Electric Golf Cart Losing Power, Stopping (6 Checks, Fixes)

Driving a golf cart can be a surprisingly fun and engaging experience that provides you with a lot of enjoyment.

However, it can also be frustrating if, while you’re driving, your cart suddenly loses power and stops.

This situation can be very confusing and hard to understand if you don’t know about the most common issues that trigger this problem.

The following concerns are things that you can easily figure out without a lot of hard work and will ensure that your cart is in proper order.
 

Electric Golf Cart Losing Power, Stopping – 6 Checks, Fixes

 

1. The Speed Magnet – a Relatively Unknown Cart Part

When your cart starts losing power while you’re driving and stops, the first part that you may want to consider is the speed magnet.

This part is something that you rarely hear about because it very rarely ends up going bad on a cart.

However, this element does have a bad tendency to go out when you least expect it and make it very hard for your cart to drive properly.

This part of your cart is connected with your speed sensor in the engine.

The speed sensor gauges how fast your cart is driving and helps to activate the speed governor if the cart is reaching speeds that are too fast.

The magnet activates when these speeds get too high and help to keep your cart safe when you are on the road.

When it malfunctions, there’s a good chance that your cart is going to struggle.

This problem occurs when the magnet breaks and doesn’t hold onto the sensor very well.

In some cases, you may find that the magnet is barely holding to the cart anymore and needs to be replaced ASAP.

The frustrating thing about this situation is that the magnet is located deep within the speed sensor and is often a very tough part to find and remove without difficult work.

Replacing the speed magnet requires carefully opening up the speed sensor and finding the small magnet inside.

Often, this step can be done by cart owners if they have the proper tools – wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. – and a schematic of the inside of their cart engine.

If you lack these items, you are going to need to have a professional handle this repair for you instead.

 

2. Battery Water Levels – a More Persistent Issue

The battery array on your golf cart is more complex than you may realize.

It requires a lot more maintenance than charging and is often in need of a few upgrade steps that you may not consider at first.

For example, did you know that your golf cart battery has water that must be replaced from time to time?

Most golf cart owners should know this fact but some do not.

And this is a problem.

Why is there water in your golf cart battery?

It helps to spread the charge through the system and keeps it from getting too hot as it runs.

Most of the time, your water should be at a reasonable level in your battery.

However, this water level can easily dry up if you aren’t careful.

Water often dries up in a golf cart battery if you don’t take the time to fill it up or if you let the cart sit for too long without using it.

Thankfully, this problem is by no means a difficult one to fix.

Start out by opening up your golf cart hood to locate your battery array.

Now, open up the top of the battery and look down inside of it.

You should see water in the battery cell and a measuring line that tells you how high the water level must be in the battery.

If you don’t see water or if the level is too low, you need to put more water inside.

When replacing water, you must, we repeat, MUST use DISTILLED WATER ONLY.

Too many cart owners make the mistake of replacing their battery water with some from the tap.

This mistake is considerable – the minerals and metals in tap water will cause your battery to malfunction and may even damage.

Stick to distilled water to keep your cart from having any troubles.

 

3. The Motor Controller Output Regulator – Also Called the MCOR

If you have never heard of the Motor Controller Output Regulator in your cart, you aren’t alone.

This part is something that performs a very specific purpose and is designed to keep your cart running smoothly.

Specifically, it converts your foot pressure on the pedal into the proper speed control for your cart – without it, your cart would run at a much different pace than it should when you use the foot pedal.

Unfortunately, the MCOR is a part that can run into problems because it is used so often as you drive.

And when this part experiences breakdown or any other complications, it can end up causing your cart to slow down and stop, putting you in a very tough situation.

However, there are usually a few other related issues that occur, first, that are related to the MCOR but not a direct part of its operation.

For example, the solenoid often fails and leaves your MCOR unable to work properly.

Replacing the solenoid is usually the easiest way to fix this problem – it is a part that, when it fails, you have no choice but to replace it.

Thankfully, you shouldn’t have a difficult time replacing the solenoid and getting your cart in proper working order by identifying it in the engine and replacing it with a new type – most solenoids can be pulled off the engine without difficulty.

However, if replacing the solenoid doesn’t work, you are likely having a MCOR problem.

You’ll know if you are if your cart slows down or stops when you push the pedal on your cart.

