Does The Villages Golf Cars have to do the oil changes or can you DIY
 

Does The Villages Golf Cars have to do the oil changes or can you do it yourself in order to stay under warranty?

They charge $50, but with an oil change syphon I can quickly do the oil change for the price of the oil. There is no oil filter, so I don't see paying $50, unless doing it yourself voids the warranty.

Thoughts? Will doing it myself void the warranty or do I just need to document when I did it and show proof I bought the oil each time?

The Hometown is more than an oil change. I do the Lifestyle yearly.

Gas Golf Cars - The Villages Golf Cars : The Villages Golf Cars

OEM parts are not required per Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and have not been required for nearly 48 years.

DIY does not void your warranty, even in this case where the 'part' is only oil.

It may not be as simple as that. Magnuson-Moss would clearly apply to the Manufacturer's Warranty.

I don't think it necessarily applies to extended coverage offered or provided by the dealer, which may not be a typical "warranty".

The Hometown is change the oil and drive your cart around. I can change the oil myself for $5 and I drive my cart all the time. That saves me $55 over having The Villages Golf Cars do it.

Hometown

Speed Check and Road Test
Change Oil
Check for Drivability, Noises, Steering

Do it yourself.

I pay $59 for full synthetic oil 5 quarts including filter on my vehicle $50 a little excessive for one quart of oil

They updated the pricing. Now $60 to suck out and replace one quart of oil.

Doing it myself going forward. It's simple and quick to do. Stick a tube down the dipstick opening, pump several times, oil comes out, put dipstick back and fill with one quart of 10w30 small engine oil and done.

I take it these the newer golf carts that have some sort of pan underneath the motor? One of my friends mentioned his had one.

Yes. 4 screws hold it in. Not hard to remove, other than having to lay on your back.

Even easier to simply use a suction device to remove the oil from the top and just forget about the pan on the bottom. The reviews I read show the suction devices work well.

There is no oil filter, so the basic $60 service simply includes taking out and putting in 1 quart of 10W30 small engine oil and then driving the cart around to check the speed and listen for any odd noises.

That's it. Certainly not worth $60 and the time it takes to get the cart down there and back.

If it is called a warranty and it is in writing, then it is subject to the Magnuson Moss act. The act says,

"A "warrantor" is any supplier or other person who gives or offers a written warranty or who has some obligation under an implied warranty."

OP, if you are concerned about the warranty, I would suggest you read the cart manual and make sure that you use the type of oil recommended by the manufacturer. Using an "improper" fluid can affect your warranty.

Going to use the recommended Yamaha New OEM Golf Car Oil 1Qt/12Ct, LUB-10W30-GG-12. Found a place to get it cheap online.

I bought an oil sucker on Amazon for about $12.00. It's only one quart of oil, so I buy the best oil I can find. Each oil change costs me about $6-7 or so, plus the prorated cost of the oil sucker. Takes about ten minutes.

Guys, most of these are Yamaha engines, they are indestructible, they run forever. Have you ever heard of one failing? The fact that you even have oil in the thing is probably overkill.

This brings up a practical question for me. Where are we supposed to dispose of the old oil? I'm assuming not with our garbage in a used soda bottle?

Any auto parts store will dispose of oil.

DIY, as I and many others do. But save your oil receipt as proof that it has been changed, just in case.

Extended Warranty Requirement
 

When we bought a 2018 Yamaha from Villages Golf Cars, we were told that, in order to qualify for the extra 2 years of warranty coverage, they have to do all the maintenance, including the annual Lifestyle Service (it was called something else back then). It is now up to about $180 plus tax. So, if you want a 5-year warranty instead of 3, you have to let them do your oil changes..

Never have changed oil in my cart which is nearly 7 years old. In fact, it has never been in the shop or had any maintenance done on it. Oops, it is lithium electric so that explains it being maintenance free. Sorry. Disregard.

This is what I use to change the oil in my cart …. Works like a champ ! I run the cart around the block a couple of times so that the oil is warm and any contaminates are mixed with the oil .

Is that in writing? I hope you didn't just accept something the dealer said verbally as a fact. The Yamaha warranty on their website doesn't say anything about who needs to do the oil changes.

Yamaha standard warranty is 3 years, the extra 2 is offered by Villages Golf Carts - their warranty, their rules.
It’s probably self insured, because most golf carts require little warranty work (and they catch stuff early) - the carts run for a long time. For me, it’s worth $50 a year.

