What
you should know about buying a Golf Car?
This
article has been prepared with the first time Golf Car buyer in mind.
The sub sections appear in no particular order. As they came to me,
this is how you see them.
Your
first decisions are the most important
Before
you go any further you have to decide on the following:
Do
I/we want a gas or electric golf car?
How
much will charging an electric cart cost me?
What
type of maintenance will I need to do to it - Gas? Electric?
How
important is a warranty?
Buy
from a dealer or private party or other?
Does
the dealer make service calls?
How
much will my wife let me spend?
Electric
or Gas Golf Cars
In
some cases this decision is made for you. Some
campgrounds/resorts/communities only allow Electric golf cars. Some
allow both but do charge an additional fee for electric carts. Do not
let any dealer talk you into one or the other - this is a decision
only you can make based on knowledgeable, truthful information.
Okay,
which are better, Gas or Electric golf cars? There is no right answer
to that question. This is why Golf Car manufactures make both. It
boils down to circumstance and personnel preference. The longevity of
both is equally as long as you perform regular maintenance. With
Club Cars, they have more value due to their aluminum frames, no
rusting. With all other brands-EZ Go, Yamaha, etc...They make them
with steel frames and they will rust and eventually break. Longevity
ranges between 30-40 years or longer for the various manufacturers.
To dispel rumors by non dealers - gas carts are not going to be done
away with. To the contrary, manufacturer's such as Club car have a
shortage on used gas carts and are bringing in used electric carts
from lease and converting them to gas at the factory to keep up with
the demand. Lastly, think about the maintenance when it breaks
down-AND THEY DO BREAK DOWN. If you buy an electric you must posess
a good knowledge of electrical or 99% of the time be prepared to take
it back to the dealer for service. With a gas, if you or someone
you know has knowledge of basic gas motors you can usually muddle
through the repair(s) and save yourself some cash!
ELECTRIC
CARTS AND THEIR BATTERIES
Golf
Car Batteries
Golf
car batteries come in three different voltages, 6, 8 and 12. Six 6
volt batteries will give you a 36 Volt operating system. Six 8 volt
batteries will get you a 48 volt operating system and four 12Volt
batteries will give you a 48 Volt operating system. If you do not
know the voltage - look at your batteries. There are 2 volts per
water fill hole. These are special deep cycle batteries designed
for golf cars. Use the batteries recommended for your golf car.
I
know what is going through your mind; I’ll get 3 - 12 volt
batteries from ABC Auto supply for my 36 Volt car and save some
money. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel here, it will not work. You
will get frustrated, say a lot of things you did not mean (most
people will be amazed at the range of your vocabulary) and spend a
lot of money that was not necessary. See battery care and maintenance
in this site or your local dealer. It’s important you do this one
right.
Some
electric golf cars have made tremendous advances in the last decade.
Computers run them, have about 50 moving parts, very little down time
and a pleasure to drive. One manufacture, Club Car, has cart models
called IQ models. These carts are capable of going 19.8 mph
straight from the factory, whereas most golf cars run about 12 MPH.
36
or 48 volt? A 48 volt cart will run twice as long as a 36 volt on a
charge. That equates to longer run time and less time being
charged. Golf carts have deep cycle batteries so they require an
overnight charge. Keep this in mind after a long day of driving, it
will have to sit and get charged, as with a gas cart - it keeps
going until the gas tank is empty. On a new set of batteries you
should average about 20-25 miles to a charge. Figure in the charging
cost of approx. $10-20 a month. Also, many campgrounds charge extra
for electric carts.
Now
let’s look at when you will need batteries. This is a science
here and this is one aspect of the old adage - “YOU GET WHAT YOU
PAY FOR". The whole science behind a deep cycle battery is the
lead in it. The more lead, the more charging capability, the more
run time. Cheaper batteries like the Sam's club battery (cheapest
on the market at this writing) have less lead than the Cadillac of
batteries- Trojan batteries. A Sam's Club Battery can weigh almost
15 pounds lighter than a Trojan. This equates to less run time and
less power to all the electrical components. This means that the
cheaper batteries put more of a strain on the electrical components
and they wear out faster. But more important - they will only last
between 1-3 years and the medium is usually 2 years. Whereas a
Trojan Battery will last between 7-9 years. Next do the math - a
cheap battery set will run you approximately $320, a set of Trojan
Batteries - $750 a set. I'll show you an example of a Trojan
Battery and Club Car (longest lasting because of the aluminum frame).
