Ty for your info on these carts, they have helped out alot! I recently picked up on older club car (IDK what year it is due to a dash cover put in from previous owner) and I have experienced the same as this video is showing how to fix. When we bought it, it worked fine around the house. We took it on a camping trip and shut off...twice. The starter/generator supposedly was just changed, the voltage regulator may be my problem. Let me give you the scenario: drove it around the block the day we bought it, parked for several days, loaded it onto a trailer an headed to campground. Drove it around campground approx. 1.5 hours and it quit. Had push it onto a trailer. The next day, it started right up, I put it into service mode and noticed that there was wires at the bottom of the engine, two twisted together, and two not connected. One of the wires not connected was arcing out on a bolt, taped wire up and cart drove fine for another 2 hours, then it just died. Im sure I need a regulator, but can you tell me what the wires are from/for near the bottom of engine, they look like the go to some kind of switch. TIA
The voltage regulator will not cause the cart to shut down and work a few hours later. It only maintains the charge on the battery. A failing regulator will stop charging the battery while you drive. You have a few things you can try. The wires down below the engine are probably part of the rev limiter. When these fail, they usually fail and short to ground, killing the ignition. This will cause the engine to stop. You can bypass this and test. You will need a wire with 2 bullet connectors. It sounds like it might already be bypassed. The issue you are experiencing may be a failing ignition coil/CDI. This is located behind the engine shroud, following the spark plug wire. Unfortunately, this is not serviceable and will have to be replaced.
Great video, just followed your instructions on how to test to see which part had failed. Voltage regulator. Generator was working with by passing the Voltage regulator. Thank you.
My Yamaha G22 would not charge it had a blown fuse plus I bought brushes at amazon and installed them. The starter would not turn over. The old brushes were not worn after 5 years but must have been sticking. Works great now.
97 club car carry all Battery has a full charge, solenoid seems fine, it has an intermittent start and when it does start it’s a really weak crank until it finally starts
Best video I’ve come across for this problem! My S/G tested good by your method and the voltage reg showed bad (17 volts) so I changed it. Tested again and still showed 17 volts to battery! I’m hoping the new VR is bad. I bypassed the yellow wire in the sheath going to the starter with another wire to see if the original wire was broken but it wasn’t. Grounds are good too. What’cha think? Thanks, Bruce
With the new VR in place I noticed the amount of voltage going into the battery depends on rpm’s. WOT it gets 17 volts and at 3/4 throttle it’s 14-15 volts. Is this correct?
Exact same thing for me, S/G charging, new VR and still 17 volts. Only difference original was 3 wire, replacement 4 wire with a spliced ground. Did you ever figure it out Bruce?
Thanks for the great informative videos!!!, I went from Key on and nothing when you step on the pedal, to now the lights working and the solenoid is clicking when i step on the pedal. I Changed out the solenoid and voltage regulator(super easy(thx for the videos)),replaced all the micro switches. All the fuses look good, however there is a rats next of multiple splices everywhere!!! :( I am going to follow the wiring diagram for my 94 Club car and run new wire(correctly color coded)) anything else i should be looking for?. if i jump the solenoid, the motor turns! - I am eagerly waiting a reply! :)
By connecting the yellow wire directly to ground, you bypass the voltage regulator. With the volt meter connected to the battery and yellow wire connected to ground, the voltage should steadily rise and you should hear the engine bog down a bit. If this is the case, then the starter/generator is fine and the voltage regulator is bad.
Hi, gr8 videos, tnx, i couldn't see, did you conect, the cable to ground, and the other end to the yellow cable, or to the starter generator charge post? Tnx
I got a 93 club car gas I'm having issues with it turning over,I replaced starter generator.as I step on gas pedal it slowly turns over what can be my next issue
Hi Kevin, thank you for another great video. I have a 1998 ezgo txt gas buggy,but it won’t charge, I have had the meter on the battery which is only 1.3/4 hrs old and it shows 12.8 ish volts but when I start the engine it actually drops to around 11.3 volts. I have changed the voltage regulator.and had the starter/generator off and the brushes look like fairly new, the motor starts up no probs. Any idea’s would be great, I’m in the UK Many Thanks
You will have to diagnose the starter/generator to make sure its putting out voltage on DF terminal. Connect the DF terminal direct to ground, run the engine at full speed and measure the voltage at the battery, It should climb to 15+ volts. If it does, the voltage regulator is faulty, if it does not, the starter/generator needs to be replaced.
