2017 EFI Carryall 700 w/Subaru won't start

[nickdalzell1]

This one is all above my league apparently. It's giving me a code 51, ignition pulse error through the oil/check engine light (it's an oil light that can flash diagnostic codes)

The coil fires fine, it will even run if you hold your hand over the throttle body but only enough to idle. It just turns over without that. It's not getting a fuel injector pulse other than the one time when you turn the key ON.

There's no other wire from the coil itself other than the black kill wire. leaving it connected or open, it will still throw the same code. Before I spend $1600 on an ECU for this thing, is there anything else I have missed?

The customer for some reason didn't send it in for warranty; according to Club Car, the car was still under warranty until he voided it doing work himself. He swapped the engine basically. this one did run according to him before the swap, but everything appears to be compatible or at least everything plugs in like it should.


There's a blown 5 amp fuse sitting inside near the battery, and an unused bullet connector on the battery, and he has removed the cover where there are two 10-amp fuses, both good, still in place in-line near the front of the engine.


I'm either not getting the full story or something else is amiss. there are no diagnostic ports to plug anything in that I can find.

Cart information that I know as of now:

2017 Club Car Carry All 700
Subaru EX-40 EFI engine (dated 2018 )
145.6 Hours on the clock

[Bluess02]

Following. How did you read the codes? I’m getting the oil light flashing and basically same situation you’re referring to.

[Bluess02]

I’m getting code 51 as well

[Fairtax4me]

You will need to test the coil for spark.
Club Car says to use an inline HEI adjustable type tester set to 18kv setting.
If you don't have an inline tester, remove the plug wire end from the spark plug, stick a known good spark plug in the boot and make sure it is touching the metal engine case where you can see the spark. Crank the engine and see if it produces spark.
It should be bright blueish white spark and should be consistent with every revolution.

If there is no spark, disconnect the single Black wire that goes to the coil and try again. If still no spark, replace the coil.

If the coil produces good spark but the engine will not fire, there's a chance the ECU has failed, but there are some other tests that should be done first to verify that before replacement.

[Golf cart guy]

You have to ask yourself why would someone butcher such a new car and not just send it back to the dealer. Customers lie.

[nickdalzell1]

We got the dumbest of the dumb in customers around these parts sadly. You've never seen the likes I've seen. I have seen folks cut main harnesses in so many pieces on an RXV to install radio/lights/etc to where I can't make head nor tails of it anymore.

One RXV we dealt with was so hacked you could power the controller up by disconnecting the negative headlight kit wire from the middle front battery, even with the main pack leads disconnected.

I can't remember exactly why the original motor was replaced on the 2017 EFI car but what I gathered was he blew the old one up and got a new one as a crate motor, with the throttle body that had come with the new engine, but kept the old ECU and coil. I read somewhere the parts for the fuel injection system are matched and you have to replace all three to make it work.

We had fire, you could kinda make it idle a tiny bit holding your hand over the throttle body, but there was no action from the fuel injector. ECU would throw that code for ignition pulse which I never did figure out what it meant exactly. the coil appeared to be an average club car style coil, that fired when the flywheel turns. there was no 'pulse' wire or pulsar coil.

[brad5541]

Any update on the problem with the carryall. I just purchased a subura ex 40 to install in my carryall 500 my old motor blew up smoked real bad. I believe the new motor comes with the throttle body not sure about the ecu. I was thinking I could use the old throttle body on the new motor. The cart would idle and run decent with old motor just burnt oil real bad. any idea how much a ecu cost ?

[Fairtax4me]

Throttle body, injector, and ECU are only sold as a set because they’re matched at the factory. Can not be bought individually, at least not from Club Car.
Around $3,000 last I heard.

If it was smoke it but still running use the throttle body and injector off your old engine.

[Tacjones310]

Ever figure what the problem was? Ive got the same code on mine now. Its a 2015. Hoping its not the ecm,throttle body, and injector.

[kantuckian]

Does code 51 mean the light will flash off and on 51 times or 5-1 thanks