I own a golf cart dealership located in North Florida. We sell and repair golf carts, both electric and gasoline. At our dealership we repair far more electric golf carts than gasoline ones. I’d say we see about a hundred electric cars for every gas in our service department. This is not because gasoline cars are much better and require less maintenance.
The reason for the difference in mass is due to our location. We are in North Florida. Flat without hills North Florida. We are also in a state that has been very environmentally friendly. Therefore, there is not really a high demand for gas powered golf carts for the not-so-hilly greens. And along with every electric golf cart is the golf cart battery charger. We have walk-ins every week that these porters bring in for us to diagnose.
Sometimes the charger is ok indicating there is a problem with the golf cart and then we schedule the pick up. However, most of the time the initial connection test indicates some sort of fault with the battery charger. There is a great possibility that the power surge demon attacked the battery charger. We live in an area of North Florida that has more than our fair share of electrical surges. And if that’s not enough, we also experienced a large number of afternoon thunderstorms accompanied by Enough lighting that would have made Ben Franklin want to live here!
These power surges and electrical spikes They seek out and destroy almost any electrical circuit in their path. Once we lost our microwave, coffee pot (First of May, First of May,…) portable phones, computer and printer, all in the same afternoon! Yes, I know, We should have moved! These surge demons have a mission in mind to search and destroy, including golf cart battery chargers. After repairing a customer’s battery charger, we asked if he had a surge protector on the circuit he uses for his golf cart charger. Friends, we already know the answer. Most of them have the damnedest look on their faces when we encourage them to put a surge protector before their charger to protect it from damaging surges and spikes. They can buy one from us or wherever they choose. But the concept must be established before another repair cost is incurred due to these electrical demons.
We had a customer who disagreed with our advice and paid to have his charger repaired and went on his way. a couple of months later he went back to ask for a warranty on his battery charger. Folks, the electronic governor board burned out just like it did the first time we fixed your charger. One of the bigger demons must have attacked him and hit him so hard that he literally blew a couple of components off the circuit board.
After show and tell with the colleague and explaining that a power surge/spike did the damage again, he paid us and went to buy a surge protector and we I haven’t seen the charger man since. I know he bought one because he called us from one of the big box stores asking if one of the protectors he was looking at would work well for his charger. Live and learn. My mother used to say that some people just don’t learn the easy way. You have to hit them twice before they learn to crouch. In today’s society, the school of hard knocks does not suffer from a lack of students, that’s for sure.
I hope I have communicated these concepts in a positive way that will help us understand the need to install a surge protector on the golf cart battery charger power circuit. And by doing so, you’ll avoid having to pay for costly repairs caused by the “electrical devils” of power surges and spikes. With the end result of you saving money and taking better care of your golf cart. It is for these things that I write. I write for you and your understanding of your golf cart. Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say. You honor me by doing it. Well, until the next time we meet, go out and enjoy your golf cart. After all, isn’t that what you bought it for? MKR
