How to Adjust an E Z Go Golf Cart Governor

Reviewed by Jason Shackelford

Last Updated: October 27, 2023 Fact Checked

Adjusting the governor can make your golf cart go 5–10 mph (8.0–16.1 km/h) faster. If you do this to an E-Z-GO golf cart, you might be able to go from 15 mph (24 km/h) to 22 mph (35 km/h). It will only take about 5 minutes to do it.

Things You Should Know

Find the governor in the 4-stroke engine of your golf cart. Look for a small spring that's coiled around a metal rod.
Boost your cart's speed by adjusting the nuts attached to the spring. Loosen up the smaller nut while tightening the larger one.
Tighten up the smaller nut once you're happy with your cart's overall speed.
Improve other types of cart engines by adjusting the small metal rod near your clutch pedal.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Adjusting the Common 4-Stroke Engine

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90% of EZ Go Carts have simple springs which limit the speed of the engine. To raise the top speed of your golf cart, all you need to do is locate this spring and tighten it slightly. If you cannot find this spring, you likely have a newer model that is more difficult to adjust, though this is rare.
Remove the seat cousins, which hide the engine. You may have to unscrew the seat in newer models.^{[1]
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There should be five screws in most models. The engine is in the front of golf carts, underneath this panel. Take off the plastic cover and set it aside with the seats.
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Follow the thickest cable coming from the gas pedal until your find a small spring wrapped around a metal rod. This is the governor. The spring apparatus will have two nuts, one small nut and one larger nut, holding it onto the rod.
- If you are curious, this is your cart's carburetor.
The more you tighten the larger nut, the faster your cart will go. Start slowly, only tightening the nut a quarter turn to start. You can over-stress the engine if you try to run it too quickly, and it will skip and potentially burn out if you are too eager.^{[2]
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Test the speed of the cart. After you are satisfied with how fast your cart goes, tighten the small nut back up. As you test, listen for whining noises, skips, or odd clunking movement in the cart-- this means you've tightened the governor too much and need to dial it back.^{[3]
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Put the cart back together how you found it and enjoy your ride.
You'll likely need to get repairs and replacement parts faster on a cart with an adjusted governor. In addition, any cart that can go above 19mph is officially a motor vehicle, and you legally need seatbelts and inspections. This shouldn't be a big problem, but it is worth knowing.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Adjusting Other Engines

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Sometimes you'll need to remove screws while some models have seats that pop right out. Expose the engine so that you can get to work adjusting the motor. If you don't have a central governor spring, you can still get your cart to move a little faster.
The clutch is the pedal (sometimes a handle near your knee) that you use to put the car into reverse or change speeds. You can adjust the clutch to send more gas to your engine, moving you faster.
The length of this cable determines how much gas flows into your engine. Again, you should remember that the cart's motor will struggle the faster you make it move. So test every change and listen for clunks or stalls to make sure you protect your motor.^{[5]
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You should see the cable lengthening slightly. This will make your cart faster. Tighten the nut to make the cart move slower.
This is most common on modern, all-electric engine. Many manufacturers, including EZ Go, do not want consumers tampering with their engines, and have thus hidden the governors in the spark plug ignition. This is very difficult to adjust without ruining the engine, and should be left to trained professionals.^{[6]
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Community Q&A

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Question

How can I stop the choke cable from getting hot on my EZ-GO golf cart?

Community Answer

See if you have room to re-route as much of the cable as possible, so that it is farther away from the motor.

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Question

How do I remove the shutoff on a foot pedal?

Community Answer

Just adjust the throttle idle screw until the engine runs but the cart does not move. Turn it in to increase the idle speed, and turn it out to slow and eventually stop the engine.

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Question

How do I install a throttle scale on my 2002 E Z Go golf cart?

Community Answer

Depending on whether it has a power source to itself, if it has a personal power source, then just add duct tape or anything that will make it stay onto the 2002 EZ Go Golf Cart. And if the throttle scale doesn't, then just search it up.

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