Should Golf Cart Wires Get Hot?

When you’re performing some important maintenance on your golf cart, you may notice that the wires on your golf cart are hot or have gotten hot. What’s all that about? Should the wires become hot? What do you do about it?

Revel 42 of Wilmington, serving Carolina Beach and Leland, is your North Carolina golf cart dealer. As such, we’ve provided you with the following information to help you determine whether your golf cart’s wires are too hot.

Is This Okay?

Sort of. When your golf cart is in motion, the wires will get hot due to the resistance in them. However, the wires should never become so hot that you can’t touch them. If this happens, inspect the terminals on your battery to make sure that they’re not crusted over, which can cause excess heat build-up.

If the wires are too hot for an excess amount of time, the overheating can cause sparks to form. If your battery also happens to be leaking, then an explosion may happen, which is dangerous. The acid from your battery can corrode metal and melt cables, in addition to being caustic to your skin if you touch it.

Why Do Wires Get Hot?

Wires may become hot for a variety of reasons:

• Corroded cables can cause increased resistance during power transfer, which heats up your battery, along with its terminals and cables, resulting in battery failure.
• Debris build-up can happen as your cart ages or is used and the layers of grime and dust in your motor may cause overheating and melting due to the strain it places on the motor and reduced efficiency of operation.
• Loose connections can happen over time, causing both the battery and the wiring to overheat. If the cables are dirty, this can also cause your connections to not be as strong. 

What Can I Do To Prevent This?

You can prevent corrosion by using a protective spray on the components of your battery. Also, replacing corroded parts will help to prevent future issues.

Keeping your golf cart clean will prevent debris build-up. Wiping down the exterior of your motor with a dry rag and using degreaser as needed will prevent too much grime from accruing in your motor. Avoid getting degreaser on the wiring. Instead, use some sandpaper to brush dirt and dust away from wiring. Never use water in the engine or near any electrical components!

Tighten loose connections as soon as you notice them and make sure to look for them regularly.

Stop by our dealership in Wilmington, NC, to view our wide stock of new and used golf carts for sale. We can even assist you with financing options; just talk to one of our friendly sales team members to learn more. Revel 42 of Wilmington proudly serves the cities of Leland and Carolina Beach, NC.