AGE
The age of a golf car has little to do with its value. Unlike your car, 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 charger are the key areas of concern when determining the value of a trade-in.

AIR
To fully understand clean air's impact on an engine, consider this: Engines running at full speed consume, on average, 10,000 gallons of air for every gallon of gasoline.

The air cleaner element shoulders the huge responsibility of making clean air. Unfortunately, it is also an engine's most neglected part. Too often, engines deemed as not running right are magically fixed when the air cleaner is removed and cleaned, or replaced.

Air cleaners are designed to filter air. Accordingly, they will eventually become clogged and will need replacement.

Unfortunately, end-users of off-road recreational vehicles do not regularly replace the air cleaner. This severely compromises the engine's life.

BATTERY OPERATION AND CARE
Charging: Correct charging methods extend battery life and range between charges.

Charge new batteries completely before they are used the first time. Charging time will probably be at least 12 hours. New batteries need up to four hours more charging time than "mature" batteries.

Schedule enough charging time, if possible, so the charger shuts off automatically. Age of battery, condition of battery, state-of-discharge, temperature of electrolyte, AC line voltage level, and other variables affect charging time.

Limit the use of new batteries between charging for the first 5-20 cycles. New batteries have less capacity than batteries which have been broken in. New golf car batteries should be limited to 18 holes between charges. Industrial vehicle batteries should not be discharged more than 20-30% before recharging.

Whenever possible, for longest battery life, recharge batteries as soon as they become 20% discharged (1.233 SG/37.38 volts). Never allow batteries to fall below 80% discharged (1.148 SG/35.94 volts). Deep discharging significantly reduces battery life.

Batteries in storage self-discharge and should be recharged whenever the specific gravity falls below 1.240. The rate of self-discharge varies directly with temperature.

Battery state-of-charge can be determined by using a hydrometer, or by connecting the charger and observing the charging rate. If the ammeter needle jumps smartly to 20-25 amps and then tapers below 14 amps within 15 minutes, the battery is fully charged. Watering: Correct watering techniques extend battery life.

Check the electrolyte level on new batteries before putting them into service, and at least monthly on batteries in service. Water use increases as batteries age.

Never allow the electrolyte level to fall below the top of the plates. If the plates are exposed, add only enough water to cover the plates before charging.

Do not overfill batteries. Electrolyte expands and can overflow during charging. Water added to replace the spillage dilutes the electrolyte and reduces its specific gravity. Cells with lower specific gravity have lower charging capacity. Make sure the electrolyte covers the plates before charging and fill cells to the markers only after batteries are charged.

Use only distilled water. Electric vehicle batteries may use up to 16 quarts of water during their useful lives and non-distilled water may contain harmful minerals which will have a cumulative adverse effect on battery performance.

Cleaning: Acid-soaked dirt on the battery tops causes current leakage and reduced battery efficiency.

Hose wash battery tops periodically with clean low-pressure water to keep them free of acid spillage, dirt, grass cuttings and other debris. Make sure vent caps are secure before washing. Do NOT hose wash electronic controllers, switches, solenoid and other electrical control devices. Cover them if necessary.

Wash the tops with a baking soda mixture (1/2 cup per quart of water) and a stiff bristle brush if a low-pressure hose doesn't remove the dirt. Rinse with clean water.

Make sure the battery tops are clean and dry before putting them into storage.

BRAKES
Golf cars have brakes only in the rear. They are mechanical in nature, like the parking brakes on your automobile. There are no hydraulics or need for brake fluid. Periodic adjustment and brake shoe replacement is required at intervals, depending on usage.

COOLING
Properly cooled air is as important to an engine's life as oil. Air-cooled engines are just that, cooled by air. Air is drawn through the flywheel fins and forced over a series of cooling fins, expelling the heated air created during combustion. This process ensures a constant supply
of fresh air rushing over the cooling fins. From a maintenance standpoint, all that's really needed is an occasional check to make sure nothing is blocking airflow. Depending on the application, blockage could occur from dust, grass, leaves, etc.

ELECTRIC OR GAS
Electric golf cars and utility vehicles 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 1,000 moving parts. In Florida, gas golf cars are rarely used, resulting in very few for the resale market. The noise, smell and exhaust fumes are disliked and add to the lack of popularity. In addition, electric golf cars now have the capability to go in excess of 45 miles between charges.

GASOLINE
Oxidation can turn today's gasoline "stale" if left for prolonged periods. "Stale" gasoline leaves gummy deposits in the carburetor and valve train. When this occurs, disassembly, cleaning or replacement of affected part is generally required.

Gasoline stabilizers do an excellent job of retarding the oxidation process, and ensuring the "burn ability" of the gasoline. Mineral-based fuel additives offer outstanding protection for gasoline both in storage and in use.

HORSEPOWER AND SPEED
Components of the internal combustion engines vary greatly based upon the manufacturer. 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 the gear ratios of the drive train. Unlike your automobile, there is no transmission or clutches. A 2-3 horsepower motor can easily move a 5,000 pound trailer. For safety, golf cars are limited to a speed of 12-18 mph regardless of horsepower.

OIL
Engine oil has been considered the lifeblood of any engine. In addition to its lubrication responsibilities, oil has equally important responsibilities to cool, seal, and clean. In most of today's engines, special properties in oil are needed to meet the demands of today's applications and engine technology. Long gone are the days of non-detergent oil. Operating temperatures and load demands placed on today's engines make detergent oils a necessity. The need of adequate amounts of oil are easy to understand and simply stated: More oil means cooler oil. This is not to say that engines should be overfilled; it is to say they be kept clean and full. Oil dissipates heat build-up through the crankcase. The less oil present, the less dissipation, thereby increasing the engine's operating temperature. Too little oil in an engine will melt metal. Obviously, this is the beginning of the end for your engine. When it comes to oil, pro-active strategies clearly beat re-active strategies.

TUNE-UPS
There is no need for tune-ups on electric golf cars, since there are few moving parts. Lubrication of a few key areas and brake adjustments are the only requirements.