Gas Golf Cart Battery Won’t Stay Charged | Here’s the Fix!

Usually, gas golf cart batteries are long lasting and durable which can stay charged for a long time. However, there are a myriad of reasons that could make the battery die sooner than expected. If you don’t want to deal with a dead golf cart battery while you’re out, be aware of why the Gas golf cart battery wont stay charged.

Gas golf cart batteries won’t stay charged because of reasons such as- overcharging, low water levels inside the battery, loose connections, fuel line problems. Moreover, cold weather, rough and extended use of the golf cart, dead battery cells could also make the batteries lose charge. 

We will let you know about all the reasons that are making your gas golf cart battery lose power so quickly in this article. Apart from that, you will also find the solutions to those issues as well as tips to prevent the same situation happening again.

10 Reasons For Gas Golf Cart Battery Wont Stay Charged

In most cases, some malfunction or issues with or inside the gas golf cart batteries is to blame for this problem. Except the battery, the fuel line, weather and the usage can also be at fault for the battery losing charge so fast.

Here are the wide variety of reasons that refrains your gas golf cart battery from staying charged:

1. Low Water Levels Inside The Battery

One of the most common reasons for the golf cart battery losing charge is the water levels getting too low unbeknownst to the user. There is a certain level of the battery where the water should reach up to maintain a healthy battery.

Overusing the golf cart without performing necessary maintenance can result in low water levels inside the battery. Apart from that, if the battery is overheated too much, the water levels get low faster due to evaporation. 

This problem is pretty hard to pinpoint without a regular routine checkup of the golf cart. Therefore, the problem is often overlooked and the water levels remain unfixed. To fix this problem, you need to use distilled water inside the battery. 

Pour the distilled water inside the battery container until the water can cover the top of the battery cells completely. There will be lines indicating in some batteries up to where you need to fill the water.

Refrain from overpouring the water as it could get into the battery terminals and create issues. Always check the water level at least once a week.

2. Overcharging The Battery

Golf cart batteries have a proper way of charging. You can’t just leave it plugged to the charger for as long as you wish. If you charge the battery for much longer, it will accumulate too much electricity inside.

The battery can’t periodically discharge at this condition and so the battery cells get damaged. 

The best way to fix this problem is to always remember to charge your battery following the proper methods.

Don’t let the battery overcharge at any rate. If you can invest in it, get the trickle chargers for the battery.

These chargers turn off charging once the battery is charged at 100%. With this, you won’t have to keep track of the battery charging.

3. Rough Usage of The Golf Cart

By design, golf carts are not made for being used very fast and roughly. The components and battery are suitable for slow rides. If you take the golf cart on too rough and high surfaces, the battery suffers huge damage.

To get up on a high surface, you need to exert more power and this insane pressure drains the battery. 

In order to avoid this kind of problem, you need to stay away from steep and high hills. Avoid putting any kind of stress onto the golf cart that is beyond the usual limit.

Don’t use too much speed while driving somewhere with the golf cart. Overall, let the battery rest for a while after using the golf cart.

4. Failure of The Battery Charger

Another reason for the golf cart battery to not stay charged is a battery charger failure. The battery charger could be too old to properly charge your battery.

In case the charger does not have enough voltage for your cart, it could decline the battery health instead. This inappropriate charging could decrease the battery life and make it lose charge sooner.

First of all, purchase a new battery charger and see if it works perfectly. Make sure the battery charger is compatible with your golf cart battery.

5. Cold Weather

Cold weather is detrimental to electronics such as the battery of the gas golf cart.  The battery drains pretty quickly even if it is not in use when the weather is very chilly.

The area where you park your golf cart is the problem in winter as it has low temperature during that time. It affects the battery life vastly.

To avoid this problem, make sure the parking area of the golf cart is not too cold. You can use a warm wrap over the battery in winter to keep the cold from getting to it.

While no method can completely eliminate the chances of affecting the battery in cold, you can at least minimize it. Using a garage with a heater on can be very useful.