Im going to add...
A Great Golf car service is more than just changing the oil. There is more to it. Working on golf cars everyday here in TV, I see the DIY carts when they find they have a problem they cant fix. The crazy thing is 99 percent of the time, the issue is due to improper service, I cant count how many times I run across it. So the 50 bucks you think your saving gets taken up by the 300 dollar repair you could have avoided by having the right eyes look at it. Now I know Ill hear, " Ive done all my own service and my cart has 80k miles on it and never had a problem"... great, its just not what im seeing.
Also, as was mentioned, some services cost a lot...and some of the places that charge a high amount do everything the cart doesnt need and dont do what the cart does need. Many shops even do the work wrong...I know, hard to believe. Do you need a Air filter, fuel filter, spark plug and a belt every year? No you dont. Spark plugs and air filters last years...like 7-10 years.... I know, some one is going to say " its cheap insurance just to replace them". Really? From what? The air filters and spark plugs are never an issue.
However, many many of you are driving around in golf cars where the brakes are adjusted wrong....I know, " my cart stops fine" Doesnt mean the brakes are not adjusted correctly. See this issue with the Quiet Techs alot, as a matter of fact, I adjust those brakes correctly daily as the complaint is always, my cart doesnt stop very well. A 5 year old should be able to stop any golf car.
Every golf car has issues, its all about having the right eyes looking at it to prevent those issues, and these items are not listed in the service manual, they are issues that are just problem areas with every cart, and it depends on make, model and year as it will vary from year to year.
I like the DIY to be honest as they always find themselves in trouble at some point.
Anyway, I just thought Id point this out....Ill wait for my flogging now.

I have used Willie's Cart service for over 10 years and just had the annual service done, oil change and drive around. Both carts took a total of 20 minutes. I called and got the same office as always and the same lady scheduled my appointment which was done this past week. When I was handed the bill I almost gasp at the increase in price. I asked why it was so much ($190) and was told new owners took over and this is their rate. I could have had my car serviced at a dealership for less than just one of my carts cost ($95). Last year it was $70, This year, the 35% increase will send me searching different company.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

The OEM Yamaha oil is on Amazon.
 

I buy the oil on Amazon. I have an older model golf car with a drain plug. It’s an easy job. It only takes one quart of oil and no filter. Cheap!

I thought golf carts burned off oil like lawnmowers do
 

I go to village golf cart store. get the oil and the small metal gasket that you replace when you drain the oil out...why are people sucking the oil out? when you take that the plug out, the oil will drain, and you will see what I mean about the gasket.....they know what you what when you ask for the little gasket... and observe which way the gasket goes back on.

On the chance this is a serious post, there are no engines work that way. All engines (lawnmower, golf cart, motorcycle, car, truck, boat) that take oil require that it be changed at a regular interval.

For my cart, using an extraction tool (sucking the oil out) avoids the lifting and disassembly/reassembly required just to reach the drain plug. The owner's manual suggests the extraction tool as an alternative to using the drain plug.

For one quart of oil, using the extraction tool (sucking the oil out) is much easier and faster.

Check your owner's manual and you will find it recommends 10W-30 oil with an ancient API rating. Some of the newer carts may recommend 10W-40. Any contemporary oil (typically API SN or better) will be fine; you don't need to buy the oil from the Villages Golf Cart store. If your owners’s manual recommends 10W-30 you can also use 0W-30 or 5W-30. Buy what is on sale at WallyWorld. I generally buy Mobil 1 in 5 quart containers when Mobil offers a rebate. Regarding the drain plug washer, you don't need to replace it every oil change - they last a long time without leaking.

Actually, the warranty on the Yamaha gas and electric powertrain is 4 years from the factory. If you purchase from The Villages Golf Cars stores, they add one more year. The only requirement from Yamaha is that the owner maintain the cart per schedule. In the event of a warrantable problem, you may be asked to prove proper maintenance records. They DO NOT need to come from TVGC stores.

Because newer Yamaha's have plastic shrouding underneath that has to be removed to drain the oil.

Is the scheduled maintenance JUST an oil change?

If they did the service that quick the crazy part is, your carts still need to be properly serviced. Many other places are the same way sorry to say.

I'm assuming you have a Yamaha. Maintenance recommendations are in your owner's manual. If you don't have a copy, go to the following website:

YAMAHA GOLFCARS OWNER'S MANUALS

Here is what I do for our 2014 Yamaha, we put on 200 hours per year:

Every 50 hours: oil change (this is about 900 miles and a bit sooner than the 1250 mile recommendation in the owner's manual, currently using Mobil 1 5W-30)

Every 200 hours: lube clutches, adjust brake cable if necessary (inboard wet brake in differential), inspect starter/generator belt and drive belt, wash pre-air filter and blow out pleated air filter, other miscellaneous things as suggested by the owner's manual

Every 300 hours: rotate tires and check alignment (toe only)

Every 500 hours: replace differential fluid (I use the Yamaha friction modified gear oil, 1.8 quarts)

Every 1000 hours: replace air filters and spark plug (probably overkill)