Can I take the governor off a golf cart? Yes, you absolutely can take the governor off a golf cart to increase its top speed. This process, often called golf cart speed limiter removal, is a popular golf cart performance upgrade for owners looking to increase golf cart top speed.
Why People Want More Speed
Many golf cart owners want their vehicles to go faster than the factory limit. Standard golf carts are often set to go only 12 to 15 miles per hour (mph). This speed is fine for short trips around a retirement community or a small park. However, if you use your cart on longer roads, or just want quicker acceleration, that low speed can feel frustrating.
Bypassing the factory speed restrictor on your golf cart lets you unlock its true potential. This is especially true for carts used on private property or specific large campuses where local laws allow for higher speeds. This guide will walk you through the steps needed to disable golf cart governor systems.
Grasping Golf Cart Speed Control Systems
Before you start cutting wires, it is key to know how your golf cart stays slow. Golf carts use a governor system. This system limits how fast the motor can spin, thus limiting the cart’s top speed.
There are two main types of golf carts: Electric and Gas. The method for limiting speed is different for each type.
Electric Cart Speed Restriction
Electric carts rely on the electronic controller to manage speed. The controller is the “brain” of the electric cart. It takes signals from the pedal and limits the power it sends to the motor.
- The Controller: This device sets the maximum RPM (revolutions per minute) or current flow to the motor. Golf cart electronics modification often targets this area.
- The Speed Sensor/Magnet: Some systems use a small magnet or sensor on the differential or motor. When the cart reaches a set speed, this sensor tells the controller to slow down.
Gas Cart Speed Restriction
Gas golf carts use a mechanical system.
- The Mechanical Governor: This is a physical device, often attached to the engine or the carburetor linkage. It uses centrifugal force. As the engine spins faster, weights inside the governor push a lever. This lever restricts the throttle opening, preventing the engine from taking in more fuel and air, which keeps the speed down.
How to Remove the Governor on Electric Golf Carts
For electric carts, golf cart speed limiter removal usually involves tweaking the controller or bypassing a speed signal. This is often the easiest way to increase golf cart top speed.
Method 1: Adjusting Controller Settings
Modern controllers often have programmable settings. Many aftermarket controllers allow easy adjustments. If you have a stock controller, you might need specialized tools or software.
Required Tools:
- A programming device specific to your controller brand (e.g., Curtis Keypad, Navitas Handheld Programmer).
- Your cart’s service manual or controller wiring diagram.
Steps for Controller Adjustment:
- Locate the Controller: It is usually under the floorboard or near the batteries.
- Access Programming Mode: Connect the programmer device to the controller port. Follow the manufacturer’s guide to enter the setup menu.
- Change Speed Parameters: Look for settings like “Maximum Speed (Forward),” “RPM Limit,” or “Current Limits.”
- Increase Values: Slowly increase these values. Be cautious; if you set them too high, you could overheat the motor or damage the controller. This process is a form of golf cart controller settings adjustment.
- Save and Test: Save your changes and test the cart. This process is a safe way to handle the golf cart RPM limiter bypass electronically.
Method 2: Speed Magnet Bypass (For Carts with a Speed Sensor)
If your cart has a physical speed sensor that tells the controller to slow down, you can sometimes bypass it. This is a common area for troubleshooting golf cart governor issues.
Warning: This method can void warranties quickly.
- Locate the Sensor: Find the sensor, often mounted near the transaxle or motor housing.
- Identify the Wires: Trace the wires leading from the sensor back to the main wiring harness or controller.
- Bypass or Remove:
- Some carts allow you to simply disconnect the sensor wires and tape them off securely.
- Other methods involve installing a jumper wire or a specific bypass plug sold by aftermarket suppliers. This fools the controller into thinking the cart is still moving slowly, or that the sensor is reporting zero speed.
How to Remove the Governor on Gas Golf Carts
Removing the governor on a gas cart is more mechanical. This method is essential for effective golf cart engine tuning on older or standard gas models.
Mechanical Governor Removal Process (General Steps)
This process differs slightly between manufacturers like Yamaha, Club Car, and EZ-GO, but the basic principle remains the same: you must stop the physical linkage that controls the throttle.
Tools You Might Need:
- Wrenches and screwdrivers.
- Pliers.
