Having Trouble With Your Golf Cart Clutch?

Preventative maintenance is one of the cornerstones to keeping your golf cart running well and extending the time between repairs.

We’ve written before about what might be going wrong if your golf cart won’t start, or what to look for when purchasing a replacement battery. There’s quite a bit going on in a golf cart’s “bones”, and one thing you’ll want to know about is the golf cart clutch, or CVT.

Let’s take a look at what issues can arise in this simple but essential piece of golf cart equipment.

What Does a CVT Do?

The golf cart clutch or CVT (which stands for Continuously Variable Transmission) may be easy enough for you if you’re used to stick-shift driving with your regular vehicle. However, because many people these days don’t drive stick-shift, they have a difficult time adjusting to the clutch when they purchase a new or preowned gas-powered golf cart.

The CVT is comprised of two separate clutches that are connected by a thick drive belt. When we refer to the clutch or CVT, we’re referring to two components — the drive clutch (or primary clutch) and the driven clutch (or secondary).

Essentially, when your golf cart clutch is working, you’re assured a smooth start-up and take off, as well as a largely smooth acceleration and braking. 

What Kinds of Problems Can a Golf Cart Clutch Have?

Your golf cart’s ability to climb uphill — an essential skill to have on South Carolina terrain — depends on how well your primary and secondary clutches work as a unit. If one or both clutches begin to fail, your ability to get your golf cart from point A to point B will begin to fail as well.

Watch out for these telltale signs of a malfunctioning golf cart CVT that is in need of repair or replacement:

• A sudden inability to maintain even slow speeds when heading uphill or changing elevation
• Slowing down to a crawl, then speeding up, then slowing again, seemingly without reason
• Jolting during startup
• A ‘cranking’ sound when starting up the golf cart

If you experience any of these things, we recommend giving our Service & Parts department a call (or filling out the form on the page). We’d be happy to help you get your golf cart back up and running in time for June’s beautiful, sunny days.

Need Repair or Service For Your Golf Cart? Garrett’s Has Your Back

Our Service department is staffed with skilled, experienced technicians who are happy to help you out! We’ll walk you through the problems as we find them, help you decide on the right solution, and perform high-quality repairs that get you back out on the green.

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