Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum - View Single Post - G9 engine not charging, am I really supposed to polarize the starter/generator?

CP241 · 07-29-2019, 09:30 AM

voltage regulator problems are quite common given the age of the cart. The only thing that "usually" goes wrong with the starter/generator is the brushes wear out and it doesn't start. Otherwise they're pretty bulletproof.

Your battery should rest around 12 volts. There's a small yellow wire coming off of the starter/generator. If I remmeber correctly there's a bullet connector somewhere near the regulator, but don't quote me on that. It's been a while since I worked on a G9. Hook a meter to the + and - battery terminals. Take the yellow wire off and ground it to the chassis. Don't hold it for long, just a few seconds to watch the meter. Battery voltage should jump to around 17 volts or so. If voltage jumps to 17 volts, the voltage regulator is bad. If it stays at 12 volts the starter/generator is bad.

Do NOT buy an aftermarket voltage regulator. They are of horrible quality. I have lost count of how many people I've seen on here alone buy them and have them bad or even dead shorted right out of the box, so they blow the 10A fuse and kill the cart completely!

07-29-2019, 09:30 AM	#4
CP241 Nincompoop village idiot Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Michigan Posts: 9,690	Re: G9 engine not charging, am I really supposed to polarize the starter/generator? voltage regulator problems are quite common given the age of the cart. The only thing that "usually" goes wrong with the starter/generator is the brushes wear out and it doesn't start. Otherwise they're pretty bulletproof. Your battery should rest around 12 volts. There's a small yellow wire coming off of the starter/generator. If I remmeber correctly there's a bullet connector somewhere near the regulator, but don't quote me on that. It's been a while since I worked on a G9. Hook a meter to the + and - battery terminals. Take the yellow wire off and ground it to the chassis. Don't hold it for long, just a few seconds to watch the meter. Battery voltage should jump to around 17 volts or so. If voltage jumps to 17 volts, the voltage regulator is bad. If it stays at 12 volts the starter/generator is bad. Do NOT buy an aftermarket voltage regulator. They are of horrible quality. I have lost count of how many people I've seen on here alone buy them and have them bad or even dead shorted right out of the box, so they blow the 10A fuse and kill the cart completely!