Typically, the power cuts off because the part cannot read your pedal pressure properly.

Take your cart to a high-quality repair expert to get it fixed – you likely cannot replace the MCOR on your cart without getting the help of a high-quality professional who fully understands these parts.

 

4. V-Glide Unit Failure – A Tricky Situation

Here’s another part that you have probably not heard of before on your cart – the V-Glide Unit.

What exactly is the V-Glide and how does it help your cart run?

The V-Glide is part of your speed controlling system helping manage electrical flow distribution and which helps to keep your cart operating.

It usually doesn’t run into too many problems and often lasts for the lifetime of your cart.

However, this unit and assembly may end up wearing out and failing and leave you in a tough situation.

The cause of V-Glide failure is usually related to dirt and dust that gets into the assembly.

Often, this dirt and dust gets into the throttle of your unit, as well, which can cause it to fail to run properly.

You will notice a stuttering or “choked” type of operation if your V-Glide or throttle are too dirty.

Other issues that may occur in the V-Glide include loose wires that do not distribute electricity properly.

This problem usually occurs when your cart runs on rather rough areas and bounces up and down as it rides and causes the wires to come loose and potentially spark.

Thankfully, fixing up this problem is usually quite easy if you understand cart operation at all.

For example, you can open up your unit and check all of the wires and electrical connections and tighten them, as needed.

This step helps to ensure that your V-Glide operates as smoothly as possible.

You may also need to clean out your V-Glide using dry pads and brushes that can help to break apart this problem and ensure that you don’t experience any issues with your V-Glide operation.

 

5. Loose Wires Throughout the Cart – Not an Uncommon Issue

You would be amazed at how often cart operation failure is related to something so simple and small, like loose wires.

That’s because a cart’s engine and battery array are complex and require a lot of wires to run properly.

And the more complex a mechanical item is, the more likely it is to fail due to a small problem – this is a fact of design and operation that is very hard to get around in any item.

As a result, you may need to open up your cart and check all of its wiring to ensure that it is not experiencing any issues.

For example, you must make sure that your batteries are fully connected to ensure that they are able to send power.

If their connections are loose, the power flow may not be properly connected and may cause your cart to sputter and drive poorly as it rides, losing power and stopping sporadically during each trip.

You may want to get your cart’s electrical schematic to see just how to hook up all of these wires without running into any issues.

Typically, this process requires you to tighten up the wiring connections using a screwdriver or another type of item.

Often, these steps are quite simple and don’t require any specialized help.

By using your electrical schematic, you can ensure that you get the most out of your engine, as well, keeping it from stopping as you drive.

However, you may also want to take your cart to a professional if you see any frays in the wires or any other electrical element of your cart’s interior.

These frays can be quite problematic because they can cause your cart to stop operating.

Just as importantly, they can be dangerous to replace without real knowledge of electrical work, so make sure that you make the right choice here and get help.

 

6. Overheating – A Problem That May Occur With Some Electrical Carts

Reading this headline, you may be a little confused.

Electrical carts don’t have the same type of overall engine design as a gasoline cart and don’t need to be cooled down via coolant to stay safe.

However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t overheat.

The exact reason that this occurs is different than it is for gasoline engines but can cause your cart to stop and run poorly as you ride, which can make it very difficult to keep your cart running smoothly at all times.

What causes an electrical cart to overheat?

Usually, you’ll experience this problem if you’re running your cart in very hot weather.

The interior elements of the engine may end up getting too hot and struggling to run properly.

And in some cases, the water in your battery may dry up during your trip.

When this happens, your cart will run more sporadically and may end up failing and refusing to run, leaving you trapped and frustrated.

The best way to fix this problem is to make sure that you park your cart occasionally as you ride and try to keep it in dark or shaded areas.

Remember – you aren’t going to see any obvious signs of overheating like you would with a gasoline engine.

The issues that occur here are not quite the same, though they can cause a similar problem and may end up damaging your engine if you aren’t careful with the temperature control of your cart.

You may also want to take distilled water with you when you ride to ensure that you don’t run into any complications.

This step is wise if you believe that heat is causing your battery to dry up too soon and that you need to add water to the battery while you drive.

Though this problem is usually quite rare – water doesn’t dry up that quickly from a battery in most cases – it can occur especially if the battery has a leak in its structure that causes it to dry up even more quickly than it would in normal situations.