03 Ezgo Wont Start

[oldboyblue]

Pedal clicks when key turned and neutral. Had it jumpstarted earlier then died. Sat, then ran and died again. Haven't replaced the battery since we got it +5 years. Looking for suggestions on that and a picture of your solenoid section if you have the same cart/engine setup. Connector piece broke from a black tube with a cylindrical fuse to a wire that seems to go the spark plugs. Appreciate any help! Thank you!

[Cartmaster]

If you reinstated the fuse, the first thing you need to do is have your battery checked. If it was on there when you got the cart and you have had it +5 years i would guess it has had a good life and needs replacing.

Once a good battery has been confirmed we can then take this further.

Do you have and can use a Multi meter to check voltages.

[oldboyblue]

I got the fuse connected again, checked the battery with a 12v battery tester. Says battery is fine it is a deka battery if that makes a difference in its life cycle. Hooked my car battery to the golf cart battery.

After a few minuted cart started and ran until the cables were taken off of the golf cart battery. Then it died. My thought is the alternator is the issue. Any suggestions on replacing it in a 03 ezgo txt?

[CP241]

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I would start by replacing the battery.

No matter how good an alternator is, a bad battery can kill output from the alternator.

Once you get a good battery in it, run the cart and hook a meter up to the battery terminals and tell us what the voltage reads. Should be 14+ if you rev the engine a bit.

You can “borrow” the battery from your car or run jumper cables From the car to the cart battery cables. if you want to test the gen before replacing the battery. But I would disconnect the battery in the cart before doing it in case the cart battery is bad and draws down the voltage.

5+ years is definitely what I would consider end of life for a 12v battery. If you live in the south then I’m surprised it made it 5 years.

[oldboyblue]

Hooked a brand new battery up to it and still nothing. I tried tapping the starter generator as well but that didn't make a difference either. Not the most mechanically inclined so kind of at a loss here.

Side note, borrowed our neighbors cart and it ran all day fine then decided to like jerk or jump after stopping at a stop sign. It jerks I'm gear and barely moves but put it in neutral and runs fine. Any thoughts on this too? (Think I might give up golf carts after this weekend lol)

[oldboyblue]

Replaced the battery with a brand new one. It ran fine for 2 days then died and wont start. It tries to at first then fails. I can hear clicking from the solenoid area as well. I am thinking bad alternator? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I thought I had it figured out lol

[CP241]

Take the battery out of the cart and charge it fully.

Then put it back in and run the cart. Note the voltage at the battery while the cart is running if you hold the pedal down a little bit

[meimk]

What CP241 is getting at is there are several things that can affect charging. Our advice would be to test first BEFORE randomly swapping parts. By the way the starter generator is the most expensive part of the charging system - not the first thing I would try. Start with his suggestion to check running voltage and we can work from there.

[newtjl]

Ok a really simple test to check charging, then find the culprit if it isnt charging.

1. Hook a multimeter to the battery. Put the cart in neutral, start and rev the engine. You should be seeing voltages of 13-15 volts. If you dont, you arent charging and can proceed to step 2.
2. There is a green wire running from your starter/generator to a voltage regulator. Disconnect that wire from the starter/generator. Run a jumper from that post on your starter generator to the ground post on the battery and check voltages again. If you are now getting more than 13 volts, your generator is working and the regulator may be suspect. Less than 13, the generator is the culprit.
3. If your generator passed the test, use a multimeter to ensure your voltage regulator is properly grounded. If it is properly grounded and all connections are intact, it has likely failed. Its a cheap part and easy to replace.

[trig123]

Originally Posted by newtjl

Ok a really simple test to check charging, then find the culprit if it isnt charging.

1. Hook a multimeter to the battery. Put the cart in neutral, start and rev the engine. You should be seeing voltages of 13-15 volts. If you dont, you arent charging and can proceed to step 2.
2. There is a green wire running from your starter/generator to a voltage regulator. Disconnect that wire from the starter/generator. Run a jumper from that post on your starter generator to the ground post on the battery and check voltages again. If you are now getting more than 13 volts, your generator is working and the regulator may be suspect. Less than 13, the generator is the culprit.
3. If your generator passed the test, use a multimeter to ensure your voltage regulator is properly grounded. If it is properly grounded and all connections are intact, it has likely failed. Its a cheap part and easy to replace.

These is a much simpler voltage test. Just unplug your V/R a few inches from where its mounted. Take the end that goes back to S/G and ground it to frame. It should go full charge the second you touch it to ground.