Let's use the 30 year average life. You will need to buy 3.3 sets
of Trojan Batteries @ 750/set=$2475.00. The Sam's Club Battery you
would need to buy 15 sets @320/set=$4800. Let's factor in also -
these batteries weight between 48-63 pounds each and this job is not
fun to do since it is a back breaker! To equal a set of Trojan
batteries at $750, you would have to buy 4 sets of Sam's Club
batteries at $1280. The other brands of batteries - Deka,
Interstate and US battery will last approx. 5-6 years, the up and
coming Crown Batteries have the identical specs as a Trojan and are
poised to take over the Leadership as the longest lasting. Any
other batteries are branded under one of these major manufacturer’s
name. All the major manufacturers offer a 1 year guarantee that is
pro-rated. The older the battery the less they pay on a warranty
claim. The warranty does not cover improper maintenance so make sure
you check them and put in distilled water every 2-3 weeks. Running
a battery dry and having the plates show can shorten the life by
half!
Too
many people are under the assumption that there is no maintenance
with an electric-FALSE!! You will still have to grease the front
end, check the rear end bi-annually or yearly and every 2-3 weeks
check the batteries and water if needed. Also tighten and clean the
electric posts and cables, keep them free from corrosion or your
cables will get weak and break and the cart won't run! The chargers
will also have to be repaired occasionally as they have wear out
parts also.
Chargers
Most
of today’s chargers are fully automatic, which means they will
discontinue charging when the batteries are at full capacity. Golf
cars use special chargers that have a matched output to thegolf cars
electrical system. Never use a charger that is not made for a golf
car. Club Car is the only golf car manufacture that uses a charger
that is controlled by an On Board Computer (OBC). The OBC controls
all the charging function of the Golf Car. Thus enabling it to be
left plugged in 365/24/7.
GAS
CARTS
Today’s
gas carts are not the gas cars of yesterday. Gone are days of a blue
trail of smoke going down the fairway backfiring and sputtering. They
are quite and reliable. Most of the major manufactures use a 4-stroke
engine that has oil in the crankcase and regular unleaded gas in the
gas tank, no need to mix the two anymore. These carts average about
7 miles to the gallon and most tanks on the average are about 7
gallons. Most people that use their carts just on a weekend at a
campground or cottage, driving casually will go through 1-2 tanks of
gas a summer. Even at $5.00/gallon you are only going to spend
between $35-70. If you are an occasional driver, you won't go
through one tank a summer. Heavy drivers will probably go through
3-4 tankfuls and this is heavy non-stop driving, always on it
cruising. Other than that, a tune up and oil change every 300 hours
or once a year (approx. value $30), check the belts for wear, grease
the front end, and check transmission level.
Tune-ups/Maintenance
Tune-ups
for both Gas & Electric are an important annual function. An
annual inspection on your golf car is much the same as going to your
Dentist. Not only will the Dentist clean your teeth, they find out if
something is wrong when it is small and easy to fix. Getting your
golf car inspected once a year can be a very inexpensive way to
maintain your golf car and fix any problems when they are small. And
it’s painless.
Gas
& Electric cars annually require the following:
Pressure
wash car, undercarriage, batteries,
Brakes
inspected, cleaned and adjusted
Increase
tire pressure
Grease
points greased
Check
differential oil levels
Check
steering for tightness and wear
Tighten
all front suspension and check for wear on springs, spindles,
bushings, etc.
Specific
to electric golf cars:
Clean
all battery tops with water and baking soda
Remove
and clean all battery cables, change as required
Top
up water levels in batteries
Spray
battery cables with Battery Protective Spray
Charge
batteries, inspect battery charger for proper operation
Check
battery trays for rotting/corrosion due to overfilling
Every
8-12 years chargers do have parts that wear out and will need to be
rebuilt when they quit working
Specific
to Gas golf cars:
Oil
change and filter
Air
filter change
Fuel
filters and spark plug changed as required
Check
and change all belts as required
Check
battery charging
Inspect
Starter Generator brushes
Inspect
fuel pump for leaks
Inspect
clutch for wear or rattling
Inspect
carburetors for proper operation and clean if necessary
Refer
to your owner’s manual or local dealer for specifics about your
car.
Determining
Value
The
value of a golf car is determined by the age and condition of the
golf car. Gas always brings more resale value than electric. The
battery age on an electric also dictates price. The older the car,
the less value it has. However that is not to say a 10-year-old car,
well maintained, could not have as much value as a poorly maintained
(condition) 5-year-old car.
The
overall condition of the golf car has to be taken into consideration
in determining its value. Body, canopy, tires, batteries/charger, oil
leaks, curb side appeal is all assessed to determine value. The
number of rounds on the car is a big factor. A good example of this
is cars from Canada and the Northern United States command more money
on resale, then cars from the southern states. The reason is simple,
usage. Cars from the southern states will have 2 times and possibly 3
times the amount of rounds then a car from Canada or the Northern
states. Which golf car would have more value to you, the one doing
150 rounds per year or the one closing in on 450 rounds per year?
Why
is there such a range of prices on golf cars?
