following are five of the most common reasons your cart may refuse to hold a charge:
Loose Terminal Connections
If the terminal connections on your cart’s battery become loose, it will also cause the cart to quickly drain its battery. This should be one of the first issues you address if your cart’s battery refuses to hold its charge. Try connecting the terminal connections and see if it
begins holding its charge again. Oftentimes, the cart’s performance will increase almost immediately.
Low Water Level
It is easy to forget to check on the water level of your cart’s battery. In fact, many cart owners don’t even know they need to maintain this in the first place. Your battery’s water level may become low from lack of care, but it may also occur if you push your cart’s limits too far. Luckily, your cart really only needs distilled water when refilling it. Make sure you add water just to the fill line, as you do not want to add too much.
Faulty Voltage Regulator
The voltage regulator limits the amount of power that the battery actually goes to the battery while it charges. This directly impacts the overall performance of the cart, so when the voltage regulator becomes faulty, this will decrease the cart’s power. This is because the cart no longer receives a steady flow of power.
To prolong the life of the battery, the recharge voltage should never exceed 14.5 volts on your cart. If you connect a voltmeter to your cart, you are able to test the functionality of your voltage regulator.
Dead Battery Cells
When one of the cells in your cart’s battery dies, it causes the battery to lose charge more quickly. When you have multiple dead cells in your battery, it is typically better to just replace the battery itself. Cells can become costly to replace, so if it is more than one cell, it may not be worth it.
Overcharging Your Battery
Golf carts, when not equipped with a trickle charger, cannot simply sit and charge indefinitely. While trickle chargers will turn off when the cart reaches a full charge, normally golf cart chargers do not do this. Because of this, the cart will actually overcharge itself when left on the charger too long. Allowing your cart to discharge is extremely important to the overall health of the battery. However, if you find yourself in a position where you frequently need to leave your cart on its charger, it may be best to switch to a trickle charger.
Lithium Batteries
Lithium batteries provide a new, upgraded way to power your golf cart. This can be compared to the batteries in an electric car vs. the batteries in a standard engine. Lithium golf cart batteries run cleanly and are more efficient than standard lead-acid batteries. While more expensive up front, they last up to ten years – significantly longer than that of the standard lead-acid battery.
Not only that, but the functionality of the battery does not decrease over time. They require almost no maintenance, which is another big benefit. Standard batteries, on the other hand, require routine maintenance such as adding water and wiping off acid deposits. Since a low water level is one of the most common culprits of a battery refusing to hold its charge, lithium batteries are a great way to prevent this issue.
Contact J’s Golf Carts Today!
If you are having issues with your golf cart’s batteries not holding a charge, J’s Golf Carts can help! Our service department can help troubleshoot the potential issues the cart and batteries may have, helping you determine how to fix the problem. If you are interested in investing in a lithium battery for your cart, we can provide you with the correct battery necessary.
Feel free to fill out the contact form below and someone will be in touch with you shortly. We look forward to helping you with all of your golf cart needs!
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