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how to tell if your golf cart shocks are bad

by Dr. Triston Nikolaus IV Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Is your cart extra noisy when going over bumps or even when driving around gently? Chances are your suspension parts are getting old. Golf cart shocks, struts, coil-over suspension and leaf spring parts fade out over time due to use and age.

Full Answer

How do I know if my golf cart shocks need changing?

Too high a pressure makes the cart ride bumpy while too low pressure causes the cart to drag. Rotating the tires occasionally for uniform use is a good idea. To confirm if your shocks need to be changed, get on to the bumper of the cart and push it down three to four times continuously. Listen for a squeaking sound.

How to tell if your car needs new shocks or struts?

7. Squatting In The Front Or Back 8. Your Car Doesn’t Ride As Well As It Used To 9. Uneven Tire Wear Do You Need to Replace All Four Shocks or Struts at Once? What are the Symptoms of Bad or Worn Shocks and Struts?

How do I know if my golf cart battery charger is bad?

This is usually the first step we perform in the shop to determine possible golf cart battery charger issues. With a basic digital volt meter we check system voltage first. Whatever the operating voltage is of your golf cart you should check current voltage levels to know if the cart is in fact fully charged, partially charged or completed dead.

How do I know if my golf cart solenoid is bad?

For the electric golf cart, if the solenoid is silent, no clicking, use the setting voltmeter to DC volts using the 200 range. Turn on the ignition while noticing the reading on terminals. If it jumps and shows full voltage, then the solenoid is the problem.

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How do you know when your golf cart needs new shocks?

Replace worn-out shocks and struts To confirm if your shocks need to be changed, get on to the bumper of the cart and push it down three to four times continuously. Listen for a squeaking sound. Also, check if the cart takes a longer time than usual to get back to the original height or if it doesn't at all.

How do I know if my shocks are bad?

The Warning Signs Of Worn Shocks And StrutsInstability at highway speeds. ... Vehicle “tips” to one side in turns. ... The front end dives more than expected during hard braking. ... Rear-end squat during acceleration. ... Tires bouncing excessively. ... Unusual tire wear. ... Leaking fluid on the exterior of shocks or struts.

How often should shocks be replaced on golf cart?

Some shock absorber manufacturers say you should replace them at 50,000 miles, but that's more for their benefit than yours. Having the shocks and suspension parts inspected at 40,000 or 50,000 miles, then annually after that, is a better idea.

How do you know if your shock absorbers need replacing?

How to Tell if Shock Absorbers Are Worn Out: Signs to Look ForShock Absorbers Leaking. This is one of the most common signs that your shocks are shot, and it's an easy one to spot. ... Uneven Tyres. ... Bad Vibrations. ... Stopping Takes Longer. ... Swerving, Nose Diving and Veering. ... Knocking Noise. ... Bumpy Rides.

What do worn out shocks sound like?

Unusual noises – When shocks and struts are worn out you may hear a clunking or knocking sound. This sound is caused by metal-to-metal contact when the shock or strut bottoms out when hitting a bump. In addition, these noises could be a result in worn shock or strut mounting components.

What does a blown shock look like?

1:052:44How to Check for Blown Shocks - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWith blown shocks your vehicle is difficult to control the ride quality is affected your tyres wearMoreWith blown shocks your vehicle is difficult to control the ride quality is affected your tyres wear unevenly and your braking distance decreases.

How do you check for shocks?

0:303:16Strut and Shock Testing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhat you do is you walk up to it and push up and down a few times on the front or rear bumper.MoreWhat you do is you walk up to it and push up and down a few times on the front or rear bumper.

Why does my golf cart ride so rough?

If you are not continually checking the pressure in the tires on your cart, you can cause a rough ride, and you can also cause unnecessary wear on the tires themselves. One of the essential parts of being a golf cart owner is knowing what the proper tire pressures are on the cart.

Why is my electric golf cart jerking?

Jerking electric golf carts are probably more common than a jerking gas model. That's because most “jerking” concerns are caused by battery issues or a poor flow of electricity from the battery to the cart. Typically, you'll start to notice this problem when your cart needs to charge up.

What happens if a shock absorber fails?

A broken shock absorber will result in your car bouncing around, as well as excessive rolling, squatting and diving. In other words, it won't be comfortable. Plus, your car will be harder to control, especially at high speeds.

When should shocks be replaced?

