When it comes to golf carts, there are a lot of things that need to be considered in order for the cart to run smoothly. One of the most important aspects of the golf cart is choosing the best size battery cable for a golf cart to help it run properly.
The best size battery cable for a golf cart is 6 AWG, which is the most common size used on most makes and models of golf carts.
The battery provides power to the cart and allows it to move around the course. If you have a faulty or damaged battery cable, it can cause a lot of problems for your golf cart.
In this article, we will discuss what is the best size battery cable for golf carts and how to choose one that is right for your needs.
What’s The Best Size Battery Cable For Golf Carts?
As we discussed, the most common and most recommended size of golf cart battery cable is 6 AWG.
The number 6 here refers to the gauge or thickness of the wire, and the AWG refers to the American Wire Gauge measurement standard that keeps wire and cable sizes consistent.
The smaller the number, the larger the wire or cable, and the larger the number, the smaller in diameter the cable or wire will be.
A 6 AWG cable will be significantly thicker than an 18 AWG cable for example.
Choosing The Right Battery Cable Size For Your Golf Cart
We get lots of readers asking: what gauge wire should I use on my golf cart?
Just because 6 AWG is the most common golf cart battery cable size, it doesn’t mean it’s a one-size-fits-all solution.
For example, if your golf cart has a controller within the 400A-500A range, you’ll want to select a 4 AWG cable.
If your golf cart’s controller is 600A or above, we’d recommend a 2 AWG golf cart battery cable size.
If your golf cart has a controller rated below 400A, a 6 AWG cable will work great.
How Does Golf Cart Battery Cable Size Affect Performance?
The size of your golf cart battery cable will have a direct impact on the performance of your golf cart.
If you have a smaller diameter cable, it will not be able to handle as much current or power as a larger gauge cable.
This means that your golf cart will not be able to run as fast or as efficiently as it could with a thicker, higher quality cable.
Your best bet is to always go with a larger diameter cable whenever possible to ensure optimal performance from your golf cart.
Golf Cart Battery Cable Length
Most golf cart batteries are sold in 1″ increments ranging from 3″ to 60″.
The most common golf cart battery cable length we see is 16″, but there’s no “right answer” here.
Your best bet is to buy the same length battery cable that is currently used on your golf cart unless you’re rerouting the wiring or changing the amount of batteries you use.
As a rule of thumb, you should always use the same size (gauge) and length of cables when connecting batteries in series, parallel, or series/parallel.
Also keep in mind that the longer the cable, the longer it takes to deliver electricity, so opt for shorter cables versus longer ones when possible.
What Else Should I Consider When Choosing Golf Cart Battery Cable?
In addition to the size of the battery cable, there are a few other things that you should consider when choosing one for your golf cart.
The first is the material the cable is made from.
You’ll want to make sure that the cable is made from a high quality, durable material that can withstand the elements and repeated use.
The second thing to consider is the length of the cable.
You’ll want to make sure that you choose a cable that is long enough to reach from your battery to your golf cart without being too long or too short.
And finally, you’ll want to make sure that the golf cart battery cables you choose are rated for the specific voltage of your golf cart’s batteries.
Most golf carts use either 12 volt or 36 volt batteries, so you’ll want to make sure that your cables are rated for those voltages.
In general, the more high-performance modifications that you have on your golf cart, the higher the power requirement is, and the larger size battery cable you’ll need.
If you keep these things in mind, you should have no problem choosing the best golf cart battery cables for your needs.
Other Things You Can Do To Improve Golf Cart Efficiency
After replacing your golf cart cables, you’ll want to make sure you test them with a set of fully charged golf cart batteries.
Read more in our related golf cart battery guides:
- Our complete guide to golf cart battery maintenance
- How to add water to a golf cart battery.
- How long does it take to charge a golf cart?
- How much are golf cart batteries?
Additionally, you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping up to date with golf cart maintenance.
What Size Wire For 48V Golf Cart?
As we covered earlier, a 6 AWG golf cart battery cable should suffice.
You can increase the size to 4 AWG or 2 AWG depending on the rating of your controller and other modifications you might have made to your cart.
Wrapping Up Our Guide To The Best Golf Cart Battery Cable Size
We hope that this article has been helpful in guiding you to the best size battery cable for your golf cart.
What voltage is your golf cart, and what size cable did you go with? Let us know in the comments below.
Be sure to check out our helpful golf cart guides while you’re here:
- 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.