To assure proper functioning of your gas golf cart and safe driving experience, a golf cart needs regular maintenance, just like automobiles and any other vehicles with traditional engines.
The oil in the golf cart should be changed at least two times a year, depending on how much it is operated.
To be sure that your cart is handled in the best possible way, you should follow the instructions provided by the owner’s manual, but there are also some tips regarding oil change in a golf cart that you might find helpful.
You can find owners manuals here:
Yamaha Golf Cart Owners Manuals
There are some tools and equipment that you will need to get before you can start the process of changing the oil.
These are the vital items for the job:
- Lint-free cloth
- Wrench
- Pan for oil draining
- Funnel
- 10W-30 grade motor oil
- Replacement oil filter
- Protective work gloves
- Safety glasses
How To Change The Oil In A Golf Cart
1. To keep yourself safe and protected, first put on the work gloves as well as safety glasses to avoid any possible injuries in case oil splashing occurs.
2. It is best to change the oil in the golf cart while the engine is still warm.
3. To prepare your cart for an oil change, you should park the cart on a level surface and leave the engine on so it can warm up and help make the replacement easier.
4. Once it’s ready, you should apply the parking brake and stop the engine.
5. After this, you can remove the ignition key.
6. You will need the lint-free cloth to clean the engine oil cap and everything around it. This is important because you don’t want debris accidentally entering the engine when you remove the cap.
7. After cleaning, put the cap somewhere safe.
8. The next step is to take the pan and put is under the oil filter.
9. Three bolts are connecting the engine with the part used for installing the filter. These bolts need to be removed, and for that task, you will need to use the wrench.
10. Pull the filter out of the engine and set the O-rubber ring somewhere close.
11. When you remove the filter, the oil will start to drain from the cart, so make sure that the pan is placed correctly, and that the oil is dripping directly into it.
12. You will need to do some cleaning once again. Use the lint-free rag to wipe the area around the oil filter mounting point.
13. Next, you need to replace the oil filter with the new one. You should take care of the size because it needs to match. Use the O-ring to seal the new filter.
14. In some cases, it may be possible to clean the oil filter using an engine degreaser or compressed air. If you use a degreaser, you should let the filter dry on air before you begin with the reinstallation. In case of using the compressed air, be careful not to go over 30 pounds per square inch, and to keep the nozzle on an appropriate distance from the filter, which is at least 3 inches.
15. Once the oil filter is in its place, take the wrench to reinstall the three bolts.
16. So, this is the main part. After you insert the funnel into the filter cap opening, start pouring the small amount of 10W-30 grade motor oil into it. You should make little breaks during this process to check the level of fluid on the engine oil dipstick. There you will spot two lines. The bottom one marks the minimum amount of oil that is necessary for the engine to function safely. Never operate the vehicle if the level is below this line because it will result in some serious damage. The other line is placed right under the ”F” letter and it marks the full capacity of the engine. Ideally, you should pour the oil into the engine until the level of oil is right in the middle of these two lines.
17. At this point, all that is left is to remove the funnel, put back the cap and clean any remaining oil spillage.
Example Of Changing Golf Cart Oil
If you have gathered all the necessities, you can proceed with the oil replacement and if you follow all the steps properly, you can rest assured that you will perform this task successfully.
When you follow the recommendations in terms of replacing the oil and the oil filter in your golf cart, you are providing yourself with the longer-lasting cart.
When should the oil in the golf cart be changed?
1. If your golf cart is new, then do the replacement after the first one hundred hours of operation.
2. After the initial change, you should keep changing it about every two hundred hours of operation. Be very careful never to let three hundred hours of using the golf cart to pass without doing the replacement.
3. If you do not use your golf cart during the winter, usually some moisture will accumulate during this time. Always change the oil in the spring, or when you decide to start operating it again, you will get rid of that moisture.
What type of oil should be used for golf carts?
Most golf carts use 30W-10 grade motor oil. However, if you operate your cart at near-capacity levels, then it is best to use 10W-40.
Why is the oil change in the golf carts so important?
Simply put, the engine consists of many smaller parts that need to be well lubricated to function properly and avoid damages, and oil is providing just that.
As time goes by, the oil starts breaking down and becomes contaminated by the particles of dust, debris, and dirt that come from both the engine itself and the environment.
When this happens, the oil just can’t fulfill its vital function the right way.
By changing the oil and the oil filter in your golf cart regularly, you are helping the engine to continue working on the highest level and you are sparing yourself of possibly very costly repairs that could later happen.
Proactive change of the oil during one year will cost you about 120 dollars, but not doing so and not maintaining your cart’s engine properly can be measured in thousands of dollars in expenses. When you compare this information side by side, it is pretty clear what is the better and the safer option.
Here are the most important reasons that will show you the significance of the oil and the filter replacements:
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- It maintains the lubrication of the engine. – There are a lot of components of the engine that are constantly moving at very high speeds. This movement creates heat, and without enough lubrication that is provided by the motor oil, all these parts will start to wear down the engine in a big way. You should consult the owner’s manual to check if there are any recommendations regard the use of oil and always follow them.
- The oil helps with cooling down the engine components. – If the parts of the engine that move lack proper lubrication, they will result in the heat creation which will lead to over-heating the engine of your golf cart. The best solution to prevent this harmful occurrence is always making sure that there are necessary amounts of clean motor oil in the engine.
- Removes the sludge and the particles of the engine wear. – Dirt particles are fatal to the engine, because if they accumulate they will cause corrosion and the life span of your engine will be significantly decreased. Another problem is that during the time the oil starts breaking up and turning into ”sludge”. This is why keeping the oil in the engine of the cart clean is an essential part of its maintenance. When you are changing the oil and the filter regularly you are taking care of the engine and its condition.
- Improves gas mileage. – If the engine is not lubricated enough, it can result in using much more fuel than usual, which is another motive to always keep the needed amount of the clean oil in the engine of your golf cart. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, regular oil replacement will improve the gas mileage by 1-2% over time. Although it doesn’t seem like much, in the long run, it can be plenty!
- It helps to prolong the vehicle’s life span. – From everything already written, it is more than clear that routine maintenance will provide a longer-lasting vehicle. Because of the dirty oil, all of the internal parts of the engine have to work harder, which causes more problems in the future and shorter functioning of the cart.
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Even though keeping track of this and performing the task by yourself can be somewhat tiring and tedious, it is a job that must be done, so it would be the best to develop this habit and do it regularly.
By doing so, you will spare yourself from a lot of potential expenses over time, you will have your golf cart with you for a much longer, and you will provide yourself with safer rides in the cart.
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