How Often Should a Golf Cart Be Serviced?

Short answer: give a golf cart a full service once a year, or every 100 to 200 hours of use, whichever comes first. In between, do a quick monthly check of the batteries, tires and brakes. Carts that get used hard, or that sit outside in East Texas weather, are better on the shorter end.

Monthly, at home, ten minutes

• Batteries. Tops clean, terminals tight, and on lead-acid packs the water level checked and topped up with distilled water after charging.
• Tires. Pressure checked. Low tires on a golf cart eat range and wear fast.
• Brakes. Pedal feel and the parking brake. If the pedal is going further down than it used to, that is a service item, not a wait item.
• Charger. It should start when plugged in and finish on its own.

Once a year, or every 100 to 200 hours, at the shop

Electric carts: pack load tested and each battery checked on its own, cables and ground strap cleaned, brake shoes and cables inspected, suspension bushings and steering checked, tires rotated if the wear calls for it, and the motor and controller connections gone over.

Gas carts: all of the above on the chassis, plus oil and filter, air filter, fuel filter, spark plug, drive belt condition, and the clutches checked.

Most of the carts that come in with a dead battery pack or a brake problem could have been caught at one of these checks. A scheduled service is cheaper than a recovery from the lake road.

When to bring it in early

• Range has dropped or the charger is taking longer.
• The cart pulls to one side or the brakes feel soft.
• New noises over bumps, which is usually a bushing or a shock.
• The cart has sat for a season without being charged.

Around the lake and Hunt County

Maintenance is done mobile or in the shop, gas and electric, all makes and models. If the cart lives at the lake house in West Tawakoni or Hawk Cove, we come to it. Call or text 903 458 2311, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.