Golf Cart Not Charging ? – Here’s What to Do.
A golf cart that won’t charge can put a damper on your fun. But before you panic, there are a few common culprits you can check yourself. Here’s a breakdown of some potential causes and solutions of a golf cart not charging:
Is it the Charger or the Battery?
Often, the problem lies with the battery rather than the charger. Here’s how to make an educated guess:
- Battery Suspect: If your cart hasn’t been used in a while, the batteries might be simply drained. The charger might not detect low enough voltage to initiate charging as a safety precaution.
- Charger Suspect: If you consistently use your cart and the batteries are relatively new, the issue might be with the charger itself.
Troubleshooting Steps:
Check the Basics: This seems obvious, but ensure the charger is securely plugged into both the wall outlet and the cart’s receptacle. Look for any loose connections or damage to the cables.
Battery Blues: Visually inspect the batteries for any corrosion on the terminals. Clean the terminals with a wire brush and baking soda solution if necessary. For flooded lead-acid batteries (the kind with removable caps), check the water level and top up with distilled water if needed.
Charger on the Blink? Some chargers have indicator lights that can provide clues. Consult your owner’s manual to understand what the light codes mean. A dead charger might not show any signs of life when plugged in.
Voltage Check (Optional): If you’re comfortable using a multimeter, you can measure the voltage coming out of the charger. The owner’s manual should specify the expected voltage range.
Still Stuck?
If you’ve gone through these steps and your golf cart remains stubbornly uncharged, it’s time to call in a professional. A qualified technician can diagnose the problem and recommend repairs or replacements for the charger or batteries.
Bonus Tips:
- Invest in a battery maintenance plan to extend the lifespan of your batteries.
- Consider an automatic battery watering system for flooded lead-acid batteries to avoid overfilling or underfilling.
- During long storage periods (winter months), it’s recommended to occasionally give the batteries a “topping charge” with a compatible charger. However, always consult your battery manual for specific storage instructions.
By following these tips, you can diagnose and hopefully resolve your golf cart’s charging woes. Remember, if you’re unsure about any step, it’s always best to consult a qualified golf cart technician.
Additional Information About Golf Cart Not Charging
As owners go on holidays, or leave town for a couple of weeks, or discharge their batteries too much this can happen quite regularly.
If your golf cart is not charging, will not start and, there’s no sign of life, then it’s probably because you have not charged your batteries for quite a while.
If its been a long time, say a couple of weeks or more, or if your batteries are new or have been run down , then it’s possible that the batteries may not have enough voltage in them for the charger to start working.
If you have an automatic golf cart battery charger then the charger needs a minimal amount of voltage in the batteries to start..
In fact, a golf cart charger needs somewhere in the range of 20 to 35 volts in the batteries to allow the charger to know that they are connected up to batteries and to start charging.
What you should do if your golf cart battery charger is not working …
Obtain a 6 Volt or 12 Volt Car Battery Charger and manually charge your golf cart batteries for say 30 minutes each or longer.
Doing this it will give your batteries just enough voltage to allow your golf cart charger to start working and, as a result, eliminate low battery voltage as the cause of it not working.
Check the video below for further golf cart not charging advice.
If you’ve manually charged your batteries and the golf cart not charging…
The next thing to do (after charging up your batteries) is to check your battery connections. Additionally, ensure there’s water over the battery plates.
Make sure every battery cable is correctly wired and also check that all the battery cables are tight against the battery terminals and are not rusted or corroded.
Bad connections will cause any battery charger not to work properly.
After you’ve charged up your batteries and checked every connection and you are still having problems, it’s probably safe to say you’ve got a golf cart battery charger issue and may need to repair it or buy a new one.
Links on this golf cart not charging page are sponsored affiliate links and the owner makes a commission if you buy after clicking these links. The owner has not a golf cart not charging. However, he has thoroughly researched a golf cart not charging and provided a personal opinion only. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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