One more try with the Club Car...

...before I scoop it up with the loader bucket, take it up to the gulf, and dump it in...

Trying to get it running good enough to get my money back out of it since mom won't need it anymore and I hate the thing.

Last thing I put on it was an aftermarket carburetor recommended by a "reputable" golf cart parts supplier. As with any other change I've made, it fired right up and ran like a top. Thought I had the problem licked, for the ninth time.

Mom was riding around the yard, and it quit. Would not start choke or no choke.

Long story short the needle on the aftermarket carb was now sticking open and flooding the engine. I could not figure out why so I turned my attention back to the OEM carb. Found the low speed needle on the OEM carb blocked. Cleaned that out with a torch tip cleaner, put the OEM carb back on. It fired right up and ran like a top in the barn, though I could only go back and forth about 20'.

Finally was able to get it out the other day. Turned the key hit the pedal, and it fired right up and ran like a top. Until I got about 20' away from the barn. Then it quit. Would not restart.

It will pop and idle if I just barely touch the pedal, but if I try to give it more gas, it just cranks endlessly. Choke makes no difference.

Literally everything external to the engine has been changed twice. It's had two complete new ignition systems, two complete new fuel systems.

Does anyone have any suggestions from "outside the box" on why this engine refuses to stay running?

Needs the air cleaner on it if it was removed

Air cleaner is in place.

Check gas flow TO the carb.
Does it have a lift pump on it?
Tank outlet plugged?

Gas flow to the carb is good. It had a fresh fuel pump and new fuel lines last year. Pull the line, hit the pedal, and hose everyone down with gasoline.

ck.the gas cap vent ??

If it has a Kawasaki engine, - usually they are pretty reliable. Check the tube inside the gas tank. Sometimes they crack or come loose where the gas hose attaches. Also check the fuel
pump vacuum hose which connects to the engine. Fuel filter clean? Remove the spark plug, connect wire and lay the plug on the engine (ground it). Look for consistent spark. If you have
good spark you can practically eliminate the ignition system as the problem.

Let me try to clarify.

When it quits, it's "permanent." It will not start again until change something.

I can't walk away for 15 minutes, an hour, two hours, a month, and have it fire right up when I come back. When it stops, it's done. To me that eliminates things like cap venting, lack of fuel flow, and issues like burned valves or overheated coil.

I check all the basics when it quits. Spark, yes. Fuel flow, yes. Cap vent, yes.

Had one like that years ago. Clean carb and would run awhile then quit. Finely checked inlet needle and seat very careful.
Found a very fine fiber. Traced fiber to the fuel filter. Changed filter
and problem fixed.

I've got 40 gas Yamaha carts at work,no Club Cars but they may be similar.
If the fuel pump has 3 lines on it one is a pulse line from the crankcase to operate the pump. Make sure it's not broken,collapsed or full of oil. Does the throttle cable go direct to the carb or the governor with a 2nd cable from governor to the carb? Make sure the carb is opening all the way as they can get out of adjustment and you have very little actual throttle. HTH, Jf

Will it fire on starting fluid?

Ditto on the oil-plugged pulse line..blow it out with air.

I have a theory, but I need to know which engine it has.

It will pop and idle if I just barely touch the pedal, but if I try to give it more gas, it just cranks
endlessly. Choke makes no difference.

If you verified spark, good spark to the plug end of the wire.

If you verified fuel in the carb and squirting in gas or starting fluid will not fire it.

If you verified it has compression.

All these things at the moment it fails, about all that is left is breathing problems, a clogged intake or
exhaust. Mouse nests, collapsed hose, collapsed muffler?

Check the chock inlet holes

Wish you would live close to Ohio I would
probably buy it off of you and drive
myself nuts
Check the fuel line or just put new on i
had one that a piece of the fuel line had
a little flap in it and would cut the
fuel flow off

check out( kevins golf carts) on you tube he has a repair shop that all he fixes is golf carts.

(quoted from post at 13:28:55 03/28/22) I have a theory, but I need to know which engine it has.

Click to expand...

It has the stock engine. Ordering parts by the year and model of cart has never let me down.

I've read and heard that it's supposed to have a Kawasaki FE290 or FE350, but there are no markings on the engine that I can find to indicate what it is.

take off exhaust and check it for restriction

I had a EZGIO and a Club Car work me over good. Until you check the spark with a spark tester you have not confirmed good spark. Both were spark problems both had week spark. I put a coil in the Club Car (Kaw engine I think)

The EZGO fraught me for a year it ended up the fuse that feed the ignition had a bad connection. The lead was touching the set when I rolled the seat back it made a better connection. That system generates spark its weak spark with a supplied 12v booster it made the spark stronger so strong you can hear it crack/pop. if i had not been curious as to what that fuse link did I may have junked it.

https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1549623&highlight=ezgo

I use brake cleaner for my fuel supplement a shot in the carb eliminates fuel starvation.

Before I gave up I would have to check the valves BTDT thigh valves were the issue.

A bud hauled his EZGO over I thought it had jumped time. He checked the cam belt it was in time it had low compression. The fix the linkage to the carb had came off restring air flow into the engine. That was a strange one...

I would like to see the spark snap jump at 20KV at the worst make a snap/pop at the SE mark. If you don't hear it snap its WEAK!

I miss spelled choke.

There goes my theory..........