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View Full Version : I'm so bummed about my golf cart



CathyA
10-30-12, 4:50pm
I bought a used golf cart 2 years ago from a local guy with a golf cart business. He would come pick it up and return it after he fixed things. But he closed up his business.
I depend so completely on this cart, to get around our 35 acre property, get to the chicken coop, take the garbage down our 1/4 mile drive, work in the garden, and just take rides around the woods to lift my spirits.
I need maintenance on it. Besides needing someone to do things to it who knows what they're doing, it has a couple specific problems and sometimes quits out in the field, and I'm lucky to get it back home.

I have called every golf course in the county. I have called all the local automotive servicing places in our town. Nobody fixes golf carts. Its hard to believe.
So.......One of the biggest golfcourses here told me they used a place about 90 miles from here. I called them and they said they would service it and would pick it up and return it. (of course, for a fee). Even though they are a large business, they are jacking me around. The guy who answers the phone has given me different info the several times I've called him. Yesterday morning he told me someone would call me and set up an appointment. When they didn't call, I called him back and he gave me different info.

I called the golf course that recommended them and asked if they still thought they were reputable and they said "absolutely"..........but "we have 50 carts and you just have one"............Which is probably very true in terms of the company not being that interested in just my one little cart........even though I'm prepared to pay alot of money to have it fixed.

Being the hermit I am, I don't have alot of contacts locally that might be able to steer me to a mechanic. I thought of advertising in the paper, but don't want to deal with alot of unknown people with unknown abilities. Dang.

Any suggestions? I'm on a golf cart forum..........and they all build/fix their own carts and don't understand why I can't. But some of us just can't do that kind of stuff.

try2bfrugal
10-30-12, 5:07pm
Could you use something else other than a golf cart? Like a moped, Segway, ATV, bike, electric scooter or a Vespa?

CathyA
10-30-12, 5:16pm
No, I need somewhere where I don't put pressure on my knees. And a bike puts to much pressure on my sciatic nerve. (There's always somethin'!) haha
I just need to find a good cart mechanic. DH and I love taking rides every evening, and my kids love to have rides when they come home to visit.

sweetana3
10-30-12, 5:24pm
Sometimes it is just finding a mechanic. We found a guy in NC who worked on anything. He worked on our 53 Ford, other newer cars and even did golf carts because we saw them being worked on in the garage. You might expand on what you are looking for and call around to all the garages to see if anyone has experience. From there you can check references or other sources of quality.

ToomuchStuff
10-30-12, 5:28pm
Sorry about your physical limitations, that make it so you can't fix it. Have you tried seeing if someone on your forum was close?
You might also want to specify if this is a gas golf cart, or a battery operated golf cart. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE and immediately leads to different directions as to repair options. (gas, a small engine guy could work on, battery means you need an electrical shop, aka someone good with multimeters)

bunnys
10-30-12, 6:07pm
I bet you can maintain this thing yourself. It ain't rocket science.

KayLR
10-30-12, 7:23pm
Do you still know how to get in touch with the guy you bought it from? Maybe he has someone he trusts he could recommend.

CathyA
10-30-12, 7:40pm
Actually, its more complicated than you would think bunnys. There are alot of electrical switches/connections and fairly complicated wiring, etc. if you haven't learned these things. There are a million parts.
No one on the forum seems to live around here.
And the guy that sold it to me seems to have disappeared off the earth. I saw a guy at the grocery store with a golf cart and I asked him who did his. He had bought it from the same guy I did, and he too, couldn't get a hold of him anywhere.
I saw a gas station with a small auto repair connected to it and it had several golf carts there, but when I called, they said they didn't work on them.

Maybe I'll try some smaller mechanic places.
Its an electric cart. I do some things myself, but there's alot I just don't know how to fix, or I can't get to.

Blackdog Lin
10-30-12, 9:09pm
Oh honey, am so sorry. Have no constructive advice to give, just sympathies, as we have also become dependant on the golf cart. It's been a lifesaver for DH. But we've been lucky - after 2 years the cart has needed no maintenance beyond a new spark plug, which DH was able to figure out.

Sending prayers that you get something figured out.....

(maybe try the local small-engine/lawn-mower guys?.....)

Float On
10-30-12, 11:04pm
sorry.
If it's had that many repairs have you considered replacing it? Dad bought a gas powered yardsport and loves it. He says it's like a golfcart with 4wheel drive (and safer on the farm than the golf cart was).

CathyA
10-31-12, 7:32am
Thanks Blackdog Lin and Float On. Its still in great condition in many ways. I do love the electric one, as it lets me go through nature without a sound.

