How do you wire a 48 volt golf cart? If you found yourself asking this question, we’ve got you covered! We will provide you with a battery wiring diagram for a 48 volt golf cart and explain everything step-by-step.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced golf cart tinkerer, you will be able to follow along and wire your golf cart batteries properly. Let’s get started!
Battery Wiring Diagram For 48 Volt Golf Cart
For our 48-volt golf cart battery wiring diagrams, we’ll be showing you how to wire them in series.
Battery Wiring Diagram For 48 Volt Golf Cart With Six 8-Volt Batteries
To wire a 48 volt golf cart with six 8V batteries, start by hooking the positive terminal of the first battery one to the negative terminal of the next battery.
See the picture above for reference.
Repeat this until all six batteries are hooked up.
Once complete, test the negative end of the first battery and the positive end of the sixth battery to ensure you’re getting 48V of power.
If the reading is good, connect the positive terminal of the sixth battery to the golf cart main, then the negative terminal of the first battery to the golf cart’s ground.
Battery Wiring Diagram For 48 Volt Golf Cart With Eight 6-Volt Batteries
To wire a 48 volt golf cart with eight 6V batteries, start by hooking the positive terminal of the first battery one to the negative terminal of the next battery.
See the picture above for reference.
Repeat this until all eight batteries are hooked up.
Once complete, test the negative end of the first battery and the positive end of the eighth battery to ensure you’re getting 48V of power.
If the reading is good, connect the positive terminal of the eighth battery to the golf cart main, then the negative terminal of the first battery to the golf cart’s ground.
Battery Wiring Diagram For 48 Volt Golf Cart With Four 12-Volt Batteries
To wire a 48 volt golf cart with four 12V batteries, start by hooking the positive terminal of the first battery one to the negative terminal of the next battery.
See the picture above for reference.
Repeat this until all four batteries are hooked up.
Once complete, test the negative end of the first battery and the positive end of the fourth battery to ensure you’re getting 48V of power.
If the reading is good, connect the positive terminal of the fourth battery to the golf cart main, then the negative terminal of the first battery to the golf cart’s ground.
What To Do Before You Wire Your Golf Cart
There are a few things we need to cover before we show you how to wire a 48 volt golf cart, so let’s get through those now.
Precautions
Golf cart batteries have a lot of electrical current in them, especially when combined.
Please use caution when handling them and hooking them up.
Battery wiring precautions include:
- Removing all metal items like rings, jewelry, and watches from your hands and arms
- Using insulated tools with rubber grips
- Wearing protective eyewear and gloves
- Eliminate sources of sparks or flames
Order Of Connection And Disconnection
Always remove the negative (black) cable first, then the positive (red) cable, in that order.
Tools Needed
Besides your safety gear of glasses and gloves, you’ll need the following tools:
- Basic wrench or socket set
- Screwdriver
Additional Considerations
Unless you’re putting in brand new golf cart batteries, now is a good time to clean the contacts on the batteries.
- Use a 2:1 solution of water and baking soda and scrub the contacts with this solution using an old toothbrush or wire brush.
- Wipe the contacts clean and dry them before attaching golf cart battery cables.
Wiring Golf Cart Batteries In Series Versus Parallel Wiring
There are two ways to wire golf cart batteries: series and parallel.
So what’s the difference?
Series battery wiring is the most common way to wire golf cart batteries.
In a series circuit, the battery current stays the same throughout all the batteries, and the voltage across all components is also the same.
The total current in a series wiring is the sum of the voltages of each battery.
Parallel battery wiring is not nearly as common, and instead of the voltages adding together, the capacities (or amp-hours) will add together.
This is not usually practical for golf carts, as you’re more concerned with adding the voltages of the batteries together to reach your golf cart’s 48-volt requirement.
Now that we understand how these work, let’s use a real-world example using four 12-volt batteries with 100 Ah capacities:
If these batteries were wired in series, they’d output 48 volts with a 100 Ah capacity.
If these batteries were wired in parallel, they’d output 12 volts with a 400 Ah capacity.
How To Wire A 48 Volt Golf Cart In Series
Wiring golf cart batteries in series is a simple process.
You’ll start by connecting the positive terminal of each battery to the negative terminal of the next battery.
Once complete, measure the total voltage output between the first battery’s negative terminal and the last battery’s positive terminal to make sure it all adds up.
Advantages Of Wiring In Series
Wiring batteries in a series circuit offers a higher system voltage and lower system current.
This means if you have a 48 volt golf cart, you can wire four 12-volt batteries together to get to your cart’s 48-volt requirement.
Additionally, a lower current means you will deal with less voltage drops in the system and can use thinner wiring which can better handle the lower current.
Disadvantages Of Wiring In Series
Technically you can’t get lower voltage off the battery bank without using a converter, but this is not an issue with golf carts since everything uses the same power source.
This would only be a drawback when dealing with an RV or something similar… so there are really NO disadvantages to using a series wiring setup on a golf cart!
How Many Golf Cart Batteries Can I Wire In Series?
This limit typically depends on the battery model and manufacturer.
Always check the battery specifications to make sure you don’t go past the limit recommendation!
How To Wire A 48 Volt Golf Cart In Parallel
Wiring golf cart batteries in parallel is also a straightforward setup.
You’ll start by connecting all the positive terminals of each battery together, then all the negative terminals of each battery together.
Once complete, measure the total voltage output between any two positive and negative battery terminals to confirm that everything adds up.
Advantages Of Wiring In Parallel
Wiring batteries in a series circuit offers a longer runtime for the batteries thanks to the cumulative amp-hours.
Also, if one of your golf cart batteries dies or has a problem, the other batteries will continue to provide power to your cart.
Disadvantages Of Wiring In Parallel
You’ll have lower voltage off the battery bank when wiring in parallel, resulting in a higher current.
You’ll need to use thicker gauge wiring or cables to handle that higher current, and you’ll also deal with voltage drops, which aren’t good for golf carts.
How Many Golf Cart Batteries Can I Wire In Parallel?
You can wire an unlimited amount of batteries in parallel, but the more you add the longer it’ll take to charge them all.
Additionally, you’ve got to have enough room for the batteries.
The space constraints in golf carts are why you rarely see golf cart batteries wired in parallel.
Can You Wire Golf Cart Batteries In Series And Parallel?
No, you cannot wire the same sets of batteries in series and parallel simultaneously, or you’ll short your golf cart.
Wrapping Up Our Battery Wiring Diagram For 48 Volt Golf Cart Guide
Now that you know the basics of battery wiring, you can start to wire up your own golf cart battery bank.
Just remember to always check the battery specifications before connecting anything together.
Be sure to check out our other helpful golf cart guides while you’re here:
- Our complete guide to golf cart battery maintenance
- How long does it take to charge a golf cart?
- How much are golf cart batteries?
- How to add water to a golf cart battery
- Our complete guide to golf cart maintenance.
- How to test a golf cart motor
- What to do if your golf cart won’t start
- The best golf cart bluetooth speakers
- The best golf cart locks
- Installing a golf cart roll cage
- How to install a golf cart car seat
- How much does a golf cart weigh?
- Golf cart dimensions
- How much is a golf cart? Our guide to golf cart prices.
