89 EZGO goes only in high speed !HELP!

[tbrian76]

I'm new to golf carts and picked up an 89 EZGO that when I first got it didn't work at all. I replaced the old batteries and gave it a full charge. The first time I pushed the accelerator there were a lot of sparks from the solenoid and the thing took off on me into the wall. I learned the importance of having it on blocks. Now it runs but only goes in high speed. Once it goes I can't turn it off even with the key in off position. I had to disconnect battery to stop it last time. After reading hundreds of posts I was hoping someone would have a suggestion. Bad Solenoid? Controller? Potentiometer? Stuck Throttle? I don't even know where to begin.

[jonnymoon5]

Originally Posted by tbrian76

I'm new to golf carts and picked up an 89 EZGO that when I first got it didn't work at all. I replaced the old batteries and gave it a full charge. The first time I pushed the accelerator there were a lot of sparks from the solenoid and the thing took off on me into the wall.

First, Welcome to the forum!

Second, seems like your solenoid is welded. this means the voltage is constantly flowing through it, key on or off, pedal pushed or not. this is a very dangerous problem and it can burn the cart and the building its stored in if not corrected. i had the same problem when i replaced 3 of my batteries and it wasn't used to a regular voltage in the pack. a solenoid is definitely a minimal price in the long run.
good luck!
-jm5

[shadowman]

welcome to BGW sounds like you,ll need a soleniod.............also look on drivers side in the area behind the wheel if theres a row of resistor coils mounted back there you need to see what kind of condition they are in......any that are broken or melted need to be replaced and also look at all your F&R componants, the board, the buttons, the moveable wiper arm they all need to be adjusted right and clean and tight.............................

[tbrian76]

Thanks for the help. I ordered a new solenoid the other day and hope to get it installed by Friday. I'll keep progress posted. Hopefully this will get things working. I also noticed the controller housing has some cracks in it, so I hope there's no condensation in there. I'll cross that bridge when I have to.

[tbrian76]

Shadowman. What is the best way to access those coils. By removing the front cowl, or floor?

[scottyb]

Is your 89 a speed control or a resistor coil cart?

[tbrian76]

I'm not sure. How would I know?

[scottyb]

The best way is to take a picture that shows the whole battery bay and post it right here, we can tell ya

[tbrian76]

I won't be around the cart today so I can post some pics tomorrow or late tonight. What I can tell you is that I can identify obviously batteries, solenoid, ignition switch, F/R switch, and an unidentified box just above the back axle with four wires going into it from a plate below the solenoid. That is about all I see. Will upload pics later.

[tbrian76]

Here is the picture of the battery area of the cart. We just moved and can't find our camera, but I was able to get a shot with my phone. Hope this helps identify what type of system I have in this cart.