Electric Golf Cart Winter Storage Tips
First of all you should clean your batteries and ensure that all the cell caps are snugly attached. Then unplug the charger and wash the battery compartment. Start on one side of the golf cart and spray Battery Neutralizer all over the tops of the batteries. Be sure to spray between the batteries, down on the battery racks, and the inside walls of the body panels, if they are metal. Use an old paintbrush to scour all the battery tops and sides. Water from a garden hose using plain water, or use a solution of Baking Soda (about 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon of water) to neutralize the acid.
Check, clean, tighten and treat all of the battery terminal connections. Be sure the cables are tight to the post. Carefully wriggle each cable end side-to-side and then gently up & down. There should be no looseness or sideways movement. If your battery terminals are badly corroded, you will need to do some serious cleaning.
Check the water levels in each cell. Use distilled water to fill and be sure the electrolyte (water) in each battery cell is above the plates. In cold climates, when the cart will be left uncharged for several months, leave the water level a little low. This raises the specific gravity of the acid, which will help prevent freezing. A lead acid battery keeps much better in the cold than in the heat, as long as the charge stays up.
A fully charged battery will not freeze until 60 to 70 below zero whereas a discharged battery can freeze at 20 degrees above zero. As a battery discharges, the acid turns into water by the basic chemical nature of the lead acid battery. The more discharge, the more water and the more likely it is to freeze. Also a dirty, acid covered battery will self-discharge at a faster rate than a clean treated battery, even in cooler temperatures.
Don’t leave your electric golf cart plugged into the charger for extended periods of time. After the charge is done, unplug the charger from the cart and from the wall.
Leave the cart in Neutral and turn the key off. Either way, scotch the wheels so you can leave the hill brake released. This prevents strain on the cables and the brake shoes can’t lock to the drums.
If you are not going away for the winter, you can plug your Charger in for a few hours once a month to insure a full charge is maintained. The charger should be unplugged from the car and the wall after charging.
Finalize for winter storage by checking the tire pressures and inflate to 20-25 psi.
Roll down the rain curtains and zip them part way down. If you have to leave the car out in the open, or under an open shed, neatly fold the rain curtain and bring it in the house till spring. Very cold weather will cause the see through vinyl to become very brittle and a puff of wind will blow it out.
For additional information on electric golf cart batteries including how lead acid batteries work; how to use a hydrometer; charging batteries and troubleshooting golf cart batteries please visit Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide
