2019 EZGO

[Jay317]

Hi to all
I have a 2019 Ezgo gas Kawasaki and the problem is when I get it up to full speed it cuts off for a second but will regain top speed,any info would be greatly appreciated

[Hoosier605]

Has anyone ever figured this out? I have the same issue. Adjusted the governor to get the cart to 20 MPH but as soon as it hits 20, it falls flat on its face for a second or two and then it is right back to full throttle. Seems obvious to me that it is hitting the rev limiter. Seems DUMB that EZGO rev limiter doesn't "modulate" the fuel and spark rather than shutting it off entirely causing a full throttle / zero throttle sensation.

The threads on here and other sites have literally THOUSANDS of views, yet no real answers. I have scoured the net for the answer and it's almost like someone else is scouring the net and deleting any real answer to the question as it seems IMPOSSIBLE to me that nobody has figured out a workaround or a reprogram to solve this issue.

Keywords to hopefully attract an actual answer: Reprogram, Reprogramming, Increase, Speed, Slow, Fast, Faster, Surge, Surging, Full, Throttle, Rev, RPM, Limiter, Governor, EFI, Fuel Injected, Gas, EZGO, EZ GO, S4, Express, Kawasaki

[golfcartg]

Yes, you're absolutely right, you’re hitting the rev limiter. And while it might seem frustrating, it’s actually there for a very good reason. The rev limiter is designed as a last resort to protect the engine from serious damage to internal components. Without it, you could end up with overheating and catastrophic engine failure. That momentary cutoff you’re experiencing is the engine's way of protecting itself when it reaches its maximum safe RPM. It is not designed to be repeatedly hit during normal operation. The governor acts as the main safety while the rev limiter acts as a last resort failsafe to prevent engine damage.

The governor is a mechanical system that physically controls the engine's speed to prevent overrevving, rather than something you can reprogram. It’s not a digital limit like you might think. In this case, the governor is tied directly to the throttle and operates using centrifugal force to regulate engine RPM. As you approach higher speeds, the governor physically limits how far the throttle can open to prevent the engine from exceeding its safe operating range.

Inside the rear axle/differential assembly, there’s a governor arm connected to a throttle linkage. This governor arm is controlled by a centrifugal weight system that’s tied directly to the wheels rotation. As the carts speed increases, the centrifugal force causes the weights inside the governor to expand outward. This movement forces the governor arm to pull back on the throttle linkage, restricting how much fuel and air can enter the engine and thus capping the speed. The governor also works in conjunction with the governor spring, which you likely adjusted the linkage when increasing the speed to 20 MPH. When you increase the tension on this spring, you allow the throttle to stay open longer before the governor steps in, which lets the cart achieve higher speeds before the rev limiter cuts in.

What you’re feeling when the cart cuts off momentarily at 20 MPH is the rev limiter doing its job, cutting off spark to prevent the engine from exceeding the safe RPM limit. EZGO's rev limiter is tied to the engine’s ignition coil, and when the governor is over ridden by high speeds, the rev limiter shuts off the ignition momentarily to bring the engine RPMs back under control. The abruptness of this process, where the engine cuts out and then immediately regains power, can feel jarring, but it's a last resort protective measure built into the design. There's no software "reprogramming" fix for this, as the entire speed control is managed through this physical governor system and the rev limiter’s interaction with the engine's ignition.

If you’re looking for a smoother experience at higher speeds you might consider adjusting the governor cables more carefully or looking into performance modifications like larger rear tires or high speed gearing. The Kawasaki engine simply isn’t capable of generating enough RPMs to push the cart beyond a certain speed. After hitting that point, no amount of governor adjustments or modifications will significantly increase speed, as the engine itself is mechanically limited in its engineered RPM capacity.

Instead of trying to carefully adjust the governor linkage to find that elusive sweet spot where you’re not constantly triggering the rev limiter, you may find success by reverting the throttle cables back to their original setting and using a simple trick: the zip tie method.

