Flooded golf cart batteries stratify. Acid settles, the top of the cell reads weak, and the battery loses capacity even though you charge it every night. An equalize charge bubbles the electrolyte and evens the cells. It is a maintenance charge, not a rescue for a shorted battery.
Only flooded batteries
Do not equalize AGM, gel, or lithium batteries unless that maker’s manual tells you to. A flooded-battery equalize cycle on an AGM pack dries it out. A lead-acid equalize on a lithium battery is how lithium packs get damaged. Use the charger that matches the chemistry in the cart.
How to run it
Water the batteries so the plates are covered, but leave room for the level to rise. Park the cart in a ventilated spot. Caps stay on. Run the charger’s equalize mode, or the manual’s monthly equalization, after a normal full charge. Let it finish. When it is done, recheck the water and wipe the tops.
If the same battery is still a volt low a day later, equalizing will not fix a dead cell. That pack needs a new flooded set or a switch to AGM if you want to stop watering.
