# Looking to purchase 2002 GEM E 825 what should I look for? **URL:** \ **Category:** GEM Forum\ **Tags:** tips\ **Created:** [August 30, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648 "2025-08-30T16:02:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JarJarJava](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/jarjarjava/32/15158_2.png) [@JarJarJava](https://community.electricforum.com/u/JarJarJava)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:03am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648/21 "2025-09-02T01:03:03Z")
2014 was a good year for GEMs. University vehicles can be a mixed bag. If you get one from a department like student housing or an administration dept, it likely had a lot of drivers, but not too much abuse. A maintenance shop would likely have been beat on. Make sure all the electronics work, especially the charger. It should be a DeltaQ, either under a seat or upside down above the motor. Plug it in, and watch the display on the charger, it should go through some pre checks then go into charge mode. 2k miles isn’t much, drive it and listen for noises up front from the motor & diff. Whining could be a worn input shaft, barking would be possibly a rubber bumper. Easy fixes. Motor should be a “long” GE 5hp. Possibility it has the 7.5GE or AMD black. AMD may need brush & commutator service due to tight tolerances. Service is reasonably priced Like @AssyRequired said, don’t sweat about the batteries too much. You just need them to work until you get used to the vehicle at that point, a new set of batteries, especially AGM or GEL, will cost you about as much as a lithium pack, and the lithium will outperform any of those. There are a few guys here who specialize in lithium packs, and have way better stuff than the rando stuff out there. ---
**Author:** ![molaryacht2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/molaryacht2/32/17089_2.png) [@molaryacht2](https://community.electricforum.com/u/molaryacht2)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648/22 "2025-09-02T01:18:40Z")
> [@AssyRequired](#): > > Any pics? ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/electricforum/original/3X/3/7/37aba7e4ebed7ba5dc6e755f59be382ef5b6f14c.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/electricforum/original/3X/3/b/3bc0e324475d70213fb1744438dfe8d4418e3db6.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/electricforum/original/3X/2/8/28c604b2ee840843705a8ad6879cf4a0e2821f23.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/electricforum/original/3X/2/e/2e085ae15c1aed353d693896b841b32f6af3c4b5.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/electricforum/original/3X/7/c/7cfa5c3dfb2d1a558aeea3c5c49e350277d220fe.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/electricforum/original/3X/7/8/78eff145e1cd07f44f901846d1c0bd01accfa4f8.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![molaryacht2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/molaryacht2/32/17089_2.png) [@molaryacht2](https://community.electricforum.com/u/molaryacht2)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:19am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648/23 "2025-09-02T01:19:45Z")
> [@AssyRequired](#): > > how far away? 25 minutes away. Easy drive ---
**Author:** ![molaryacht2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/molaryacht2/32/17089_2.png) [@molaryacht2](https://community.electricforum.com/u/molaryacht2)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648/24 "2025-09-02T01:20:52Z")
> [@AssyRequired](#): > > Dies it work at all? It just needs to drive down the block and up on a trailer. Not sure but he says it does. ---
**Author:** ![molaryacht2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/molaryacht2/32/17089_2.png) [@molaryacht2](https://community.electricforum.com/u/molaryacht2)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:21am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648/25 "2025-09-02T01:21:33Z")
> [@AssyRequired](#): > > Does it come with papers? Documents are important if you want to properly run it on the street. (check your local laws) All service docs and a title ---
**Author:** ![molaryacht2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/molaryacht2/32/17089_2.png) [@molaryacht2](https://community.electricforum.com/u/molaryacht2)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648/26 "2025-09-02T01:23:44Z")
> [@JarJarJava](#): > > Make sure all the electronics work, especially the charger. It should be a DeltaQ, either under a seat or upside down above the motor. Plug it in, and watch the display on the charger, it should go through some pre checks then go into charge mode. > > 2k miles isn’t much, drive it and listen for noises up front from the motor & diff. Whining could be a worn input shaft, barking would be possibly a rubber bumper. Easy fixes. Motor should be a “long” GE 5hp. Possibility it has the 7.5GE or AMD black. AMD may need brush & commutator service due to tight tolerances. Service is reasonably priced All great info! I’ll definitely check about the charger and seevehat it does when plugging in. Hoping it runs so I can see what it sounds like etc [Previous page](https://community.electricforum.com/t/looking-to-purchase-2002-gem-e-825-what-should-i-look-for/29648.md?page=1)