Golf Car Maintenance and Tips

To properly care for your golf/utility car, we recommend the following care and maintenance guidelines…

CHARGING YOUR CAR

Car should be charged after every 18 holes of golf or the equivalent (approx. 7 miles). Check charger ammeter (the meter on the charger itself) to be sure charger has turned on. Charger will be hot to the touch during charging and may run for up to 18 hours.

Some cars are equipped with a LED charge indicator in the car dash. It does not “step its way up” during the charging process. Instead, it moves back to full position only at full charge.

BATTERY MAINTENANCE

Batteries use more water as they get older, so as a rule of thumb, water should be checked every other month for the first year, every month for the second year and every two weeks thereafter.

Fill to 1/4″ below bottom of split ring (1 1/2″ below top). Water should be added after charging. Filling before charging can cause the battery electrolyte to bubble over during charging. If plates are exposed, however, add enough water to cover the plates by 1/8″ before charging.

Distilled or treated water is best for filling batteries. Best if water contains less than 200 T.D.S (total dissolved solids…parts per million).

Batteries should be kept free of dirt and corrosion to prevent excessive self discharge so you should wash batteries from time to time. Be careful though! Battery acid be harmful to eyes and skin and can stain clothes and even a driveway surface. Wash your car in an area where a stain won’t matter and where eye protection and clothing. Also, placing an automotive drip tray beneath the golf car will help prevent stains in the storage area.

After you have cleaned the batteries, spray protectant on all the terminals to reduce corrosion.

TIRE CARE

Correct tire pressure has many advantages, among them longer battery life and easier steering, not to mention a longer life for the tire. Check your tires for the recommended pressure, but DOT rated tires maximum pressure is usually 35 psi and turf tires maximum pressure is usually 22 psi.

STORAGE

Place car in neutral when parking and turn the key off. Leave parking brake off and use blocks to prevent the car from rolling if necessary.
Batteries slowly discharge in storage, particularly in hot weather. Every 45 days, the batteries should be charged a minimum of 8 hours.