How to Rebuild a Golf Cart Battery
A golf cart battery, also called a deep-cycle battery, is a 12-volt battery with six 2-volt cells. A deep-cycle battery contains lead acid. When a deep-cycle battery sits for long periods of time in bad weather, damage occurs. When you purchase a new battery, pour additive into the terminals, which prolongs the life of the battery and readies it for reconditioning in the future. Every battery comes with a guaranteed lifespan; however, the level of maintenance determines whether it reaches its full lifespan potential.
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Things You'll Need
- Safety goggles
- Distilled water
- Epsom Salt
- Three-phase charger
- Drill
- Nonmetallic container
- Wrench
- Rubber gloves
Instructions
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1
Dress in complete safety attire with goggles, rubber gloves and a rubber apron.
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2
Work next to a continuous water source because a lot of water is required. Water helps dilute the acid of the battery; work in a well-ventilated area.
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3
Take the terminal cables off the battery and remove them from the golf cart. Set the battery on a work bench.
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4
Pry off the cell caps on the battery. Depending on the amount of corrosion, you may need a screwdriver to help you pry off the cell caps.
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5
Turn the water source on and empty the contents of the battery into a container that is not made of metal. Make sure you have your safety gear on properly. Rinse out the battery cells with running water, pouring the water into the container.
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Mix Epsom Salt and distilled water together in another container. The ratio of this mixture is 7 ounces of Epsom Salt to 1 quart distilled water. Use distilled water because it is free of minerals that cause corrosion in batteries. Stir the mixture, completely dissolving the Epsom Salt.
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Pour the Epsom Salt into the battery cells, making sure each cell has the same amount of liquid.
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Hook a three-phase charger to the golf cart battery. Leave the rebuilt battery charging overnight.
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Take the rebuilt battery and put it back into the golf cart, reconnecting the battery terminals.
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Start the golf cart and use for one week. At the end of one week reattach the golf cart battery to the three-phase battery charger and leave until a complete charge is accepted.
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Tips & Warnings
Adding a reconditioning additive to a new battery prolongs the lifespan of the battery.
Use an antifreeze tester to extract acid from a good battery and squirt the contents into a glass jar. Put a piece of nylon cloth on top of the acid in the jar. The acid eats the nylon.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit dead battery image by Katrina Miller from Fotolia.com
