EZGO won't go

[tops]

EZGO gas golf cart won't crank. Engine will turn over but won't fire up and run. Sometimes when running engine will just quit running. Three trips to one dealer and he can't find anything wrong. Three trips to another dealer and it quit running or wouldn't start and he replaced carb., fuel pump, ignitor and air filter. Second day home and it ran good for 1/2 day and now won't crank. Does anyone have any suggestions to fix it? I need HELP! Larry

 

[Sgt hump]

could be the coil getting hot and shutting down, had that happen on an older motorcycle.

 

[venomballistics]

Sounds like ignition. Not necessarily it's core modules, but it's wiring.
Fetch a meter and happy hunting

 

[6518John]

Check the fuel tank!

YARN | IT AIN'''T GOT NO GAS IN IT. | Sling Blade (1996) | Video clips by quotes | 86ed9361 | 紗

 

[Marine Corps Air]

Has it been checked for:

1. Bad gas (fuel)?

2. Contaminated fuel?

3. Clogged or debris in the fuel line?

4. Clogged fuel filter?

Water in the fuel will also cause these issues.

Bill

 

[WR Moore]

I'm not sure what an "ignitor" is-spark plug? But, most all the small gas engines use a magneto for spark, there may be some electronics involved somehow now. I'd look there along with wiring.

Magnetos generally run forever, which is why any problem might be over looked. Plus, getting to it involves real work (pull the flywheel). When you have no start, pull the plug wire, attach a working plug, ground it and crank. You should see spark at the gap.

Earlier this year I discovered our UTV wasn't 4x4 no more. Solving that involved electronics and in the process I discovered that the wiring harness has 5 diodes buried in it (and no, the factory service manual doesn't tell you where they are, but the trouble shooting instructions were great) to take care of various things. I hate it when engineers just have to "demonstrate their grasp of available technology". [Quote from the excuse of an engineer for the unbelievably overly complex and completely unsuited for the purpose tool they designed.]

I used to have to escort electronic techs. They hated intermittent issues, they generally just did a cursory inspection and waited until the glitchy part smoked to solve it.

 

[SMSgt]

Gas engines require fuel, air, ignition and compression. One of those is the culprit. Air is seldom the issue. If it's getting fuel and has spark, do a compression check. You may have s sticky valve or adjustment issue.

 

[Rule3]

It's either electrical, mechanical or fuel.


Sorry that's all I got which is nothing!


Sounds like the night mares I had with a outboard engine. Stator was going bad


Is it a 4 stroke or 2 cycle? (never mind)


"When we created a first-of-its-kind, purpose-built gas engine for golf cars, we knew we had to deliver performance no one else could match. So no detail of EX1's design was too small to examine and refine.

• The EX1 electric fuel injection (EFI) system not only optimizes your miles-per-gallon but also produces the lowest emissions of any golf car on the market.
• Smart Engine Management monitors the electrical system, shutting off accessories when they're not in use, helping to make EX1 the industry's most efficient engine.
• An integrated starter/generator lets EX1 work like a hybrid engine, auto starting and stopping as needed for fuel economy.

• Fewer wear parts and two-year oil change intervals mean you spend less time and money maintaining EX1.
• With its smaller, faster-spinning 150cc design, EX1 is the pinnacle of quiet efficiency. Competitors rely on oversized, generic industrial engines which generate the thump usually associated with gas golf carts.
• Thanks to EX1's starting clutch, you'll hear none of the downhill belt whine you experience in other cars."

 

[yeti]

could be the coil getting hot and shutting down, had that happen on an older motorcycle.

If it won't run/restart when hot this is your fix.

 

[venomballistics]

Im working on what hasn't been mentioned.
when it is running, it is assumed it performs this mission well ...until it doesn't.
If so, it lacks the tell tale signs of fuel/ fuel delivery issues. Being poor performance, sputtering and the like.
When it does start, it is assumed that it does this with relative ease. If so, it has compression and most everything is right in it's universe.
a sticking valve could do the same I suppose but I suspect it'd sputter and argue while its sticking.
Coil ... yeah, that can do it with heat, though it sounds like the issue manifests from a cold start as well.
Coil and wiring ....

 

[ACORN]

Second day home and it ran good for 1/2 day and now won't crank. Does anyone have any suggestions to fix it? I need HELP! Larry

Doesn't crank?
All the air, fuel, spark is going to help if so.
Check the battery.
If the battery is good, I'd try jumping from the battery to the starter and see if it cranks.
Yes?
Check the starter solenoid switch and ignition switch.
No?
Sounds like a bum starter.
These only apply if it doesn't crank.

 

[gjgalligan]

EZGO gas golf cart won't crank. Engine will turn over but won't fire up and run. Sometimes when running engine will just quit running. Three trips to one dealer and he can't find anything wrong. Three trips to another dealer and it quit running or wouldn't start and he replaced carb., fuel pump, ignitor and air filter. Second day home and it ran good for 1/2 day and now won't crank. Does anyone have any suggestions to fix it? I need HELP! Larry

EZGO gas golf cart won't crank. Engine will turn over

Which is it? "Cranking" and "turn over" is the same thing.

Possibility of a loose or broken wire causing it to die out.
I have seen wires that were broken inside the plastic cover and only showed up when you tested the wire with an ohm meter.

 

[LVSteve]

That has all the hallmark of an intermittent ground for me. Many years ago in the UK I had a car that developed a fault in the ground line from the battery. I could swing all my weight on the cable, but it didn't pass electrons properly. More recently I had a ground come loose on the motor of a 3.2 Isuzu Rodeo. Symptoms were weird and the vehicle would run but the alternator light would come on and the A/C would quit running.

