Why does My Yamaha Golf Cart Run Slow?
The main reason why a Yamaha golf cart runs slow is because of low battery charge, dirty battery terminals, or a loose spark plug.
A Yamaha golf carts slow speed can be traced to other reasons as well:
- A battery with a low charge.
- Loose or dirty battery terminals.
- Conductor plates are not exposed to enough distilled water.
- Loose spark plug No clicking noise when the accelerator is pressed.
- Damaged spark plug. No clicking noise when the accelerator is pressed, despite the wires being tightly in place.
- Low or no resistance in the motor’s driveshaft or drive belt.
- Debris deposit within the cart’s motor cabinet.
Overall, the problem could be with the spark plug, battery, or motor. The most usual cause of sluggish speeds though is a dirty battery. We suggest that all users keep their golf cart batteries clean by having it cleaned at regular intervals to avoid this problem.
How to Make a Yamaha Golf Cart Go Faster
Yamaha Golf Carts, on average, offer speeds of around 15mph. Many users wish to get a bit more from their golf carts by increasing the speed by another 4-5mph.
The speed of a Yamaha golf cart can be increased by increasing the torque produced by the golf cart.
How to increase torque on a Yamaha golf cart:
- Replacing the current battery with a higher-rated battery can help increase the power output of the cart, thereby increasing the top speed by 2-3 mph.
- Replacing the normal tires with larger, say double the regular-size tires, can increase the speed of a Yamaha Golf Cart by 3-4mph. Increasing the tire size might require you to install lift kits as well.
- Upgrade your motor to reach higher torque levels. This can be done by increasing the size of the field coil inside the motor. This will generate more RPM, thereby delivering more torque and higher top speeds.
- Keeping your cart light weight is also an effective way of increasing your Yamaha Golf cart’s top speed up by a mile or two per hour.
How to Fix a Slow Yamaha G1
A slow Yamaha G1 golf cart can be fixed by simply cleaning the battery terminals, spark plug terminals, and motor terminals.
- If the battery terminals are greasy, the current from the battery will be low and in turn, the acceleration will be lower than what it should be.
- If there is no clicking sound on pressing the accelerator and there is no increase in the speed, then the problem is with the Spark plug connections. Either of the spark plugs could be loose or dirty. Cleaning and tightening them can help.
- The motor terminals need cleaning too, if the motor terminals are greasy or loose, the power received by the motor will be low, which lowers the speed of the cart. Keeping them tight and clean can help fix the sluggish speed of your Yamaha G1.
How to Fix a Slow Yamaha G2
A slow Yamaha G2 golf cart can be fixed by replacing the spark plug and damaged wires.
- Most of the time, the usual clicking sound is not heard when peddling the accelerator and the speed doesn’t increase as intended. A damaged spark plug will leave the motor with a lower current input, which in turn leads to lower acceleration and sluggish speeds.
- Before replacing the spark plug on your Yamaha G2 golf cart, it is necessary to check if the wires on spark plug terminals are screwed tightly and also if the terminals have any dirt deposits on them. After ensuring everything is clean and tight, try accelerating the cart. If there is still no clicking sound and the speed remains sluggish, the spark plug will have to be replaced to fix this problem.
How to Fix a Slow Yamaha G16
A slow Yamaha G16 can be fixed by cleaning up the motor cabinet or carburetor that may have debris or dirt inside. Given below are the steps you can follow to get the carburetor of your Yamaha G16 cleaned up.
- Bring the golf cart to ground level.
- Remove Air Cleaner.
- Remove Float Bowl.
- Clean Carburetor Body.
- Reassemble Float Bowl and Air Filter.
Steps for opening and reassembling the Air Filter and Float Bowl can be found in the manual guide.
How to Fix a Slow Yamaha G29
A slow Yamaha G29 can be fixed by replacing its damaged or loose drive belt. The drive belt will wear out with time. Once it reaches 1.06 inches or goes lower in size, it has to be replaced. To tighten a loose drive belt, you can follow the below steps.
- Set drive select lever exactly between Forward and Reverse.
- Pull the drive belt away from the secondary sheave.
- Move the secondary sheave clockwise for the drive belt to roll out of the setup.
- Clean the drive belt.
- Reverse the first three steps to reinstall it in the correct position.
Yamaha Golf Cart Runs Slow on Full Charge
A Yamaha golf cart can run at a reduced speed even when it is on a full charge, due to a faulty spark plug.
- Spark plug needs to be opened and cleaned frequently to ensure the smooth performance of the golf cart.
- The efficiency of a spark plug is determined by measuring the spark plug gap, which can be done using a feeler gauge.
- The expected spark plug gap is between 0.028 to 0.031 Inches.
- Spark plug torque should also be tightened to maintain a torque of 14.5 ft. lb.
Yamaha Golf Cart Running Slow with New Batteries
Insufficient water levels inside the battery or miswired connections can make a Yamaha golf cart to run slow despite having new batteries installed.
- Ensure that the distilled water levels are always above 50% inside the battery. New batteries do usually have enough distilled water levels but might drain out in a short while.
- Ensuring proper series wiring is important while installing a new battery in your Yamaha golf cart. Mis-wired connections can result in slow performance and also degrade the battery.
- Check the user guide manual for instructions on setting up a new battery. If not comfortable with handling the repair work, get the battery installed by a qualified golf cart technician.
Yamaha Golf Cart Slow to Take Off
If the spark plug is loose or dirty, a Yamaha golf cart will be slow to start rolling as the torque delivered will be lower than the expected value.
- Cleaning and maintaining the spark plug gap can help fix this issue. The electrode color for the spark plug is expected to be tan. Discoloration or deposition of carbon is an indicator of a poor spark plug.
- To clean the carbon deposited on the spark plug, use a spark plug cleaner or a wire brush.
- The spark plug gasket needs cleaning too to ensure that it is installed properly. A clean and tightly wound spark plug gasket will deliver a torque of 14.5 ft.lb.
Yamaha Golf Cart Slow Uphill
A Yamaha golf cart can be slow to go uphill because of low pack voltage in the batteries, dry brakes or bearings that drag the cart.
- The pack voltage of the batteries installed on your Yamaha golf cart can be checked by connecting a voltmeter to the positive and negative terminals of the battery.
- When going uphill, brakes and bearings tend to drag the cart back if they have not been lubricated properly. Proper lubrication at regular intervals can avoid this.
- If the connections, plugs, or switches have a higher resistance than the required levels, they tend to heat up and slow the cart under heavy load conditions.
Yamaha Golf Cart Runs Then Stops
A Yamaha golf cart can run and then stop because of loose spark plugs, a problem with the fuel supply, or problems with the transmission of torque.
- To check if there is a problem with the fuel supply, spray starting fluid on the carburetor as soon as the cart stops during a run. If the cart does not stop after spraying the cart, the problem is with fuel flow.
- Maintaining the spark plug is also crucial to avoid this problem, as a loose spark plug will disconnect when the cart goes over an uneven pathway. Checking on the spark plug gap regularly and keeping it clean is necessary to avoid this problem.
- There can be a problem with the batteries as well. Low distilled water levels or improper wiring connections can make the cart stall after starting. Also, if either of the batteries is underperforming, the cart can stall after starting.
- If a lift kit is installed in the golf cart, the newly sized tires may not respond to the controller and end up stalling the cart after starting. An upgraded controller can fix this issue. You can check the user manual to learn how to upgrade your controller. Installing lift kits do impact the performance of the golf cart and hence, installation should be done carefully as per the manufacturer or the kit agent’s instructions.