Cart very slow

[jrtbrn54]

I was traded a 1982 Club car and decided to fix it up...When jacked up it runs fast...Soon as I put it on the ground it slows to a crawl...Batteries have been checked and have a full charge...New battery cables but all the other wires are old..Am being told either to clean all the terminals and replace all the wires with size 4 wires...If this does not correct the problem then the motor is bad...I thought electric motors either worked or not...As this is my first venture in the golf cart realm I am a little lost...Pretty mechanically inclined but need to know where to start..Thanks in advance...

[93yellowclubcar]

Welcome to BGW!

Jack up the rear of the cart and listen for the solenoids to click. The driver's side is the master solenoid, and the others are 2,3,4, and 5 moving toward the passenger side. As you press down on the pedal the first click you get should net no movement from the wheels, the second should start them moving in "first gear." The third click should increase the speed, and then speed should increase with each of the next two, for a total of four speeds.

If there is a problem with this sequence where you don't get a speed increase, then the corresponding solenoid is suspect.