It is true that the current inclination of golfers is more towards lithium batteries than conventional lead acid equivalents. However, this does not mean that lead acid batteries are not in use. Still, golfers use lead acid batteries until their capacity (expected amps to start the cart) drops to zero over time. If you also use lead acid golf cart batteries, it is essential that you know the tools to check your lead acid golf cart batteries. These tools provide deep insights into the health or condition of your batteries to eliminate all likely failures.
1. Hydrometer
A hydrometer is a simple device that reveals a specific gravity reading. This reading shows the density of the electrolyte in a lead acid battery with flooded cells. Specific gravity helps check state of charge. It is the ratio of the weight of a solution to the weight of water in the same volume. In any new golf cart battery, the concentration of sulfuric acid versus water is 1,280, which is 1,280 times the weight of the same volume of water.
Therefore, a fully charged battery will show a reading between 1,275 and 1,280, while a discharged one will be around 1,140. However, the procedure for using your hydrometer may differ from brand to brand. This means that you are supposed to strictly follow the instructions in the hydrometer manual.
The specific gravity reading is only a supporting indicator, as it does not interpret battery capacity very well. It also does not detect the available voltage. Therefore, it is recommended to use a hydrometer in conjunction with other testing tools to check the condition of the battery from all angles.
2. Load tester
The load tester is a more accurate tool than a hydrometer. It is also a more efficient result generator than other available tools as it displays the status in the shortest amount of time. A load tester is a DC heating coil connected to a voltmeter. When you press a button after connecting to a lead acid battery, it shows the battery voltage. Pressing the button completes a circuit that forces it to generate heat from the resistor, thereby triggering a charge on the battery.
By monitoring the voltage changes under this load, you get to know the state of the battery. A good quality, fully charged battery should drop approximately 0.2v to 0.4v and should stay at that level. If the drop is greater than 0.5v, it could indicate a battery that is weakening or failing.
Therefore, a load tester is preferable to detect a bad battery. You can check all batteries one by one with this tester to get rid of all faults.