Battery Maintenance
Battery maintenance is one of the most common challenges in our industry. With the cost involved we always recommend maintaining your batteries correctly. We see customers over fill their batteries, this causes issues in their batteries and the life of the batteries are reduced. Some customers are saying that they prefer gas carts because of the maintenance. Consider this carefully because gas carts need maintenance too.
We took the following information from Trojan Battery Sales, they recommend the following:
BATTERY MAINTENANCE GUIDE
SAFETY:
- Always wear protective clothing, gloves and goggles when handling batteries
- If acid contacts your skin or eyes, flush with water immediately
- Keep flames, sparks and metal objects away from batteries
- Charge batteries in a well-ventilated area
- To avoid short circuits do not lay objects on top of battery
- Check that all cable connections to the terminal are properly tightened; connections that are too tight or too loose could result in post breakage, meltdown or fire
INSPECTION & CLEANING:
- Keep batteries clean and dry from residue
- Check that all vent caps are tight
- Use a solution of baking soda and water to clean if there is acid residue on batteries or corrosion on the terminals
- Protective spray or petroleum jelly should be applied to terminals to reduce corrosion
STORAGE:
- Batteries should be fully charged prior to and during storage
- Never store discharged batteries
- Store batteries in a cool, dry place
- Recharge batteries before putting them back into service
WATERING:
Diagram A
- ADD WATER, NEVER ACID, TO CELLS (distilled water recommended)
- DO NOT OVERWATER (This will cause the batteries to overflow when charging and damage cables, frame on carts without battery tub and garage floor)
- Before charging the batteries, only add water if the plates are exposed. Add just enough water to cover the plates, then charge the batteries.
- Once fully charged, add water to the proper level as indicated in Diagram A
- For fully charged standard deep-cycle batteries, add water to level of 1/8” (3 mm) below bottom of vent well (see diagram A)
- For fully charged Plus Series batteries, add water to the maximum water level indicator.
Diagram B
- After watering, secure vent caps back on batteries
- For faster, easier and safer battery watering, ask about Trojan’s HydroLink Watering System or Club Car’s Preferred watering system supplier.
If you are uncertain about maintaining your batteries contact us or drop by and we can show you. Batteries are not cheap and if we can help you get the longest life in your batteries we are glad to help. We also offer free water check days on a Tuesday and Thursday morning and also offer a service plan where we service your cart (see Maintenance plan) every 6 weeks.