Getting your golf cart ready for the beach

Salt air, sea spray and sand are rough on a golf cart. Salt speeds up rust on steel parts and corrosion on battery terminals and wiring. A little care before and after a beach trip, or if you live near the coast, can save you repairs.

Before the maintenance, one warning: driving on the sand itself is restricted in many places. Check the rules first (our guide on where you can drive a golf cart in North Carolina explains how they work). This guide is general information. Your owner’s manual comes first, and a shop that works on carts near the coast can tell you what it sees most often.

First, check whether you can go on the beach at all

Many beach towns limit the sand to certain vehicles. Holden Beach, for example, says driving any motorized vehicle on the beach is limited to emergency and government vehicles.
On the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, beach driving needs an off-road vehicle permit that is tied to one specific vehicle. The park’s permit page does not say whether golf carts qualify, so call its ORV office (252-475-9054) before you plan on it.
Even where the beach is closed to carts, you may be driving near the coast on town streets or parking at a beach access. Salt in the air is still the problem.

Before you go

Check the batteries. Club Car’s maintenance page says to check water levels monthly on flooded batteries, adding only distilled water and only after a full charge. Lithium and sealed batteries do not need water. Check your owner’s manual.
Clean the battery tops and terminals. Club Car suggests a mix of one cup of baking soda per gallon of water, kept out of the cells and rinsed gently, then dried.
Protect the terminals. Club Car recommends a battery terminal protector spray after cleaning. Ask a shop what it recommends for coastal use.
Make sure the cables are tight. A loose cable can shift when you move it side to side, and loose connections raise resistance and cut run time.
Check the tire pressure. Club Car says to check it monthly, and soft sand or rough parking areas are harder on low tires.
Charge fully before a trip. A cart that runs out of charge far from home is hard to rescue.

After a beach trip: wash off the salt

Salt does the most damage when it is left to sit. Club Car says to wash the whole vehicle monthly, including the underside, to remove dirt, salt and debris. A news article on protecting carts from sea air in South Carolina gives the same basic advice: wash with soap and pay extra attention to the underside.

Rinse the cart as soon as you can after a beach day, then do a full soapy wash, with extra attention underneath.
Do not blast the batteries or electrical parts with a pressure washer. Club Car’s page says never to use one on the battery.
Let the cart dry, then look at the battery terminals again for white or green crust and clean them if needed.
Look at the steel parts underneath for new rust spots. The same news article suggests a protective spray such as WD-40 on steel undercarriage parts.

Frame material matters

The South Carolina article says carts with steel frames, such as E-Z-GO and Yamaha, are more prone to rust, while aluminum-chassis carts, such as Club Car, are less likely to have problems. That does not mean an aluminum cart is safe from salt, because bolts, wiring and other steel parts can still corrode. If you live near the coast, ask a shop how to protect your particular cart.

Signs to take it to a shop

White, green or blue crust on battery terminals that comes back after you clean it.
Rust spots spreading on the frame, springs or brackets.
The cart runs slower or loses range after a beach season.
Grinding, squeaking or stiffness from the wheels or brakes. Our sources do not cover sand in detail, so if your cart has been in soft sand, have a shop check the wheel bearings and brakes.
Flickering lights or a controller that cuts out, which can point to corroded wiring.

Questions to ask a shop

What do you see most on carts that live near the coast?
Would an undercoating or rust protection make sense for my cart, and what does it involve?
Can you check my battery terminals and cables for corrosion?
Do you do street-legal conversions, and what does my town require?

Find a shop

Ready to talk to someone? Browse golf cart repair shops in North Carolina and call the one nearest you.