Advice on cleaning a club car battery compartment?
 

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had advice on how to go about cleaning a Club car battery bank?

I'm working on an electric club car for my father-in-law.The battery bay and batteries are completely filthy with what appears to be oil (not sure where that could have come from) acid residue and dirt. He uses the cart in an orchard and I'm sure that it sees worse conditions than would be seen on a golf-course.

Since I didn't see any electrical components besides the 3 prong electrical connector and whatever is behind the battery bank under the storage box, I thought that it might be ok to just get a bucket of hot, soapy water and just brush everything down.

The batteries are vented and I wonder about contaminating the batteries through the vents.

Honestly, if it were my cart I would have cleaned the battery bay without even thinking about it. I work differently when I work on things that belong to someone else.

Thanks for any advice.
Regards,
Tim

Re: Advice on cleaning a club car battery compartment?
 

I just spray them off with a water hose. Corrosion on the terminals can usually be cleaned off with baking soda and a small brush. If any are heavily corroded you’ll need to remove the cables and make sure there is no corrosion between the cables and posts. They should all be 100% shiny clean metal or you run the risk of having a battery post or cable melt. Rinse everything off with low pressure spray. Battery vents are designed to mostly keep outside elements out, so as long as you’re not blasting it full pressure or going crazy in there with a pressure washer nothing will get in the batteries.

Once all the posts and cable ends Use a spray on terminal battery protector grease or wipe on silicone grease to prevent corrosion on the posts and cable ends.

Re: Advice on cleaning a club car battery compartment?
 

Start with half box of baking soda dissolved in a couple gallons of water. Pour this slowly over the batteries. After all the foaming, rinse with clean water. Do not spray, causing splatter, flood the battery without pressure until they are rinsed. Rinse and wipe any possible baking soda solution off the body. Do not do this over a clean place on your driveway, it needs to be rinsed quickly to prevent staining concrete.

Then follow advice above and clean and wire brush all battery terminals and if cable lugs are severely corroded or eaten away, replace all cables. Really bad acid contamination can eat right up into the cables at the lug making for a poor connection.

That is my way :thumbup:

Re: Advice on cleaning a club car battery compartment?
 

White vinegar and baking soda will eat up corrosion like you wouldn’t believe

Re: Advice on cleaning a club car battery compartment?
 

Fairtax4me, Pingeye3 and LukL,

Thank you for your suggestions. I'll certainly be using them. The "oil residue" sort of baffles me...the batteries look like they sit close to an engine that leaks oil. It must be leakage from the batteries that collected dust to make it look like oil.

Thanks again!

Regards,

Tim

Re: Advice on cleaning a club car battery compartment?
 

If you are close to a farm supply store, you can buy a huge bag of baking soda for $15. They are about the size of a bag of cement.

Re: Advice on cleaning a club car battery compartment?
 

Big jug of baking soda and water lightly poured over the Batts....then a slow “in shower mode” bath from the hose.