How to Know when Golf Cart Batteries Are Dying

By Steve Silverman

The cart is one of a golfer's most prized possessions, particularly when playing a round on a hot day. The cart will zip you around from hole to hole and give you an opportunity to concentrate on your game and not worry about how brutal the weather is. While most golfers will just use a cart that belongs to the club, some will buy their own and maintain it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Hit the gas pedal smoothly after you turn on the golf cart with the key. If your battery is getting near the end of its life cycle, your starts will be slower than normal. You might notice more than a 2-second delay from the moment your foot hits the gas pedal to the time the cart moves.

Step 2

Put the cart in reverse to see if it cart maintains its charge. If you have a strong battery, going from "D" (drive) to "R" (reverse) should not cause any problems. But when the battery is dying, the act of shifting gears might drain the battery even further.

Step 3

Watch your cart's performance on uphill holes. This is perhaps the biggest telltale sign. If you have to floor the gas pedal to get up a hill--and you feel like your cart is going to die, and you have massive relief when you have reached the crest of the hill and can start cruising--your battery needs to be replaced.

Step 4

Check out the accessories on the golf cart. A personalized cart might include a radio, air conditioning, refrigerator and CD player. If your CD player slows or your refrigerator isn't keeping things as cold as it should, it could be your battery.

Step 5

Drive from hole to hole without turning the cart on and off. If it starts to hesitate in the middle of driving even though it is facing no impediments, it is likely the battery.

Tips & Warnings

Maintain your golf cart regularly. That includes checking the battery. Even a well-maintained vehicle will need a new battery every two years or so.

About The Author

Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.