lifted club cars - lifted ezgo
Home FAQDonate Who's Online
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Gas Club Car
Gas Club Car Gas DS, and Precedent golf cars



Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-28-2021, 08:20 AM   #1
michaelg30534
Not Yet Wild
Club Car
 
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 22
Default Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum and also new to owning a golf cart. I just bought a 1996 Club Car Carryall 2 with the Kawasaki fe290 engine a couple weeks ago. I got a good deal and it had been sitting off and on for the past 2 years according to the previous owner. It struggles a little bit to get the engine to start on take off, the starter will turn and turn but it doesn't engage the engine to take off until after a few seconds (8-10). Sometimes it will take right off if you just barely push the throttle, but its very finicky. I've read others have this issue on other threads on here.

However, that's not my major problem. My main issue is the cart will run real good on flat ground, around 14-15 mph which is how it should run stock. However, when you go to go up some hills the cart will make it about halfway and just start to die (drive belt stops turning). I've watched the belts going up hills and they look to transition back to where they should for hills and pulling, but the motor simply dies out, like the rpms die down to not turn the motor anymore. I made some adjustments with the carb thinking it was a fuel issue, but I just can't seem to find a sweet spot for pulling hills. I have made it up the hills some, but most of the time the engine just dies out going up it, especially with anything more than me on board. I put new belts on, and this definitely helped but it's still not doing right.

I'm just trying to figure out if this is fuel/carb related or something wrong with clutches. The clutches seem to be working like they should, but maybe I'm missing something.

I'm just lost as to why the engine works great on flat land but the rpms drop and just dies out going up hills. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
michaelg30534 is offline   Reply With Quote
Alt Today
BGW

Golf car forum Sponsored Links

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum
   
Old 11-28-2021, 09:22 AM   #2
sthreatt
Gone Wild
 
sthreatt's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Central South Carolina
Posts: 928
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

If the governor is working as it should it should apply more throttle on a hill to maintain speed. Also it would be interesting to see what the engine compression is. With a cart that age it could be that with low compression it just doesn't have the power to do the job.
sthreatt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2021, 11:57 AM   #3
CP241
Nincompoop village idiot
 
CP241's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Michigan
Posts: 9,625
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

I’d start with the basics. Tune up (spark plug, valve adjustment, oil change, carb clean, air filter). Compression test just to see where it’s at (make sure to hold the throttle all the way open by hand when cranking the engine). Check the clutc faces for wear and make sure they’re good.

Also check your electrical stuff battery posts, grounds, frame grounds, starter gen connections. Make sure the connection points are all clean and solid. Make sure the battery is healthy also. This stuff may help with the start delay.
CP241 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2021, 12:55 PM   #4
michaelg30534
Not Yet Wild
Club Car
 
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 22
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

Thanks for the replies, I will check these suggestions. I have ordered a tune up kit and plan to change the oil this week. Clutches have slight wear but it is even wear and very smooth. Springs also seem to be good but the driven clutch, seems to be slightly weak, so that could be part of the issue? As for the compression test, I’ll have to Google or search on here how to do that. I’ve never done a compression test. A couple other questions:

Would low compression be an issue at all time or just seen when pulling hills? Because that’s the only time I’m noticing power loss.

Also would battery/electrical stuff cause this issue? I thought if the starter was turning good and battery seems to be lasting, there would be no issue there. I didn’t think about battery power loss being an issue that would cause this. Will have to check voltage.
michaelg30534 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2021, 01:09 PM   #5
CP241
Nincompoop village idiot
 
CP241's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Michigan
Posts: 9,625
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

The battery electrical stuff can help with the 8-10 second delay trying to start the engine. Check the brushes in the starter/gen for wear as well.

Low compression can make the cart run okay on flat ground and fall on its face on a hill. There’s far less load presented to the engine on flat ground.

A weak secondary clutch can also affect hill performance. Shouldn’t stall the engine but can also make hills nearly impossible.
CP241 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 01:53 PM   #6
michaelg30534
Not Yet Wild
Club Car
 
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 22
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

So I wanted to give y’all an update. I checked battery and it was good, I went through and put a new carb on, changed all the fluids, put a new spark plug in and put a new fuel pump and fuel lines. This helped tremendously on cart start up and runs great. Still slows way down and idles down on hills, but will pull the hill, barely. I guess I’ll have to take to a mechanic, because I’m lost on why it won’t pull hills.

My dad has same make and year model as my cart and it throttles up/revs up going up the same hills and pulls great! So I know it can be done, apparently not with my golf cart though.
michaelg30534 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 04:13 PM   #7
CP241
Nincompoop village idiot
 
CP241's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Michigan
Posts: 9,625
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

Did you check compression? Adjust the valves?
CP241 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 05:37 PM   #8
michaelg30534
Not Yet Wild
Club Car
 
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 22
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

No, I’ll have to get a mechanic or local golf cart shop to check that. I’m not going to attempt all that, I’m not much of a mechanic myself above oil changes and simple fixes.

I am thinking that has to be the issues since it runs great everywhere else besides pulling hills.
michaelg30534 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2022, 10:52 AM   #9
michaelg30534
Not Yet Wild
Club Car
 
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 22
Default Re: Gas Club Car Struggling up Hills

Update: I finally ordered a “power spring” to put in the driven clutch and that fixed it pulling up hills. Now the cart works great. The carburetor fixed the issue with start up and it takes off when first touching the gas, and now the new spring fixed the issue of the engine dying out going up hills.

The power spring did kill my top speed though, probably dropped my top speed 4-5 mph. It only runs about 10-11 mph top speed now.

Also if I hold the gas wide open, it hits the rev limiter on flat ground. Is this normal with the new spring? There are no Governor or throttle mods that I can see. Not sure why the Governor is not adjusting rpm’s before the rev limit it kicks the engine off? Just trying to figure out what adjustments I can do because I’ve heard that hitting the rev limiter constantly kills an engine. But I also don’t wanna remove it and cause damage that way either.
michaelg30534 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Gas Club Car


Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Forum
2001 EZ Go Struggling on Hills Electric EZGO
G2 Yamaha struggling up hills Gas Yamaha
36V TXT/DCS Struggling during driving up numerous grades to hills Electric EZGO
New to me cart struggling up hills and batts appear ok??? Electric EZGO
EZ-GO struggling up hills, possible preignition Gas EZGO


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:32 AM.


Club Car Electric | EZGO Electric | Lifted Golf Carts | Gas EZGO | Used Golf Carts and Parts

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This Website and forum is the property of Buggiesgonewild.com. No material may be taken or duplicated in part or full without prior written consent of the owners of buggiesgonewild.com. © 2006-2017 Buggiesgonewild.com. All rights reserved.