Thanks for all your videos, I've been researching just with your videos, now a fan. I am experience battery drainage quite rapidly, i changed the voltage regulator and charged battery and did same thing battery drainage again I've tested the starter gen., and seem to get around 17.5 or so volts does that mean my gen., is bad? HELP anyone 01 club car ds gas
Very descriptive. Im still having an issue with my club car ds gas. My chassis ground wire that goes from frame to plate by oil fill got red hot and melted apart. Replaced with another ground wire and push pedal and instantly wire turned red and melted apart and cart never turned over. Sound like somethin you've ever dealt with???
You have a dead short to ground. You will have to check all of the heavy gauge wires starting after the solenoid to see what is shorting out. Its possible your starter/generator has an internal short.
So after unhooking all the wires from the generator i did a continuity test from housing to all posts and F1..F2..n DF posts failed and showed continuity which test says i should get no continuity between any. Upon further inspection the generator is for a 90-93 ez-go cart and mine is a 94 club car ds. So new starter/generator it is looks like. Thnx again for the help
What is the minimum output from the sg? Following your method it’s climbing up to 13.6 as throttle increases. But nowhere near 15. Club car villager 6 for reference. Battery last while but does not charge itself.
The voltage output of the starter/generator can reach well above 30 volts without the regulator. Most of the time, its the voltage regulator that fails.
Thought my starter was bad from not charging and failing the test when jumping from yellow wire to ground. That starter was new, but aftermarket. Bought an oem replacement at twice the cost and receiving the same results. New voltage regulatorswas installed when within a year. Any thoughts? Tested all ground wires and all other wires are not corroded. Have spent hours trying to diagnose. Any ideas would be greatly helpful!
The starter on my club car ds is wired differently. It won't charge higher than 12.3 volts and the running the wire to ground does not make it charge and it has new brushes
That is normal if you were running at full RPM. The starter/generator is fine if it arced. That's basically running full power output going directly to the battery.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts I’m only getting 12 volts in service mode at full throttle . brand. New started generator and regulator. All wires are landed correctly
Without having the cart here, all I can suggest is to test by connecting the DF terminal (yellow wire) to ground, connect a volt meter to the battery, then run the engine at full throttle. If the voltage climbs, the starter is good, voltage regulator is faulty. If not, the starter is faulty. Note that some starter/generators are rotation dependent. If you installed a starter that is designed to run clockwise, it will not work correctly if wired to run counter-clockwise.
New starter/generator and new voltage regulator, with same big meter you used at the beginning I'm reading while running, a mark or 2 shy of 16 volts, is that ok?
I always get all my motors rebuilt because I have a electric shop about a half hour away. They do anything electric. I’ve had battery chargers, alternators, starters, and radios redone there. Never had a problem withbthem
I have a 2004 cc gas, almost all the wiring melted/caught fire. I would assume that either the regulator quit, the generated over voltage, or wires rubbed and shorted. The wires to the gen and battery were touching and fused. I need to rewire whole cart, but think I should replace gen/starter and regulator. Hate to go through all the work and then have it melt again. Thoughts??
I'm working on a 03 ezgo with the 2 cyl robin Pulse coil at 20.9 ohm, coil primary at 3.6 ohm secondary is 21.8 ohm ( out of spec, but both new ones also out at 17.7 & 18.9 out the box) All grounds replaced and getting ground. New ignitor (3 actually, but 2 from different year ) New voltage regulator. New solenoid. Still no spark. Cranks, but no spark. Even checked to make sure battery didn't somehow switch polarity. I have run 12v through each individual wire, wiggling and jiggling the wire to see if there was any loss of voltage. Nothing. Replaced all connectors, and still no spark. Any recommendations on a fix from anyone would be greatly appreciated
@@endsina1270 I will try anything at this point, but I get 12 volts through that micro switch. Maybe that could be it, though, cause it does get a blink on the 2nd side of the ignitor when pushing pedal on and off. Just weird to get the 12v continuously through that switch. But it has to be something stupid! Lol Thing is driving me nuts. Thank you
That is not definitive of a bad starter generator. I had a bad regulator do the same thing. Actually both just recently. Original failed and output was 17V. Replacement DOA and output was bat voltage of 11.1-12.0. Next replacement output was 14.4 and trickeled down to 14.1 when warm. Starter generator was fine and in working order the entire time.
