Yamaha jerks when peddle pressed

[jdanderson]

I'm new to golf carts and don't know much. I have a yamaha electric cart that we believe to be a G29 but we have no clue. The cart has always been smooth to ride on and gentle when accelerating. Recently it began to jerk for several seconds when you first depress the accelerator. After some online research I figured it was either the selinoid or batteries. I replaced the selinoid and it improved but it was not back to normal. Then I replaced the batteries which were 5 years and some months old and again it got better but not back to as it was before. When you first press the pedal there is a a jerk that lasts maybe half a second to one second. Again, this was not what happened before. I'm worried this may be an indicator of a more serious problem to come. Can anyone advise me? There is no local yamaha dealer or service center where I live and the EZGO service shop wont work on Yamaha's.

[golfcartg]

Welcome! Yamaha carts are built on solid platforms and are generally quite reliable although they can have some quirks from time to time. The first step is to identify your specific model. Look for the serial number tag typically found under the seat or near the dashboard. See attached guide. Once you have that number, plug it into the Yamaha golf cart serial number decoder. Different models have unique systems and different common issues so this step will help narrow it down.

You've replaced both the solenoid and the batteries as these are the most common thing to replace. A faulty solenoid might had not been delivering a consistent flow of power to the motor, causing intermittent engagement. This inconsistency can feel like a hesitation or jerk when you press the accelerator. On the other hand, if the batteries were old or not fully charged, they may have not been providing sufficient voltage to power the cart smoothly. Even if you replaced the batteries, if they were mismatched or if there’s a weak connection in the battery pack, it could lead to fluctuations in power delivery. This inconsistency can result in that jerking motion as the cart struggles to receive a steady stream of energy when you first apply the throttle.

However, there are a few more areas that should considered especially since that did not fix the problem so far. The throttle sensor which communicates your acceleration input to the controller might be misreading your pedal position causing that initial jerk. Additionally the speed controller itself which regulates the power to the motor could be experiencing issues such as internal faults. Wiring connections are another thing to keep an eye on. Any corrosion or loose connections could lead to erratic behavior.

Without knowing the specific model yet, it’s challenging to provide targeted advice. But once we have that information we can delve deeper into diagnosing the issue systematically through process of elimination using a digital multimeter (DVM) to test each component.

Lets not throw more parts at it and hope for a fix as this can lead to unnecessary expenses and frustration. We want to address the actual problem rather than just replacing parts that may still be functioning properly. If you have any questions feel free to ask!