The zip tie trick works by preventing the governor from fully engaging. By reverting the throttle linkage back to normal and placing a zip tie around the governor spring, you effectively stop the governor from limiting engine speed. The tension of the zip tie controls how much the governor can restrict throttle movement. You can easily adjust how much restriction you want by tightening or loosening the zip tie. This method gives you more control over the cart’s speed without constantly bumping into the rev limiter, and it’s a straightforward, reversible modification. If at any point you experience problems or want to return to the stock settings, you can simply remove the zip tie and the governor will go back to functioning normally.

[Hoosier605]

If you’re looking for a smoother experience at higher speeds you might consider adjusting the governor cables more carefully or looking into performance modifications like larger rear tires or high speed gearing. The Kawasaki engine simply isn’t capable of generating enough RPMs to push the cart beyond a certain speed. After hitting that point, no amount of governor adjustments or modifications will significantly increase speed, as the engine itself is mechanically limited in its engineered RPM capacity.

Instead of trying to carefully adjust the governor linkage to find that elusive sweet spot where you’re not constantly triggering the rev limiter, you may find success by reverting the throttle cables back to their original setting and using a simple trick: the zip tie method.

The zip tie trick works by preventing the governor from fully engaging. By reverting the throttle linkage back to normal and placing a zip tie around the governor spring, you effectively stop the governor from limiting engine speed. The tension of the zip tie controls how much the governor can restrict throttle movement. You can easily adjust how much restriction you want by tightening or loosening the zip tie. This method gives you more control over the cart’s speed without constantly bumping into the rev limiter, and it’s a straightforward, reversible modification. If at any point you experience problems or want to return to the stock settings, you can simply remove the zip tie and the governor will go back to functioning normally.

Thanks for the detailed response, but I already had a good mechanical understanding of the the governor function and why the rev limiter exists. Rather than mess with the zip tie, I can adjust the governor back down to 18-19 MPH and eliminate the rev limiter issue. And the zip tie method isn't going to get me any more speed as I'm still going to be bumping the rev limiter... I read somewhere that the rev limiter is "set" to 3200 RPM while the Kawasaki engine specs say that the engine is good to 3750 +/- 50 RPM without issue. If I could just get there, I would be able to achieve the speed I want without the potential over-revving of the engine. If I can't get there electronically, then it seems my only other option is taller gears as I already have pretty good size tires on 14" rims.

Again, thank you for your response as this is already The Best conversation to happen on this subject to date anywhere on the Web...

[Hoosier605]

I have also found this unit, and while the reviews are good, there don't seem to be any reviews that are specific to EZ-GO...

https://www.magnumtuning.com/en/detail/revolution-pro-atv-speed-rev-limiter-cdi-box/e-z-go/express-s4-efi

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[golfcartg]

It sounds like you're on the right track and I appreciate the kind words! Just to clarify, the RPM limiter on these Kawasaki engines should typically kick in around 3750-4000 RPM, not 3200. If you’re concerned you're hitting the limiter too early it might be worth double checking with a tachometer. It’ll give you the precise reading to know exactly where you’re at. You want to stay below that 4k rpm mark since pushing beyond that is too risky.

Out of curiosity, what size tires are you running with those 14" rims? Most times the tire size can make a noticeable difference in top end especially when you're looking for that extra bit of speed.

Also, you might want to give the zip tie trick a chance, even though it may feel like you’re taking a step backwards. Believe it or not, I’ve seen instances where people had better success avoiding the RPM limiter especially on EFI carts after resetting the governor and then using the zip tie method. It might seem counterintuitive at first, but it can provide a bit more control over the throttle.

[Hoosier605]

Out of curiosity, what size tires are you running with those 14" rims? Most times the tire size can make a noticeable difference in top end especially when you're looking for that extra bit of speed.

Tires are 23x10x14

[golfcartg]

Upgrading from your current 23" tires to 25" will give your cart a bit of a speed boost. With the larger tires you should see a theoretical increase in top speed by around 2 mph and pushing you closer to 22 mph. Bigger tires cover more ground per revolution effectively changing your gear ratio and allowing for higher speeds. The actual gain varies based on factors such as the weight you're carrying and the terrain you're driving on in addition to when your rev limiter is kicking in. If you haven’t invested in a tachometer yet, now’s the time. A tachometer will let you monitor to confirm your engine is reaching around the 4k mark. This will help while you fine tune your setup. Just a little more tweaking and that speed goal is right around the corner.