Free tool
What cart do I have?
Decode a Club Car, E-Z-GO or Yamaha serial number to get the year, model and pack voltage. Useful when you are buying used and the seller is not sure what they have.
Decode your serial
Where to find it
- 2008 and newer: below the passenger side cup holder, or on the lower kick panel above the pedals
- 2004 to 2007 Precedent: inside the passenger side glove box
- DS models: passenger side under the dash or on the frame rail
Club Car serial format
12 characters: two model letters, then a two digit year, then a two digit production week, then six digits.
In PH0908123456, the PH is the model code, 09 is the year (2009) and 08 is the eighth week of production.
Official manuals
Club Car models, and how to spot them
If you cannot find a serial number at all, the body usually gives it away. Here is what to look for.
DS
1981 to 2014How to spot it: Square, boxy front cowl with flat panels. If the nose looks like a shoebox, it is a DS.
The DS ran for over thirty years and there are still a lot of them working around the valley. Parts availability is still good. Early electrics are 36V, later ones moved to 48V.
What Jared gets called about
- Rusted frame rails, especially where the battery rack sits
- Worn out front end bushings causing wander
- 36V packs that get run flat and never fully recover
Precedent
2004 to presentHow to spot it: Rounded, smooth front cowl. Replaced the boxy DS in 2004 and is still the most common cart on courses.
The workhorse. Aluminum frame, so it does not rot the way a DS does. Very good aftermarket support for lifts, lithium and body kits.
What Jared gets called about
- IQ and Excel controller faults
- Cracked front cowls from cart barn bumps
- Battery cable corrosion at the pack
Onward
2017 to presentHow to spot it: Sculpted, sharper automotive style front body. Has headlights from the factory.
Club Car's consumer line. Sold in a lot of colors and trim levels, often already lifted from the dealer. Lithium is a factory option on later ones.
Tempo
2018 to presentHow to spot it: Looks like an Onward but with no factory headlights, because it is built as a golf course fleet cart.
Fleet cart. These come off course leases in batches, which makes them a common and often good value used buy. Check hours and how hard the course ran them.
Buying a used cart? Read what to check before you hand over money.
Common questions
- Where is the serial number on a Club Car?
- On 2008 and newer carts, below the passenger side cup holder or on the lower kick panel above the pedals. On 2004 to 2007 Precedent models, inside the passenger side glove box.
- Why does my E-Z-GO serial number not show the year?
- On E-Z-GO the serial number does not carry the year. The manufacturer's code does. It is a separate code on the same plate, one letter followed by three or four digits, and for 1979 and newer the last two digits are the model year.
- Where is the serial number on a Yamaha golf cart?
- On 2007 to 2016 carts, on an upright support beam inside the engine bay, on either the driver or passenger side rear. The first three characters are the model code, which tells you the model and whether it is gas or electric.
- How do I tell a Club Car DS from a Precedent?
- Look at the front. A DS has a square, boxy front cowl. A Precedent has a rounded, smooth one. The Precedent replaced the DS in 2004.