Delay in starting / soft start

[scb71]

I have a 2002 club car ds gas that I bought about a year ago. For a long time it started immediately as I pressed the pedal with no issues whatsoever. I noticed that the battery tended to always need a charger though and one day after a parade with lots of starts and stops it actually died on me and I needed a jump. With the jump everything worked fine again.

Later on I noticed that it began to have a hard time starting and out of nowhere it now needed the choke pulled - pretty much every time. It would start and once started it would run great but there began to be a hesitation on starting. Almost like nothing is happening and then a few seconds later it starts.

At this time I decided to troubleshoot and based on the steps I found online I did a test with a voltmeter and ended up replacing the voltage regulator. That should be fixed as the volt meter showed the proper readings but the starting is still the same. I am afraid now that I may get stuck one day. I looked at the brushes in the starter and they appear to have plenty left on them.
I did a routine service recently changing the oil, the gear oil, replaced the spark plug, etc but no change noticed.

What could be causing the delay in starting?

Appreciate any and all ideas - please share as much detail as possible if you have ideas as I am a total novice at this although I am quite handy and am interested. Long story short, I am not a mechanic but I like to learn.

thanks

[RED 92CC GAS]

make sure battery is fully charged and starter belt is in good condition and really tight.

[scb71]

Thanks. Here is what I know:
Battery is brand new - I took the battery back to Autozone and exchanged it under warranty just to be safe. It tested "good" but they replaced it under goodwill anyhow. It is a size 58 which is slightly larger than ideal but it works. It's brand new as of yesterday though.

Starter belt looks ok to my untrained eye. How do I check it? It seems tight - should I tighten it more? if so how?
FYI- This is a stretched six seater so easy access to the starter is really only via the engine compartment as the rear access panel is hard to get to. I guess I'd have to remove the rear facing seats to get to that access panel. I could do that but just thought I'd share as I imagine that would take a bit of work.

thanks!!!

[lockman1]

Not to freak you out or anything...

Gas Club Cars come standard with a group 60 battery, and most auto parts stores don't stock them.
(I found this out when I replaced my battery 2 years ago)

The group 58 may be a bit taller, but technically?... it's smaller, and has less cold cranking amps then a group 60 has!
Auto parts stores automatically assume that a single cylinder engine won't require a lot of CCA's,
Sadly, they don't know, or understand that golf cars require a LOT of CCA's when stopping and starting all of the time!
I DID know this... and I was able to "squeak" a group 75 (longer and taller case, and more CCA's) into my 07 DS cart.

Your group 58 battery "may" be just fine... so for now, I'd suggest replacing the S/G belt, (whether it "looks" good or not)
and adjust, and readjust... and readjust the new belt until you get the instant turnover that your looking for!

.02

[rib33024]

And check all the battery cable connections, where the cables bolt to the motor, and battery and starter. A bad cable will cause a slow start

[RED 92CC GAS]

most club cars I ever saw have a group 75 battery. You can reach 2 starter belt tightening bolts from engine compartment,the other one from underneath.

[lockman1]

Originally Posted by RED 92CC GAS

most club cars I ever saw have a group 75 battery.

That's because they've been replaced already, and it's the next best thing! (next to ordering a group 60!)

[scb71]

Would you suggest just replacing both belts? Probably a good idea to do every so often but I'm not sure there is anything wrong with mine.
What issues do old belts cause?
How easy is it to do? Can I try to work them off without unbolting anything?

Thanks guys!

[lockman1]

If you don't know when the last time the belts were changed, it wouldn't hurt!

First off... disconnect the battery, chock the wheels, and put the shifter in neutral!

The wide/Drive belt is removed by "rolling" it off of the rear (Driven) clutch, without unbolting anything, and it's installed just the opposite way.

The S/G belt however, is similar to an alternator belt on a car,
you have to loosen the S/G mounting bolts, and slide/move the S/G to remove and install the belt.

When tightening the S/G belt, it's best to have a 2nd person!
One to pry the S/G to hold the belt tight, and one to tighten the mounting bolts!

And save both used belts... just in case!

[scb71]

Thanks for the info. I've spent plenty of time in the engine compartment snooping around and under the cart. For what it's worth I do not have easy access to the rear access panel due to my rear seats / flat cargo bed that is mounted above it.

I should be able to roll off the drive belt just fine from underneath. My concern is in getting to the adjustment bolts on the starter. I imagine many people have the same issue.

What is the best way to get at the starter if you don't want to remove the rear seats, etc? From underneath? Try from the top?
I really appreciate your input.