How To Maintain A Golf Cart During The Off-Season

How To Maintain A Golf Cart During The Off-Season

While golf carts require maintenance throughout the year to run smoothly. There is also an entirely different maintenance schedule for getting your golf cart ready for storage during the winter.

If proper winterizing is not done, pretty expensive golf cart repair costs tend to follow when golfing season comes around again, as the golf carts in question will have developed extensive operational faults due to a lack of proper storage. Don't know how to store a golf cart properly for winter? Then this article is perfect for you. Read on to discover effective golf cart tips for off-season maintenance and storage.

Golf Cart Battery Maintenance

If you're familiar with cars, you'll be aware that the battery of a car contributes significantly to the normal functioning of the vehicle. The same also applies to a golf cart. Now, while you may not have to do a great deal of golf cart battery maintenance during the golf season, things become a lot different during the off-season.

The golfing off-season could last for as long as six months, meaning you have six months where the golf cart isn't used. If you don't ensure that your golf cart's battery is stored correctly or "winterized " during this period, you'll find that the battery will degrade while it sits. This will, of course, mean that you won't be able to get the golf cart running again till you purchase a new battery, an unnecessary expense that could have been easily averted.

If you're unsure how to winterize golf cart batteries, here are some tips for storing golf cart batteries for winter.

Charge Your Golf Cart Battery

The first thing to do is to ensure that the golf cart's batteries are sufficiently charged before storage. It is recommended that you do a full charge, but if you'd rather not do this, then you should at least make sure the golf cart's battery is 80% charged. Now you may be wondering, "why is this important?"

The answer is simple, really; you see, batteries tend to discharge over time when they are not in use. If they remain unused for long periods, they could discharge to the point where charging them back up is practically impossible. Charging a golf cart's battery before storing it ensures it won't get to that "critical" battery health decline state.

Golf Cart Trickle Charger

If you don't want to risk the golf cart's battery discharging to the point where you won't be able to use it again, you could consider getting a trickle charger to maintain it during its storage. Note, however, that it's important you get a trickle charger that has an auto shut-off feature, as this will prevent the golf cart's battery from overcharging.

Disconnect Battery Cables

Once you've charged the battery, the next thing to do is to disconnect it from the golf cart. It is recommended that you remove the battery from the golf cart and store it in a warm, dry place (on a pallet). But if you don't want to remove the golf cart's battery, you should make sure you disconnect it. This will help prevent the battery from getting drained faster. So the charge will last all through the winter period.

Golf Cart Tire Maintenance

Another part of a golf cart to check when you intend to store it for the winter is the tires. Similar to any vehicle's tires, sitting unused in the cold will likely cause damage. The good news is tire maintenance for golf carts isn't very difficult.

Inflate Your Golf Cart's Tires

If you didn't know this already, there is a recommended minimum and maximum tire air pressure for golf carts. You should make sure that you gauge the golf cart's tire pressure before storage to ensure it falls within the acceptable range. If it doesn't, you should inflate it to the proper PSI..

Note that just like batteries, tires also tend to experience some sort of decline during long storage periods.

The only difference, however, is that, in this case, the air pressure is declining. So even if you pump the golf cart's tires before winterizing it, you'll likely still have to repeat the process after winter. Nevertheless, if you don't inflate the cart's tires to the acceptable tire pressure level before winter, they will likely end up too damaged to work properly again.

Prop Your Tires on Wooden Blocks

You should also make sure to prop your golf cart on wooden blocks. If your tires sit on concrete all winter long it's likely they will freeze and become damaged. Putting them on wood blocks will help slow this process down, so you don't incur damage over the winter.

Proper Golf Cart Storage

This is one of the most important parts of winterizing a golf cart. More often than not, the choice of storage determines how "viable" a golf cart will become by summer. This is because direct exposure to weathering can have a significant negative impact on the integrity and condition of a golf cart.

If you have a garage, it is recommended you create space and store the golf cart(s) in it to shield them from direct exposure to weathering. You could also consider getting an indoor golf cart cover to ensure additional protection. If you don't have a garage and have to park the golf cart(s) outdoors, you should get a golf cart cover. A golf cart cover will help ensure the golf cart is perfectly protected from the effects of weathering. It will also offer you protection from animal droppings and falling leaves, ensuring your golf cart remains pristine and ready for the next season.