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This is for anyone who’s ever found themselves staring at a dusty, tired looking golf cart and thinking “Alright, what’s the story here?” We’ve got a Club Car on our hands and we’re about to walk it back from wherever it’s been sitting to moving under its own power again.
For Club Car carts, the serial number is our golden ticket to knowing exactly what we’re dealing with. You’ll usually find it under the passenger-side dash on the lower edge, either stamped into a small aluminum plate or on a decal. It gives us the model, the year and sometimes even build details.
Even just from the photo we can begin to gather clues about the cart’s health and history. For instance, take a look at the condition of the tires. Uneven wear tells us about potential alignment issues, while dry rot might suggest it’s been sitting out in the sun for a few seasons. Faded plastics or a chalky body finish often indicate long term exposure to UV, while corroded battery terminals are a quick sign we’ll be dealing with voltage drops and connection issues down the line. If there is any suspension sag, worn or cracked seat cushions, missing access panels, each of these speaks to how the cart’s been treated. These aren’t just cosmetic, they’re breadcrumbs leading to bigger mechanical truths.
From here, our goal is to dig just deep enough to form a smart game plan. We’re going to start with battery evaluation, checking the condition and voltage of each unit, whether it’s a 36V or 48V system. From there, we’ll map out the main power circuit, batteries, cables, solenoid to make sure current is flowing where it needs to. If it’s a series cart, we’ll explain what that means for power delivery and throttle input. If it’s a regen cart with IQ or Excel, we’ll walk through the role of the speed controller and how it interacts with components like the MCOR or V-Glide, depending on the drive system and year.
There’s a lot to uncover and we’ve only taken the first look. Next up we get into power, connections, and what this cart tells us when we finally get to lift the seat and look!
For Club Car carts, the serial number is our golden ticket to knowing exactly what we’re dealing with. You’ll usually find it under the passenger-side dash on the lower edge, either stamped into a small aluminum plate or on a decal. It gives us the model, the year and sometimes even build details.
Even just from the photo we can begin to gather clues about the cart’s health and history. For instance, take a look at the condition of the tires. Uneven wear tells us about potential alignment issues, while dry rot might suggest it’s been sitting out in the sun for a few seasons. Faded plastics or a chalky body finish often indicate long term exposure to UV, while corroded battery terminals are a quick sign we’ll be dealing with voltage drops and connection issues down the line. If there is any suspension sag, worn or cracked seat cushions, missing access panels, each of these speaks to how the cart’s been treated. These aren’t just cosmetic, they’re breadcrumbs leading to bigger mechanical truths.
From here, our goal is to dig just deep enough to form a smart game plan. We’re going to start with battery evaluation, checking the condition and voltage of each unit, whether it’s a 36V or 48V system. From there, we’ll map out the main power circuit, batteries, cables, solenoid to make sure current is flowing where it needs to. If it’s a series cart, we’ll explain what that means for power delivery and throttle input. If it’s a regen cart with IQ or Excel, we’ll walk through the role of the speed controller and how it interacts with components like the MCOR or V-Glide, depending on the drive system and year.
There’s a lot to uncover and we’ve only taken the first look. Next up we get into power, connections, and what this cart tells us when we finally get to lift the seat and look!
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