Gas Golf Cart Battery Replacement Guide | 10 Easy Steps

You are enjoying  your day on your Gas Golf Cart and suddenly it stops working. So, you check and you find that your golf cart battery is faulty. What do you do then? It’s obvious that you need to replace it. Let’s talk about how and when you should replace your gas golf cart battery.

You should replace your gas golf cart battery every 4-5 years or less. It depends on the battery and how you maintain it. You can predict a battery’s failure. Your battery is likely failing if it’s swollen or expanding; replace it quickly.

Along with maintenance tips, this article will tell you when to replace your battery and give you a guide for doing so. It will also provide you with information about gas golf cart batteries.

When Should You Replace the Gas Golf Cart Battery?

Though it’s possible to know when a battery is ready to die, doing so isn’t always practical. Below are some warning signals that it’s time to replace the battery.

Reduction of Speed And Power of Your Gas Golf Cart

Modern golf carts are more than just a means of transport; they also have cutting-edge technologies that expand their usefulness. The vehicle should react almost immediately when you press the accelerator on a golf cart.

Extended Charging Period of Your Gas Golf Cart

It could take longer than usual to recharge your batteries. It now takes at least 8 hours to charge completely, up from 4 to 5 hours.

There is Less Time Between Charges

Those who use their golf carts daily will be first to discover if there are any problems. You should be worried if you often have issues with your batteries, like when they don’t charge right or die completely.

Leaking Acid from Battery

When a battery’s acid seeps through the crevices in its casing or cap, the battery expands and begins to leak. Leakage near the battery pack almost certainly consists of acid.

Components of the Cart are Failing

Most golf cart extras are battery-operated as well. It could be batteries if your music system, refrigerator, or air conditioner suddenly stops working.

Golf Cart’s Battery and Charge Drain Quickly

When you used to be able to travel a few miles in your gas golf cart easily, but now your journeys are getting shorter and shorter, it’s time to start thinking about replacing your batteries.

How Do You Know if Gas Golf Cart Battery is Bad?

Not what you had in mind for a leisurely afternoon on the course when your gas golf cart’s battery unexpectedly dies on you. It’s a sign of a bad battery. 

You can avoid a costly path to the dealer if you do a handful of quick tests to see if the problem is indeed in the battery.

Your Golf Cart’s Power is Dwindling

If you notice that your battery’s power output is decreasing, It’s annoying and could also mean your cart battery is on its way out.

You’ll feel it when driving uphill since your golf cart may have difficulty keeping momentum.

Your Gas Golf Cart’s Range is Decreasing

The battery’s maximum range will decrease when it has reached its prime performance.

If it keeps becoming shorter and shorter, to the point where it can’t even make it through 18 holes, then we have a severe issue. If they are unable to continue, it means that the battery is going bad.

Visual Indications

Checking the battery is usually sufficient to determine if it is failing. The cells of a faulty battery may swell, and cracks may appear.

In addition, corrosion may show on the roof or edges. Potential dangers include exposure to battery acid and fire.

When dealing with damaged batteries, you must always use protective gear. Sadly, if your battery is bulging or fractured, it may be destroyed beyond use.

Tools required for Safety

Before going to the main replacement process you’ll need a set of tools to make the task easy and trouble free. Check below list:

• Grab a pair of mechanic’s gloves. You don’t want to get battery acid on your hands.
• Use protective eyewear. Battery acid shouldn’t even get in your eyes.
• Look for some ties that zip together. Having them on hand can help you organize the wires that go to your various gadgets.
• When the old battery is removed, use a squirt bottle with a mix of baking soda and water to clean the battery compartment.
• If you don’t already have some, you should invest in a battery terminal protector.
• If you can’t find a battery strap, use some sturdy zip ties to help you lift old ones and slide in a new one. Despite appearances, battery packs weigh quite a bit.
• Lastly, track down a 9/16″ or 1/2″ wrench extension socket so you may work on terminals without risking a painful hand injury. 

If you have all these tools available then you are good to go. Now you can start the replacement of your golf cart battery.

Gas Golf Cart Battery Replacement Guide

You could find that your golf cart slows down a bit before the final hole. The battery in your golf cart has to be changed after getting a clear indication that your battery is going bad.