- Safety glasses.
- New throttle cable if the original is damaged.
Step 1: Locate the Governor Assembly
The governor is usually bolted onto the side of the engine block, often near the air filter assembly or carburetor. It connects via linkages to the engine’s throttle cable and sometimes the carburetor butterfly valve.
Step 2: Inspect Linkages
Trace the connections. You will see rods or cables connecting the governor mechanism to:
1. The gas pedal linkage (input).
2. The carburetor throttle arm (output).
Step 3: Disconnecting or Bypassing (The Key to Disable Golf Cart Governor)
You have two main options here: removal or locking.
Option A: Full Removal
If you remove the governor entirely, you must secure the throttle cable so it opens the carburetor fully when you press the pedal.
- Disconnect the linkage rod that runs from the governor arm to the throttle.
- You must manually connect the throttle cable directly to the carburetor arm. This allows the pedal to control the throttle 100% of the time.
- You may need to install a block-off plate where the governor was mounted to seal the engine properly.
Option B: Locking the Governor
This is often preferred if you might need to return the cart to stock later. You lock the governor arm in the “full throttle” position.
- Find the throttle control arm on the governor.
- Manually push this arm to the position that corresponds to the wide-open throttle (WOT) setting on your carburetor.
- Use a small, strong hose clamp, zip tie, or wire to secure the governor arm firmly in this WOT position. The governor’s internal weights can no longer move it away from this setting.
Step 4: Adjusting the Throttle Cable
After locking or removing the governor, check the throttle cable tension. Make sure that when the pedal is fully pressed, the carburetor butterfly valve opens completely. If the cable is too loose, you won’t get full power.
Safety and Limitations After Governor Removal
Removing the governor is a significant modification. It changes how your cart operates, which brings inherent risks. This is a major golf cart performance upgrade, and increased power demands better management.
Motor and Battery Health
When you increase golf cart top speed, you put more stress on the entire system.
- Electric Carts: Faster speeds mean the controller sends more current (amps) to the motor for longer periods. If your stock motor and batteries were not designed for this high draw, they will overheat quickly, drastically shortening their lifespan. Consider upgrading to a high-speed motor and higher amp controller for sustained speed.
- Gas Carts: Higher RPMs generate more heat. Ensure your cooling system (fan, cooling fins) is clean. Excessive speed without proper golf cart engine tuning can lead to premature wear on piston rings, valves, and bearings.
Tire and Wheel Limitations
Stock golf cart tires are often rated only for 15-20 mph. When you achieve speeds over 25 mph, these tires can become unsafe due to heat buildup and centrifugal force.
- Action Required: If you significantly increase golf cart top speed, you must install DOT-approved, load-rated tires capable of handling highway speeds.
Legal Implications
This is perhaps the most important consideration. In most jurisdictions, golf carts are street-legal only up to a certain factory-set speed (often 20 mph).
- Modifying the speed limiter may make your cart illegal for use on public streets, even in areas where low-speed vehicles (LSVs) are permitted.
- Check your local laws. Modifying the cart to go faster than allowed can result in fines or seizure of the vehicle if you are stopped by law enforcement.
Advanced Tweaks: Beyond Governor Removal
Once the mechanical or electronic governor is bypassed, true golf cart performance tuning involves other components.
Upgrading the Controller and Motor (Electric Carts)
The stock controller is usually limited in how much power it can push.
- Higher Amperage Controller: Moving from a 250A controller to a 400A controller provides significantly more torque and allows for a higher top speed before thermal limits kick in. This is the next logical step after golf cart controller settings adjustment.
- High-Speed Motor: Motors are rated by horsepower or speed factor. Swapping a stock motor for a higher-speed aftermarket motor allows the cart to utilize the extra amperage from the new controller effectively.
Gearing Changes (Electric and Gas Carts)
Speed is a ratio between motor RPM and the final drive ratio (gearing).
- To Increase Top Speed: You need a lower final drive ratio (smaller gear ratio number). This makes the wheels spin faster for every rotation of the motor shaft, increasing top speed but reducing low-end torque (hill climbing ability).