It
could be the way they are sold. Here are some examples:
“As
is”, means exactly that, what you see is what you get, no more. It
is the least expensive was to get into a golf car but the most work
required on your part.
“Reconditioned
Golf Cars”, this one is very hard to nail down because my
definition of reconditioned and yours may not be the same. A
reconditioned golf car should include the following: washed from top
and bottom, body with very little scratches and all scratches touched
up or new/painted front and rear bodies, excellent tires and brakes,
batteries and cables in excellent condition, tune up and oil change,
new drive and starter belts, clutches checked and rebuilt/replaced -
no rattling, starters checked and replaced-no grinding noises, all
front suspension greased, tight, not leaning (sign of worn out
springs), no missing/damaged parts, check frame for damage or broken
welds (many times frames are bent due to collisions on the golf
course). Dealer should repair frame if this is the case so other
components do not wear out due to this, no torn or loose seats, any
worn, weathered or damage part replaced/repaired. This type of cart
should look showroom condition. A warranty should be in place.
The
more a dealer has to put into a car, the more you will have to pay,
but the more golf car you will have.
BUY
FROM A DEALER OR PRIVATE PARTY?
First
and foremost-would you buy a cart from a golf car dealer, other type
of retail business or private party? If you have knowledge of
mechanics and can thoroughly evaluate a cart - by all means buy from
a private party-there are many good deals out there. If you cannot
assess a cart and are not mechanical you are best to go to a
reputable full time golf cart dealer and, preferably an authorized
dealer of the brand of cart you are looking for. As much as there
are good deals out there by private parties there are MORE not so
good deals out there. Buyer beware! Not everyone tells the truth.
Now
just because you sell some golf carts don't make you a golf cart
dealer! Would you have a golf cart company repair your windshield or
glass?? Why would you buy a car from a non golf cart dealer?? A
legitimate golf cart dealer will have knowledge and trained sales
staff, full running year round retail facility, maintenance shop,
large inventory of carts and also large inventory of parts and
accessories. They will accept all forms of payment including all
major credit cards and offer financing and will have been in business
for many years. In addition to that an Authorized dealer is backed
by the full sales, service, and tech support of the factory. The
factory also provides many yearly classes in sales and technical
service for their dealers.
Authorized
dealers have earned the "authorized" status by proving and
adhering to strict manufacturer policies for their retail facility
standards, shop facility standards, inventory of carts, parts and
accessories, and mechanical staff. Mechanics go through ongoing
training every year. Valuable to you when you need it! Authorized
dealers are also required to carry liability insurance against theft,
loss and liability.
Dealers
have a lot invested in their facilities, inventory and employees.
See if the dealer has a large parts department, because this will
come in handy when you need a repair. After all, let’s face it -
you never expect a breakdown and with the summer being so short you
do want your cart up and running as fast as possible. Find a
dealer hat has all this to offer and you can be assured that you will
get knowledgeable service when you need it. Remember, small
business is what keeps America working. If we lose businesses who
will we take our carts to for repair? parts? Ever tried having
someone over the internet fix your broke down golf cart?
Ask
your dealer if they will service your car after the sale. Some
"dealers" DO NOT offer service after the sale. If they
won't service it then, what makes you think they serviced it before
the sale? If you think this will not be an issue, wait until it
breaks down and you call all around and then try to find someone
reputable to work on it. Dealers are more likely inclined to put
priority on their past customers repair than a non customers repair.
Check
your dealer’s hours and make sure they are an all year round
operation. Check if they open after 5pm, open weekends, holidays?
Do they offer service during these hours also - not always are the
service hours the same as sales hours. You'll be likely to be on
your cart on the weekend or holiday - what good is it if you can't
get parts or repairs? Your weekend just took a nose dive!
Will
they do road service to your cart location and the cost of a service
call? This proves invaluable if you get stranded needing a repair
especially once again on the weekend or holiday especially. And don't
think you won't need it, it is a mechanical vehicle and IT WILL break
down!
Custom
and very fast Golf Cars.
Customizing
a golf car is the neatest thing you can do to a golf car. It takes
and changes the whole golf car from something everybody has, to
something only you have. You add the big tires and aluminum wheels,
6” lift kit, fancy paint, stainless or diamond plate accessories,
and the list goes on and on. It can be addicting and expensive!
Just
because a golf car is smaller than your automobile, does not mean the
price will be smaller to customize. It does cost a lot of money to do
custom work. If you get into fast golf cars you are going to have to
come to the table with a few more $$$$$. After you have done the
Pimping to your car, you have to add the performance end, new motor,
heavy-duty batteries and cables, larger controller and the list
continues. When you finish (can you ever finish?) you will have a
work of art. Have fun with it and enjoy.
Buying
a golf car is no different than buying anything else, common sense
should prevail. Now get out there, enjoy the fresh air and have fun
on your golf cart.
