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How to Determine If Your Golf Cart is Operating On a 36 Volt Or 48 Volt Battery System
This is a common question that you will need to have the answer before you can determine what is the correct battery charger for your golf cart. The easiest way to figure it out is to go take a look at the your golf cart.
Where is the battery bank?
You will find the battery bank for your golf cart directly under the drivers seat. In some cases the battery system is quite large and will most likely be continued under the front nose cone area of popular carts like Gem cars or other 4 or more passenger golf carts. The bigger the cart the more batteries the cart will usually have to power the larger engine required to propel the extra passengers.
What do you see there?
Ok, so you pull the seat back and what do you see? Here is an example of a popular golf cart.
This picture is of a older style club car with a 36 volt battery system. Which is easily determined because you will count (6) six batteries.
Count the batteries – and the “fill holes” (cells)
Each battery has a total of (3) three fill holes (also called cells) Each hole or cell will have a value of 2 volts. So in this case we will know that these batteries are 6 volt batteries. Hence – 6x 6 volt battery = 36 volt system.
This simple equation will work with any golf cart or even other older style EV or electric vehicles operating on traditional lead acid batteries.
Another example
Here is another example to make sure you got it.
How many volts are found in this battery system found in a late model motor coach waiting for new batteries to be installed?
Again 1,2,3 = 6 volts (2 volts x 3)
1,2,3,4,5,6 = 6 volts batteries = 36 volts total (6 volts x 6 batteries)
Hey, You are getting good at this! Here is one more for you.
Our shop cart test
Our shop cart has 4 batteries under the seat but each battery has (6) six filler holes or cells on each battery. Would this be a 48 volt system?
Yes, It is a 48 volt system because you have 6 cells per battery and you have 4 batteries. (6 cells x 2 volts = 12 volts) (4 x 12 volt batteries = 48 volts).
Ok, so you pull the seat back and what do you see? Here is an example of a popular golf cart.
This picture is of a older style club car with a 36 volt battery system. Which is easily determined because you will count (6) six batteries.
Again 1,2,3 = 6 volts (2 volts x 3)
1,2,3,4,5,6 = 6 volts batteries = 36 volts total (6 volts x 6 batteries)
Hey, You are getting good at this! Here is one more for you.
