golf cart 101

grizz

New Member
HI guys Im so new Ill have to work up to newbie! I have a ton of questions about carts. Ive pretty much deceided on electric because of what I want to use it for, around the yard and camping.No gas allowed there.ALL the pds,ds, iq.fleet,its all greek to me! Is there advantages or disadvantages to 36 vs 48 volt carts? I dont want to make a mistake and buy one that wont pull the three of us up a hill from the lake. Wife and golden retriever! I want a used cart ,$$ ya know.Is there any carts I should stay away from?Ive only tried a couple of carts, a 99 club car and a 2002 ezgo pds. The ezgo had a noticeable power differance. Sorry for all the stupid questions, but what ya dont know, ya dont know! I want to learn, if its possible for an old geezer like me! Help with terms and what they actually mean, I think is maybe a good place to start.The people Ive talked to so far only sold a few used carts.If they had it, it was the one to have. If they didnt sell it well you know. I NEED GOLF CART 101 !!! ANY AND ALL replys greatly appreciated. Thanks, grizz
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
Welcome to the forum Grizz!
Don't worry about asking questions, that's why this place is here.
I can answer some of your questions on the EZGO carts.

PDS - Precision Drive System, 36 volts, uses a shunt motor and is the fastest stock electric cart that EZGO makes. They lack on torque compared to a Fleet cart but their are upgrades for that. They have a "chip" on the controller that can be changed to adjust the regen braking and speed. With a speed chip installed you're looking at 17-19mph but you won't be climbing big hills or carrying a heavy load...

DCS - Drive Control System, 36 volts, was EZGO's first attempt at regen with a shunt motor. These are not very popular in the upgrade market. No chip on the controller for adjustments. Stock speed 12-13 mph and not a lot of torque...

Fleet - 36 volts, uses a series wound motor and mechanical forward and reverse switch. No regen braking. Many more upgrades available then the PDS and DCS. Stock speed 12-13 mph with more torque than stock PDS and DCS. In my opinion if you're looking for a tough dependable cart the fleet cart is the way to go if you're looking at EZGOs...

As far as the 36 volt 48 volt comparison I haven't seen any difference in speed or run time on stock carts. The 8 volt batteries used in stock 48 volt carts are more expensive than the 6 volt used in stock 36 volt carts...
 

grizz

New Member
Thanks HRC. Now whats regen brakes? How do I know if a cart is a fleet cart? Will adding a lift kit and bigger tires give it a little more speed? Will doing that hurt the torque? Told ya I had alot of questions! thanks again. grizz
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
Regen is regenerative braking. When going down hill the motor will act as a generator and put a little charge back into the batteries. This also will limit the speeds going down hill. Most regen carts will have a rocker switch on the dash for the forward and reverse switch and will also have a run/tow switch under the seat. The fleet carts will have a mechanical forward and reverse switch mounted just below the seat by your legs.
The early DCS carts also had the F&R switch by your legs but they have the run tow switch under the seat like the PDS carts. So just look for the F&R switch location and check for the run tow switch under the seat.

Larger tires will increase top speed but you will lose a little torque. Stock carts with the regen feature are more prone to controller problems when stressed by the larger tires. The regen carts have come a long way since they were first marketed but I still prefer the fleet carts. That doesn't mean one is better than the other it's just my opinion.
 
Top