By Jeff Pohl
A golf cart battery contains sulfuric acid. For that single reason a lot of care must be taken and proper respect must be paid to that liquid because it is highly caustic. The maintenance of golf cart batteries is generally pretty simple as long as you take the proper safety precautions.
For safety you are advised to have the following items:
- rubberized safety gloves
- safety glasses
- distilled water
- baking soda
- old clothes
The gloves and the glasses are pretty self explanatory. However, the baking soda is for neutralizing the sulfuric acid. Should you have a spill of any type, the best thing to do is flush the area with a combination of distilled water and baking soda. The old clothes are highly suggested in case you splatter or spill some of the acid on your yourself.
The distilled water and baking soda should be used to wash off the batteries before starting to do any maintenance. You want to do this as a safe measure to remove possible acid residue on the outside of the battery as well as normal dirt and dust. This dirt and dust removal is important so it does not make its way inside the battery when the bents are opened.
Once the golf cart battery has been cleaned, the outside should be inspected for cracks. Any cracks, no matter how small, is an indication that the battery should be replaced.
The battery needs to be filled with distilled water. You want to make sure that is done after the battery has been fully charged. If the battery is not fully charged, you could get into a overflow situation. The charging of the battery has a tendency to expand the water and creates gasses.
It is important to note that a battery should not be charged unless there is at least a half inch of water above the plates inside the battery. It is important not to let the lead plates dry out during charging. This is a sure way to cause yourself to buy a new battery.
The maintenance of golf cart batteries is quite simple as I have explained but it should be noted that a quick review of your owners manual may also provide helpful hints and tips to prolong the life of your battery.
Jeff Pohl is a freelance author who writes on a diverse number of subjects. He also is a golf cart enthusiast who maintains a web site at http://www.UsedGolfCartsGuide.com
