The Right Battery Plug for the Right Golf Cart Keeps You Rolling

Different types of Battery Charger Plugs
There are at least 6 different types of male plugs used to plug in your battery charger into your golf cart. 

If you buy a used battery charger you need to make sure it comes with the correct plug.  

EZ GO has used 3 types of male plugs over the years. The more modern EZ GO charger plugs cost $100, so if you buy a used charger and it has the wrong plug, you may have to spend $100 for the correct plug. It’s not so much of a bargain. 

Club Car has used 2 different plugs over the years.  The older style 36 volt plug was called the “crow’s foot”, because it has 2 prongs at 45 degree angles.  The more modern 48 volt Club Car plug is grey and its round. 

Yamaha has used 3 plugs over the years.  In the early years they used the “crow’s foot” plug on their 36 volt chargers.  Newer Yamaha 48 volt chargers use 2 different types of plugs.

The Golf Car Connection can provide you with the right plug for the right car. Give us your golf Cart’s serial number and we will look up the appropriate plug. Golf Car Connection also offers charger repairs, replacement batteries and other services and parts to keep you and your golf cart moving. Call us at 954-946-8008 for all your golf cart and utility car needs.

Charging Your Golf Cart when You Leave for the Season

Snow birds and their golf cars

Out of sight out of mind, is bad news for golf cart batteries. 

A golf cart must be charged once a month whether the car is used or not.  If a golf cart sits for six months and the batteries were never charged during that time, you could ruin your batteries.  A new set of batteries costs $905.  

In a cold climate a fully charged battery can be in an unheated garage for 6 months, and still be good.  This is not the case in a hot un-airconditioned garage that can be over 90 degrees in the summer. If a battery sits for six months without being charged in those condition it will likely be damaged and un-repairable. 

Many families have a house sitter that checks on their house.  Please ask the house sitter to arrive at 9am to plug in the charger, and then come back at 5pm to unplug the charger as it takes eight (8) hours to charge the golf cart batteries. It is recommended to have the house sitter check on the water level of the batteries. If the water level is low, they will need to add water to the batteries. It is preferable that it be filled with distilled water. 

The battery charger cannot be left plugged into the golf cart for six months, expecting it to charge up the car whenever the batteries get low on charge.  Golf cart battery chargers do not work that way.  Battery chargers need to be unplugged and plugged back in, recycled, so to speak, in order to keep your golf cart charged up and ready for use when you return to Florida. 

Call The Golf Car Connection at 954-946-8008 when you return to Florida, if you have any concerns, so that your golf cart is ready for your enjoyment. 

Do You Know if Your Golf Cart Battery Charger is Working?

How do you know if your battery charger is working?

 
You plugged in your golf cart battery charger into the wall outlet and your charger cord into your golf car but that doesn’t mean you are charging your golf car.  

Sometimes an electrical outlet is suddenly not working.  If you plug your golf car charger into an inoperable outlet your golf cart is not going to be charged up.  Always check your circuit breakers, or fuses.  Be sure your outlet is not hooked up to a timer.

When a battery charger is running it will:   

• Be warm to the touch
• Make a slight humming noise
• Have a slight vibration.   

Some chargers have an analog gauge that shows the charger is working. Other chargers have LED lights indicating if the charger is working.

In rare cases you can have a runaway charger that runs and runs and never shuts off.  When you plug your golf car in at night, it should be shut off in the morning. If it’s still running in the morning something is wrong and it’s overcharging your batteries.  This is more common with Club Cars.  This type of problem needs immediate attention so that you don't ruin your batteries and have the expense of replacement. This problem may be the Club Car itself and therefore the golf cart needs to be repaired. On most other brands, its only the charger that needs the repair.

The  Golf Car Connection can help you diagnose a problem with your battery charger and repair it.

Flat Beds on Golf Carts are Multi-purpose Vehicles

Turn Any Golf Cart into a Maintenance Car

Convert a golf car into a maintenance car by putting a flatbed on the back of the golf cart.  

The Golf Car Connection often converts a golfer's car into a maintenance car by removing the sweater basket and golf bag straps then adding a framed flatbed on the back. 

We recommend that the steel frame be fabricated with 2” angle 1/8” thick steel.  The side rails should be 1 ½” angle 1/8” thick.  The base of the flatbed should be ¾” exterior plywood.  The maximum load on the flat bed should not exceed 150 lbs.  The flat bed could support more than 150 lbs., but it is recommended to keep the weight below that so as not to ruin the golf cart frame and tires over an extended period of heavy loads. We offer specialized utility vehicles for heavier loads. Check back for our post about industrial and utility vehicles.

Yamaha Flatbed Golf Cart

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Do you want the best of all worlds? You can order a special rear seat kit to add to a 2-seat  golf cart. This will give you a 4-seat golf cart with the ability to fold down the rear seat to make a multipurpose golf cart with a flatbed. Now your 4-seater instantly becomes a utility car for maintenance, landscaping, luggage toting and countless other applications.

Flatbed golf carts are available with gas and electric carts. Discuss your application with a specialist at The Golf Car Connection in Pompano Beach, FL so that you can achieve your maintenance objectives safely and efficiently. Call 954-946-8008 today or visit The Golf Car Connection at http://www.golfcar.com. 

Golf Cart Battery Chargers

Golf Cart Battery Chargers 

There are  two types of golf car battery chargers. They are 36-volt battery chargers and 48-volt battery chargers.The battery charger must match up with the golf car brand. They are not interchangeable.

If your golf car has a 36 volt electrical system, you need a 36-volt charger.  If your car has a modern 48-volt electrical system, then you need a 48 volt charger.  A charger must be kept in a dry location and protected from the rain.  

 
Golf cart chargers should always be plugged directly into a wall outlet.  In an emergency if you need to use an extension cord, you may use a 10 gauge wire extension cord.

When the charger is running, look for these signs to see if it is working:

• It may have either a gauge or lights indicating that it’s charging. 
• There may be a slight humming noise, the outside case is warm, and if you put your fingers lightly on the outside case you can feel a slight vibration.   
• You could use a volt ohm meter, and see how many volts the charger is putting into the batteries.   

A simple volt ohm meter can be purchased for under $20. For a 36-volt system you might see voltages from 38 volts to 43 volts. For a 48-volt charger you might see 50 volts to 55 volts. 

The Golf Car Connection repairs battery chargers. Don't hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns at 954-946-8008 or email info@golfcar.com.