Generally, shocks and struts wear out every 50,000-100,000 miles. If you're a more aggressive driver and/or frequently drive on rough roads, they will wear out faster....4 Signs That You Need to Replace Shocks & StrutsBumpy, rough ride. ... Leaking fluid. ... Uneven treadwear. ... Instability when braking or turning.

What causes shock absorbers to fail?

If you are driving on bad roads or hitting potholes often this will cause your vehicle to rebound more frequently and can damage your shocks. When travelling on dirt roads a lot of dust is generated in the air.

How to tell if shocks are worn out?

One way to tell that your shocks and struts are worn out is that your car will bounce up and down when driving. Your car should move smoothly down the road absorbing most of the impacts and road imperfections as you drive.

What happens when shocks are worn?

As your shocks become worn they won’t allow your tires to make consistent contact with the road surface which can lead to uneven tire wear or cupping on your tires. Your shocks keep your tires planted to the road.

How Do Shock Absorbers Work?

Before going into the signs that your shock absorbers need to be replaced it’s important to understand how they work with your car’s suspension to absorb impacts to keep them from being sent into the car.

Why won't my car ride as well as it used to?

Your Car Doesn’t Ride As Well As It Used To. Over time as your shocks and struts wear out, your car won’t ride as well as it used to when it was brand new. Worn shocks and struts can cause your car to be upset by small bumps and undulations in the road surface and is usually a sign that your shocks are worn out.

How to tell if shock absorber needs replaced?

Shock Absorber Is Leaking. One of the more obvious ways to tell that your shocks need to be replaced is that they are leaking hydraulic fluid. Shock and struts have hydraulic fluid inside of them that allows them to absorb bumps in the road.

Why do shocks leak hydraulic fluid?

Over time the seals of the shocks can become worn out and crack allowing hydraulic fluid to leak out. If you visually inspect your shocks or struts and they are leaking hydraulic fluid this is a sign that they need to be replaced.

How to tell if struts are worn?

The easiest way to tell if your shocks and struts are worn is by going for a drive and monitoring how your car handles bumps and potholes. Your car should go over bumps in the road without upsetting how the car handles or making noises. Your shocks and struts should absorb most of the impact of potholes and not allow the impact to transmit ...

What are the benefits of having struts and shocks in your car?

Shocks and struts in good condition help your car handle whatever comes at you on the road — bumps, debris, sudden stops, swerving, potholes, wind gusts or sharp turns. They control the side-to-side, front-to-back and up-and-down shifts of the car’s weight and maintain optimal tire contact with the road. Shocks or struts are hard-working parts.

How many miles can a shock go?

Shocks or struts are hard-working parts. They can go through 75 million cycles over the course of 50,000 miles. Even on well-paved roads, they can move up or down 1,500 to 1,900 times every mile. They are partners with the brakes, steering, suspension, tires and electronic safety systems — anti-lock brakes, stability control ...

What happens when you have a hard stop?

When you have an unexpected hard stop or swerve, your vehicle’s crash avoidance systems send instant electronic signals to the brakes and other critical components. If ride control parts like shocks and struts are worn, they may not properly respond. Then the crash prevention systems can’t function as designed and you have less control behind ...

What does cupping on a tire look like?

Cupping is uneven tire wear that looks like hollowed out areas on the tread.

How to maintain good contact with the road?

Maintain tires’ good contact with the road by preventing them from moving up and down too much. Contribute to stability as you accelerate, stop and turn. Add to ride comfort by absorbing jolts and bumpiness from irregular road surfaces. Control a vehicle’s body movement (side-to-side roll, bouncing).

What are the safety systems in cars?

Today’s vehicles have highly engineered electronic safety systems: vehicle stability systems, ABS (anti-lock brakes), traction control, collision prevention control and automated braking. These all work together to keep tires in proper contact with the road and provide the most stability.

Is it bad to replace shock absorbers?

But shock absorber or strut failures aren’t just bad for comfort. Replacing them when it’s time keeps your auto’s electronic systems and suspension working as they should, extending your vehicle’s life — and keeping you safer on the road. Schedule an Appointment.

How to tell if golf cart solenoid is bad?

One of the most common and obvious signs of the bad solenoid is the golf cart's failure to start when you initiate the ignition process. Once you click the accelerator and turn on the ignition switch, it is supposed to send a signal to activate the solenoid and start the cart. If the cart does not start, there is a big possibility ...

How to Test a Bad Solenoid on a Golf Cart?

Testing bad solenoids in a golf cart is relatively simple, especially for Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts.

Why is my golf cart not starting?

If the cart does not start, there is a big possibility of a damaged solenoid. Another reason for a bad solenoid is that the contacts are starting to get damaged due to overheating or high current passing through them. Note: You may not necessarily experience all of these issues to recognize bad solenoids on your golf cart.

What is a solenoid in golf carts?

Simply put, a solenoid is a device that can transform electrical energy into mechanical energy. It's a coil of wire which is used as an electromagnet. The solenoid has the capability of creating a magnetic field with the help of an electric current. Solenoids work as the “go switch”, which is a must for any golf cart.

Why won't my golf cart turn over?

For a gas golf cart, the most common symptom is the starter failing to engage, so the engine doesn't turn over. Starters have the responsibility of activating the flywheel. When the flywheel starts to work, the starter is supposed to disconnect.

How to tell if solenoid is working?

Step on the gas and try to listen to the sound of clicking. If you hear the clicking sound, look for a reading of fewer than 0.4 ohms. If you get a higher reading, the solenoid is not working and needs to be replaced.

Why is my golf cart so rough?

Your golf cart ride can be rough because of tire problems, suspension problems or issues with the transmission. Tire Problem. Suspension Problem. Transmission Problem. Tire Problem: Incorrect air pressure and wrongly aligned tires are two key tire-related problems that can trigger rough golf cart rides.

What causes a golf cart to bounce?

Check if your golf cart is fitted with heavy-duty leaves. These are often known to cause bounce. Replacing them with stock leaves or removing a couple of them should solve the problem.

Why does my EZGO RXV ride rough?

Why an EZGO RXV rides rough. Your EZGO RXV often tends to ride rough because of the following reasons. Too much air in the tires. If the golf cart tires have too much air and uneven pressure, the rides may be rough. You can consider checking this out and releasing the excess air or pressure.

How to make a golf cart ride smooth?

You can make your golf cart ride smooth by checking for the above-mentioned problems in the cart and attending to them. Correct tire pressure. Check if the front and back tires have the correct and even pressure according to specifications. They may need different pressures based on the conditions and seasons.

How much pressure should I put on my golf cart tires?

Check the pressure of all the tires in the cart. If it’s above 30 PSI, you might want to release some pressure so that it’s in the range of 20 to 22 PSI per tire. On a golf course, 8 to 10 PSI is more than enough. You can also check out with a tire shop to get the tires balanced.

How to get smoother ride on Yamaha G16?

You can get a smooth ride from your Yamaha G16 golf cart by ensuring the following. Ensure that there is no air leak in the gaskets between the intake and the carburetor as well as the spacer. You can pull out the airbox and check for a damaged gasket or spacer.

Why is my car bumpy?

Check the pressure on all tires and release some pressure if you find that it’s too high as this can cause bumpy rides.

How to tell if golf cart battery is bad?

1. Charging Issues. First, check to ensure that your golf cart was charged before you took it out.

How to check if golf cart is charging?

First, check to ensure that your golf cart was charged before you took it out. Plug it back into the charger and follow the instructions. Just in case the charger is the issue, check that the battery charger is turned on. There should be an indicator light to show that it is charging the batteries. In the morning, disconnect ...

What hole does a golf cart stop dead?

It’s a real hassle if your golf cart stops dead and you’re only at the 15 th hole of play. Not only is this an embarrassing event, but it’s a major pain to have to arrange for the cart to be towed back to the parking lot.

How to check if a battery is sealed?

Inspect the batteries to see if they are sealed lead-acid batteries or if there are caps on the top of the batteries . If there are caps (lids) present – then open them and check that the cells inside are adequately covered with the clear fluid. This fluid is the acid – so be careful not to splash it near your eyes or on clothing. It will burn.

Why won't my cart fire up?

But more often than not, your cart suddenly refused to fire up and go due to a dead or bad battery.

Can you top up golf cart batteries?

Only top up your golf cart batteries using distilled water. Also, it is common for golf carts to be powered by multiple batteries. If this is the case, you will notice how several individual batteries have been “daisy-chained” together to form one large battery. 4.

Can you top up a golf cart battery with distilled water?

You need to leave enough room for expansion, so the acid should only be filled to just above the lead cells inside. Only top up your golf cart batteries using distilled water. Also, it is common for golf carts to be powered by multiple batteries.

What happens if my golf cart is not charging?

If you do not have any voltage in the batteries you will need to get some back into the battery bank before the golf cart charger will charge again .

How to check if a golf cart battery is fully charged?

With a basic digital volt meter we check system voltage first. Whatever the operating voltage is of your golf cart you should check current voltage levels to know if the cart is in fact fully charged , partially charged or completed dead. You will usually find the batteries to your golf cart under the front seat which opens or folds out towards the golf cart steering wheel on most Club Cars, Ezgo and Yamaha golf carts.

How to wire golf cart batteries?

No mater how many golf cart batteries you have it will always work the same. To wire multiple batteries in a series you would just connect each batteries positive terminal to the next batteries negative terminal. Then continue this process for however many batteries to intend to connect together. After you have done so you will always have two terminals left over. One will be positive and one will be negative. Those terminals will reflect the new operating voltage of said battery bank. For example as shown in image above – most golf carts these days operate on 36 volt or 48 volts. Which can be achieved in a few ways depending on the batteries used. Whether 6 volt, 8 volt or 12 volt batteries. All of which will have different capacity and or range limitations. Simply put the more batteries you have the larger your so called gas tank will be – or the longer run time and range possible.

How many volts does a 36 volt golf cart have?

So now that we know where to check voltage and test. What is the answer? Jot down or remember whatever number you get. 36 volt golf carts when fully charge will reflect 37-38 volts… and 48 volt systems will reflect roughly 49-51 volts. All batteries hold slightly more voltage than advertised on case when fully charged so when combined the numbers are always slightly higher. So no need to be alarmed.

What voltage do golf cart batteries work on?

All golf cart battery chargers usually operate on 110VAC but some have the ability to operate on multiple voltages for other power grids like in Europe vs US. 110/230VAC would reflect this feature on charger. Good DC side connection. This is the wire or cord with a connector that you would plug into the golf cart.

What is the third pin on a golf cart?

Then the third pin is usually a low voltage signal for a lock-out feature on these newer style golf carts. This is so the user cannot drive off with a golf cart “If the charger is still plugged in”.

What does the green circle on a golf cart mean?

Note – The green circles in image above indicate positive and negative most battery terminals to check voltage on your golf cart. These images cover all the basic golf cart battery configurations. If not hopefully you will now better understand how to determine which terminals to test in your application.

How to tell if your golf cart battery is bad?

Symptoms of a failing battery or batteries could include the following: 1 You may notice the range decreasing over time. The range should be about 2 rounds of golf. 2 A “Shutter” is when the cart feels like you are running across a corduroy road or someone is tapping the brake in a rapid staccato. This is a classic sign of low voltage. If this is experienced, your cart may be low on charge, the charger may not be functioning properly or you may have a battery issue. 3 On electric golf carts, the cart refusing to move at all on a charged set of batteries could be the controller not engaging when the voltage falls below a preset value. 4 It takes twice as long to charge your batteries as it did when you first had them installed. As the batteries age, they will not hold a charge as well as they used to. The charger has no way to know this and will continue to charge the batteries trying to get to a full charge – meaning it will take longer to charge the batteries than normal.

How to tell if your golf cart is low voltage?

You may notice the range decreasing over time. The range should be about 2 rounds of golf. A “Shutter” is when the cart feels like you are running across a corduroy road or someone is tapping the brake in a rapid staccato. This is a classic sign of low voltage.

How Much Does It Cost To Replace The Batteries In A Golf Cart?

The cost of replacing the battery pack typically runs from $800 to $1500 depending on the number of batteries needed and the brand you go with.

What Is The Best Golf Cart Battery?

Trojan T-105 batteries are the best-known premium battery and have nearly 100 years of manufacturing experience. Trojan Battery Company was founded in 1925 and developed the golf cart battery for the Autoette in 1952. The distinctive maroon color of the T-105 makes it easy to distinguish from its competitors.

Why would my battery go bad?

As mentioned earlier, the electrolyte level must be kept at optimum levels or damage can be done to the plates inside. Incorrectly watering is the major cause of problems in batteries.

How many amps does a golf cart battery take to recharge?

To recharge, the batteries will require 90 ampere-hours + 20% to make up for any charge deficiency.

When do golf cart batteries discharge?

The state of charge or discharge golf batteries are in at the end of the day depends upon the type of play and the number of holes the golf cart was used for. The battery charger is designed to bring a normally discharged battery back to full or nearly full charge in a given time. When charging, allow enough time for a complete charge cycle.

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