The battery itself is expensive, and having a dealer install it for you or having someone come to your home to do it would add labor charges to the total.

If you take the right approach, any task will be easy for you to complete. Okay, so let’s get going with this.

Step 01:  Remove the Charger and turn the Key to the OFF position

Turn off power by unplugging the charger. Verify that charger is unplugged and the cart key is in “off” position.

After that, you can free batteries from their holders. Newer models of golf carts may feature a “run/tow” switch; flip it to the tow position.

Step 02: Take a Picture, and Don’t Forget to Draw It!

You’ll need to sit and draw a diagram showing where the various cables join. Given that these are only two cables that do not connect to another battery but exit the battery bay, you should have no trouble finding them.

You’ll need to look at this information more than once, so it’s worth the time it takes to make an accurate diagram.

Step 03: Remove both the positive and negative cables

You should begin by removing the negative wire and then positive. When installing new batteries, disconnect any extra wires and bundle them with cable ties.

Step 04: Take off Any Remaining Cables

Carefully disconnect remaining cables, avoiding terminals with a wrench, lest you receive an unexpected haircut.

Step 05: Take the Batteries Out of the Gas Golf Cart

Get rid of the old battery by unbuckling the battery strap. Take care, as they weigh quite a bit.

It’s also a good idea to put them on cardboard or some other shield barrier before setting down on cement or the garage floor, as those may still contain acid.

Extend its useful life by a year or two. Be good with your wallet and shopping basket, and reward yourself. Once you’ve finished following these instructions, you can pat yourself on the back.

Step 06: Make sure the Battery Bay is clean

It’s recommended to begin by placing a sheet of cardboard and a towel underneath the battery compartment. Acid from a battery can leave a lasting trace on concrete and other surfaces.

Then, thoroughly clean the battery compartment with baking soda and water solution and dry it with a towel. Remove any extra acid with a paint scraper.

Step 07: Replace the Batteries in Your Golf Cart

With battery strap in hand, carefully follow your diagram to install fresh batteries with their polarity aligned.

Step 08: Reconnect the Cables to the Battery

It is time to begin reconnecting battery wires, and we advise using lock washers to ensure that the cables don’t become unplugged over time. 

Start with the ones that go from one battery to another, extras, and primary positive and negative terminals.

Before securing batteries with bars and rods, it is a good idea to check the polarity (positive to negative, negative to positive, etc.) several times.

Step 09: Now Test Your Cart 

Once you’ve finished everything, you may test lights and electronics by turning them on and off and driving the cart both forward and reverse while softly tapping the accelerator (after switching “run/tow” switch back to run, if present).

After ensuring everything is working correctly, the final step is to spray the battery protector on terminals. This spray will delay the damage that acid corrosion could cause to terminals. 

Step 10: Put the New Gas Golf Cart Batteries on Charge

Once fully charged with the new batteries, you can take your cart back onto the course or road with all of its original power.

So now you have it! You have successfully installed fresh batteries. Remember to remove your batteries if you don’t want to replace them for a while.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Different people have different inquiries about this. To the best of our abilities, we are addressing the concerns raised by questions about the material presented below. Likewise, We hope you can discover the solutions you seek.

Conclusion

Finally, you know when to change the battery in your gas golf cart and how to inspect it. Changing the battery in a gas golf cart is simple, and you already know its ins and outs.

Although this work is simple, it also carries some level of danger. Hence, wearing the correct gear to perform this job is very life-saving. While working on this, please wear the proper safety equipment.

The steps are fun and simple tasks, but if you’re not comfortable doing it alone, we recommend finding a local dealer.

• Read Also: Trojan Lithium Golf Cart Batteries [Everything You Should Know]
• Read Also: The Lifespan of Trojan Batteries: How Long Do They Last?
• Read Also: Crown vs Trojan Batteries | Golf Cart Batteries Comparison!
• Read Also: Gas Golf Cart Battery Won’t Stay Charged | Here’s the Fix!
• Read Also: Ultimate Guide on How to Replace a Melted Battery Terminal
• Read Also: Everything You Need to Know About Gas Golf Cart Battery