stalls when hot

[Grizzly]

I have a 96 gas DS Club Car and when it gets hot it wont move. It appears that the clutch does not engage when the engine gets hot. I have replaced the micro switches, as I thought that was the problem but it still does it. Once it cools off it runs fine. Anyone have any ideas ??

[golfcartg]

Checking for a wet spark plug and making sure you have a strong spark are good first steps. If these seem fine, then looking into further troubleshooting would be the next logical step.

Since you've mentioned that your cart runs fine once it cools down, it's likely that the compression is OK. Usually, compression issues don't resolve themselves once the engine cools down, so we can probably rule that out.

The first thing you want to do when the problem occurs is to check your spark plug. Pull it out and see if it’s wet. A wet spark plug usually means that fuel is getting into the cylinder, but it’s not burning properly, which could indicate a spark issue.

Next, check for spark. You can do this by reconnecting the spark plug wire and grounding the plug against the engine block. Crank the engine and look for a strong, blue spark. If there's no spark or it's weak, you might have an ignition problem that's exacerbated by heat. Sometimes, ignition coils or modules can fail when they get hot but work again once they cool down.

If the spark looks good and the plug is dry, then you might have a fuel delivery issue. Since you've already replaced the micro switches, you might want to check the fuel pump and the fuel lines to make sure fuel is getting to the carburetor consistently. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

[Michael Eddie]

It sounds to me like it could be spark related since it happens when the engine gets hot. I’d recommend keeping a spare spark plug or a spark tester on hand. The next time it stalls, immediately pull the plug wire and check for spark. Heat can cause ignition parts to fail intermittently so testing immediately after it stalls will help you catch the issue before the engine cools down and runs fine again.