Adding LED Lights to Golf Cart Questions

Ralph III

Member
Hello All,
Has anyone added any LED light bars to their golf carts? I am looking to add some 6in light bars made by 4WDKING as seen HERE. Does anyone have any opinions on these and can you confirm these will work within a voltage range of 9-36v as they seemingly denote? I am unsure however what they mean by "24V vehicles need change 24V relay"?

I am currently using a 4 LED light bar on our golf carts and running it off 3 batteries, so 24v. They have lasted for years but I prefer to have something a little brighter.

Thanks,
Ralph
 

MurphyGuy

New Member
They'll work with 9 to 36 volt systems just fine.

Tapping part of your battery pack is a very bad idea as it will shorten the life of your batteries. Better to install a proper voltage converter and do it right.

More leds does not = brighter.. Although it can mean brighter, there isn't going to be much of a difference between a single 10 watt LED and 10x 1 watt LED's..

Check the amp draw and see how much juice they're pulling.

And get a voltage reducer..
 

Ralph III

Member
They'll work with 9 to 36 volt systems just fine.

Tapping part of your battery pack is a very bad idea as it will shorten the life of your batteries. Better to install a proper voltage converter and do it right.

More leds does not = brighter.. Although it can mean brighter, there isn't going to be much of a difference between a single 10 watt LED and 10x 1 watt LED's..

Check the amp draw and see how much juice they're pulling.

And get a voltage reducer..
Thanks for the reply MurphyGuy. However, do you have a suggestion on a voltage converter and where it wires into the system and what is the purpose? Otherwise, I cannot see the amp draw being a concern with these LED units. It would be so minimal that the draw would have little effect on draining a 48v golf cart. The units I have now have been wired directly to my batteries for many years and I've never had an issue whatsoever.

Anyhow, if you can explain the purpose of this "voltage converter" and it's relevance on LED golf cart lights; that would be appreciated.

Ralph
 

MurphyGuy

New Member
Thanks for the reply MurphyGuy. However, do you have a suggestion on a voltage converter and where it wires into the system and what is the purpose? Otherwise, I cannot see the amp draw being a concern with these LED units. It would be so minimal that the draw would have little effect on draining a 48v golf cart. The units I have now have been wired directly to my batteries for many years and I've never had an issue whatsoever.

Anyhow, if you can explain the purpose of this "voltage converter" and it's relevance on LED golf cart lights; that would be appreciated.

Ralph

Your LED lights will unbalance your series connected batteries. When the charger tries to charge the batteries, it doesn't know that some batteries could be at a lower charge level than others.. so what ends up happening is that the batteries you're tapping never get fully charged and the batteries not being tapped get over charged. Both of these conditions reduce the life of the batteries. It's not a significant problem if you hardly ever use your lights or use them for very short times, but it can be..

As for voltage converters, just go to one of the golf cart supply websites and get one that plugs into your 48 volt terminal supply and reduces the voltage to 12 volts.
 

Ralph III

Member
Your LED lights will unbalance your series connected batteries. When the charger tries to charge the batteries, it doesn't know that some batteries could be at a lower charge level than others.. so what ends up happening is that the batteries you're tapping never get fully charged and the batteries not being tapped get over charged. Both of these conditions reduce the life of the batteries. It's not a significant problem if you hardly ever use your lights or use them for very short times, but it can be..

As for voltage converters, just go to one of the golf cart supply websites and get one that plugs into your 48 volt terminal supply and reduces the voltage to 12 volts.
Ok, I thought that might be the issue and it makes sense, so thanks for that clarification.

Ralph
 

Ralph III

Member
Let me ask this question.

What if I get a set of LED lights that are rated up to 48v and I wire it directly across all six batteries. In that instance, I wouldn't need a voltage converter, correct.

So what is the effect of operating a set of LED lights at 12v (with voltage converter) or operating the same lights at 48v (no converter)? Is there a difference in light output, does it consume more battery power, do the lights get hotter, etc?

Thanks,
Ralph
 

MurphyGuy

New Member
Let me ask this question.

What if I get a set of LED lights that are rated up to 48v and I wire it directly across all six batteries. In that instance, I wouldn't need a voltage converter, correct.

So what is the effect of operating a set of LED lights at 12v (with voltage converter) or operating the same lights at 48v (no converter)? Is there a difference in light output, does it consume more battery power, do the lights get hotter, etc?

Thanks,
Ralph
There is no difference, in fact, the direct connected 48 volt lights might be a hair more efficient because of the lack of voltage reducer losses..

But good luck finding 48 volt LEDS.. 12v accessories are dirt cheap and commonly available almost everywhere.. With the voltage reducer providing a steady 12 volt source, you can hook up USB plugs, stereo's, lights, horns, etc... all to the same voltage reducer. If you tried going with a 48 volt system for your accessories, then it all becomes a pain in the rear.. you need switches rated for 48 volts, fuses, etc. Just isn't worth it when you can get a voltage reducer for as little as $20 or $30.

I just paid $14 for two NiLight 4" LED leds and they're nice a bright.. I can see everything now.
 

Ralph III

Member
There is no difference, in fact, the direct connected 48 volt lights might be a hair more efficient because of the lack of voltage reducer losses..

But good luck finding 48 volt LEDS.. 12v accessories are dirt cheap and commonly available almost everywhere.. With the voltage reducer providing a steady 12 volt source, you can hook up USB plugs, stereo's, lights, horns, etc... all to the same voltage reducer. If you tried going with a 48 volt system for your accessories, then it all becomes a pain in the rear.. you need switches rated for 48 volts, fuses, etc. Just isn't worth it when you can get a voltage reducer for as little as $20 or $30.

I just paid $14 for two NiLight 4" LED leds and they're nice a bright.. I can see everything now.
Hey MurphyGuy.

These golf carts are used for landscaping and we will never be adding any other accessories. I just need to add some lights so we're not driving around in the dark.

I did find a set that reads good and these are rated from 9-60 vdc. These should work, correct? You can see them HERE.

Thanks,
Ralph
 

MurphyGuy

New Member
Hey MurphyGuy.

These golf carts are used for landscaping and we will never be adding any other accessories. I just need to add some lights so we're not driving around in the dark.

I did find a set that reads good and these are rated from 9-60 vdc. These should work, correct? You can see them HERE.

Thanks,
Ralph
Those lights should work.. Good find. Wire them to the entire 48v pack.
 
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