With winter here now is a great time to do your golf cart maintenance. Just as golfers get a workout each day of play, so does their golf cart. Golf carts work hard for us. They do, however, need some basic care to ensure they will last for several golfing years.

Golf cart maintenance is made simple when simple things are checked and cleaned regularly. By setting a schedule for check-ups and doing some basic clean-up and study of your small engine vehicle, your golf cart will last for several years.

Create a Maintenance Schedule

Keeping your golf cart in good working order can be accomplished by giving some of its basic functions a simple weekly check-up. If you golf every day, you may want to consider checking items more frequently. The objective of setting a maintenance schedule is to help you remember to give the cart time and attention on a regular basis.

Below are some basic items that should be checked during a regular weekly maintenance schedule.

Clean the Battery

 
Dirt can have an impact the usability of a golf cart. Dirt, dust and grass do not hurt but they can interfere with the battery connections leaving the cart under-powered. Spilled battery acid has the same affect. Cleaning the top and sides of the battery along with the cart itself is important to the long-term life of the cart as well as its day to day performance. Also, check that all your battery tie downs are in place. If they are not it is a good idea to buy replacements, these will keep your batteries in a solid position.

Water Levels
It is important that you check the electrolyte water levels in each cell of the batteries because the leaded plates in the battery must be submerged in order for it to work properly. Check the water levels weekly and refill them as needed using distilled water. Checking the water level in your batteries should only be done after they have been fully charged. The owner’s manual will indicate how full the cells should be for your golf cart model. With most batteries the water level should be ½ inch above the battery plates. Take the appropriate safety precautions when doing this by wearing gloves and goggles.

Connection Check
Again, a golf cart runs on the power of several batteries that work together through connecting cables. These cables should be checked weekly for corrosion or debris. Corrosion of your batteries is best cleaned with bio-carb soda and hot water. When the water has dried , spray the battery terminals with a battery terminal protective spray. The connections and the battery caps should also be tightened if needed. Damaged connectors can be changed  by yourself or you can take it in for professional repair. Keeping these connections in quality condition is vital to keeping a golf cart running smoothly and at its top performance potential. Keep your battery charger in a dry place and free of dust.

Beyond Weekly Maintenance
Golf cart owners should also plan a major check-up every three months. The golf cart’s break system, suspension, engine and tyres can be thoroughly looked at, cleaned and fixed as needed during these visits. Regular greasing and replacement of steering bushes when necessary will help in the steering of your golf cart. Conducting these thorough checks a few times a year will help catch any major functionality problems early, to better save you time and money.

Golf carts work hard for us every year. They also make the sport of golf a little more fun. Take some time to help ensure that you golf cart lasts as long as you need them.

The price of a Golf cart can vary over a wide range. At Coffs Coast Golf Cars, Coffs Harbour, we have used carts starting from $1,000 as is, to $6,000 for a fully refurbished cart with new batteries.

New carts range from $8,000 to $11,000. Extra modifications such as custom paint and vinyl jobs, wheel rims, body upgrades etc can also be added. A brand new golf cart purchased from us at Coffs Coast Golf Cars comes with warranty and service features.

Used carts are very popular. These are much cheaper than the new ones but   some used carts do not come with warranty. They are sold under two categories: “refurbished” and “as is”. Refurbished carts are those which are thoroughly checked for defects, cleaned and it looks just like the new one. Some of the models come with a limited time warranty.

The “as is” models are the cheaper ones. They are not checked for defects and it is not serviced well. So they are prone to complaints. These carts are termed “as is” as the dealers want the cart to be sold very quickly. They need to be serviced well and the defective parts need to be replaced in order to make it in a healthy condition. So once these repairs are done, the cart will last a lot longer.

Buying a new golf cart is always advisable. It has warranty cover and helps you to choose the best one suited to you. You can even customize it from the factory. New carts can range from $8,000 to $11,000.

If you prefer to buy a refurbished model, then make sure to cross examine the cart before purchasing it. Buying a refurbished cart from us at Coffs Coast Golf Cars makes great sense because all carts have been thoroughly tested in our workshop. All these carts are sold with warranty for peace of mind and all electric carts come with golf cart battery chargers.

