Is My Golf Cart Slow?
 

I know my golf cart does close to 20 MPH but driving around TV, I have noticed many gas golf carts going faster than 20 MPH!!!

I was just curious if anyone else has noticed this or do I need to get my golf cart checked, as I don't have a speedometer, installed!

Isn't a golf cart that does more than 20 MPH subject to a speeding ticket and need to be modified back to do the correct speed limit?

Or, maybe, it's just my golf cart. Curious minds want to know!

We go 20 mph and get passed a lot. I am guessing it is speeding carts and nothing wrong with yours. Do you have a smartphone? There is an app for the iPhone that checks speed.

Just like on the HiWay...............there are speeders.

Just do your own test with another cart (with speedo), or with a car.

You are probably fine and legal.

I had a good speedometer installed on my cart and if you are only doing 19-20 be prepared to be overtaken by most of the other carts in your vicinity

Your car probably goes more than the speed limit. So do some golf carts.

If you have a smart phone you can download a speedometer app. that will tell you your speed.

More electric than gas
 

Sorry, our cart is gas and is set to go 19.6 mph. I cannot tell you how MANY times we get passed, not by the gas ones, by the ELECTRIC carts. I also notice electric cart ads for high powered ones.

Many people think that the gas carts are too smelly. That is because too many people do not know NOT to put regular gas in them. The higher the octane, the hotter it burns. Small engines require the higher octane. Not only do they run cleaner, but smoother. I did not know this until my niece's husband, who works will all kinds of engines, told us. Since then, we only get the higher octane....big difference!

you can also check with your gps from your car , it is battery. and I think lots of people get the bigger wheels , more speed......22-24 mph

You can also use a hand held gps like garmin to check your speed.

My observation of our own cart is that the Villages golf shop set ours to go 20. Most of the time we wern't going 20 but much less because of inclines in the road. The maximum ours would go is 20 but that is only if we were on a totally flat surface with the pedal all the way down. Most of the time we were not on a flat surface. Our cart is now set to go 23 and that seems to keep us at 20 most of the time even when going up a hill. Works for us. Adding a speedometer to our cart makes us much more aware of our speed. Plus we added seatbelts which now I don't know how we ever did without them.

I realize that going up inclines makes a cart go slower, especially if it is electric, as opposed to gas carts, but almost all carts whiz by me!!!.

I always believed in seat belts, for safety reasons and had them installed also.

I have also seen many people flying around curves and edging to the wrong side of the cart path. Geez, would an extra second to one's trip, tilt the world, off it's axis.

I need to get a horn for protection purposes, as I may need to warn someone, they are pulling, a no no.

Sorry doesn't cut it with me if I get hurt, due to someone negligence. We all say we are sorry to see someone get badly hurt but these faster carts need to rein in their speed on certain occasions. If one needs to get somewhere faster, take your car.

OOP's, I forgot. They have to make their tee times. I lost track of what is really important. My bad.................:D

BTW - Leaving a few minutes earlier would be a excellent idea to make appointments, etc........

He is totally wrong. First, high octane doesn't burn hotter, but is slower to ignite which high compression engines need so as not to knock. The higher the compression of the engine the higher octane it needs. Your golf cart is far from a high compression engine and should use only regular or 87 octane. Using high test gas in an engine designed for regular will lead to carbon deposits. It's a popular belief that "high test" means hotter, more energy, more performance, but that isn't true. It is simply an octane which slows down the ignition of the gas in the combustion chamber so as to not allow early firing in the chamber to cause knocking and engine damage.
If in doubt always look into your owners manual. The engineers who built your cart are pretty smart and you can believe them when they say use reg. gas.

You are correct, unfortunately people will think what they want to think and continue to waste money on high test [emoji33]

Mine will go 25 but I only use that capability to quickly pass and get back into our lane. I never pass someone doing 20 except those that do 20 in the straight and then slow down to 5 in the corners.

You're got a hotrod. Mine won't go over 22 downhill.