Hey Kevin, Love your channel. I have a 2000 clubcar ds with FE290 engine. It turns over and I have spark but it wont start. I replaced the fuel pump, airfilter, Carb, Fuel filters, cleaned out gas tank, added new fuel.. The carb bowl is filling with gas and I can see it flowing. Any ideas?
Make sure the battery is connected correctly, red to +, black to -. I can't tel you the number of times I've seen batteries installed incorrectly. Do a compression test to make sure the engine has good compression. You need 110PSI or higher for the engine to start. How bright is the spark? Is it a nice bright blue/white spark or is it a dull red/orange spark? You want bright blue/white. Is it a constant spark? If it stops sparking after a few revolutions, then there may be an issue with the ignition coil/CDI or rev limiter.
Small RED goes to LARGE WHITE on starter soleniod . SMALL BLACK may be TWO or splits to TWO and goes to ground and also bottom micro switch (club cart). The micro switchs from the handle (forward-reverse-neutral). YELLOW goes to (white SMALL that goes all the way to SMALL WHITE wire that is on starter/generator. Just did my 2005 ds club cart today running great. Use a PHONE CAMERA before you start and send photos to yourself with written info you want to remember.
Like anything, you need to start with the basics. Check and make sure the engine is getting air, fuel, compression and spark. If any of those are missing, it won't start. Whichever is missing, you need to work your way back and see what is stopping that ingredient from getting to the engine. Keep it simple and start with basic diagnosis, don't just chuck parts at it without testing things first. Having a multimeter is required to test the electrical harness.
Excellent video. One of the few that explains how to test the entire charging circuit, diagnose and replace. Should save me a ton of money.
This video was excellent! Man you took me from lost to walking out to my shop and diagnosing a bad voltage regulator. Thank you very much!!!
Ty for your info on these carts, they have helped out alot! I recently picked up on older club car (IDK what year it is due to a dash cover put in from previous owner) and I have experienced the same as this video is showing how to fix. When we bought it, it worked fine around the house. We took it on a camping trip and shut off...twice. The starter/generator supposedly was just changed, the voltage regulator may be my problem. Let me give you the scenario: drove it around the block the day we bought it, parked for several days, loaded it onto a trailer an headed to campground. Drove it around campground approx. 1.5 hours and it quit. Had push it onto a trailer. The next day, it started right up, I put it into service mode and noticed that there was wires at the bottom of the engine, two twisted together, and two not connected. One of the wires not connected was arcing out on a bolt, taped wire up and cart drove fine for another 2 hours, then it just died. Im sure I need a regulator, but can you tell me what the wires are from/for near the bottom of engine, they look like the go to some kind of switch.
TIA
The voltage regulator will not cause the cart to shut down and work a few hours later. It only maintains the charge on the battery. A failing regulator will stop charging the battery while you drive. You have a few things you can try. The wires down below the engine are probably part of the rev limiter. When these fail, they usually fail and short to ground, killing the ignition. This will cause the engine to stop. You can bypass this and test. You will need a wire with 2 bullet connectors. It sounds like it might already be bypassed. The issue you are experiencing may be a failing ignition coil/CDI. This is located behind the engine shroud, following the spark plug wire. Unfortunately, this is not serviceable and will have to be replaced.
This was the perfect video to figure out why my 1992 Turf 2 was not charging the battery! Thanks
Thanks so much for this video! Helped get my cart back up and running properly.
Great to see you back your video is filled with very useful information!
Thank you. This was an unfinished video I found while sorting out some data. I may have one or two more to edit before Spring.
Thank you so much, I didn't know how to test to determine why I wasn't getting anything but battery voltage out of the alternator. Thank you so much!
Great video, just followed your instructions on how to test to see which part had failed. Voltage regulator. Generator was working with by passing the Voltage regulator. Thank you.
