86 EZGO 2 Stroke Golf Cart Bad Battery or Charging System

PAIGE

New Member
86 EZGO 2 stroke golf cart. Just got it yesterday(11-24-17). Never had one before and I need help lol!
First thing, spark plug was bad. Put new one in, drained old gas out of it and put correct gas/oil mix in it. Battery keeps running down to totally dead. After I put new plug and gas in it started and I drove it around for about 20 minutes. Its takes way to long to move after it started. Then it died, it will not start now because battery runs downs before it will start. I don't know if it has bad battery or charging system isn't working? Not even sure if battery in it is correct one? Its only 223 cold crank amp battery. The guy I got it from didn't know much about it either. He only had it a yr. What do I need to do now?
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
The first thing to check is to see if it's getting spark and fuel. Once you get it started you can check to see if it's charging by hooking a volt meter up to the battery while the cart is running. At half throttle you should see around 13.5 - 14 volts at the battery.
Welcome to the forum.
 

PAIGE

New Member
Hi, it is getting fuel to carb. I checked that. After I put new plug in, it started up. Just so you know, I had a charger on battery all last night because it keeps going dead. After I drove it about 20 mins I stopped and it died. Tried to start it again and battery went dead before it could start. I talked with a tech who works on them for the company makes them last night online ( had to pay!) From what I told him and he said plug was probably bad and guy I got it from had mixed way to much oil in gas. He told me put new plug and correct gas mix in it. I did that today. I'm hoping that's its just the battery has gone bad and won' hold charge. But I don't know what is correct battery for it? Didn't get a owner manual or any information about it. Battery in it is 223 cold crank amps.
 

PAIGE

New Member
I forgot, I don't have a meter and I don't understand how to use one. But at this point it won't start because of battery going dead so fast. So should I have a higher cranking amp battery? And all I can do is take battery out and take it and have it checked to see if its bad or cart not charging.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
The golf cart should start without much cranking but It wouldn't hurt to have the battery tested. How long does it try to start after you charge the battery? The engine should start within a couple seconds after pressing the throttle.
 

PAIGE

New Member
What is the correct battery that it should have in it? Other than I know a 12 volt battery, but how many cold cranking amp should it have?
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
Well there's something keeping the engine from starting. If you have spark and fuel the only other things left is crank seals or low compression. Try spraying a little carb cleaner or starting fluid in the carburetor and see if it starts.
If it does then you probably need to take the carburetor apart and clean it.

Any battery 12 volt battery will work just get the highest cranking amp you can find in that size. Your battery may be bad but the golf cart has another problem that's keeping the engine from starting. If you get a new battery and the engine doesn't start and you crank it on the start long enough it will go dead to.
 

PAIGE

New Member
OK, I would say that carb needs cleaned. Guy I got it from told me he never did any work on motor and it ran fine but just took awhile to start and long time to start moving. The part about hard to start and way to long to move after it is running is true,lol. Everything else he said well, clearly isn' correct. Cause I had these problems as soon as I got it yesterday.

He told me he didn't know anything about it and that type 2 stroke motor. So I guess he was just not honest about the issues it has or thought it was normal to run like that. But at same time he said it use to go much faster than it does now.

I'm use to a 2 stroke engine on a motorcycle and weed eaters etc.. When I talked to the tech last night he told me that oil mix is only 100 to 1. In simple English he said mix 6.4 Oz's oil to 5 gals gas which I did. He also said these motors are designed to only need a little bit of oil and if you have to much oil mixed it will take away power from motor.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
It sounds to me like the engine isn't actually running. The golf cart will move when it's just cranking on the starter and when working properly the engine will start as the cart starts moving. Like I mentioned before try spraying a little carburetor clean or starting fluid in the carb. If the golf cart starts and actually is running after doing that take the carburetor apart, clean it good and blow it out with an air compressor. If the engine doesn't start on it's own then it's time to do some troubleshooting on why it's not starting. Let us know what happens after you try the starting fluid.
 

PAIGE

New Member
OK, I'll try carb next. And another question. The big belt that I call drive belt. Today I was able to turn the I guess you call it the pulley part that's what turns motor over to make it move? I could turn it with one hand and it was very easy to do. I could gear the piston each time I turned it . should I be able to turn motor that easy? I don't know how much compression this motor should have? And I don't have a tester for checking it. I can take spark plug out and put my finger over plug hole then turn motor with pulley and see if it has enough to push my finger off plug hole. I do not no if that is a way to check it? Is that one way to tell if compression is good or bad?
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
You'll need a compression gauge to test the compression. You can rent a compression gauge at most auto parts stores.
 

PAIGE

New Member
I have no idea even what is should be? I know nothing about this thing. Never seen a motor like it.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
The compression on your EZGO 2 stroke should be around 120 lbs. Check it with the throttle wide open. Have you tried the starting fluid yet?
 

PAIGE

New Member
I haven't worked on it today. I can' start it because battery is dead. How do I spray starter fluid in carb with it being sealed? Take the fuel line going in it off and spray in it?
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
No you need to spray it where the air filter is, take the cover off of the air filter box. Just a couple of short sprays then try to start it.
 

PAIGE

New Member
OK, I honestly am already about over the thing! Ready to get rid of it. I don' have money to sink into it. I' pretty frustrated with it and the person I got it from. It was supposed to have nothing wrong with it! Since I don't know anything about them I had no way of knowing it's got I guess major problems. Without being able to get battery to charge up enough to even try to start it can not do anything to work on it. Even with charger on it set on 50 amps for starting it, it still won' turn over fast enough to start. I also have to work on it outside in the cold weather. I' on disability so I have a lot of bad days. I don't know what to do with it at this point. I thought it just needed a plug and right fuel/oil mix. Well obviously I was wrong.

It would help alot if I had a shop manual for the silly thing. But I have nothing to help me work on it. Should of just got one that is electric.
 

PAIGE

New Member
Well, I've talked to other folks who have these carts and mechanics and pretty much have narrowed down to motor is wore out and needs to be rebuilt. And I can't afford to do that. So I don't know what to do now. I'm on disability and do not have money to do this.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
A quick and easy compression test would tell the story for sure. Without doing one there's no way to know if the engine is worn out and needs to be rebuilt. :twocents:
 
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