ToomuchStuff
10-31-12, 10:04am
Since you live on acreage, I would assume so do your neighbors. Can you hire one to trailer it out to the repair place?

SimplyL
10-31-12, 11:01am
I sure hope you can get it repaired soon.

... And I agree, they can be more challenging than one may assume. (We live in a golf cart community AND the family relies on them) Compound that with your having issues with your sciatic nerve, I'll bank that you probably don't want to have to crawl around and get under a tight spot to work on electrical. And if you do not know what on Earth you are doing, practicing can end up being very costly. My FIL (who has a generous amount of disposable income) actually had his sitting for 2 months, because the repair cost was so much.

I'd also recommend getting in touch with some neighbors, who likely also use golf carts. One of them has got to either have experience with self repair or knows someone. Also a thought may be contacting your local high school/vo-tech dept. Also, o you have a local Tractor Supply store? Some of the men that work there at ours are VERY knowledgable.. and also seem to know everyone. Maybe they would have a contact for you? Also farm/animal/ag supply stores? Worst case, do you have a community swapper that you can place a free ad in or pick up to see if anyone is advertising that performs work? These folks with small shops may not traditionally advertise in the Yellow Pages (of course, who knows if they also have a business license, etc but it's worth a shot)..

This is a major reason why husband is considering, after he retires from military (if he does not continue on in Aviation), moving on our homestead starting up a small engine/maintenance repair shop. Our community also has a need for people that can repair golf carts, riding mowers, a variety of things that are absolutely needs when you live on large acreage and the nearest major city is 30 miles or more. There was *one guy that did it for many years, was a lot of the neighbor's go to. And then, he retired. No one has filled the need in the area.

CathyA
10-31-12, 11:09am
Good suggestions ToomuchStuff and SimplyL.
If I had the money and could find a way of learning how to do all this stuff, I'd love to. (provided I could have a lift to work under it while standing up). I think I'm smart enough to learn how to do it all, but it would require way more time and energy than I have. (and my fingers are already misshapen from arthritis). Its funny how many guys on the golf cart forum I'm on know how to do all this stuff........even though they can't spell worth a darn. :~) I have the feeling they grew up learning this stuff. And they were in shop and we girls were in home ec. :(
Alot of them also have no idea that other people don't know this stuff. The things they say are in a foreign language to me, but they assume its easy to do.
I'm not saying women can't learn this stuff later in life. But for me and my poor old body, it IS a bit too late.

SimplyL
10-31-12, 11:18am
I understand with having Rheumatoid and Spondylitiis. Also, my husband being in aviation and working in electronics, electrical, and all of the other things that he does. When he speaks about his day, it IS a foreign language to me. Then again, when I worked in real estate, he didn't understand the words coming out of my mouth either. :) if it's not your niche, it's not your niche.

Anyhow, try some of those additional resources and see if you can find someone. Half of our land is treed right now, however, we're getting ready to do a fire break this winter. So, I know there will be days that if we're going down the entire length and trail, I'm just going to need the golf cart. When we're going over to visit one of the relatives, sometimes I just have to take the car. I don't want to.. would prefer to walk. However, if it's a weekend that we've designated to go up to the cabin and coincides with a bad health week for me, that's just the way I have to get around. So, I understand how important it is.

CathyA
10-31-12, 11:36am
Thanks SimplyL.
Some of the guys on that forum are also retired engineers, and they seem to be the kindest with being patient with me and being good teachers.
And you're right about the niche thing. I'm sure if I started talking critical care medicine with them, they wouldn't understand me either! I wish my DH could do those things, and I guess I'm being sexist to think that he should know them, just because he's a man. We planted some pines in the field last Saturday. Its sort of why I've been waiting to get it serviced. And it wouldn't start! I begged and begged it and it finally started and we got so much done that day because of the golf cart. So it definitely has my respect and admiration! I told DH, "when I die, bury me with my golf cart". :~)

CathyA
10-31-12, 11:42am
P.S. SimplyL...........how do you do a fire break? I planted tons of trees right next to the house, so I guess I wasn't thinking about fires. :(
Tell me more about your property. it sounds nice!

ctg492
10-31-12, 2:33pm
It is electric or gas? I have a GEM which is electric, Chrysler with GEM sales unit has done work on it since it was made by Diamer/Chrysler , they have sold to Polaris now. SO try either of those places. I just had it serviced this summer however at the local Battery Specialist store. They said they would do future work on it. So if it is battery try one of those shops.

Gardenarian
10-31-12, 2:49pm
Is there a community bulletin board or a Craigslist for your area? Have you tried posting for a mechanic?
I sure hope you find someone soon!