Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
A golf cart battery charger plays a critical role in keeping your batteries fully charged for your round of golf. The last thing you want to be concerned about when you’re heading out to play is dead batteries. In order to have enough juice, the charger needs to be performing its duty. Are you wondering why won’t my golf cart charger charge? The common problems include popped breaker panels, low water levels, poor connections, and more. Before you seek professional help, learn the 5 most common golf cart charging issues.
Golf Cart Charge Issues
Without question, an abundance of issues stems from golf cart chargers. Golf cart chargers are one of the primary reasons that batteries fail to charge. With that said it is important to understand each issue associated with the charger.
Loose Wiring In The Charger Plug
Golf cart charger cables and plugs never sit stationary. The cable and the plug are constantly being moved from a stored position to a charging position. As a result, the cables within the charger plug are prone to becoming loose, which results in the inability to properly charge the battery bank.
Fortunately, loose battery cables are capable of being repaired at home. For this reason, you won’t need to hire a professional unless, of course, you don’t feel comfortable. In order to restore the flow of electricity from the charger to the batteries, the plug connections must be tightened.
The best way to inspect the charger plug is to first disconnect the power, remove the screws, and inspect the internal wiring. While you’re within the plug, tighten the wires connecting to the charging pins before closing it back up and repeating the charging process.
Blown Fuse In The Charger
Another common charger problem is dealing with a blown fuse. Fuses are in place as a safeguard against overloading. Overloading batteries is likely to result in permanent long term damage or battery failure.
Rather than causing hours of frustration, it is imperative to inspect the charger fuse in the event the golf cart will not charge. Importantly, you will need to remove the plug from the power outlet before performing any work. Never put yourself at risk of becoming electrocuted by working on your golf cart charger.
​I recommend consulting your battery chargers owner’s manual. The location and process of inspecting and changing a fuse varies based on the manufacturer. Follow the instructions closely.
Golf Cart Charger Pins
Upon close inspection of a battery charger plug, you will see pins protruding from the inside. The pins are imperative to the charging process as they are what transfer the power from the charger to the batteries in the first place.
I won’t go as far as to say the pins are delicate, but they are prone to bending or being pushed into the charger itself. Fortunately, there are a couple of solutions when it comes to damaged pins.
First, unplug the charger and inspect the pins. In the event the charger plug pins are recessed, use a pair of needle nose pliers and attempt to pull them back out. However, I recommend inserting the plug to determine if the pins will continue to retract. If so, the golf cart charger plug will require replacement.
Replacement charger plugs are available online. Importantly, you will need to match up the proper plug to ensure that it will couple correctly with the golf cart receptacle.
Electrical Panel Breaker Has Popped
One of the most easily recognizable issues when it comes to golf cart charger issues is a popped breaker within an electrical panel. No question about it, when the circuit breaker trips, the charger itself will fail to receive power; therefore, it will not deliver a charge to the batteries.
A strong indication that the panel breaker has popped is failing to display lights on the charger itself. Golf cart chargers are most often equipped with lights to notify you when charging is in progress and once you have reached a fully charged battery.
​In the event the charger is not receiving power, you will need to inspect your breaker panel. Take a close look at the panel and determine if any breakers have tripped. If so, flip back to the on position. Once the breaker is reset, connect the golf cart charger to the golf cart to determine if it is now receiving power.
Depleted Water Levels In Your Batteries
One of the more common battery issues that prevent proper charging is water levels in a lead acid battery. Unfortunately, golf cart owners fail to monitor and refill batteries on a routine basis, which results in the water dropping to insufficient levels.
The easiest way to ensure that golf cart batteries remain properly filled is to set a maintenance schedule. Create a reminder on a monthly basis to inspect not only the water levels but also the overall condition of the battery pack.
Importantly, golf cart batteries require distilled water. Never attempt to add tap water to batteries as they are not conducive to electrolyte reaction, which is imperative to battery health. Depleted water levels are the most common issue when it comes to knowing why won’t my golf cart charger charge.
I recommend keeping one or two gallons of distilled water on hand at all times. In order to receive a full charge, the batteries must remain filled with distilled water. Lastly, ensure that the battery housing itself is not cracked, causing continuous leakage. If this is the case, you’ll need new lead-acid batteries.
The Charge In The Batteries Dropped Too Low
Dead golf cart batteries present a significant problem when it comes to charging. A completely depleted battery bank will fail to charge because the voltage is too low to accept a charge from the golf cart charger.
Importantly, you should never allow the batteries to become completely drained, whether it is being stored for extended periods of time or driven until the charge is exhausted.
Despite the low voltage, trickle chargers are a solution to returning the batteries back to a chargeable state. Importantly, you can’t charge all of the cart’s batteries simultaneously with a trickle charger. Instead, the cables must be removed, and each battery must reach a base charge of 25-30 volts independently. A voltage tester can be used to ensure each battery has reached the minimal charge.Â
Once all of the batteries in the bank have reached the minimum charge of 25-30 volts, the golf cart charger will recognize the battery bank and continue to charge until they are full.
Corrosion On The Battery Terminals
Often, people mistake bad chargers as the reason for the inability for the batteries to become charged. Instead, corrosion on the terminals is a major factor in slow charging or no charging altogether.
Unfortunately, the buildup of corrosion inhibits the flow of electricity from the battery charger and into the batteries themselves. However, this type of battery problem is easily identified by inspecting the batteries beneath the seat.
Corrosion is highly visible and is easily removed. To restore proper charging abilities, I recommend first utilizing a wire brush to remove excess buildup on the battery terminals. Once the bulk of the corrosion has been brushed free, apply a small amount of baking soda and water mixture on each of the terminals.
It should be noted not to be alarmed. The hissing noise is normal it indicates that a chemical reaction is taking place. Fortunately, the water and baking soda remove all remaining corrosion left behind after brushing. The liquid mixture reaches the most confined spaces between the battery cable and the terminal, thus leaving no corrosion behind.
Lastly, I always wipe the tops of the batteries until they are clean and dry. Undoubtedly, you’ll want to do the same to maximize long term battery health.
Loose Battery Cable Connections
Wiring issues are commonly found on electric golf carts as a result of constant vibration. Whenever the key switch is on and the cart is in motion, the nuts holding the cables are prone to backing off and becoming loose. Both the negative and the positive terminals are equally susceptible.
Similar to corrosion, loose battery cable connections prevent the proper flow of electricity when charging. In order for the charger to resume the ability to charge correctly, it is essential to fix any faulty connection.
First, I recommend determining the proper sized wrench matches the nut on the battery terminals. Secondly, snug each of the nuts tightly. However, understand the safety precautions. Never touch one end of the a wrench to a positive and the other to a negative. The golf cart battery will spark and potentially cause long term battery damage.
Once all of the battery terminals are tightened, connect the charger to the golf cart. Allow the charger to run its course to determine if loose battery cable connections were the culprit.
Understand The 5 Most Common Golf Cart Charging Issues
I have owned multiple golf carts and have been faced with most of the charging issues mentioned above. So, if you’re wondering why won’t my golf cart charger charge, consider the 5 most common golf cart charging issues. Fortunately, all of the issues noted are capable of being repaired in your garage. Golf cart repair centers are expensive, so in order to save a few dollars, troubleshoot the most likely causes and make the repair. Lastly, remain on track when it comes to routine maintenance. Maintenance will keep your cart on the golf course and not be laid up back at the house.
