2020 Yamaha QuiteTech II Golf Tech Questions Including Oil Change
 

I got the golf cart at an estate sale. I was told the golf cart had low mileage because the owners got colvid and passed away about a year or so later.

There is no mileage or hour meter and no oil filter. I’ve been told some golf carts are converted after being used by golf courses, others are originally designed for 55+ communities. Unknown but is there any way to know if it was converted or original for 55+ communities?

There is a debate about conventional or synthetic oil for golf carts. What are your opinions and reasons why one should use one or the other?

There is a debate about conventional or synthetic oil for golf carts

No debate oil is oil but synthetic better.

IMO Yamaha golf cart engine’s are simple lawn mower design engine. No need for filter, BUT, you need change oil at minimum once year, twice if heavily used.

If your cart village ready? Meaning it already been modified from golf course cart.

Reall y no way telling how many hours or miles on cart other than looking at condition.

If you have an in dash gas gauge, there will be an "hours used" number. I don't believe it can be reset.

Also, if it came with a speedometer on the steering wheel shaft, it will keep a running account of the total miles.

I would have the whole cart gone over by a golf cart service, I have used Todd casey and Willies. Have them look over the cart, do any obvious maintenance.

If this 2020 Yamaha cart does not have an hour meter, then it was what is called a "Fleet Cart". This means it was at some point in its life used on a golf course somewhere. Once it came off lease then they sell these carts to dealers who spruce them up and sell them. You of course have no idea how much use this cart has had in its life.
The Yamaha PTV Personal Transportation Vehicle carts are sold by actual Yamaha dealers like The Villages Golf Cart stores. They all have hour meters.

"Synthetic" oil just means the hydrocarbon bonds are saturated. Use any small engine 30 oil like YamaLube, Kohler, Honda, B&S. Don't use automotive ILSAC oil because it is inadequate for air cooled and high stress golf cart engines. ILSAC oil is barely adequate for automobile engines :) Yamaha recommends 1200 mile oil changes.

Thank you, I wondered why yamaha does not recommend synthetic oil. What about Super Tech Full Synthetic SAE 10W-30 4-Stroke ATV Motor Oil which is what I used when I changed the oil? It is a little expensive but only 1qt is required.

PS
I sent the old oil for a UOA (Used Oil Analysis) and will post the results here.

Read your owners manual regarding oil type and frequency of change. If you don't have one then you can download it from Yamaha. You will probably see reference to an outdated API rating such as SG. The viscosity rating will be 10W-30 although I believe the later models might recommend 10W-40. I use Mobil1 5W-30 but any contemporary oil that meets or exceeds their recommendations (probably API SN or better) will work fine. Regarding frequency of change, I change the oil every 50 hours of engine runtime (about 900 miles) and is a bit more frequent than Yamaha recommends but is a convenient number to work with.

Saturated "synthetic" oils have lower lubricity and miscibility than a scrubbed oil but I don't know why they state not to use synthetic oil. That oil is fine but a straight SAE 30 (This is Florida - not Minnesota) would have no VII rubber to breakdown. ILSAC oils have too low HTHS and do not have proper EP wear additives so use a 4-stroke oil designed for high heat/high stress. There is nothing more stressful than a golf cart engine at startup from a complete stop...You can just hear that metal slapping :) No big deal...Just change oil on time is key.

Didn’t know Yamaha refined oil?

I know why? They make money putting their name on it. Yamaha don’t refine oil. They do control the formula and contract with there name on can.

Golf cart engine governed at low RPM not high stress, now lawn mower engine mowing yards are high stressed.

Thank you everyone for your replies, help, & and information.

Before buying this used Golf Cart I shopped at “The Villages Golf Cars” & “Villages Discount Golf Carts". They are both expensive IMO. The first one is the only Yamaha dealership in the area meaning they are the only where you can buy a new Yamaha. I believe the second one are selling converted fleet carts.

When I asked about doing my own routine maintenance, both talked about the great service they provide. They don’t understand that some people get satisfaction doing their own maintenance as I do.

I did not find any used golf carts I was satisfied with until I found this one, about a year later. Too bad it does not have an hour meter but we are happy with the one we got. I’m in the process with installing seat belts.

