If one of your cart batteries degrades more quickly than the rest, then you reach a point where one battery becomes objectively dysfunctional while the rest are in usable condition. In case only one of your golf cart batteries has gone bad, you might be tempted to use your cart with one bad battery.
Will a golf cart run with one bad battery? A golf cart won’t run with one bad battery because it will not reach the collective voltage required for it to operate. You’ll need to replace the bad battery at a minimum. Ideally, golf car batteries should be replaced at the same time.
In this article, you’ll find advice, alternatives, and potential solutions for a golf cart owner who discovers that one of his car batteries has gone bad. It covers ways to repurpose the usable batteries that are being replaced, as well as how well a regular car battery can work in a golf cart.
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Can You Run A Golf Cart On One Battery?
Removing the bad battery will not solve your problem because the golf cart cannot run on one battery. A typical battery in a golf cart might have a voltage ranging from six to twelve volts. A set of three to six batteries is installed to power up the vehicle.
Trying to run the cart on a single battery would be akin to making it run on 15% to 33% of its required power. You have to get as many golf cart batteries as are required to reach the voltage requirements of your golf cart. Most golf carts have a voltage requirement of 36 to 48 volts.
In the context of a broken or dysfunctional battery, you’ll need to replace it with another battery of equivalent voltage. Because golf cart batteries are best replaced at the same time, you will have two to five functional batteries lying around after a complete battery-stack replacement.
Repurposing Golf Cart Batteries: Your Options
One way to avoid the replace-all-batteries dilemma is to repurpose an old golf cart (or even car) battery to power up your cart. It serves the basic function of helping the cart reach its voltage requirements.
Another is to simply replace all cart batteries and repurpose the functional ones in your current set.
Here are a few ways to repurpose old golf cart batteries:
- Sell the usable batteries – The simplest way to avoid a steep loss when replacing all of your golf cart batteries is to sell the usable ones via Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Craigslist.
- Use it to create a solar power supply – Solar chargers for car batteries also work for golf cart batteries. By installing an appropriate battery-to-appliance setup and using solar charges like OYMSAE 10W Charger, you can create a small solar power circuit for one of your appliances.
- Make portable lights with old batteries – You can easily attach multiple lights to your car battery and create a lightbox for camping trips.
A much easier solution is to simply buy one golf cart battery with similar usage as your current one. That way, the bad battery can be replaced, and all the batteries can last for almost the same duration. The challenge in this regard is that golf cart batteries are a smaller niche, and you might not find a used one of the same age as your cart batteries.
However, car batteries can save the day!
Can You Use Your Car Battery In A Golf Cart?
You can use a car battery in a golf cart as long as it is a voltage fit. In a battery stack of a golf cart, a car battery can replace a 12-volt golf cart battery. You can also create a stack of three to four-car batteries to power up a golf cart.
Car Battery In A Golf Cart: Things To Consider
If you plan to use a car battery in your golf cart, the first thing you must consider is the voltage requirements of the cart. As mentioned earlier, most golf cart batteries need 36 to 72 volts. This needs to be reconciled with the 12-volt output of a typical car battery.
The points below simplify this somewhat complicated consideration:
- Consideration 1 – Is the car battery replacing one golf cart battery? – If that’s the case, then you can use a car battery only if it is replacing a 12-volt golf cart battery. Voltage equivalence is the most important aspect.
- Consideration 2 – Are you using car batteries exclusively? – If you’re not using any golf cart batteries, then you’ll need multiple car batteries.
- Consideration 3 – What are the voltage requirements of your golf cart? – You’ll most likely divide this figure by 12 to get the ballpark estimate of the number of car batteries you need.
How Long Will 12-Volt Batteries Last In A Golf Cart?
12-volt batteries (lead-acid) will last two to five years in a golf cart at a minimum. If your golf cart’s batteries are the Lithium-ion variety, then they can last up to 20 years as long as you maintain them and service them reasonably.
If you’re replacing a lithium-ion battery, then you should replace all the batteries together and start with a fresh stack of lithium-ion batteries. Lead-acid batteries constitute a relatively smaller commitment, so you can afford to replace them one at a time, especially with a used battery of similar age.
At this point, you have two options. The first is to keep the working batteries in place and find a deal for a used golf cart battery. Because the said battery will be required to last as long as the remaining batteries break down, how specific you get about the battery quality depends entirely on how long they are expected to last.
In case the remaining batteries are close to the end of their lives, almost any battery that’s the right voltage fit will last long enough. But if the rest of the battles have 2 to 3 years left, then you need a young battery. Even getting a new battery won’t be a bad call.
Golf Cart Batteries to Buy
When buying a new golf cart battery, you should sort your choices by brand reliability, voltage fit, and battery type. Here are the top three golf cart batteries you can buy.
- Lifeline GPL-U1T 12-volt Deep Cycle Battery – This battery comes with a 5-year warranty if purchased from an authorized outlet or supplier.
- LOSSIGY 12V Deep Cycle Lithium Iron Battery – This battery has the longest possible lifespan for a golf cart battery.
- ExpertPower 12 Volt Rechargeable Deep Cycle Battery – This golf cart battery is feasible in the long run because it can be recharged.
Key Takeaways
A golf cart will not run with one bad or missing battery. So when one battery goes bad, you need to replace it with a working battery.
To synchronize the lifespan of the batteries, you can get a used battery with similar age and voltage. Whether you replace the bad battery or install a new set of batteries in your golf cart, remember to follow the guidelines covered in the article above.