Mia
Whether you want to buy a golf cart for yourself or you own a big property and want people to move around easier, there are important maintenance steps you need to take to keep your cart in tip-top shape. Golf carts are popular because they are easy to operate and are quite fast for small trips, but they are still assets that you need to take care of.
Just as you maintain your car and household, these handy alternatives to driving work in the same way as other automobiles that require regular checks and services. Read on to learn the three most important maintenance tips for golf carts.
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Golf Carts Run on Batteries
Many people don’t know that golf carts use much smaller batteries than regular cars and need to be charged manually. It is not as easy as just driving around town to charge your car battery, you have to monitor it carefully. The advantage here is that golf carts don’t use gas to run, so it can be cost-effective.
As well as regularly charging your golf cart batteries, you will want to watch the water level of the lead plates. A golf cart works by submerging the lead batteries in water, so check this level. It must be above the lead plates. First, you need a full charge on the battery, then you have to use only distilled water. This is important because ordinary tap water is no good and if you drive your cart often, you will need to do this process at least once a month.
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Proper Storage for Winter
You are less likely to go golfing or ride your golf cart during the winter, so you will need to think about how to best store it for long periods. This is important because of the batteries and possible acid and corrosion that may happen if the cart is left standing without being operated. When you are charging your golf cart, it will naturally release water, battery acid, and hydrogen particles that can damage other components.
To prevent these particles from causing permanent damage, spray the battery with a mixture of 2 teaspoons of baking soda to 1 liter of water. This will neutralize the battery acid, but make sure to close any vents and pipes to prevent the mixture from getting into electrical boards. After neutralizing, be sure to rinse the batteries with clean distilled water and dry carefully with a cloth.
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Watch Your Load
Golf carts are very handy to transport small items around, but they do have their limitations. The average one can only hold between 600 – 800 lbs, which may seem like a lot, but when you have four passengers each with luggage, it can become too heavy. This also includes how you secure any items in the golf cart. If you are speeding, golf carts tend to fall over on sharp turns, so you don’t want any heavy items falling on top of you. When using your golf cart, just take into account how much you need to transport and how far you will be traveling.
There are many popular brands of golf carts that will give you more weight loads, but it’s sensible to shop around. Look for popular brands, such as Club Car accessories for golf carts, so you can find the best prices.
Golf carts can be very useful, especially if you are an avid golfer. Just as you perform regular services on your car, you should do the same for golf carts. Never discount the benefit of a professional mechanic to do a proper service, however, these are some basic tips that can be learned to self-maintain your cart.