Who the heck cares is someone passes you as long as they do it safely and don't run you off the path. I am more concerned about cart drivers not paying attention or those who get ****ed off if you want to pass them. Be courteous and drive safe.

I have found that there are numerous web sites that advise how to increase speed, Electric or gas powered, the fuel you burn in a gas powered has far less impact on speed than the Governor setting. If you are happy with being a Law abiding citizen then drive your golf cart at the legal 20 MPH speed limit, if someone is so obsessed with speed then as long as they can do it safely and not endanger you or anyone else then wave to them as they pass and both you and myself can enjoy our retirement in leisure, and have many wonderful days.

Passing another cart that is going 20mph is not a safe thing to do. There are bicyclists, joggers, and walkers all using the multi modal paths. Having two carts doing 20 mph and faster taking up both lanes and bearing down on you when you are walking or cycling is never a safe thing to do. If we want to enjoy our retirement and leisure why are we going so fast? Where is the rush? These altered carts that can go up to 30mph are a hazard and the people who are obsessed with speed are more reckless and aggressive than legal cart drivers. I have talked to a number of people in my neighborhood who have altered their governors with twist ties so they can go 25mph and faster. I have asked them what they were going to do if they were in an accident and one said he would cut the tie off before the authorities arrived. I asked him if the other people would see him doing this, plus what if he were injured and lying on the ground. Altering these carts could cause insurance problems for a large claim or criminal charges if there are fatalities or serious injuries. Slow down we are retired!

I really hate to tell on myself, doing what I did for a living, but the golf cart I rented this week, on flat pavement, not downhill, hit 34.9 mph. Waaaay too fast for a golf cart. 😳😁 20 is plenty.

I believe a few of us all have fractured an occasional law. Others will never admit it!:wave:

Where did you rent a cart from that goes 34.9 mph?

Will using the ethanol-free gas from Gordon's Garage at Lake Sumter Landing make the engine run better?

Thanks Shimpy for taking this myth on this time. I've been preaching this for a few years but still it continues to be resurrected. Premium gasoline in a golf cart is a waste of money and does nothing to improve performance nor does it reduce odor.

When we first bought our new cart (from TV Golf store) we were told to use only premium gas and put 1 oz of Stabul in the tank on every fill up. I had a call from TV Golf Cart Maintenance on a 6 month inspection. The tech called to ask about gas and the black stuff in the bottom of my gas tank. He reported that continuing use of both was completely unnecessary. Stabul should only be used if the cart sits for long periods of time. We are full time residents.

OP, my guess is that at least half of the golf carts in TV will do more than 20 mph. I am not sure that speed is the major cause of golf cart accidents---more lack of "attention" could be the major cause. My car will due over 100 mph but the speed limit is not anywhere near 100 mph.

The owner's manual for my 2014 Yamaha gas cart says that fuels containing more than 10% ethanol are not recommended. This implies that 10% ethanol fuel (typically what we see at gas stations) is OK and spending $1/gallon extra for ethanol-free fuel is not required. I recommend that you check your owner's manual.

Just like CI's I used to work, it was from an individual that I swore not to divulge his name.

Just the facts Sir. Just the facts. Dum. Da. Dum. Dum.

Gasoline is basic stock additives make the octane ratings. Nearly all engines made today are Low compression engines. IMO there would no need for higher octane gasoline for the average grocery getter.

Why do you think golf cart gas station sell none ethanol gasoline?

Your right people will believe what they want. If they want to run higher octane in their equipment above the MIMIMUM rating there nothing wrong with that. The owner manual states the required minimum octane gasoline to be used. Higher octane can be used that for sale on the market at gas stations at higher price if so desired. Now would I go buy avgas, racing fuel, or Nitro, No! there would be no benefit using that high octane is basis design mass produced engine.

Get a speedometer installed. I have one and drive at 20 mph most of the time. Cart will go about 22 down hill, but will maintain 19 or 20 most everywhere. I very rarely get passed. However I come up behind many carts driving 15 to 17 mph and I am sure most think they are going 20 mph. Every once in a while one of the street legal electric carts will pass. But I find a lot more carts driving below 20 than above 20.