Barbaric is what I like to call a situation where you charge your golf cart battery overnight just to find out in the morning that the battery is still dead.
This disappointment is more significant than what you feel when you pay for food you did not enjoy. And believe me, I am no exception to this.
In fact, every golf player faces this situation every once in a while. The only possible solution to this problem is to keep track of the performance of your charger and test your golf cart battery charger regularly.
Personally, I like to keep a Voltmeter on hand so that I can test my golf cart battery charger. It is an efficient device that keeps me updated on the efficiency of my charger.
Some of you might already be familiar with a Voltmeter but don’t worry if you aren’t because I am about to explain it all in my article just below.
So, if you want to know how to test a golf cart battery charger, I suggest you keep on reading! Now, without wasting any more of your time, let us get into the depth of the topic.
Why Should You Test Your Charger?
Testing your golf cart battery charger is important in order to ensure that the charger is working properly and is charging your golf cart’s battery at the correct rate.
A faulty battery charger could lead to a shortened battery life or even an electrical fire.
Testing your golf cart battery charger can also help you determine if you need to replace the battery charger or the golf cart’s battery.
The following are some reasons why testing is a great choice for your golf cart battery charger:
- Enhances Battery Life
- Ensures Strong Batteries
- Catches Potential Electrical Problems
How To Test A Golf Cart Battery Charger
Basic Know-how
I want you to go back in time and remember what you used to do in your physics class when you needed to check whether a piece of equipment was working.
Yes, that is correct, you used to connect it to the terminals of a Voltmeter to check whether it was conducting electricity.
For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, simply understand that a Voltmeter is a device that checks whether the connected equipment is conducting electricity.
Testing A New Golf Cart Battery Charger
A Voltmeter can also be used to check the electrical conductivity of a device in Amperes. It means that you can check an old as well as a new golf cart battery charger.
You must be wondering why you need to check the new charger when it is supposed to work at its optimum, so to answer that, I would like to draw your attention towards the claim the tag on your battery charger makes on the box.
To ensure that the charger provides the Amperage that it claims, simply connect the charger to the positive and negative terminals of the voltmeter.
Connecting the charger to the Voltmeter will make the needle on the Voltmeter scale shoot up. You must note the readings of the scale very carefully because it will confirm or negate the claim made by the company of the golf cart battery charger you purchased.
Testing An Old Golf Cart Battery Charger
Now, moving on to testing your old golf cart battery charger. Your old charger needs testing for two main reasons.
The first reason is to account for the level of efficiency remaining, and the second reason is to test whether your battery is working at all.
Also read: Golf Cart Troubleshooting and Maintenance Checklist
So, for this purpose, you need to connect your battery charger again to your Voltmeter. Make sure that you join the right wires to the correct terminals of the Voltmeter.
Otherwise, you will not get any motion in the Voltmeter needle. And you may end up drawing all the wrong conclusions.
Bonus Tip
As a bonus tip, I would like to suggest you test your golf cart battery charger at regular intervals and note down the Voltmeter readings on every testing.
This small task will help you keep track of your battery’s progress and performance, plus you will be better able to evaluate a suitable rate for depreciation.
FAQs
How do I know if my golf cart battery charger is bad?
You need to look for signals that indicate if your golf cart battery charger has gone bad.
Look out for any abnormal behavior such as taking too long to start up or too early to shut down than previously.
Another possible indication might be your battery not being able to charge fully. It could be due to a faulty battery, but you need to check the charger first.
So, these are some of the indications that might highlight a defective charger.
How do I test my golf cart battery charger?
Testing your golf cart battery charger is fairly simple. All you have to do is get yourselves a Voltmeter. The rest is simple, connect the Voltmeter to the wires of the charger.
Make sure that you join the right cables to the correct terminals; otherwise, the Voltmeter will not work. You will notice an instant movement in the Voltmeters needle.
However, if the needle does not move despite connecting the wires correctly, then it means that there is some issue with your charger.
How do I know if my golf cart battery charger is charging?
Many golf cart battery chargers come with indicator lights that turn on or blink when you connect them to the battery.
This is an excellent indication that your battery is doing its job correctly.
However, if your golf cart battery charger does not have indicator lights, then look for the duration needed for the charger to charge the golf cart batteries fully.
Then, the next time you connect the batteries to the charger, note the timings and disconnect the charger when the time is up.
Also read: How to Paint Golf Cart
Do golf cart chargers have fuses?
Golf cart chargers can have fuses, but they are typically not very big and they may not be easily accessible. It is important to check the fuse before using the charger to ensure that it is in working order.
How long do golf cart chargers last?
Golf cart chargers can last anywhere from a few hours to a day or two, depending on the model and how often it is used. In general, the more frequently it is used, the shorter the battery life will be.
Final Thoughts
Assuming you read this whole article with concentration and understood everything, I now declare you fully acknowledged and capable of testing your own golf cart battery charger.
It is really just a simple task and will go a long way in pinpointing the exact problem area.
It will also save you big bucks as you will no longer require professional help for getting your batteries tested.
Plus, you will not have to go to the trouble of getting a new charger just to find out that there is a fault in the battery and not the charger.
A lifelong devotee of the sport, Kane Franco serves as a Senior Staff Writer for Florida Elite Golf Tour. His expertise, coupled with a genuine desire to assist golfers in selecting the optimal gear, has led him to oversee a team of writers dedicated to providing the most precise and insightful reviews and purchasing guidance.
