I hopped into my golf cart one fine morning, but, the smile on my face turned into frustration when my cart just won’t start.
I did the next thing that came to mind, plugged in the charger but no luck.
Well, that experience ruined my morning but pushed me to research and I found the solution to my golf cart charger not working.
I drafted this article to help people fix their golf cart charger not working. I’ve mentioned the causes and fixes for Club Car, EZGO, and Yamaha golf carts.
Why is my Golf Cart Charger Not Working?
Your golf cart charger might not be working due to one of the following reasons:
- Your batteries aren’t properly connected.
- Your cart’s battery has an insufficient water level.
- Your Battery’s base charge is too low for the charger to detect them.
- Your golf cart may have faulty components.
- A faulty charger wiring.
To learn more about another common issue with golf cart batteries, read our article on Golf Cart Batteries Bubbling When Charging.
Club Car Charger Not Working: Reasons & Fixes
Your club car golf cart not working could be a result of the following:
1. Very Low Charge in The Batteries
Your club car battery has to have at least 25-30v as a minimal charge for your charger to be able to detect it when it is plugged in and start charging. In a case where your battery base charge is Lower than the minimum charge required, your charger will not pick up or charge your battery.
Fix:
Use a general manual charger to charge each battery separately to boost the charge level. You can hook the battery to the charger to see if it works afterward.
If it does, please avoid letting your battery go dead before charging it. However, if it doesn’t start charging after some minutes on the general charger, it means you have depleted your batteries too much and will need to get new ones.
For a club car, before replacing the batteries, check your OBC to ensure it is functioning properly, and reset or update it immediately. It should solve the problem.
Check out this post on How to Trick Golf Cart Charger to Charge a Dead Battery.
2. Low Battery Water Level
If your club car uses lead acid batteries, a low water level will prevent your battery from charging up. This is because the distilled water contained in the lead acid battery is the medium responsible for electrolyte reaction. If it is low, your charger will find it hard to charge up your battery.
Fix:
Refill your battery using distilled water. Do not use tap water. Also, ensure you don’t fill the battery above the plates, this is because your battery needs space for the liquid to expand. If the charger doesn’t work after this, you may have depleted your battery cells and will be needing a replacement.
3. Battery Connection
In some cases, your battery may be in good health but not properly connected. This can lead to your club car golf cart not working. A golf cart has an electrical environment. This means that any frayed or loose wire, old or dirt build up on the terminal connections, will cause an issue.
Fix:
Open your battery compartment, and check the connection between the battery terminals and the connections to the life and ground wires to make sure they are tightly fixed. Any loose connection can also inhibit the proper flow of current. Tighten the loose connections.
Also, check for frayed wires. Ensure the connections are tight and there aren’t any strands of wiring that are loose or sticking out.
If you’re experiencing a Club Car Charger Flashing Yellow Light, it could be related to various issues that might cause your Club Car Charger not to work properly.
4. Faulty Charger Wiring
Your charger may have frayed wiring or a loose connection. If you notice your golf cart charger not working, you should check the wiring.
5. Faulty Charger
Your charger wiring may not be faulty, but the charger itself may have other issues preventing it from working. Your golf cart charger may have its pins indented into its connector body, a blown fuse, or faulty diodes and circuit boards. All these are going to hinder your charger from charging.
Fix:
For a connector pin indented into the body, remove the charger from the wall and analyze the connector to know if the pins are positioned properly. Depending on the charger, you may either have to replace it or pull the pin out using needle-nose pliers. Plug the charger back in and check if it works. If it doesn’t, contact a technician to make inquiries about repairs or replacements.
EZGO Golf Cart Charger Not Working: Reasons & Fixes
Your Ezgo golf cart charger not working could be because of the following reasons:
1. Worn out Connectors
If your Ezgo golf cart’s charger has a worn-out receptacle, your charger will not work.
