Thank you for choosing AGT Electric cars, we hope you are loving your carts.
Winter is coming soon and we get lots of questions asking how to store our AGT carts. In Canada's winter, temperatures will drop well below zero, and the elements can take a toll on how your cart performs when it's time to bring it back out and hit the neighborhood in the spring. We recommend following the user manual and these steps when you are prepping your AGT carts for the winter.
Where should you store your
AGT carts for the winter?
You should store your AGT electric cart in a covered, dry, and preferably heated area, away from any winter exposure such as salt, snow, or water. A heated storage shed would be the best place to store it, but if you do not have a storage building, make sure the cart is placed under a shelter, and away from the elements. If needed, In more urban climates, it will be ok to use a golf cart cover. A protective storage cover is a wise and inexpensive investment, there are plenty of choices online. At a minimum, the cart should be covered with some kind of canvas cloth.
How do I maintain the batteries before storing them away?
The batteries are the "heart" of an electric golf cart, the batteries will naturally self-discharge during cold weather. A typical battery loses about 10% of its capacity for every 10 degrees drop in temperature. enough time, a flooded lead acid battery could fully discharge to a point that it will not be able to charge again when it's time to bring them out in the spring. With that being said, please note that the batteries need to be fully charged and topped up the water before removing from the cart and storing them away for winter. After removing the batteries, you must give them a good clean, any acid corrosion must be cleaned with a battery cleaning solution, however baking soda would also neutralize any corrosion. We DO NOT recommend leaving the charger plugged in at all times for our AGT carts. They can easily store away for 2 months without any attention. If you decide to leave the batteries in the cart and cables connected, please make sure the batteries are being charged every other 2 weeks. The main negative cable is required to be disconnected after the charge is completed.
Can you disconnect the
batteries to avoid
bi-weekly maintenance?
The short answer is yes, and it's recommended. Disconnecting the batteries from the cart away from other loads, and storing them away in a safe and cool area is the best practice. If you remove the batteries and store them away for the winter, you will not need to waste any time worrying about having enough charge in your batteries. Putting them on a wood pallet or on a shelf will help prevent the batteries from losing their charge better.
Should you leave your cart plugged in at all times?
We DO NOT recommend leaving the charger plugged in at all times for our AGT carts. It is best to have the cart put into TOW mode and have the batteries removed from the cart, and stored in a heated shelter. Some manufacturers suggest leaving your golf cart plugged in all of the time, not charging the batteries properly may cause irreversible damage and loss of capacity to the batteries.
It may take some time to prepare your AGT golf cart prior to storing, however, it will prevent future costs for unnecessary repairs after the harsh winter is over, and ensure you are ready to hit the road when spring arrives!
Should you have any questions regarding to our winter storage guide or any other questions. Please feel free to email us at info@agtecars.com, we will be happy to assist in any way.