6. Dead Battery Cells

The cells inside your battery might die due to overuse and power drain eventually. When that happens, the ability of the battery to hold charge automatically decreases as well.

The dead cells will occupy the battery but won’t hold a charge for it to work. As a result, the battery dies even faster. 

You can use a hydrometer and do a load test. For a dead battery cell, the load will be pretty lower than the one mentioned in the label.

This will point the dead battery cells in the container. Unfortunately, replacing specific battery cells is pretty expensive. In most cases, the best choice would be to just get a new battery instead. 

7. Loose Battery Terminals

The terminals that connect the battery with the rest of the electronics can become loose over time.

Loose battery terminals can drain the battery faster as the connections are not proper with the golf cart like this. This will stop charging the battery properly and run out of charge sooner than expected. 

Tightening up the loose terminals in your battery can solve a lot of your problems regarding this issue. In case there are corrosions built up in the terminals, disconnect the terminals completely from the battery.

Use a scrubber and baking soda-water solution to wash away the corrosion. Reconnect the terminals tightly and securely once they’re clean enough.

8. Vapor Build-up In The Fuel Line

In gas golf carts, too much vapor can get locked inside the fuel line eventually. At that point, the fuel line locks up and puts more strain into the battery to start the golf cart.

Thus, the battery loses the ability to stay charged for long periods of time. You might need professional help to fix this one issue.

However, you can use a proper fuel line cleaner. You can get it from the nearest stores. Disconnect the fuel line from the golf cart and clean it properly with the fuel line cleaner.

9. Losing Power When The Engine Is Off

It is normal for the golf cart to not lose any power once you have turned the engine off. However, if there was an issue with the internal components which keeps drawing power from the battery.

It could be an internal short or loose wires inside. This continuously drains the power from the battery and it doesn’t stay charged.

To fix this, first use a voltmeter and check exactly where the problem is active. It is better to set it to the DC amps while testing it. Once you figure out where the problem is, repair that specific part of the gas golf cart. 

10. Letting Your Battery Die Completely

Gas golf carts usually feature lead batteries. These lead batteries get extremely damaged if they discharge more than 50% of charge.

Therefore, if you keep driving the golf cart until the battery dies completely, the batteries will be damaged. Doing this every time you drive will drain away your battery life and so the battery won’t stay charged.

The most simple way to fix this is to remember that you should not drive the golf cart until the battery dies.

Instead, you need to drive it only upto a certain battery percentage. Don’t let the golf cart fully shut down before deciding to charge it.

Things You Should Avoid To Keep The Gas Golf Cart Battery Life Healthy

Maintenance is one of the best ways of ensuring a long battery life for your gas golf cart. In the long run, taking care of your battery will let you drive the golf cart smoothly and safely.

You can keep an eye on some specific components and maintain some routine checkups to keep the battery healthy. Here are some things you should avoid to keep the gas golf cart battery life healthy:

• Don’t forget to charge the batteries after using it everytime.
• Restrain yourself from overcharging the batteries. 
• Ensure that the water levels inside the battery doesn’t go below the recommended level.
• Remember not to overfill the batteries with water.
• Refrain from driving too steep hills or surfaces.
• Avoid using the wrong battery charger for your battery.
• Never let the batteries stay unclean for too long.
• Check the terminals and wires for loose connections routinely.
• Don’t drive too fast or too far with your gas golf cart.
• You can’t keep the gas golf cart in a cold environment.
• Make sure not to let the batteries stay below maximum capacity.

FAQs.

In this section, we will answer some of your most frequently asked questions about this topic. You will find some in depth answers regarding why the gas golf cart won’t stay charged.

Conclusion

There is no other way of ensuring a healthy and long life for your gas golf cart batteries without taking proper care of them. Maintenance is the number one priority when it comes to your expensive golf cart batteries.

All you need to remember are the dos and don’ts mentioned in the above sections and you will be good to go! If you face problems with holding the charge, following this guide will be a pretty easy fix for you.

In case the golf cart still does not charge properly, the battery might be too beyond saving. You would be better off purchasing a brand new pack of batteries instead of fixing this one over and over again.

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