How to Get Extra Power for a Golf Cart

Getting more power for your golf cart can be an easy task or a very difficult one, depending on how far you're willing to go. On the easy end, you can simply take better care of your vehicle--doing things like properly inflating the tires and making sure its batteries are new. If you're willing to spend the time and money, you can also install after-market add-ons or change your golf cart's engine from electric- to gas-powered to truly give it more power.

Things You'll Need

  • New batteries
  • Additional batteries
  • High-speed gear set
  • Programmable controller
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Instructions

    • 1

      Inspect your golf cart's batteries to see how old they are. The website "Guide To Golf Carts" reports golf carts use deep cycle batteries, which supply a small amount of power over a long period of time; for this reason, golf cart batteries--especially if routinely charged--can last for years. Check your cart's batteries to see when they were made. Most manufacturers use an alpha-numerical system, where the letter correlates to the month of the year (A=January, B=February, etc.) and the number represents the year (1=2001, 2=2002, etc.). So, a battery with the code D6 means the battery was made in April 2006.

    • 2

      Switch out older batteries--or those that no longer work--and replace them with new batteries. Golf carts typically use six six-volt or six eight-volt batteries. While removing just one of these batteries may keep your golf cart running longer, for optimal performance, replace all the batteries in the pack.

    • 3

      Upgrade your golf cart's battery power by adding additional batteries. If your vehicle currently operates with six six-volt batteries, purchase two more for a total of eight six-volt batteries. Adding these extra batteries into your system will give your golf cart the power of one that runs on 48 total volts.

    • 4

      Disconnect any electric accessories--such as a radio--from your golf cart's batteries. These accessories can drain the battery pack of power, leaving you with less "oopmh" to drive the cart.

    • 5

      Install a high-speed gears in your golf cart. The website "Golf Cart City" reports these after-market add-ons can change the gear ratio on your vehicle, making it more efficient. This installation--which should be down by a golf cart or car-care professional--can increase your golf cart's top speed from 12 to 13 miles an hour to 20 to 21 miles an hour.

    • 6

      Replace your golf cart's speed controller with a high-speed model. This controller--which should be installed by a professional--is a small computer that sends electric pulses to your motor; the shorter the pulses, the lower the speed. Installing a programmable controller can give you more control over the pulses it sends and hence its speed.

    • 7

      Reconfigure your golf cart to run on gas instead of electricity. This will require a major overhaul of all your cart's systems, and should be done by a professional. The website "Diversified Golf Carts" reports a gas-powered cart can have three to four times more horsepower than its electric counterparts.