Glad it helped
My Yamaha G22 would not charge it had a blown fuse plus I bought brushes at amazon and installed them. The starter would not turn over. The old brushes were not worn after 5 years but must have been sticking. Works great now.
Good job on the repair!
97 club car carry all Battery has a full charge, solenoid seems fine, it has an intermittent start and when it does start it’s a really weak crank until it finally starts
Best video I’ve come across for this problem! My S/G tested good by your method and the voltage reg showed bad (17 volts) so I changed it. Tested again and still showed 17 volts to battery! I’m hoping the new VR is bad. I bypassed the yellow wire in the sheath going to the starter with another wire to see if the original wire was broken but it wasn’t. Grounds are good too. What’cha think?
Thanks, Bruce
Make sure you are using a good volt meter. Club Cars like to charge around 15 volts.
With the new VR in place I noticed the amount of voltage going into the battery depends on rpm’s. WOT it gets 17 volts and at 3/4 throttle it’s 14-15 volts. Is this correct?
Exact same thing for me, S/G charging, new VR and still 17 volts. Only difference original was 3 wire, replacement 4 wire with a spliced ground. Did you ever figure it out Bruce?
Yep me too. New s/g and vr. Still getting 17 volts a wot.
Thanks for the great informative videos!!!, I went from Key on and nothing when you step on the pedal, to now the lights working and the solenoid is clicking when i step on the pedal. I Changed out the solenoid and voltage regulator(super easy(thx for the videos)),replaced all the micro switches. All the fuses look good, however there is a rats next of multiple splices everywhere!!! :( I am going to follow the wiring diagram for my 94 Club car and run new wire(correctly color coded)) anything else i should be looking for?. if i jump the solenoid, the motor turns! - I am eagerly waiting a reply! :)
I’m a little confused on the testing of the charging system. Yellow wire etc. thanks great job. Kevin
By connecting the yellow wire directly to ground, you bypass the voltage regulator. With the volt meter connected to the battery and yellow wire connected to ground, the voltage should steadily rise and you should hear the engine bog down a bit. If this is the case, then the starter/generator is fine and the voltage regulator is bad.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts thanks Kevin now I got it! Appreciate you !!
Hi, gr8 videos, tnx, i couldn't see, did you conect, the cable to ground, and the other end to the yellow cable, or to the starter generator charge post?
Tnx
Yellow goes to the DF terminal on the starter/generator
Perfect explanation. Thanks for the help !!
Excellent presentation.
I got a 93 club car gas I'm having issues with it turning over,I replaced starter generator.as I step on gas pedal it slowly turns over what can be my next issue
Hi Kevin, thank you for another great video. I have a 1998 ezgo txt gas buggy,but it won’t charge, I have had the meter on the battery which is only 1.3/4 hrs old and it shows 12.8 ish volts but when I start the engine it actually drops to around 11.3 volts. I have changed the voltage regulator.and had the starter/generator off and the brushes look like fairly new, the motor starts up no probs. Any idea’s would be great, I’m in the UK Many Thanks
You will have to diagnose the starter/generator to make sure its putting out voltage on DF terminal. Connect the DF terminal direct to ground, run the engine at full speed and measure the voltage at the battery, It should climb to 15+ volts. If it does, the voltage regulator is faulty, if it does not, the starter/generator needs to be replaced.
Thanks for all your videos, I've been researching just with your videos, now a fan. I am experience battery drainage quite rapidly, i changed the voltage regulator and charged battery and did same thing battery drainage again I've tested the starter gen., and seem to get around 17.5 or so volts does that mean my gen., is bad? HELP anyone 01 club car ds gas
No generator is good
Great video. I noticed you didn't disconnect the battery. Is that normal or did I miss it?
Could a bad voltage regulator take out the starter generator??
I suppose it all depends on how it fails and the condition of the starter/generator.
Great job Kevin!
Thank you!
Thank you for this video.
My reading of my cart flowing to regulator is 18.30v
This is good?
NO IT IS BAD. Should not go over 15 at most.
Very descriptive. Im still having an issue with my club car ds gas. My chassis ground wire that goes from frame to plate by oil fill got red hot and melted apart. Replaced with another ground wire and push pedal and instantly wire turned red and melted apart and cart never turned over. Sound like somethin you've ever dealt with???