- To Increase Torque/Acceleration: You need a higher final drive ratio (larger gear ratio number). This is the opposite of what you need to increase golf cart top speed.
| Component Change | Effect on Top Speed | Effect on Acceleration/Torque |
|---|---|---|
| Remove Governor | Significant Increase | Moderate Increase |
| Higher Amp Controller | Moderate Increase | Significant Increase |
| Lower Final Drive Ratio (Gearing) | Significant Increase | Decrease |
| High-Speed Motor | Significant Increase | Variable (depends on motor design) |
Troubleshooting Common Governor Removal Issues
If you attempt golf cart speed limiter removal and encounter problems, the issue often lies in incomplete modification or incorrect settings.
Symptom: Cart Still Runs Slow After Modification
Electric Carts:
1. Check Controller Settings: Did you save the changes? Did you adjust the right parameter? Sometimes there are separate forward and reverse speed settings.
2. Verify Sensor Bypass: If you bypassed a speed sensor, ensure the connection is solid. A loose wire might confuse the controller.
3. Battery Health: Weak batteries cannot supply the necessary current to reach high speeds, even if the governor is off. Check battery voltage and specific gravity.
Gas Carts:
1. Governor Linkage Still Engaged: Double-check that the governor arm is truly locked in the WOT position and that the linkage rod hasn’t slipped back under vibration.
2. Carburetor Restriction: If you bypassed the governor but the carburetor itself is dirty or the jets are too small, it will limit fuel flow, acting like a governor. A proper golf cart engine tuning often requires cleaning or upgrading the carburetor jets.
Symptom: Cart Accelerates Poorly or Stalls at High Speed
This usually indicates a power limitation, not a governor issue.
- Electric Carts: The controller might be hitting its programmed current limit, or the batteries are sagging too much under load. You need a more robust power system (bigger batteries or higher amperage controller).
- Gas Carts: The fuel delivery is insufficient for the higher RPMs. Check fuel filter cleanliness and carburetor function.
Comprehending Legal and Warranty Aspects
When performing golf cart electronics modification or mechanical alterations, you are taking responsibility for the outcomes.
Warranty Voidance
Manufacturers design these systems with specific safety and longevity parameters in mind. Any attempt to disable golf cart governor almost always voids the powertrain warranty (motor, controller, batteries, engine). Proceed only if the cart is out of warranty or if you are prepared to cover future repair costs.
The LSV Connection
If you are trying to convert your cart into a Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) for road use, you must meet specific federal and state standards. These standards typically require speedometers, seatbelts, turn signals, and often mandate that the cart cannot exceed 25 mph. Therefore, intentionally removing the governor to go faster than 25 mph would prevent you from legally registering it as an LSV.
Conclusion: Speed on Your Terms
Taking the governor off a golf cart is a direct way to increase golf cart top speed. For electric carts, this means golf cart controller settings adjustment or sensor bypass. For gas carts, it requires mechanical intervention to disable golf cart governor linkages. Remember that true performance enhancement requires supporting upgrades—a faster speed setting without better batteries, motors, or tires will only lead to premature part failure. Always prioritize safety, check local regulations, and proceed methodically when working on golf cart engine tuning or electrical systems.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Will removing the governor hurt my golf cart motor?
A: It can, especially if you only remove the governor and do not upgrade the supporting components like the controller or batteries. Running components outside their designed limits causes excessive heat and wear.
Q: Is it easier to remove the governor on an electric or a gas cart?
A: Generally, electric cart speed limitation removal via controller programming is cleaner and less invasive than the mechanical process required on gas carts. However, a gas cart owner might find the mechanical link simpler than specialized programming tools for an electric controller.
Q: What is the easiest way to bypass the speed restrictor on a Club Car DS (gas)?
A: The easiest method is usually locking the mechanical governor arm in the full throttle position using a clamp or secure tie. This achieves golf cart speed limiter removal without completely dismantling the governor assembly.
Q: Can I just unplug something to disable my golf cart governor?
A: On some older electric models, disconnecting the speed sensor wire might work, but newer controllers are smarter and may default to a “limp mode” or throw an error code if a sensor is missing. This requires more advanced troubleshooting golf cart governor methods.
Q: If I increase the speed limit, will my cart climb hills better?
A: Not necessarily. Removing the governor increases top speed (high-end performance), but better hill climbing (low-end torque) requires increasing the available current, usually through a higher amperage controller or changing the final drive gearing to a higher ratio (which slows top speed).