Do you find golf interesting? Do you golf regularly? How about at the weekends? If so, then you may have probably experienced how frustrating it is to have your golf cart’s battery die out. And I can’t lie, buying new cells will cost you a bit. You may find your cart’s battery has 4-8 6-volt lead-acid batteries. And because these batteries have low capacities, the battery life is not as long as you expect it to last.
Most golf cart batteries are lead-acid batteries. And these batteries are known to be drainable if they’re placed on a shelf for too long and may end up being discharged. One common problem that affects lead batteries is sulfation. This sulfate build-up makes the plates touch, and they short out. That’s why your batteries won’t charge. This occurrence can possibly lead your battery to be somewhat dead or might as well reduce its charge capacity. And the time will come when you will need to replace your cart’s battery.
BUT what if I tell you that there’s a way to extend your cart’s battery life? Yes! So, if you’re asking if golf cart batteries can be refurbished, the answer is YES! You can regenerate your cart’s battery life back, provided the case isn’t damaged physically and is not fully dead. Seeing that, there are a few steps on how to refurbish malfunctioning golf cart batteries. And in the next few lines, I will explain the benefits and what to do with your golf cart batteries to bring them back to life.
Last update on 2024-11-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Refurbished Golf Cart Batteries: Benefits
A malfunctioning lead-acid battery is not good when thrown away anywhere. It’s bad for the environment as it has detrimental effects due to the chemicals it contains. So, the best way to regenerate its life is by refurbishing it.
A refurbished golf cart battery can get a battery life extension of more than a year if proper usage is maintained. You’ll get the same operation and will get your golf cart back on the road again.
Refurbishing golf cart batteries are said to be the most beneficial way of regenerating their battery life. It not only saves the environment but also is the most efficient and low-cost method for bringing back your cart’s battery life and making use of it again. And here’s why.
Cost-effective
If you own a golf cart with a malfunctioning battery and are planning to replace it with new ones, you might want to reconsider thinking about it again. You don’t want to buy pricey new cart batteries when you can just regenerate your failing ones and get the same functioning system for a fraction of the price of a new one, right? That is why refurbishing the batteries rather than getting new ones is a wise choice.
Refurbishing your cart’s battery rather than buying a new one will cost you much less while still giving you the same benefits and service. When your cart’s batteries start to malfunction, that doesn’t mean you need to replace them with new ones. It is still worth refurbishing and will work pretty much the same as a new one, and will definitely last for another year or so.
Environment-friendly
If you don’t know anything about golf cart batteries, then you are probably wondering how it is going to be environmentally friendly to refurbish them than throw them off. Well, golf cart batteries are usually lead-acid batteries. And this kind of battery is some kind of pollutant due to the chemicals it comprises that might affect the environment and us. Having this battery as waste and throwing it off just anywhere would have a negative effect on the environment.
That is why, rather than junking it, refurbishing it would be a great choice. It will not only save you money, but it will also save nature.
Before reconditioning it, you want to know first what causes the batteries to fail. Whether it is physically damaged or just malfunctioning, and is not fully discharged. The reason why you will need to know about this is that before you can refurbish your cart’s batteries, there is a condition that your batteries must be undamaged physically. So, if it is not damaged, then it is possible to recondition it.
Guide to Refurbishing Golf Cart Batteries:
Over time, golf cart batteries will start to lose life. You will, somehow, notice that it will lose its charge and may be fully discharged. And you will then think that it’s probably time to replace them with new ones. But as I have said, refurbishing it will be as efficient and will still work effectively as replacing it with new ones.
So, if you’re thinking about what the procedures are for restoring your golf cart’s batteries, here are a few steps and a guide on how to refurbish them that will help them run again.
STEP 1
Before you start, prepare the appropriate safety gear to wear and equipment to use. Refurbishing lead-acid batteries is not the same as repairing an electric motorbike toy. I recommend you prepare safety gear such as safety goggles, gloves, and an apron. For the equipment, prepare tools such as a wrench, flathead screw, funnel, baking soda, distilled water, Epsom salt, and battery reconditioning chargers.
STEP 2
To begin, carefully remove the batteries inside the cart by detaching the battery cables. Use an appropriate tool for this process. After safely removing it, put together a tablespoon of baking soda and 1 part of distilled water and form a paste-like mixture.
STEP 3
Remove all the battery caps using a flathead screw. Do this on all the cells. Then, get these batteries filled up with the solution. Make sure to shake it really well to get all the nasty stuff out of the cell. You can do the same procedure twice if necessary.
STEP 4
After draining the mixture out, you will then fill it with a solution of distilled water (quart/32 oz) and Epsom salt (12%-15%). After fully filling in the electrolyte solution, lock the battery caps back on each cell.
STEP 5
Next, recharge the cells with a (smart) slow trickle charger and leave them overnight. Check and make sure all the wires and terminals are properly connected. This should be done correctly between the charger and the cell. Afterward, make sure to check if the voltage of the charger is set for the battery, and then simply charge it.
STEP 6
After fully charging it, measure the voltage and run a battery load test. This procedure is where you will see if you successfully gave the batteries their second life. The charging capacity of a refurbished battery may not be the same as how high it could reach when it was new.
Can Golf Cart Batteries be Refurbished – Conclusion
Bringing back a battery to life would be a really hard but exciting experience. You will not know if you will be able to give it a second life. Even if it’s possible to recondition golf cart batteries, there’s still a 100% chance that this method will not work all the time. As it ages, some factors can really affect the chances of getting it back to life.
However, if you are still willing to give it a try and need a video demonstrating the procedures, check out these links for a video tutorial on how to refurbish golf cart batteries: