FAQs - Golf Cart Buyers Guide - Everything You Need to Know Before Purchasing!

Street Legal (LSV Low-Speed Vehicle) are basically a SAFER and FASTER golf carts with specs and features that protect occupants more so than just a golf cart is designed to do.  With the added safety and performance features a Street Legal car can be titled, registered, and tagged to be legal for operation on streets with a posted speed limit of 35 MPH or less.  Many buyers chose to go with a LSV to have more freedom of movement and to be able to access grocery stores, restaurants, and shopping centers quickly and conveniently.  Many desirable safety, performance, and comfort features that today's consumer want are built into most Street Legal LSV's like 25 MPH top speed, four wheel brakes for quick stopping, seat belts, lights and turn signals, DOT windshield and tires, and high visibility options like reflectors, lights, turn signals, and brake light help keep occupants visible and safe while sharing low-speed roads with traffic.  Pedestrian alert sounds and rear-view cameras add additional safety to Low-Speed Vehicles.  Visit our showroom at 3500 S US Highway 1, Ft Pierce to learn more about street legal cars and to shop for the top brands on the market today from the experts on golf carts and LSV's at Wildar Golf Carts and Trailers.

Quality and repairability matters!  How long will the cheapest golf cart you can buy last you, and what will it be worth when it breaks and can't be fixed?  The cheapest carts are made from the cheapest parts.  Many of the imported brands on the market today just focus on selling with no regard for after sale support or repairability.  But, can a simple part be replaced, or do you have to buy a whole assembly that can be expensive and in limited production.  Who is going to fix that golf cart if you buy it from the sauna store, or the hardware store?  Or from the guy on a car sales lot that just got a container of them from China.  Is the car that catches your eye an original vehicle or is it just a knockoff of an old design?  There is a reason why the original and genuine products retain their value well and can be repaired.  Believe it or not, much of what can be seen on the market is just that.  In China, some factories have been making cheap knock off old design E-Z-GO TXT models for years.  So what they are selling is an updated look on a knockoff of 20 year old technology.  Parts from the real original won't work on a knockoff that kind of looks the same but is just different enough for them to get away with it.  Buy from a Full-Service dealership that you can trust!

At Wildar, we whole heartedly recommend the E-Z-GO and Atlas Carts for high quality and technician approved repairability.  Tomberlin is a high-end performance vehicle that will amaze you with power, styling, braking, robust design, safety, and the industry only power steering system that is sure to impress.  WilDar is highly experienced with Tomberlin maintenance and repair.  We have many parts in stock for all vehicles that we offer and support.  We also offer maintenance plans to help you take care of your investment through the full life of ownership to keep it as beautiful and running well as the day you bought it.

Many low-end cars today are mass produced in China of very low quality and low-end manufacturing processes.  I like to refer to that as the race to the bottom.  What are cars like this going to be worth in 3 years?  Not much!  Parts on carts like these are not designed for repairability.   Many chassis just crumple in small collisions and are not repairable leading to total loss.  The best cars on the market are built to withstand small impacts and have replacement parts readily available to get you back on the road enjoying your cart fast.

When shopping for a golf cart or Low-Speed Vehicle, we recommend asking a lot of questions regarding repairability.  Ask to see the dealership’s parts in stock for the models you are interested in.  Are the technicians well versed and trained in the vehicle?  Do they have shop lifts, diagnostic tools, parts diagrams, service manuals, and tech bulletins to be able to repair your car when it needs it?

At WilDar, we will tell you the TRUTH about golf carts and LSV's that we represent, support, and have experience with.  Stop by and visit our experts today!  Do your research!  Manufacturing quality varies tremendously from brand to brand.  So does after-sales parts and service support. Make sure you buy from an established dealer (like US! 😊) that cares about their reputation and the quality of products offered. At Wildar, we have been in business since 2013 and we service and support everything we sell and keep parts in stock to support them with our trained parts people and service technicians.