You have a dead short to ground. You will have to check all of the heavy gauge wires starting after the solenoid to see what is shorting out. Its possible your starter/generator has an internal short.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts thanks. Back to the garage today lol. Ill have to jack it up n check all wires n then test the generator posts
So after unhooking all the wires from the generator i did a continuity test from housing to all posts and F1..F2..n DF posts failed and showed continuity which test says i should get no continuity between any. Upon further inspection the generator is for a 90-93 ez-go cart and mine is a 94 club car ds. So new starter/generator it is looks like. Thnx again for the help
Have you ever had a Yamaha g16 in the shop with loose steering do to the steering box
What is the minimum output from the sg? Following your method it’s climbing up to 13.6 as throttle increases. But nowhere near 15. Club car villager 6 for reference. Battery last while but does not charge itself.
The voltage output of the starter/generator can reach well above 30 volts without the regulator. Most of the time, its the voltage regulator that fails.
Thought my starter was bad from not charging and failing the test when jumping from yellow wire to ground. That starter was new, but aftermarket. Bought an oem replacement at twice the cost and receiving the same results. New voltage regulatorswas installed when within a year. Any thoughts? Tested all ground wires and all other wires are not corroded. Have spent hours trying to diagnose. Any ideas would be greatly helpful!
Nevermind. I had the ground cable and white cable swapped. I feel like an idiot, but will leave this on here in case anyone else has the same issue.
@@kellypayne2714 Everybody makes mistakes but many will not admit to it. Thanks!
Glad to see a new video.
Videos will start coming out more often as work comes in. This time of year (for me), golf cart work is nearly at a stand still.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts they have helped me fix my Club Car DS on numerous occasions.
2012 club car precedent is still over charging after changing out voltage regulator. What could cause this?
Could be a faulty voltage regulator. I've had a couple that were bad from new. Could also be improper wiring.
The starter on my club car ds is wired differently. It won't charge higher than 12.3 volts and the running the wire to ground does not make it charge and it has new brushes
I hooked yellow wire up to negative post like you said and ran in service and it sparked like hell
That is normal if you were running at full RPM. The starter/generator is fine if it arced. That's basically running full power output going directly to the battery.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts I’m only getting 12 volts in service mode at full throttle . brand. New started generator and regulator. All wires are landed correctly
Without having the cart here, all I can suggest is to test by connecting the DF terminal (yellow wire) to ground, connect a volt meter to the battery, then run the engine at full throttle. If the voltage climbs, the starter is good, voltage regulator is faulty. If not, the starter is faulty. Note that some starter/generators are rotation dependent. If you installed a starter that is designed to run clockwise, it will not work correctly if wired to run counter-clockwise.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts I did exactly how that comment reads and it smokes my wire every time
@@Kevinsgolfcarts it’s a clockwise 2004 ds fe290
Can I use a multimeter to do this? Wld I just touch the yellow wire on stater then negative?
Yes, you need a multimeter or volt meter of some sort. Yes, connect the yellow wire to ground to test the starter/generator.
Ok so I did that, and it says like 11.65 or something like that. Battery by its self is 12.14 so that wld mean the starter generator is bad correct?
New starter/generator and new voltage regulator, with same big meter you used at the beginning I'm reading while running, a mark or 2 shy of 16 volts, is that ok?
Yeah that's fine. Club Cars run about 15+ volts on the charge circuit.
I always get all my motors rebuilt because I have a electric shop about a half hour away. They do anything electric. I’ve had battery chargers, alternators, starters, and radios redone there. Never had a problem withbthem
I have a 2004 cc gas, almost all the wiring melted/caught fire. I would assume that either the regulator quit, the generated over voltage, or wires rubbed and shorted. The wires to the gen and battery were touching and fused. I need to rewire whole cart, but think I should replace gen/starter and regulator. Hate to go through all the work and then have it melt again. Thoughts??
Fix the wiring then test to see if a component failing caused the overheating wires. Most times its the wires rubbing through from vibrations.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts very good information
What about the governor?
