What is a Golf Cart Speed Sensor?

A golf cart uses either an AC or a DC motor. DC wound motors don’t incorporate golf cart speed motors because they don’t have many features such as roll-away protection and regenerative braking.

Regenerative braking is a process that causes the golf cart motor to act as a generator. This helps in setting the speed of the cart to a preset rpm.

Usually, the sensors in separately excited DC golf cart motors with shunt windings utilize electromagnetic power to interpret the motor rpm. There will be a magnet in the motor and the sensor at the closed end.

Symptoms of a Bad Speed Sensor

These are some symptoms of a bad speed sensor:

1. Your golf cart may move very slowly as if it’s creeping along or it may move at an erratic speed.
2. You may experience stuttering in your golf cart like when you have a bad battery or there is a low voltage problem.
3. A broken or damaged magnet on the motor can result in a bad speed sensor. If this is replaced with a new magnet, the speed sensor will begin to function properly. Alternatively, the magnet could have just come loose. If so, all that you have to do is to tighten the magnet.
4. Your golf cart may go fast initially and slow down drastically on its own after some time. This will happen repeatedly in a cyclic pattern. In such a situation, the car is said to be in limp-mode.

How to Test the Speed Sensor

There are many ways you can test the speed sensor on a golf cart. Two methods of testing your speed sensor are the following:

1. Activate the Run/Tow switch of the golf cart by keeping it in Run position and try to push the cart. If your speed sensor is good, you should hear a beep and experience resistance to the pushing action by slowing down. If the sensor is bad, your cart will start rolling. Remember that if the switch is in Tow position, the cart will definitely roll.
2. Ensure that the 3-pin plug from the sensor is connected and place a wire-piercing probe on the output green wire. Lift one wheel of the golf cart and turn it one full rotation with your hand. The voltage reading should change from 0V to 5V 24 times for one full revolution.

The following steps tell you how to troubleshoot the speed controller of an EZ-GO golf cart:

1. Turn the maintenance switch under the seat of your golf cart to tow-maintenance mode.
2. Disconnect the negative cable from the battery. This is the black cable connected to the battery post. Remember that it’s essential that you flip the maintenance switch before you begin the replacement of the cable.
3. Remove the cover present on top of the speed controller and reconnect the negative cable of the battery.
4. Check the wiring connection thoroughly. They should be well-connected and attached properly. Also, make sure that there is no corrosion, breakage or any form of interference among the wires.
5. Connect the positive and negative probes of a voltmeter to the corresponding battery terminals and note down the battery voltage.
6. Keep the positive probe of the voltmeter above the solenoid post, which is nearest to the battery and check the reading. This must be the same as the battery voltage noted above. A variation indicates that the solenoid has a wiring issue.
7. Repeat the above step by keeping the voltmeter probe on the solenoid post that is away from the battery. The battery voltage should be higher than the observed voltage by at least three volts. If the readings are the same, then the solenoid is faulty.
8. Connect the positive and negative probes of the voltmeter to the B+ and M terminals of the speed controller respectively and check for a voltage rise from 0 to the battery voltage as you accelerate the cart. There will be no rise in the case of a faulty speed controller.

“Keyword”
“how to fix throttle position sensor low voltage”

“does a gas golf cart have a speed sensor”

“how to fix car throttle position sensor”