Gold cart is also a type of vehicle that runs on battery like other vehicles. So if your golf cart is not working correctly, there is likely some issue with the battery. Some say that we charge our golf cart batteries regularly and have good quality batteries, but the condition worsens after some time. We’ll show you how to test golf cart batteries with a multimeter step-by-step.
Many golf cart batteries have different capacities depending on the voltage they take to get full. Although their sizes also vary. Before going towards the testing procedure of the golf cart batteries, we should first know the reasons which affect them so that they remain unable to support your golf cart.
Reasons for the failure of Golf cart batteries
- A cheap battery can also be the reason for its failure. But only some of the time. Because we know that dedicated ones play golf, they pay great attention to the quality most of the time.
- When the batteries get old, they also show these issues where they don’t work with the same efficiency or take too much time to get charged. This is a call by the battery that you should buy a new one now.
- The third reason which doesn’t come to mind is that they need to learn how to charge their batteries. It means that sometimes they overcharge their batteries, which will not only ruin their condition but also decrease the lifetime of the batteries.
So if you are an owner of a golf cart, then it is necessary to know everything about it. You should know how to deal with your vehicle and how often you have to change your batteries and buy a new one. Because it not only affects the battery but will also ruin the condition of your golf cart.
Now we will move toward the procedure of checking golf cart batteries by using a multimeter.
Precautions:
Here is a list of necessary precautions you must encounter when checking the golf cart battery with the multimeter.
- Please charge the battery to its whole state because it will give the exact readings
- in the entire condition.
- Remember to wear protective glasses so that any spark cannot damage your eyes.
- Protect your hands by wearing gloves.
- Don’t directly connect probes and battery terminals because it will produce a spark.
- Remove all the keys from the ignition.
- Turn off the vehicle properly.
Physical inspection:
Before you start testing the golf cart’s battery, we advise you to do a physical inspection to observe the battery’s external condition. See if there is any hole or crack at the outer side of the battery or if any terminal is in a bad situation.
So if you see any physical fault, the battery’s bad condition is because of that external fault. But if you do not see any external damage, there is an internal fault in the battery that needs a proper internal inspection.
How to Test Golf Cart Batteries with a Multimeter?
Here is the step-by-step guide on how to test golf cart batteries with a multimeter.
Step 1:
As this test includes a multimeter so, in this case, you have to set the multimeter so that it gets ready for the corresponding test.
You must turn your multimeter’s settings on the DC Voltage point for this test. After doing this, the multimeter is prepared for the test, and you can proceed toward the next step.
Step 2:
In the second step, you have to make proper connections. For this, connect the positive and negative leads with the corresponding terminals of the golf cart battery.
You must connect the positive lead to the positive terminal and the negative one to the negative terminal.
Step 3:
Note the multimeter display screen. If it gives the readings around about 12.6 volts, then it means the battery has charged fully.
But if it gives lower readings than expected, the battery needs to be charged properly. In this condition, leave the battery on charge again for 24 hours and then check the display screen of the multimeter.
Step 4:
In this step now, you have to connect the red and black probe of the multimeter with the positive and negative terminals. Here you have to connect the black probe with the negative terminal and the red probe with the positive terminal.
Step 5:
As of now, we are moving towards the final step, so here you have to put some load on your golf cart battery which you can do by turning the headlights of the golf cart on. Now again, check the display screen of the multimeter.
If you get the resulting readings between 6 to 8 volts, your battery is in good condition. But if the results fluctuate from the expected normal reading, your battery is not in good condition and needs to be replaced.
Final verdict
You should know that different batteries have different power values, so the resulting values are different in different batteries. In this case, you don’t need to be worried because the normal readings will equal at least half of the total voltage value of that battery.
So the process of checking the battery is the same for all golf cart batteries. Follow the above-explained process and check out the condition of your golf cart’s battery. Another thing you should know while checking your golf cart battery is not just a single unit. It is a battery bank.
To get to know the exact power of the battery, you can also check the whole battery bank. Here multimeter will help you to check an individual battery. This process is also beneficial because it will help you confirm whether the fault in the individual battery is the cause of the failure or whether the whole battery bank of your golf cart is the cause of this condition.
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