Purchase of a “as is” model is a cart that has been traded –in and not been put through the workshop. Make sure you make the right choice.

However, the key to achieving optimum performance and long life is a solid golf cart battery maintenance program. Also,it is important to use your golf cart battery charger after every round of golf. Regular charging with your golf cart battery charger extends the life of your batteries. It is recommended that you obtain the following equipment for use in a Golf Cart Battery Maintenance Program.

You will need the following: a wrench, distilled water, a voltmeter (an instrument used for measuring the voltage between two points in an electric circuit), a hydrometer (a tool used to measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte solution), a post cleaner, some baking soda, battery terminal spray  and possibly the most of all – goggles and gloves.

Always wear protective clothing, acid proof gloves and goggles when handling lead acid batteries and remove all jewellery. It’s important to have lots of water and baking soda nearby as this will neutralise any acid spills from battery refilling and prevent further corrosive damage. Remember, the electrolyte is a solution of acid and water, so skin contact should be avoided and, do not smoke near batteries and never add acid to a battery. Golf carts are typically powered by six or four lead-acid batteries mounted beneath the front seat.

First of all, examine the outside appearance of the batteries. You should look for cracks in the container and the top of the battery. Posts and connections should be free of dirt, fluids and corrosion. You should replace any damaged batteries or leads. Check that all vent caps are tight. Then clean the battery top with a cloth or brush and a solution of baking soda and water ensuring that any cleaning solution or any other foreign matter does not get inside the battery.

Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean cloth. Solvents or spray cleaners should not be used. Then clean the battery terminals and the inside of the cable clamps with a post and clamp cleaner. Reconnect the clamps to the terminals and thinly coat them with battery terminal spray. Always keep the area around the batteries clean and dry.

Distilled water should only be added after fully charging the golf cart batteries. Prior to using your golf cart battery charger, there should be enough water to cover the plates. If the battery has been discharged (partially or fully), the water level should be above the plates.

Some important things to remember are:

1. Do not allow plates to be exposed to air and do not fill the water all the way up to the cap.

2. Do not use water with a high mineral content.

3. You should use only distilled or deionised water.

4. Check water levels in each cell of each battery weekly to ensure that the leaded plates in the battery are submerged in liquid.The level of water in your batteries , should be ½ inch above the leaded plates. Don’t fill the cell all the way up.

5. Lastly, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining your golf cart’s batteries.

That is why they need to have golf carts. But if you have your own golf carts, who is going to do your golf cart repair when something goes wrong with it?

When you are looking to purchase golf carts you need to keep in mind how old the cart is and if an electric cart the age of the batteries.  And like cars they need regular maintenance. We at Coffs Coast Golf can do your servicing for you so your cart can  keep working  for years to come. Correct care and maintenence is important to keep your cart on the course.

Keeping  your golf carts serviced is very important. You may want to look into learning how to service your own golf carts. It is actually quite easy for you to learn everything that you need to know. At Coffs Coast Golf we can explain the basic maintanence for you to keep your cart running day after day. Even if you will not be able to overhaul the engine completely, you should be able to learn some basic repair techniques and these will get you through most of the trouble that you will end up having. For those hard to find problems with your cart you can bring your cart into us for your golf cart repair.

Not all golf carts are the same. There are different models and there are different makers. Each and every kind of golf carts is put together a little differently and if you want to be able to service your own golf carts you need to know how they work. The first thing that you need to do is go over the manual and learn it inside and out. Learn what all of the parts are on our golf carts and what they do. You should also get a good understanding of how they work together to make your golf carts function as they do. This will make a huge impact on how successful you will be with your golf cart repair.

Once you know how your golf carts and what every part is and what it should look like you need to know where to get new parts when you need them. You should always get the recommended parts for your golf carts. We at Coffs Coast Golf can supply you with all your spare parts. If you are new to golf carts then you should not take any chances with getting generic parts or making do with other parts. This kind of tinkering should only be done by those who are very experienced with mechanics. If that is not you then stick to the manual. Get the parts that your golf carts are supposed to have, even if it costs you a little more.