A lot of the times we have to install new parts or golf cart accessories into the golf cart or just perform a simple repair. It may be during the process of a wheel or tire change, or just introducing new material into the cart, eg, lift kit. When undertaking any of these, it is crucial that you know the model, and year of the golf cart.
How to find the year of your golf cart?
The easiest way to find the year of your golf cart is to look at your documentation from when you purchased, your title, or registration. If those are not available, you can find the year from your serial number.
Why is it Important to Know the Details of the Age of the Golf Cart?
When trying to purchase new accessories for the golf cart, service the cart, or order correct parts to install/ repair, it is important to know the age of the golf cart.
Here is one example of why knowing your year is very important, even when charger shopping: Golf cart battery chargers are distinct for different models of golf carts. The Club Car golf carts that were built before 1995 has no onboard computer. While those built after 1995 have an OBC or Onboard computer. Though there is the presence of a three-pin connector that is similar in all the golf carts, the different carts will require different chargers.
If you were to purchase a charger for a 1995 for your 1996, you would fry your on board computer.
So getting the exact charger that will be effective for a certain golf cart will require knowing the exact model and year of the golf cart.
Below is an informative guide that will assist you in identifying the club car serial number, the model, year, and make.
How Do You Find The Year of Your Golf Cart?
How you can find the year of your golf cart is by identifying the serial number of the golf cart. Once the serial number has been identified, it will lead towards finding the model and year of the golf cart.
There are three major golf cart brands. The Club Car, EZ GO, and Yamaha Golf Carts. Outlined below are the different steps to identifying the year of the different golf cart brands.
1. Determining The Year of your Club Car Golf Cart
How do you find the year of the Club Car golf cart?
Step 1: Identify the Serial number of your Club Car Golf Cart.
There are different places where the serial number of the Club Car Golf Cart can be located at. These positions have been constant for these Club Car Golf Carts.
- Beneath the driver side seat, right on the frame – Pre-DS model (1975-1980): For Club Car Golf Carts before 1981, you may need to lift the seat to locate the aluminum. The I-beam frame section that is nearest to the batteries on the side of the driver in the car. But without the serial number to confirm whether it is a 1975-1980 model, you should see only one accelerator pedal and two brake pedals.
- The lower end of the glove compartment of the passenger’s side of the vehicle – DS model (1981 and above)
- Right at the top of the pedal assembly, underneath the instrument panel – DS model (Mid 1990’s and above)
- Inside or beneath the glove compartment on the passenger’s side of the vehicle – Precedent model (2004 and above): Only Precedents come with 4 x 12-volt batteries.
- The dash support around the Passenger side – Precedent model (2008.5 and above), Onward model (2015 and above), and Tempo model (2018 and above)
Step 2: Identify the model and year of your Club Car Golf Cart.
The identification of the model of club cars is the easiest. In all cases, the serial number is usually 12 characters representing the model, model year, and the production week of the vehicle.
- The first and second characters of the serial codes determine the model type of your Club Car golf cart.
- The next two characters (the first two numbers seen) indicate the last two digits of the manufacture year of your Club Car golf cart.
- The remainder set of numbers after the first two identify the production week of your Club Car.
Here is a sample of part of the breakdown of the first two letters of the serial number which determine the model type of the Club Car golf.
- A means DS Electric
- AA means DS Electric (48-volt)
- AB means DS Electric (36-volt)
- AC means DS Electric (48-volt)
- AQ means DS Electric IQ (48-volt)
- AG means DS Gas
- DS means DS Power Drive (48-volt)
- HA means DS Electric (36-volt)
- PD means Precedent I2L Excel
- PE means Precedent Electric 4 Passenger
- PF means Precedent Gas
- PG means Precedent Gas
- PH means Precedent I2 Excel
- PJ means Precedent I2 4 Passenger Excel
- PR means Precedent Professional Gas
- PQ means Precedent Electric IQ (48-volt)
- PS means Precedent L2 Electric
- PT means Precedent L2 Gas
- PU means Precedent I2 Signature Excel
- PY means Precedent Signature Gas
- PZ means Precedent Signature Electric
How do you match the serial number to the car manufacture year and model?
For instance, if for the serial number of the Club Car golf cart, you have the beginning three characters as “AC02”, then your club car golf cart is a 2002 Club Car DS. If for the serial number you have the beginning three characters as “PF11”, then your club car golf cart is a Club Car Precedent of 2011 manufacture year.
For PZ1438, your club car golf cart is a 2014 Signature Electric model for Club Car Precedent Golf Cart, manufactured in the 38th production week.
What are the Physical Club Car Identifiers?
For occasions where the cart is missing some of the serial numbers, or identifying through the serial number is a piece of work, here are common traits that mark each Club Car golf cart model.
· Club Car DS Model Physical Markers
DS models for Club Cars especially, come with the front of their car in a shape like a square, alongside a tiny dark colored plastic bumper at the front.
