The following are some common, frequently ask questions that we answer here at Capital Golf Cars. We have included these questions to help you with your golf car buying decision. In addition, you will find near the bottom of this page a section on battery maintenance which will provide you with a set of guide lines and  procedures in caring for this critical component of your golf car.

What should you look for when buying a pre-owned golf cart?

• Batteries: The batteries are probably the most important component of an electric golf car. A pre-owned golf car with new or year old batteries is a good start. For example, you may find a golf car at a great price but it has four (4) year old batteries. If you buy this car, you should be prepared to replace the batteries in the very near future. The price may not look as good once you factor in the cost of a new set of batteries.
• Original Serial Number: The serial number tells you the year and month the car was manufactured. If a golf car does not have an original serial number attached to it, this vehicle may have been damaged in an accident, stolen or re-bodied.

Whom should you buy a pre-owned golf car from?

• Only buy a pre-owned golf car from an authorized golf car dealer. To maintain their dealership, dealers must meet the golf car manufactures high standards.  Assuming that you are buying from a dealer, not a neighbor, factory authorized dealers are best trained to service and fix your car and have access to factory parts designed for your car.
  
  For your protection, buy from a long established dealer.  Pre-owned golf car warranties are backed by the dealer. It is in the dealers best interest to sell you a reliable, trouble free golf car. A warranty for a pre-owned golf car is only as good as the golf car dealer standing behind them. At Capital Golf Cars, our pre-owned golf cars come with a full one (1) year warranty. We are that sure of our pre-owned cars.
  
  Visit the dealer to see for yourself if the company you are about to buy from is dependable and not a fly by night outfit. There are many so called golf car dealers who rent a warehouse and create an inventory of cars that were wholesaled by legitimate dealers. Capital Golf Cars has been as its present location for the past fourteen (14) years.

Why do so many more people today buy electric golf cars instead of gas-powered ones?

• With the introduction of the deep cycle battery, electric golf cars have the power, speed and range to play at least thirty-six (36) holes of golf before needing to be recharged. Golfers are no longer willing to put up with the noise, smell and higher repair bills associated with gas golf cars. Note that gas golf cars have about 30 times more moving parts in them than electric cars do.

What are the key questions to ask when buying a golf car?

What is the power, speed, range and value of the car I’m buying?
If you are buying a pre-owned golf car, what is the overall condition of the car, the age of the batteries and how much use has the car had?

How hard can it be to fix a golf car?

Electric golf cars are a little trickier to repair than you would think. There are several components in an electric car that produce similar symptoms when one of them fails. These components are expensive to replace. Therefore, you want to bring your car to an authorized dealer who has the training and expertise to properly diagnose and fix your car.

Is a rebuild golf car a good by?

Depend on what is being sold as a rebuild. Many non-dealers will re-body old, worn out cars that were used and abused on golf courses, maybe add a set of cheap batteries, replace the wheels, install a lift kit and then sell the car as a rebuild. It may look good but this is a disaster waiting to happen. You need to be very careful buying a golf car from a non-dealer claiming it was rebuilt. Check things out before you buy.

How long do batteries last?

It depends on how they are used, and how well they are cared for. Charge them regularly, keep them clean, keep them filled with distilled water and use them regularly and they should last for five years if you get the best quality. At Capital Golf Cars we use only Trojan batteries.

What golf car battery is the best quality?

No question that the Trojan T-875 (8 volts) and Trojan T-105 (6 volts) are the best golf batteries available. Capital Golf Cars sells only Trojan batteries.

What if I go away for a long period of time?

The best solution here is to have a neighbor or friend stop by on a weekly basis to attach the charger to the car and check the water level. This will keep the batteries charged and ready to go. We do not recommend keeping the charger attached to the golf car for extended periods of time.

How often do I need to charge my golf car?

We tell our customers to charge their cars overnight so they are ready to go the next morning. The charger will shut off automatically.

Do I have to charge batteries as often during the summer?

Even if the golf car sits in the garage idly during the hot Texas summer, it is critical that the batteries be regularly charged. Hot summer weather causes deep-cycling golf car batteries to discharge at a much quicker rate than in cold climates. For example, a healthy fully charged set of batteries will lose half their capacity in just 9 weeks if sitting in 85 degree temps.

How fast can a golf car go?

If you buy a LSV (low speed vehicle) like the Tomberlin e-Merge, the maximum speed allowed by law is 25mph. LSVs must not only be street legal, but also have additional safety equipment such as seat belts, turn signals, side mirrors, reflectors, an AS5 Plexiglas or better windshield and a l7- digit VIN number.

Battery Care

Safety:

Batteries give off two explosive gases - hydrogen and oxygen. Consequently, do not smoke or work with open flames around batteries.  Charge batteries in well vented areas. Avoid contact with highly corrosive battery acid. Wear acid resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles. Wash off any battery liquid immediately with large quantities  of water or neutralize with a baking soda solution. When working in the battery compartment, be sure to remove rings, watches and jewelry. The energy in a bank of golf car batteries can melt a ring and cause serious burns if you short out the terminals.

Cleaning:

Dirt and moisture on the exterior battery surfaces permits current leakage. It is also harder to inspect dirty batteries for damage. While you can use a commercial battery cleaner, a 1/4 cup of baking soda in 1 ½ gallons of clean water will work as well. Spray the tops and sides, wiring and battery racks with cleaner. Scrub with a bristle brush soaked in the solution. Let solution stand for at least five minutes for neutralization. Rinse with a low-pressure spray of clean water. If any corrosion remains, repeat the process. Make sure caps are on tight so none of the baking soda gets into the battery since even a few drops can decrease the battery’s efficiency and decrease its life.

Maintenance

Do not run your golf car until the batteries are completely dead before you recharge it. Golf car batteries should never be completely discharged prior to charging. This dramatically reduces their service life and will lead to early failure. If you have used your golf car, attach your charger and let it run until it shuts off. You should always start out with freshly charged set of batteries.

Add water to your battery cells when the electrolyte level gets low. Do not over fill the cells and then place the car on charge. The water will expand during charging and come out of the cell caps and onto the floor. If you have low cells, add just enough water to cover the tops of the plates and then charge the car. After the charger has shut off and the batteries are cool, add water to each low cell to the appropriate level which is about ½ inch above the plates. Just maintain this level, and remember never fill battery cells to the top. To take the hassle out of filling your batteries, Capital Golf Cars has in stock Batter Filling Systems (BFS) which will fill your batteries correctly without needing to remove battery caps.

Do's and Don’ts

• Disconnect the charger cord from the golf car after the car has been fully charged and the charger has shut off.
• Do not leave a car unattended with the charger still plugged in for any extended period of time.
• Do not add acid to a cell. Trying to add acid to a battery with water in the cells is dangerous. Pouring sulfuric acid into a wet cell is not wise and can cause serious injury.
• Hot summer weather causes golf car batteries to self-discharge at a much higher rate than in cold weather. For example, a healthy, fully charged set of batteries will go from 100% capacity to 50% capacity in just 9 weeks if left sitting idle at a temperature of 86 degrees.. Imagine what happens at 95 or 100 degrees. Batteries are most vulnerable to sulfation when they are sitting idle and partially discharged.
• Do not buy auto parts store brand batteries or you’ll be quickly disappointed. These are car batteries which are made differently and will not perform the same as deep-cycle batteries that are specifically designed for golf cars.