Table of Content
- Are Golf Carts Hard to Maintain?
- What Maintenance Do Golf Carts Need?
- How Do You Maintain a Golf Cart?
- How Much Does Golf Cart Maintenance Cost?
- How Often Should You Service a Golf Cart?
- Golf Cart Maintenance Checklist
- Golf Cart Maintenance Schedule
- Is There Any Golf Cart Maintenance Training I Can Do?
- Conclusion
When investing in a golf cart, you must think carefully about maintaining it correctly.
The good news is that golf cart maintenance is something you can do yourself if you follow the right steps.
So, in this article, we explain everything you need to know about golf cart maintenance, including costs, schedule, and servicing requirements.
By the end of this piece, you will have all the information you need to adequately maintain your golf cart to ensure that it runs like a dream throughout the year.
Are Golf Carts Hard to Maintain?
No, golf carts are not particularly difficult to maintain. However, a lot depends on the age of your cart, how often you use it, how well you look after it, and whether you drive an electric or gas-powered cart.
Due to their engine and motor, gas-powered carts typically require more maintenance than electric carts, so bear this in-mind before investing in the right cart for you.
The terrain on which you drive and how carefully you operate your cart will also make a big difference in how difficult it is to maintain.
So, read on to find out what you need to know about golf cart maintenance to ensure that your ride is in the best possible condition throughout the season.
What Maintenance Do Golf Carts Need?
The way that you maintain your golf cart will largely depend on whether it’s electric or gas-powered.
The following steps are required to maintain an electric golf cart*:
- Check and top up the water levels in the batteries regularly.
- Clean the connections in your batteries and check for dirt or corrosion.
- Check tire pressure and add air where necessary.
- Inspect your cart’s brake pads 1-2 times each year.
- Arrange an annual professional service to identify any issues with your electric cart that you can easily rectify.
If you operate a gas-powered golf cart, the following steps are essential for maintaining it correctly:
- Inspect the engine to check for oil leaks and your oil levels at least once a month.
- Check the drive, starter, and generator belts.
- Clean the cart’s air filter every six months.
- Inspect the linkages from the accelerator pedal to the carburetor (particularly important for older gas-powered golf carts).
- Check tire pressure and add air where necessary.
- Inspect your cart’s brake pads 1-2 times each year.
- Arrange a bi-annual service (for older carts) or an annual service (for newer gas golf carts).
As you can see, there’s nothing too taxing about maintaining a golf cart, but you need to ensure that you perform regular maintenance for your cart to run smoothly throughout the year.
How Do You Maintain a Golf Cart?
Maintaining a golf cart is all about getting into a routine and performing regular checks and inspections. You don’t need any mechanical knowledge or expertise to maintain your cart – you need to have a basic understanding of the critical components of your cart.
You can perform visual inspections of your cart every month, as it doesn’t take much time or effort, and it can save you money and hassle in the long run if you identify any issues that need to be resolved.
If you identify any problems you can’t fix, you can call a golf cart mechanic in your area and get your cart professionally serviced.
But otherwise, you can perform the basic maintenance steps introduced above without spending any money.
So, in summary, visually inspect your golf cart every month and schedule it for a professional service once a year.
This ensures that you can identify any issues with your golf cart before they affect its performance and driveability.
How Much Does Golf Cart Maintenance Cost?
Maintaining a golf cart shouldn’t cost more than $500 per year**. The reason that it’s difficult to give a clear cost is that every cart is different, and there are so many factors that can influence the cost of a service.
For instance, if your cart doesn’t need any mechanical work and only needs to change the oil and filters, you will likely spend less than $50 on its annual maintenance.
However, if you need to hire a mechanic to look at your cart, you could spend several hundred dollars to fix a particular issue.
Therefore, when it comes to financial planning for your golf cart maintenance, it’s helpful to put approximately $500 aside to cater to any issues you face.
If you don’t spend the money this year, you can leave it in your savings and use it for maintenance if you need it the following year.
This way, you won’t be caught by any unexpected costs when it comes to maintaining your golf cart, and you will have the funds to pay for the required work.
How Often Should You Service a Golf Cart?
It’s best practice to service a golf cart every twelve months. You can take your cart to a mechanic who will perform a comprehensive service on your behalf and make recommendations for any parts that need to be replaced.
Remember, though, that service and maintenance aren’t the same things. If you don’t maintain your cart throughout the year and only take it for a service once, you will likely need to pay more money for the service!
So, maintain your golf cart throughout the year by inspecting it every month, changing the oil and filters where necessary (on a gas cart), and maintaining the batteries (on an electric cart).
If you have an older golf cart, you might wish to service it every six months instead of annually, which can be smart if you use it regularly throughout the year.
Golf Cart Maintenance Checklist
Now that we’ve covered the basics associated with golf cart maintenance, it’s time to introduce you to our complete golf cart maintenance checklist***:
Electric Cart Maintenance Checklist:
- Charge your golf cart’s batteries every day.
- Check the water and electrolyte levels in your battery every week.
- Clean the batteries, check your tires, and inspect the engine once a month.
- Book your electric golf cart in for a service with a trained technician once a year.
Gas Cart Maintenance Checklist:
- Check the fuel gauge operation and clean the fuel cap every week.
- Inspect and replace the engine oil and check the fuel system for leaks once a month.
- Replace the fuel and air filters every 3-4 months.
- Book your gas golf cart in for a service with a trained technician once a year.
Although it’s relatively easy to maintain a golf cart, you need to ensure that you take it for a professional service at least once a year, whether it’s electric or gas-powered.
Golf Cart Maintenance Schedule
As mentioned at the start of this article, maintaining your golf cart correctly is all about getting into a routine, so you can use the table below to help you remember when to perform the various key maintenance tasks throughout the year:
| Task regularity | Electric carts | Gas carts |
| Daily | Charge batteries | N/A |
| Weekly | Check batteries (electrolytes & water levels) | Check fuel gauge operation and clean the fuel cap |
| Monthly | Clean the batteries, check tire pressure, & inspect the engine | Inspect & replace the engine oil, and check the fuel system for leaks |
| Quarterly | Check the motor and engine | Replace the fuel and air filters |
| Annually | Professional service | Professional service |
The critical thing to remember is that the more routine you are with the service, the less money you will need to spend on an annual service, so bear this in mind as you look after your cart weekly and monthly.
Is There Any Golf Cart Maintenance Training I Can Do?
YouTube is an excellent resource for learning golf cart maintenance tips.
You can subscribe to channels that educate you about maintaining an electric or gas golf cart and follow professional golf cart mechanics and engineers.
However, if you want to undertake specific training, you can enroll at a local community college or vocational training center in your local area. You can identify such institutions via a quick Google search.
Learning the basics of golf cart maintenance isn’t something you need to do, but it can save you money, mainly if you learn how to service your cart simultaneously.
Conclusion
So, the bottom line is that golf carts aren’t particularly difficult to maintain. That being said, you need to ensure that you perform regular maintenance, or you will end up with an expensive service bill from a mechanic!
Be sure to follow the tips and steps introduced in this article, and you shouldn’t encounter any issues with maintaining your golf cart this year. And don’t forget to schedule an annual service with a trained technician to identify any issues with your golf cart.
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