One of the most frequent questions asked of battery manufacturers by customers is how to determine the age of the deep-cycle batteries in their golf cars. For the most part, it’s a good sign that the batteries have lasted longer than usual and the documentation is long gone. Or, the golf car was purchased from a dealer or individual sale where the new owners are trying to determine how old the batteries are. In either case, it’s always good to know the age and the condition of the batteries.
Battery manufacturers place date codes on their products to determine the date and at which facility they were built. Because every manufacturer has their own set of codes, it’s best to check the company’s website or documentation for that information. On U.S. Battery products, for example, the date codes will indicate the month, year, and factory in which the batteries were manufactured.
On U.S. Battery Flooded Lead-Acid (FLA) batteries, the date codes are stamped on the positive terminal using two letters and a number. The first is the month the battery was manufactured.
A = January, B= February, etc. The number following the letter refers to the year in which the battery was made. For example, the number (2) would stand for 2012, (3) = 2013, etc. The second letter on the stamp refers to the plant from which the battery was shipped. The letter (X) stands for Corona, California, (Y)= Augusta, Georgia, and (Z) = Evans, Georgia.
U.S. Battery AGM batteries have a different code that is laser etched into the cover of the battery The date can be in one of two formats, DDMMYY or YYMMDD. If the date code is followed by ‘LM’, use the first format. If not, use the second format. For example, if the code reads 150914-LM, the battery was manufactured on September 15, 2014. If it is 150914 (without the ‘LM’), the battery was manufactured on September 14, 2015.
Making Your Batteries Lasting Longer
If you find out your batteries are only a couple of years old, there are ways to make them last longer. Proper maintenance is essential to optimizing battery performance and extending service life. First, make sure you follow safe operating procedures such as performing maintenance in a properly ventilated area, wearing gloves and protective eyewear, etc. Make sure your batteries are kept clean and the terminals are free from corrosion. Regularly clean them by scrubbing the tops and terminals lightly with a mixture of baking soda and water – then rinse with clean water. Knowing when and how to water batteries is also key to extending battery service life. Consult the battery manufacturer for proper watering intervals and procedures. For large fleets, single-point watering systems make the job much easier and quicker, saving time and money in the long run.
Along with proper watering, performing regular equalization charging (at least once per month) is a must to extend battery life. Equalization charging is an extended charge after the normal charge cycle to balance the state of charge of all the cells in the battery pack and to mix the electrolyte to prevent stratification that can shorten battery life.
