How To Read A Golf Cart Battery Meter – Explained in Simple Steps!

If you’re a new golfer you may not have an in-depth understanding of how to read a golf cart battery meter properly. But, that’s not your fault and it’s okay to have some knowledge gaps when you’re starting out.

Golf cart battery meters are an integral part of the cart and offer a detailed view as to how much charge the battery contains and how long it will be able to power the cart.

Moreover, understanding the digital battery meter and taking necessary actions can increase the battery life to a certain degree.

Because of all these benefits, it’s a must that you learn how it’s done.

How to read a golf cart battery meter

Now we’re going to show you how you can read a golf cart battery meter in real life.

The Process of Reading a Battery Meter

Installing a golf cart battery meter is of no help unless you know how to read a golf cart battery meter.

A classic tried and tested way of reading a battery meter is to simply drive your golf cart up a hill or an inclining surface.

Be sure to press your pedal all the way down as if you are a race car driver. The battery meter has a needle and it should start moving at this point.

As soon as the needle reaches the red zone of your meter, you should be charging the meter now.

We shall discuss the process of reading your battery meter(by holding a 36V meter as standard) below:

Know your battery meter zones

A standard 36V meter usually has 4 zones on its display area. On the leftmost corner, you have a red zone. Then there is a white zone. Beyond that, there is a green zone. And the last zone is also another red zone.

What your battery digital meter zones indicate

To understand what your battery digital meters meter zones represent you can hold the white zone (which is also known as CHG) as standard.

If you notice the red zone that is the right of the CHG is lit, then your battery is probably about to be overloaded.

On the contrary, if the green zone is lit up, then your battery should be completely charged and ready for action.

And finally. If the highlighted zone is the leftmost red zone, then your battery has pretty much emptied out and therefore, needs to be charged.

Quickly check if your battery meter is working properly

It is very necessary to make sure that your battery meter is actually working properly and showing you the correct information. You should connect the batteries as a series.

Say your batteries are finally charged up fully but your meters say they have no charge at all, this could mean you have not managed to wire them correctly. If such a case occurs, be sure to check the instruction manuals and then proceed to do connect the wires perfectly.

How to Reset a Golf Cart Battery Meter?

You may need to reset your battery meter from time to time owing to different issues. But don’t worry, resetting your golf cart battery meter is not a difficult process at all. In fact, the entire process takes less time compared to installing the battery meter.

Moreover, you don’t even need any additional tools. The entire process of resetting your golf cart battery meter is discussed below:

Disconnect your Meter

First, you need to disconnect your golf cart from the meter. This is done for a short time as you will need to work with the batteries.

Charge your Golf Cart Batteries fully

Next, you need to charge your golf cart batteries. Let your batteries charge completely and then stop the charging process. Try to be aware of your batteries overcharging. Charging your batteries to 100% is enough. If you end up overloading your battery then it might end up causing you even more problems;

Reconnecting the Meter

Now that your batteries are fully charged, simply connect your meter back to the golf cart. The reset process should be complete.

How to Troubleshoot your Golf Cart Batteries?

Battery Meters usually don’t cause you a lot of trouble. But that doesn’t mean they are free from any issues. All companies don’t offer the same quality battery meters. Sometimes a company produces so many battery meters that some of those might end up having minor issues. We have gathered up some of the common issues that might be affecting your Golf Cart Battery Meter and how you might solve them below:

Battery Meter is Flashing/ Blinking – What to Do?

If your battery meter is either flashing or blinking, then it might indicate that your golf cart battery is not receiving power.

Blinking issue isn’t the worst issue for a golf cart but the solutions to this issue varies depending on your golf cart model. This is why we recommend checking the manual which should come free with your product.

The number of flashes shown by a battery meter usually varies between golf cart or battery meter models. This is why there are no definitive solutions to the issue.

The Red Lights Flashes Twice?

You may notice the red light on your battery meter flash twice at a time. This probably means the amount of voltage being received is too low. You might find yourself with a defective battery charger.

First, you need to check if the connections to your battery are clean and attached properly.

Next, you need to isolate your batteries and then check their voltages individually. Keep an eye out for any battery with a low voltage reading.

To bring back the affected battery to the proper voltage level you should try trickle charging.

Golf Cart Battery Won’t Charge And The Meter Is Also Flashing

If your Golf Cart Battery won’t take any battery charge and at the same time your meter is having blinking issues, then it could be bad news.

The common standard for Golf Cart main Battery Bank is usually around 24 volts. If you can’t supply this amount of volts to your battery then the charger might not even turn on.

You might find yourself using a 12-volt golf carts charger, then consider charging two batteries at once. Also, check if your charging cables are wired properly. Maintain the proper series of batteries and begin charging two batteries at a time.

Check the condition, depending on your settings, of your batteries using a voltmeter. Depending on how bad your issue is, you might need to consider removing either your golf cart charger or your batteries or both. You may also check whether you have bad batteries and replace them if necessary.

The Battery Meter Shows Full Charge All The Time

In this case you will notice your battery is showing full charge. You may use the battery all you want but the charge meter is still shown to be full. 

Resetting Your Battery Meter

The first solution you should consider is resetting your battery meter. Start by disconnecting the power to the battery meter. Keep the power disconnected for around 10 minutes. Now connect power again as the battery meter should be fully charged.

The Battery Is Charged Completely, Yet the Meter Flashes multiple times

You might charge your batteries completely but the meter might still flash on you several times. Your club cars might be running normally still but this is not an issue you should overlook.

A common reason for this issue occurring is faulty wires. Despite your batteries being charged fully, the meter can not show the correct signals owing to the faults in the wiring.

A potential solution is to replace your battery completely. If you want to continue with your old battery for some reason then be sure to hire an expert to handle the matter. (We don’t recommend taking up this task by yourself unless you are an expert)

The issues discussed above are some of the common issues that usually affect a battery meter. In case you face any issue that has not been discussed here or if you apply a mentioned solution here but fail to get your desired result, then don’t lose hope. You can always seek help from a professional.

Final Thoughts

After a tremendously detailed discussion on how to read a golf cart battery meter, we’re at the final parts of our guide.

Throughout the guide we haven’t only talked about how you can read a golf cart battery meter, but also answered some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding the subject.

As a result, you should now have a fuller understanding of terms of reading the battery meter and how the entire operation works. However, we do recommend having a licensed electrician if you perform complicated electrical procedures which you don’t have much understanding of. So, what are you waiting for? Start up your cart engine and rule over the course as you should!