But by the middle of year 2000, DS Models switched seatback design. To know whether your cart is the pre-middle year 2000 or post-middle-year 2000,
- Presence of two individual seat-backs (separated in the middle) – 1982 – 2000 middle year model
- Presence of a one-piece seat-back – 2000 middle year and above model
· Club Car Precedent Physical Markers
Club Car Precedent Models generally come with a rounded body for the front, with a black plastic bumper enveloping the entire cart. They also have two different models.
- Champion: Round centered steering wheel.
- Professional: Square centered steering wheel.
2. The EZ-GO Golf Cart
How do you find the year of the EZ-GO Golf Cart?
Step 1: Identify the Serial number of your EZ-GO Golf Cart
There are different places where the serial number of the EZ-GO Golf Cart can be located at.
- On the fender skirt or at the bottom of the driver’s side seat – (pre-1976)
- At the lower part of the glove compartment on the passenger side on the plate – Marathon Model (1976-1993)
- The inside corner of the passenger side glove compartment – Medalist Models (1994-1998):
- Around the chassis, but at the cross-section (but to get through, you will need to hold up the seat and raise the flap on the access panel) – TXT Models (1996-2013). Also located on the body underneath the driver’s seat.
- On the frame at the bottom side of the driver’s side front splash shield – RXV Models (2008-present): It is located also on the top of the frame inside the passenger rail at the rear of the cart, or the steering column.
- On the cross-section member of the chassis. (to access, raise the seat and lift the flap on the access panel) – TXT Models (2014-present): It can also be on the body below the driver’s seat, or the frame weld tube
Here, the serial number is acombination of a small band of letters and numbers. The longer grouped number (no letters) is the serial number. However, newer models of EZ-GO carts have the words inscribed on the cart’s side. Identifiers like “Freedom TXT”, “RXV” or “Freedom RXV”, located in a vertical manner beneath the armrests.
Step 2: Identify the model and year of your EZ-GO Golf Cart.
After locating the serial code, the manufacture date is straight forward. Every EZ-GO golf carts from 1980 upwards have a 4-digit manufacture date code and a 6-digit serial number. The last two digits in the manufacture or date code will tell the year the EZ-GO golf cart was made.
- If the manufacturer’s code shows a combination of a letter and some numbers nearing four, then your cart was manufactured between 1976 to the present date.
- If the code has six or more digits and it is not a two- or three-wheeled vehicle, then it was manufactured between 1976 to 1978. The first two digits indicate the manufacture year. Before 1978, there was not a set coding for the year of manufacture.
The serial formats used in the models produced after 1976 come in four types. If a letter appears in the manufacturing code, it represents a month, but not sequentially as in the Jan = A Feb = B method. The manufacturing month begins in July or August.
How do you match the serial number to the car manufacture year and model?
For instance, “A1287” is a golf cart that was manufactured in 1987. This 12C93 identifies a golf cart manufactured in 1993. If the last two characters of your EZ-GO manufacturer’s code are “96”, or “08”, you own a 1999 EZGO TXT or EZGO RXV.
For the serial codes that are numbers only, 98112223 is a cart manufactured in 1998.
3. The Yamaha Golf Cart
How do you find the year of the Yamaha Golf Cart?
Step 1: Identify the serial number of your Yamaha Golf Cart
There are different places where the serial code of the Yamaha Golf Cart can be located at.
- Close to the driver’s side rear tire at the lower part of the golf cart – G1 model carts (1979 – first production set)
- Below the seat, getting to the front of the golf cart, or the bumper on the golf cart frame – G2 model carts (1985)
- Beside the passenger side rear tire beneath the golf cart – G3 model carts
- Below the front bumper area on the frame – G5 model carts (1990)
- Below the passenger side seat getting to the anterior of the golf cart – G8 model carts, and G9 model carts
- Below the seat, getting to the rear of the golf cart – G11 model carts
- Below the driver’s side seat getting to the front of the golf cart – G14 & G16 model carts. It could also be located inside the driver’s side glove compartment
- The interior of the driver’s side glove box or beneath the rear bumper – G19 model carts.
- The interior of the driver’s glove box. – G22 model carts (2003): Also known as the G-MAX.
- On the passenger side near the seat – Drive model carts (2007-2010)
- At the lower end of the seat getting to the rear of the golf car – Drive model carts (2011-above)
Step 2: Identify the model and year of your Yamaha Golf Cart
Once you identify the serial code, you will need the first four characters to determine the year and model of the Yamaha golf cart. Decoding is a lot different, and tougher, from the Club Car golf cart and the EZ-GO cart. To identify the year and model, you will need a chart model to cross-reference the serial number with.
Conclusion
When you can tell the year and model of your golf cart, you will always be assured of the parts you ordered to service, maintain or repair your car with. You can even outfit the cart with very high-quality accessories best suitable for the model.