The strangest one was a car that just quit running on a main road in England. After much head scratching, I realized the coil had rotated in its mount and one of the terminals was contacting the block.

 

[Spajohn]

While we're telling stories,...
I had an old Harley that would pop and misfire every time I accelerated up a steep hill near my house, no other time. After years trying to diagnose this intermittent problem, while looking for something else on the bike I noticed an irregularity in a wire running past the solo seat post.
It turned out being a wire running over a grease fitting that got pinched and momentarily shorting out. Every time I accelerated up the hill, the seat spring compressed more than normal, pushing me down in the seat and pinching the wire, causing a short.
"If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem."

 

[Pete99004]

You need fuel, air and ignition. Check all your cables for tightness, esp. your ground wires. It's probably a loose cable which causes a disconnect with vibration.

My guess.

Hope it helps.

Pete99004

 

[ACORN]

EZGO gas golf cart won't crank. Engine will turn over

Which is it? "Cranking" and "turn over" is the same thing.

Possibility of a loose or broken wire causing it to die out.
I have seen wires that were broken inside the plastic cover and only showed up when you tested the wire with an ohm meter.

^^^^^^THIS.

Does the starter turn the motor over, regardless whether it runs.
It's 2 different things.

 

[djohns6]

Read the first two sentences of the original post . Keep reading until you understand .

 

[wetdog]

Possibly the gas cap vent.

 

[ACORN]

Read the quote in post 13. "It ran good but now won't crank".

 

[ACORN]

The the automotive world cranking is the function of the starter.

 

[djohns6]

EZGO gas golf cart won't crank. Engine will turn over but won't fire up and run.

It's not that hard ..

 

[SweetMK]

The the automotive world cranking is the function of the starter.

,,,,,,,,,,BUT, not in the golf cart world!!

The golf cart that runs on liquid fuel is a strange unit. (as opposed to a battery cart)

We bought one this year, it has operated flawlessly.
The drive is variable pulley like a snow mobile,,

The starter is also the alternator (or generator,, whatever)

Push the "GO pedal", the engine starts,
and runs, as long as the pedal is held down.
Release the pedal, ignition is removed, the engine coasts mostly until the cart stops,
or is close to stopping.

When I first got the cart, I thought it had a fuel issue, whenever you let up on the "gas" pedal, the engine stalled.

In most of the motoring world, an engine that stalls when the "gas" pedal is released is considered to have a problem.

In the golf cart world, that is exactly what you want to happen.

You want the cart to quit when you jump out to hit your ball, I guess.

 

[MRB1]

I had almost exactly problem with my old cushman cart. The repair shop couldn't duplicate the problem and everything checked out OK... until I was a mile or so away from camp and it would die, and not start again. An old farmer solved it for me in minutes. Turned out to be the fuel line was too close to a heat source and the fuel was perking, causing a vapor lock. He purged the fuel line, wrapped a piece of asbestos solder blanket around the line and it never happened again. Hope your solution is as simple as mine was.

 

[BC38]

I'm not familiar with golf carts, but any chance it has any interlocks - like a riding lawn mower. You know, like maybe there has to be someone sitting in the seat for it to run? What kind of ignition switch does it have - a key?
My thought is an intermittent interlock switch or ignition switch.
Just spitballin'...

 

[Grayfox]

There are also any number of safety switches that can cause issues. Neutral start switch, seat switch, seat belt, temp, etc and so on. Being hot or cold can also make a difference. Best bet is to try to get a wiring diagram and see what all is on the start and run circuits. Then check each part.
Electrical gremlins can drive you nuts!

 

[tops]

Took it too a 3rd repair shop and they decided it is a sticking valve. We sold it at a price that the buyer can replace or rebuild the engine and still be ok. We decided a Honda Pioneer 700 Deluxe would be more fun than a golf cart. Larry

 

[Narragansett]

EZGO gas golf cart won't crank. Engine will turn over but won't fire up and run. Sometimes when running engine will just quit running. Three trips to one dealer and he can't find anything wrong. Three trips to another dealer and it quit running or wouldn't start and he replaced carb., fuel pump, ignitor and air filter. Second day home and it ran good for 1/2 day and now won't crank. Does anyone have any suggestions to fix it? I need HELP! Larry

I would not go back to dealer #2 ever again. He is one of those people that diagnoses by throwing parts at the problem. Actually he should make an adjustment. You obviously needed none of the work he did

 

[BC38]

There are also any number of safety switches that can cause issues. Neutral start switch, seat switch, seat belt, temp, etc and so on. Being hot or cold can also make a difference. Best bet is to try to get a wiring diagram and see what all is on the start and run circuits. Then check each part.
Electrical gremlins can drive you nuts!

My thought exactly. In this context "safety switch" and "interlock" are pretty much synonyms.

My first thought was a safety-switch (or interlock) with slightly burned or gummed up contacts that work well enough when it is cold, but that breaks contact when it gets warm. The same could be true of the ignition switch. It may energize the ignition circuit just fine when it is cold, but if the contacts are only making a marginally good connection, once the switch warms up the contacts may not make enough of a connection to keep it running.

FWIW, Ohms law says that if the connection between the contacts is poor it will create resistance. Resistance=heat, and the connection will heat up. Which then causes the connection to degrade even further - until it is so bad it fails. Once it cools down it may work again.

Anyway, that may sound a little "far out there" but it is one theory of what could fit with the OP's symptoms.