Don't laugh now but I have a 87 club car with I believe the same issue does club car offer for sale manuals for this year model
I'm not sure. Best bet would be to check ebay. Sometimes you can find manuals as PDFs for dirt cheap.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts thank you for the reply
I'm working on a 03 ezgo with the 2 cyl robin
Pulse coil at 20.9 ohm, coil primary at 3.6 ohm secondary
is 21.8 ohm ( out of spec, but both new ones also out at 17.7 & 18.9 out the box)
All grounds replaced and getting ground.
New ignitor (3 actually, but 2 from different year )
New voltage regulator.
New solenoid.
Still no spark. Cranks, but no spark.
Even checked to make sure battery didn't somehow switch polarity.
I have run 12v through each individual wire, wiggling and jiggling the wire to see if there was any loss of voltage. Nothing.
Replaced all connectors, and still no spark.
Any recommendations on a fix from anyone would be greatly appreciated
Change mirco switch on foot pedal
@@endsina1270 I will try anything at this point, but I get 12 volts through that micro switch.
Maybe that could be it, though, cause it does get a blink on the 2nd side of the ignitor when pushing pedal on and off. Just weird to get the 12v continuously through that switch.
But it has to be something stupid! Lol
Thing is driving me nuts.
Thank you
Are u have carburettor and alternate
You do know your stuff on these carts
Thanks!
A helpful and informative video. Thank you.
Got a new starter gen. Getting hot what do I do
take rubbers off and check brushes blow out dust in it or return it
That is not definitive of a bad starter generator. I had a bad regulator do the same thing. Actually both just recently. Original failed and output was 17V. Replacement DOA and output was bat voltage of 11.1-12.0. Next replacement output was 14.4 and trickeled down to 14.1 when warm. Starter generator was fine and in working order the entire time.
90% of the time its the voltage regulator. Starter/generators do fail occasionally.
Hey Kevin, Love your channel. I have a 2000 clubcar ds with FE290 engine. It turns over and I have spark but it wont start. I replaced the fuel pump, airfilter, Carb, Fuel filters, cleaned out gas tank, added new fuel.. The carb bowl is filling with gas and I can see it flowing. Any ideas?
Make sure the battery is connected correctly, red to +, black to -. I can't tel you the number of times I've seen batteries installed incorrectly. Do a compression test to make sure the engine has good compression. You need 110PSI or higher for the engine to start. How bright is the spark? Is it a nice bright blue/white spark or is it a dull red/orange spark? You want bright blue/white. Is it a constant spark? If it stops sparking after a few revolutions, then there may be an issue with the ignition coil/CDI or rev limiter.
would this also work on a 97 ds
Yes. This starter generator will work on years 1992-1996 (jump A2 to F1) counterclockwise engines and 96 and up (jump A1 to F1) clockwise engines.
Shame that the camera is recording but isn't recording the changing of the Voltage Reg... kinda why I'm here.
Sorry about that. Sometimes its just hard to get the right shots.
i wish you could explain color codeing
on voltage regulator
Small RED goes to LARGE WHITE on starter soleniod . SMALL BLACK may be TWO or splits to TWO and goes to ground and also bottom micro switch (club cart). The micro switchs from the handle (forward-reverse-neutral). YELLOW goes to (white SMALL that goes all the way to SMALL WHITE wire that is on starter/generator. Just did my 2005 ds club cart today running great. Use a PHONE CAMERA before you start and send photos to yourself with written info you want to remember.
Hallo bisa jelaskan alur nya kesaya
You wouldn't happen to be in south Carolina by chance
No, I'm in Pennsylvania.
@@Kevinsgolfcarts dang that's my luck. But thanks to your videos I think I have a good handle on it I hope lol
Show us how to wire a whole golfcart, we cant see nothing.
2014 vanguard xrt
changed coil still wont start
Like anything, you need to start with the basics. Check and make sure the engine is getting air, fuel, compression and spark. If any of those are missing, it won't start. Whichever is missing, you need to work your way back and see what is stopping that ingredient from getting to the engine. Keep it simple and start with basic diagnosis, don't just chuck parts at it without testing things first. Having a multimeter is required to test the electrical harness.
I can't a damn thing youre doing
Hey Kevin, do you have a link to the correct starter generator. I have a 2001 club car ds gas AG0148-096991