• Lead Acid batteries have been the standard of the industry forever. Lead acid batteries offer excellent performance for a reasonable price over the life of ownership. Think of a battery as 3-5 years of power.  Power costs money just like gas that you fill your car with.  They require monthly water checks and must be kept charged for maximum life and performance. For our seasonal residents though, lead acid batteries are not usually the best choice. When lead acid batteries are stored for extended periods of time, this type of battery self-discharges - sometimes to the point of requiring professional equipment to properly get them charged back up. To make matters worse, the lead plates are damaged by the trauma of not being charged properly during storage which shortens battery life about 25% in my experience and observation. Lead acid batteries cost about $1200 to $1500 and should be replaced every 3-5 years depending on how well they are taken care of. That is not too bad when you consider how much you spent on gasoline during that same time period for your car, truck, or SUV.  Seasonal Residents using best maintenance practices can still typically expect one year less battery life in my experience than if they were able to charge fully and check water levels every month.
• Lithium batteries have quickly become the battery of choice for many of these vehicles. We have thoroughly tested many brands of lithium batteries and they are not all the same!  Lithium batteries are maintenance free, and they don't lose much charge when stored for extended periods (as long as there is no electrical draw taking power out of the batteries!). Lithium batteries have a BMS (Battery Management System) that usually is programmed to shut the battery down before it can go completely dead if not totally neglected. The BMS also protects against overcharging which can cause a fire hazard.  When a quality battery and BMS is combined with a quality charger designed to work with the system then you have a very reliable source of power for your car.  Some of the cheaper Lithium batteries have cheap BMS computers without the proper and reliable protection features and shut off systems that you should have.  Our advice is to buy a high-quality Lithium battery and charger combination that are matched and built/programmed to work together with matching profiles.  Products like these are available from the knowledgeable experts at WilDar who can help you determine which brands build the best products and have earned our trust...  
• Lithium batteries typically last 2-3 times as long as a lead acid pack, but they cost a lot more as well.  High speed cars with performance controllers and AC Drive motors require big enough packs to handle the additional power draw requirements, AMP hour ratings on these packs are important with more amp hour ratings equal to longer run time on a charge.   E-Z-GO Elite Lithium single, double, and triple packs have been leading the industry in problem free and safe performance since 2016.  With an industry leading 8-year warranty plus a 3 year to next 2nd owner warranty available from authorized dealers.  The Tomberlin 210AH Evolve lithium battery is among the largest and most advanced in the industry and has been tested in the Villages with a documented 65 miles range loaded with full passengers and traveling at top speed! Call our experts for the best information and prices on lithium batteries!  Atlas Carts offers a high-quality Lithium battery in neighborhood friendly 105 AH rating and also extended performance rating of 210 AH.  Visit our experts on Lithium batteries today at WilDar Golf Carts and Trailers.
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Every Day (All Battery Types):

• PLUG the CHARGER IN EVERYTIME IT'S DRIVEN! Today's chargers are fully automatic and shut themselves off. Fully discharged batteries should take all night to charge. Lithium batteries typically charge much faster. 
• The biggest mistake we see is not charging enough and interruption of the charge cycle before full charge is achieved.
• Don't let any battery get low on charge as deep discharge is the #1 cause of premature battery failure.
• If your batteries are ever fully drained, they may never come back!
• Make sure you have a high-quality automatic charger.  Plug it in and let it do it's automatic thing.
• DO NOT intentionally run your batteries down before charging it back up.

Monthly (Lead-Acid Only):

• CHECK WATER LEVEL! only when the batteries are fully charged and at least once per month. The lead plates should always be covered with water even when the batteries are discharged. The proper water level is about 1/4" below the plastic neck of the fill holes. NOTE: If you add water when discharged or adding too much will cause battery acid to leak out the vent caps. In this case corrosion will be seen on cables and terminals and battery life will be shortened. Battery acid that leaks on pavement are brown in color and often mistaken for rust stains.
• WIGGLE! each battery cable to check the connections and tighten if loose.

Annually (Lead-Acid Only):

• CLEAN the batteries and compartment: Sprinkle baking soda on top of batteries to neutralize acid. Let it sit for a few minutes then gently hose out the compartment (not on your concrete to avoid brown acid staining). Clean or replace any corroded connections.

If you have a battery watering system, these require maintenance as well. Carefully remove the watering system and soak it in a bucket of soapy water. Visually inspect and manually work the float valves to make sure they work freely. Let the system dry in the sun for a while to reinflate the gaskets and then reinstall.

YES, WE DO OFFER THIS SERVICE!  Call our Experts today!

GAS - Gas power can be an excellent choice where electricity for charging is not readily available and for long-distance driving because there's no need to recharge batteries. E-Z-GO has two gas engines available including the 401CC 13.5HP Kawasaki and the new super quiet, smooth, and efficient EX1 gas engine. Initial purchase cost is about the same for cars with either lead acid batteries. Expect the 5-year cost to be about the same as lead acid:

• Lead acid batteries cost about $1500 or so to replace every 3-5 years on average depending on proper care.
• Gas power requires annual gas, PM services including oil, and filters, tune ups, and more. Energy always costs something...
• Gas powered used carts usually carry a premium price due to rareness of availability. This makes NEW EZGO EX1 Electronic Fuel Injected gas engines particularly a Great value!

Yes, we can! We have extensively tested most Lithium Batteries on the market and are very comfortable making great recommendations for the best upgrades for your system and power requirements. Please call our experts today to discuss your options and  get the right Lithium battery pack for your power and driving distance requirements!

If you have read our FAQ's so far, then you already know many of the right questions to ask, but here is a list of our recommended questions to be sure of what you are considering investing your hard-earned money into.  Don't neglect to ask questions regarding the repairability of the car.  A $10,000 golf cart should not be disposable!  Buy one that can be repaired and can be expected to have a long life.

1. Where is it made?  Do they put it together or truly manufacture the car? 
2. Do you have the diagnostic computer and software to diagnose and program the car? Is the controller a commonly accepted brand name that can be repaired easily?  Are your technicians trained and experienced in repairing this car with this computer system? What country is the computer from and what language is the software programmed in? Is it translated (translations can be a bit hard to decipher because of different use of technical terms in different countries).
3. Do you have repair parts in stock? Have you had any problems getting parts? What about technical support?
4. How is this company regarding honoring the warranty process? Does your company honor the warranty and are you capable of making necessary repairs?

Because everyone at Wildar cares about you! Call our experts today!