Like you, I do my own golf cart maintenance and usually at one year intervals at a minimum. 6 month if heavy usage. Regularly used carts in TV would be considered heavy usage, in my opinion. The first few times were a bit of a learning curve. Now I'm done in about 15 minutes, tops. I use Don Plowman's maintenance schedule. If you aren't aware of him, he is one of (if not THE) premier Yamaha (only) golf cart tuners in the nation. For what it is worth, you have a G29 Yamaha cart if your cart is a 2007-2016 Drive 1 cart. More detailed description below the image.

Here's what I like to do:

Don Plowman's recommended Yamaha golf car maintenance schedule

Credit: Plowman's Carts - Golf Cars - Golf Cars, Golf Carts and Utility

Due to the additional maintenance needed on a G29 as discussed on the image above, here is how you know If you have a G29 or 'Drive' model. In 2007 Yamaha introduced the Yamaha 'Drive' or G29 golf cart which was in production through 2016. The body was still rounded and had the tuning fork logo but the curves and lines changed as did the seats cupholder and top. The G29A was gas and G29E was electric. (Credit: Cunninhamgolfcar.com: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...J1MlorunKJIFnp)

For what it is worth, I learned the hard way that there are front AND rear clutches and I was only annually putting a single pump of grease into the rear clutch. The front one needed it's annual pump also (Sean Connery in Hunt For Red October: one pump please, one pump only)

TIP: It is a serious P.I.T.A. to get under the golf cart and remove panels, etc. or whatever to access the oil drain plug. I use a vacuum oil extractor (link below) and just pull the oil out from the dipstick hole. Easy to take the extractor to an auto parts store to drain and recycle the used oil also.

Amazon.com

I removed the lower panel on my 2018. It is really only to help with noise and some say it prevents heat from escaping causing more potential issues. For oil removal, I changed the drain plug to: Fumoto F109SX M12-1.5 Sx Series Drain Valve. Makes draining the oil very simple. I collect it in a disposable aluminum foil type cooking pan, pour it back into the bottle that the new oil came out of and drop it off at Walmart Auto center for disposal. Auto parts stores also take it.

I extended the exhaust pipe with Stainless Steel Exhaust Hose to get the exhaust out further back under the cart. Get the length you think you need. I chose the 23.6 inch version as there wasn't anywhere further back to support a longer one.

Great Information ! Thanks.

I’ve been using ethanol free gasoline from Wawa. Does anyone have an estimate on how many hours on the engine based on gas consumption? I have no meter but gas usage should help schedule routine maintenance.

One of the oil change metrics in the Yamaha owner’s manual is miles. Their recommendation for oil changes is 1250 miles, at least for the year of my cart (2014). If you want a nice round number use 1000 miles which should be about 20 gallons of gas since you should get about 50 mpg. Regarding gas, regular 87 octane with no more than 10% ethanol is fine according to the Yamaha manual. If you have extended periods of non use than ethanol free and a fuel stabilizer may be of value.

Ill jump in here and give a little more food for though and you can take the info or discard it.
We have seen some issues with the use of non ethanol fuel in the quiet tech cars, not sue why yet but we do recommend 89 or 93 fuel in those cars.
I get those that are DIYers but there is a lot to be said for those of us that work on alot of carts. We are seeing an issue with the QT cars , but we check the issue during a service to prevent the issue.
All carts have issues that are preventable if looked at during a service and its not in any service manual or on you tube.
A good tech is looking, feeling, at the issues for each particular golf car. Have had many DIYers who thought they were saving money by doing it themselves, only to have a major issue that was preventable with the right eyes looking at it.
Im just putting this info out there in an effort to prevent issues. I know some of you dont like my comments and thats ok, but be aware many of the issues are preventable.

some issues with the use of non ethanol fuel in the quiet tech cars

Quiet tech carts IMO run hotter do to the quieting. The extra heat in engine compartment maybe be issue? Reason I say this friend has issue when I pulled seat i noticed heat which hotter than my non quiet tech cart. His exhaust was plugged up causing acceleration problem (spark screen). Which might have caused the extra heat?

I for one something’s don’t agree but your comments are welcome IMO. I sure you see far more issues than I do.

Could you be specific about what issue (not eth fuel) you are seeing so that we can look for that too, and save everybody a lot of hassles

Thanks, I downloaded the manual and found the hours metric for oil changes. I ordered a Digital LCD Hour Meter Kit that I’ll be installing. It has a total hours meter along to two trip hours meters & I’ll be using it for oil changes.

