How to clean battery support that's corroded

[silverstreak]

I noticed that there's alot of corrosion on the metal support of the batteries. I've flushed the areas with bicarb and water. Is there anything else I can do, short of taking all the batteries out and chipping it off?
Thanks.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Pulling the batteries from any vehicle for a good cleaning of the battery rack and applying a protective coating annually is very important.

What you did is good but as you know there can still be damage occuring where you can not see under the battery bank. Not sure if it is helpful but some do shift the battteries annually so the +/- take off points going to the controller are not always from the same two batteries. I like to do the same to any 12v take off points for lights, etc as well.

When the batteries are removed and everything is nice and clean it is also a good time to remove other covers and visually and physically inspect/clean ALL other cables and connections. There are a lot of amps flowing and making sure the electrical path is healthy is KEY to reduce "smoking" moments.

This advice is more for those of us that "use" our carts in normal usage mode. Some are always removing batteries for one reason or another.

 

[silverstreak]

Thanks Gale!

Sounds like good advice. I know very little about maintaining my new (used) golf cart, but I really want to learn. I'm testing my batteries this afternoon, but think I may have murdered them through my ignorance. They were 5 year old batteries, but I think several factors may have driven them over the edge........driving with low air in the tires (they looked great, but had no air), not checking the battery fluid level often enough, not charging often enough, and not having a nice garage to store it in (kept it in a Shelter Logic shed) in a bad winter.
I have the feeling I'll need new batteries very soon. So when we change them out, I'll give the supports a good cleaning.
Good to know about rotating them.
Thanks again!