2009 Precedent - Stops Running on Long Trips

[Vinish]

I have a 2009 Club Car Precedent, gas. It sat unused for the summer in a garage in FL so it was exposed to high temperatures. When stored, I added an appropriate amount of Stabil to the fuel 1 oz/2 gal and put the battery on a Battery Tender Jr. Upon our return, the cart started just fine and I drove it around the block 2-3 times and it ran like normal.

My wife took it to golf and had to drive it about 4 miles to a golf course. Upon arrival there, she went into the pro shop and came out 5 min. later. The cart would not run properly. The engine would turn over but only at low rpm and there was not sufficient power to pull out of the parking spot. She left if for the 4 hrs of the round and when she was done, the cart started up normally. She drove it home and got about 3.5 miles and it did the same thing.

Last winter I replaced the fuel filter and the fuel pump (very simple centrifugal pump) and changed the oil. I also adjusted the starter belt to have proper tension. I checked it again and this starter belt still has good tension on it.

Does anyone have advice on what could be wrong with it? Alternatively, any advice on diagnosing the problem? I am very mechanically inclined so would be happy to drive it around the block for 4 miles in an attempt to replicate the problem but should the problem occur, what should I look for to determine the cause? Thanks for any help you can offer.

G'day,

Vinish

[1arunem]

Battery have sufficient voltage under load?

[Vinish]

I do not know about the battery yet. I will test it. I did replicate this intermittent problem. I drove the cart for about 20 minutes in the Florida heat and it finally had the problem. I pushed it home (fortunately, I was only 200 yds from home and it was mostly downhill - slightly). To rule out a fuel problem, I hooked a clear hose to the carb fuel inlet nozzle and tightened a band clamp around this hose. I then filled this hose with fuel. Thus, the carb was definitely getting fuel. The starter would turn over the engine but it would not fire/start.

I then took off the spark plug boot, hooked another sparkplug to the boot, touched the threads of this spare sparkplug to the engine, and pressed the gas/starter pedal. The starter motor turned the engine over and I could see sparks on the plug end but only for half a second and then no sparks. Is this normal behavior? I would not think so.

Any advice on what to look at next besides battery voltage which I will go check now?

[Vinish]

Battery has 12.6 v when cart is not running. When trying to start cart, battery voltage is about 12.0 v. However, I have done a lot of running the battery to turn the engine over while diagnosing this problem.

If the problem was the battery, then why having the cart sit in the FL heat for 5 hrs after it exhibits this problem would it then start up and run fine for 4 miles until the problem occurs again?

[LabRat]

Hot Coil?

[Vinish]

After the cart cooled down, I was able to start it with no problem. I repeated the above sparkplug test and the plug sparks repeatedly as long as I am trying to start the cart. Note that above when the cart was hot, the plug only would spark for a half second and then nothing. It certainly does get VERY hot in the engine compartment. It is FL where it is ~90 F and the cart is modified to run fast which generates more heat.

Does that sound like a hot coil?

Is replacing the coil likely within my abilities? I do my own motorcycle maintenance including clutch changes and electrical work. I have the service manual.

Any chance this could be the voltage regulator?

Oh, by the way, someone earlier asked about battery voltage. When fully charged, the battery read 13.13 v with the cart off, about 12.5 while cart was trying (and succeeding) to start, and more than 14 v after cart was running. The voltage when cart is being started is hard to determine as it jumps quickly from the 12.5 v rest value to the value while starting, to the 14 v running value.

[Vinish]

Well, I tackled the removal of the ignition coil today. Based on what the service manual says is necessary, this should take maybe 45 minutes. Four hrs later, I finally got it done. My service manual is titled, "2009-2011 Gasoline Precedent Maintenance and Service Manual." Unfortunately, the process specified for removing the ignition coil in this service manual is NOT what is needed on my 2009 Club Car Precedent.

The process they describe sounds fairly easy. You need to remove the governor bracket, remove the exhaust system, remove the exhaust bracket, remove a stiffener, remove the fan shroud, remove the fan housing, and the ignition coil will be exposed.

Sadly, this would not work. In addition to all of the above, I had to remove the brace across the engine compartment under the seat, remove the gas tank, remove another metal brace/stiffener near where the tail pipe would normally be, and then remove the six bolts that hold the engine to the engine mounting plate, and lastly remove the oil filter. Removing the engine mounting bolts was necessary to remove the fan housing. With the engine loose, I could pull it forward and lift it slightly to free the housing. Oh, I also had to use my motorcycle jack to lift the back of the cart about 18 inches to access many of these bolts from the bottom of the cart. The problem appears to be that my engine mounting plate is different than stock. Mine has rounded up edges that trap the fan housing and this housing can only be removed by removing the engine mounting bolts and sliding/lifting the engine. One of the bolts that fits into a notch in the fan housing is trapped way behind part of this engine mounting plate. The process in the service manual is simply not accurate and I do not know why.

I suspect that my engine mounting bracket is different than stock but why would this be the case?

Anyway... after 4 hrs, lots of swearing, and the loss of 10 lbs of sweat doing this work in a hot garage in 90 F Florida weather, I got the ignition coil removed. When I get the new one on Monday, I dread the process of putting the cart all back together.

[nickdalzell1]

Usually what I do is everything except removing the engine mounting bolts and oil filter. I just get it enough where I can wedge something to 'pry' a bit of the fan shroud off just enough to access the coil with an angle ratchet with a 5/16 end. Saves two hours and a lot of work. Getting the new coil in is the fun part though, heaven forbid you drop one of the bolts inside that abyss!

Seems the most common cars to have 'hot coil failing' issues are 1996-97 DS gas cars. They changed from having a separate ignitor mounted with the RPM limiter to having it built into the coil, and seems the first year of this was a bad supply or something, and aftermarket replacements suck. Don't even attempt it. Get a genuine OEM coil.

[Vinish]

Well.... No joy. After replacing the ignition coil, I started the cart and there was a rattling sound. It appeared the plastic fan was hitting the shroud. So the next day, I spent another 4 hrs, 10 lbs of sweat, and lots of swearing to dig all the way back down to where I was only to realize I had put the plastic fan 120 degrees out of position so that the small "indent" was NOT on top of the permanent magnet mounted on the flywheel. This forced the plastic fan to hit the shroud. I got it all back together last night.

I took it for a 15 minute ride today and the EXACT same problem occurred after about 15 minutes. The cart stops running. The starter turns over the engine. There is fuel in the float bowl. However there is only spark on the plug for about 1/2 second and then nothing.

Any other ideas? It is not the voltage regulator. I have a bag of ice water sitting on this and the cart will still not run.

Any ideas on what could cause this loss of spark when the cart has been run continuously for ~15-20 minutes?

[lockman1]

Sorry you went through all of that and still have the same problem...

A faulty Rev Limiter will cause a "no spark" scenario. (hot or cold)

The Rev Limiter (#22) is on lower front of the engine, just above the front oil drain plug.

• Remove the left mounting bolt, (at #13)
• Remove the brown wire w/eyelet from the bolt,
• Tape up the eyelet to prevent grounding, and just let it hang,
• Reinstall the mounting bolt, and test drive it.