The cart came with a GPS thing which displies speed, time of day, direction, and trip duration but the duration is zellowed out when the key is turned off. It also has mirrors, typtical light seen in TV, directionsnuals & a horn.

So far I installed seats bults & an unique key.

Give B&S SAE 30 a try...Do a UOA.

Robot or human?

The Yamaha manual can be a bit confusing with the multiple metrics for oil changes. I find the 250 hours and 1200 miles to be at odds with each other. As I indicated previously, I use a 50 hour change interval with 0W-30, 5W-30, or 10w-30 Mobil1. This might be overkill but after 2000 hours on the engine, oil consumption is nill, and miles per gallon and top speed are unchanged.

Where is this hour meter located? I looked in manual and my cart don’t have one where it shown and none on dash, yes, it has FI and gas gauge.

Not overkill, if no filter, then the frequent oil changes will keep the oil clean and working properly maintaining the engine. Reference the car oil change thread where frequent filter changes keeps the oil clean and maintaining the engine properly.

great pointers in this thread, love this bbs

Mine also did not have one. I just ordered one (Hour meter with two trip hour meters) from Amazon, not very expensive and looks easy to install.
Amazon.com

If your flavor of Yamaha has an hour meter it would typically be part of the round fuel gauge. That is where mine is.

Yamaha actually warranties these engines for 5000 hours if you use Yamalube and follow the maintenance schedule. There is undoubtedly some fine print (that I didn’t bother to read) and perhaps a little marketing involved but that is still a pretty impressive number to throw out there.

The model of my Yamaha behind the seat is “DR2A20 EFI”. I assume that stands for: Drive 2 2020 electronic fule injection. Anyone know if that is correct and what does the “A" stand for? I googled it but didn't find anything.

The Hours Meter I Installed on my Golf Cart

I exchanged the hour meter I recently purchased for this similar meter.
It's interesting that the manual basically states to connect the “-" pin to "-”, and the remaining 3 pins connect to “+". The instructions on the Amazon site give details for each of the 4 pins.

My connections:
“-" pin to "-” of the golf cart.
“+" pin to golf cart power on key wire. This has the meter do a self test, including digits displaying, and background light goes on, then off.
“E” pin also to power on key wire. This accumulates run time and pulsates the run icon.
“B” pin to the headlights on wire. This controls the backlight.

Amazon.com

That isn't actually measuring engine hours. It is measuring key on hours. Yamaha hour meters measure engine run time. If you play a round of golf and leave your key on while teeing off, etc. those minutes turn into hours and are counted.

The red/white wires at the voltage regulator,solenoid, and stop relay are hot only when accelerator pedal is pressed. One side (may also be a red/white wire) of the accelerator switch is also hot only when pedal is pressed also, but access may be more difficult.

DR2A stands for Drive 2 Gas
DR2E stands for Drive 2 Electric

For simplicity, you can get an inductive hour meter that has its own internal battery and connects to the spark plug wire. It only counts engine running time.

Here is one with maintenance reminders and has its own replaceable battery: Inductive Hour Meter

No backlight but who's reading an hour meter in the dark?

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Thanks everyone. I appreciate the information and have some follow up & questions.

I knew the time meter would not be the true engine running time but feel it is not that important for me. I only stop when changing between forward/reverse, with traffic/stop signs, and when parked. So far, traffic has not been an issue for me. I am not yet a golfer but expect I’ll just turn off the key when stopping during golf. Anyway your information is good to know, others reading this may not be aware of that.

Is the red/white wire which indicates the engine running only available in the engine compartment or is it available behind the dash board?

The meter I’m using does not have a battery. It uses non-volatile memory.

The switch at the gas pedal is in the floor. Doubt the wire routes up behind the dash.

I believe A=gas, a different letter I can’t remember which, means electric.

It’s very simple, the cart only takes one quart of oil so take all the guesswork out of the equation and just use the best. That would be a quart of Amsoil small engine oil. Costs about $12. Don’t worry about mileage or hours of use, change the oil once per year, and completely drain out the old oil, don’t pump it out. Easy peasy.

If it is running fine and you do routine maintenance on the Yamaha’s, it will outlive you if you keep them that long. You will have more maintenance on other things than you will the engine.