Unmatching receptacle and battery voltage: When your golf cart charger receptacle’s voltage and the battery pack voltage don’t match, your charger will not pick up.
2. Blown out Fuse
When there is no voltage at all, then the fuse in the black or white wire connecting the battery pack and the receptacle may be blown. This can also cause your Ezgo golf cart charger not to work.
Fix:
Unplug the charger completely and locate the fuse holder on your charger. Remove the fuse and check if it is blown. Replace if it is. Ensure you replace the fuse with the exact one you took out. This is because each charger model has a particular fuse specification.
3. Residue Build On Terminal Connections
When there are residues piled up on your terminal connections, it is going to prevent the proper flow of current through the charger and battery. It can result in slow charging or the golf cart charger not working at all.
Fix:
Check the connections, if you notice any residue around the terminals, clean them off. You can use a solution of warm water and baking powder or any good battery cleaner. Pour the solution over the terminal and allow it to work. You will notice some bubbles especially if the terminal is very dirty. Use an old toothbrush to scrub off the dirt.
Read my detailed guide on EZGO Golf Cart Charging Problems to learn more.
Yamaha Golf Cart Charger Not Working: Reasons & Fixes
If everything that has been mentioned above is in place, and you still notice your Yamaha golf cart charger not working, it may be because:
1. Stretched Charger Wiring
When the charger connected to the wall socket is pulled, stretched, or yanked off, it can make your charger unable to accommodate the total charge.
To troubleshoot, check this article on Yamaha 48 Volt Charger Troubleshooting.
2. Faulty Motor
Most times, we may think it’s our charger that has an issue, but if everything mentioned in this article up to this point is in place in your Yamaha golf cart, then a faulty motor may be the reason for your golf cart charger not working.
Fix:
You can push the reset button or toggle the power switch with the flow switch. If it doesn’t work, test it with another fully charged battery, if it’s still not working, it means you have burned out the motor and the issue isn’t from your charger.
3. Low Power Supply
If the power supply Voltage Is lower than that of your charger, it will also not pick up.
Fix:
Charge your cart in a location with a higher power supply.
48 Volt Golf Cart Charger Not Working
Your 48v golf cart charger not working could be for the following reasons:
1. Your on-Board Charger Circuit Is Faulty
The OBC tells your charger when to start charging and when to stop charging based on your golf cart’s battery voltage. When the OBC is faulty, your charger won’t be able to charge. This is however for the club car 48v and not the Ezgo and Yamaha golf cart.
2. Faulty Reed Switch
If your reed switch is faulty, it will result in the failure of your charger receptacle. If your golf cart uses a triangle-shaped plug, there won’t be any reed switch.
In this case, if the receptacle malfunctions, simply apply 48v to the small wires at the receptacle to bypass the charger interlock.
If the above fixes don’t work, get a new one. Check out this post on Best 48 Volt Golf Cart Battery Charger to know what are my top picks.
How Do I Know If My Golf Cart Charger Is Bad?
Any of the below reasons will help you know if your golf cart charger is bad:
- If your charger indicates a red light that blinks twice, it means your charger is damaged.
- If your charger is turning on but turning off just as soon, you need a replacement
- If your charger is not shutting off even after switching it off, replace the charger
- If your charger makes clicking sounds when turning it on but doesn’t charge, do not plug it into your battery, it needs special parts replacement.
Why is my golf cart charger not shutting off?
A golf cart charger may not shut off due to a faulty charger, damaged batteries, poor connections, or issues with the onboard computer.
Can poor connections or wiring be the cause of golf cart charging problems?
Yes, poor connections, corroded terminals, or damaged wiring can impede the flow of electricity and interfere with the charging process.
Conclusion
I hope this article on the golf cart charger not working was helpful to you. It is however important to note that when carrying out any check-up or trying to fix any issue with your golf cart, you should put on safety gear and be careful. You can easily check out for these issues causing your charger not to work, or hire a technician to help you out.
