EZGO 1977 coil problem

[Chronic]

Hello

My name is Chris and i´m from Sweden!

I couple of week ago i bought a Marathon gas model from -77, with the single piston 2-stroke engine with internal generator/starter.

I worked mighty fine for a while, but now it starts easy but would go.

I has a lever that you choose to go forward or backwards, and a switch that puts direct 12 v current to one of two terminals on the ignition coil. ( I´m guessing this in original would been connected to the accelerator and not a switch )

So i start with the lever, the cart is running on idle and wound not respond to the accelerator, and i flick the switch and ( i´m guessing ignititon goes to drive-mode ) and the engine revs a bit and sounds like ready to take off, and of i go..

BUT, since a couple of days the engine stays in idle, the switch does not change anything, there are still 12v going to this one ( Of two ) terminals on the coil.

So i´m hoping someone do have some suggestions for me, where to start check for errors.

Oh, and one more thing that´s really weird i my book, it runs without coil!

I was testing a different coil yesterday, and found out that the engine starts and idle wihout the coil, i can take the coil completly off, disconected ETC and it still starts!! I have never experiented a gas engine that would run without the coil connected, how is this possible.

Thank you in advance for helping me, and excuse me for spelling errors

[trig123]

Not knowing how these engines work do confuse a lot of people. Your engine never idles so I think what is happening is your engine is just spinning over and not firing to make it run.

I have had people ask me to take a look at their cart. They tell me its running but won't go when all the time its just turning over .

Its been a very long time since I worked on one these with internal S/G . I think you need to find out why its not firing the spark plug and I bet when you do you will see it run.
Got to have fuel, compression and fire to run. Check all these things.

I would jack the rear up in case it does decide to fire or it might run over you.

[cart around]

Trig is right. It's just turning on the starter. That cart has ignition points, so start there. Suspect points and condenser.

It also sounds like the solenoid is stuck. The engine should not start turning until you step on the pedal. Moving the big directional switch should not make the engine turn.

[Chronic]

Trust me, its running and burning fuel somehow. But ok, i realize a have to show diz in a clip or something. Like a crying Maria Statue

But are we agreed on that there is two ignition modes on these? The one of you who had a PW50 knows what i mean. The ignition coil has a cable from engine, and a 12v direct current by switch?

Hope to solve this, it´s a great thing to ride about and this goes 35 km/h when fully operational.

[Chronic]

Originally Posted by Chronic

Trust me, its running and burning fuel somehow. But ok, i realize a have to show diz in a clip or something. Like a crying Maria Statue

But are we agreed on that there is two ignition modes on these? The one of you who had a PW50 knows what i mean. The ignition coil has a cable from engine, and a 12v direct current by switch?

Hope to solve this, it´s a great thing to ride about and this goes 35 km/h when fully operational.

Come to think of it, of course it will not run without ignition, so you mean there is a possebility that the thing just running on starter? I was certain that the thing really was running. I will check again and com back, thank you all

[Chronic]

Originally Posted by trig123

Not knowing how these engines work do confuse a lot of people. Your engine never idles so I think what is happening is your engine is just spinning over and not firing to make it run.

I have had people ask me to take a look at their cart. They tell me its running but won't go when all the time its just turning over .

Its been a very long time since I worked on one these with internal S/G . I think you need to find out why its not firing the spark plug and I bet when you do you will see it run.
Got to have fuel, compression and fire to run. Check all these things.

I would jack the rear up in case it does decide to fire or it might run over you.

Just trying to figure out the functions, before this, a couple of days ago, i handled it like a was told, turn the big knob/lever and its starts, then flick the switch that gives direct current to the terminal of the coil, then the engine will respond to the gas pedal and go.

How does theese operate as original?

[Chronic]

Originally Posted by cart around

Trig is right. It's just turning on the starter. That cart has ignition points, so start there. Suspect points and condenser.

It also sounds like the solenoid is stuck. The engine should not start turning until you step on the pedal. Moving the big directional switch should not make the engine turn.

I can see that the switch by the pedal is missing, ang guessing that the separate switch does the job istead.

How shoud this operate as original? Shoud the starter go while selecting forward or backward with the big knobbed lever? Or just when pressing on the pedal?

[cart around]

NO, there is only one ignition mode.

This diagram is close to yours, but NOT exact. It will give you the general idea. https://buggiesgonewild.com/attachme...7&d=1323224205

The bold dark lines are your thick cables from the battery to the starter. There is a solenoid between them.

A small power wire comes from the large lug of the solenoid. It connects in series with a fuse, key switch, pedal switch, and then back to a small terminal on the solenoid. Closing all of them activates the solenoid which then powers your starter.

The large directional switch should NOT make the starter turn. It's only purpose is to switch the polarity which makes the starter run in either direction.

Do you have the solenoid? It's also known as a relay.

If you do have one, it is stuck in the on position.

This link shows you what the solenoid looks like. https://www.ecartparts.com/solenoid-...-gas-1979-1994

[Chronic]

Originally Posted by cart around

NO, there is only one ignition mode.

This diagram is close to yours, but NOT exact. It will give you the general idea. https://buggiesgonewild.com/attachme...7&d=1323224205

The bold dark lines are your thick cables from the battery to the starter. There is a solenoid between them.

A small power wire comes from the large lug of the solenoid. It connects in series with a fuse, key switch, pedal switch, and then back to a small terminal on the solenoid. Closing all of them activates the solenoid which then powers your starter.

The large directional switch should NOT make the starter turn. It's only purpose is to switch the polarity which makes the starter run in either direction.

Do you have the solenoid? It's also known as a relay.

If you do have one, it is stuck in the on position.

This link shows you what the solenoid looks like. https://www.ecartparts.com/solenoid-...-gas-1979-1994

Im glad for the help to sorting this out, i cant belive how different this engine is to others, that i thought it was running on idle, while it really just was turning over.

The cart i one hour away, so i don´t have the chance to start looking over it right away, but when i get to it i will check the solenoid, mine does look a bit different beeing a 1977 as a remember, and i will first of all check the ignition coil and plug for sparks.

I hope i can get this running again, so i can start doing what i was really into, build i lift kit and putting on bigger tires. I can tell you that is is not a whole lot of theese i Sweden, not even in the 70ties


Thanks again for helping me out, i´ll get back and tell about the process to get it running again.

[Chronic]

One thing just now that i dont understand, when it was running great, the coil had a wire from inside the engine, that would be from the pulsar coil im guessing, and the other cable is 12v from one big + terminal. No ground then, so how did the thing run?

I didn´t have any tools messing with it the last time, but now i´m gonna bring multimeters and tools and get to work on it.


Should the starter stops after the engine fires up? How do you know that, since it turns into a generator as it runs?