GOLF CART SALES

Determining how many volts your golf cart uses is as easy as counting the water fill caps on the batteries. Lifting up your golf cart's seat reveals the battery compartment. The water fill caps are located on each battery. Each battery cell covered by a cap is 2-volts. Simply count all of the battery fill caps on your batteries, multiply this total by two, and you will have determined your golf cart's voltage. Gas golf carts utilize one 12-volt battery.

What Voltage Are My Batteries

6 Volt

8 Volt

12 Volt

Since 1981 Club Car Golf Carts have positioned their serial numbers just under the glove box on the passengers side of the vehicle. The first two numbers (not letters) indicate the last two digits of the year of manufacture.

What Year Is My Club Car

What You Should Know About a Golf Car

Horse Power and Speed

Components of the internal combustion engines vary greatly based upon the manufacturer. Although horsepower of the gasoline golf cars are similar they vary greatly in engine life. E-Z-Go four cycle has an engine life of 1250 hours, Yamaha four cycle 2500 hours and Club Car four cycle 4250 hours. Electric golf car motors on the other hand has a life of 5000 to 8000 hours and then can be rebuilt for 25% of the cost of a gas golf car engine. Electric motors for golf cars, however, are very similar, regardless of brand. Power and speed is regulated by the amount of current in amps that goes to the motor and gear ratios of the drive train. However the 48 volt golf cars ( Club Car & Yamaha) uses one third less amperage than the 36 volt system and are more efficient. Unlike your automobile, there is no transmission or clutches in an electric golf car. A 2-3 horsepower motor can produce 10 to 12 horsepower for short durations of time and can easily move a 5000 pound trailer. For safety, golf cars are limited to a speed of 12-18 mph regardless of horsepower.

Electric or Gas

Electric cars have made tremendous advances in the last decade. With less than 50 moving parts very little can go wrong with an electric car. Gas cars, on the other hand, have over 1000 moving parts. In 1990 there were 60% gas and 40% electric resulting in very few gas cars for the resale market. The noise, smell and exhaust fumes are disliked and add to the lack of popularity of the gas car. In addition, electric golf cars now have the capability to go in excess of 45 miles between charges. The 48 volt system can go even further.

Age

The age of a golf car has little to do with its value. Unlike your automobile, a well maintained 10 year old golf car can have as much or more value as a poorly maintained 5 year old golf car. The condition of the body, frame, top, batteries, and the charger are the key areas of concern when determining the value of a used golf car. Northern golf cars are worth far more than golf cars that have come out of the south. The reason is that they have been used for half as much as a southern car.

Batteries

Each battery has a stamp which indicates the month and year it was manufactured. If you can not clearly read the stamp there is no way of determining its age. Batteries last from 3 to 8 years under normal circumstances. The maintenance of the battery water to one half inch over the plates is the ideal level. The amount of charging cycles also determines the life of a battery. Each time the batteries are charged equals one cycle. Batteries should be charged at the end of each day of use even if they are used for as little as five minutes that day or all day. There are six (6) batteries in the average golf car. When they are replaced they should be replaced in a complete set. Cars with 48 volt systems get longer battery life than cars with 36 volt systems. Club Car is the only golf car manufacturer that uses a 48 volt battery system and an on-board computer to control the charging of the batteries. This has increased the life of the 48 volt battery system batteries considerably. For 2004 Club Car has come out with a car with 4 - 12 volt batteries which cut down on the number of connections and increases the battery warranty.