[GreggC69]

Have a 2019 Yamaha Quietech Drive 2. It lunges when giving light throttle. Runs great when you are full accelerating; it's just when you are slight on the gas like pulling forward at a light, or moving up in a parking spot. Have been told it is likely a "bad clutch". Anyone with experience with that repair and have any guesses on the cost to replace? Thanks.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by GreggC69

Have a 2019 Yamaha Quietech Drive 2. It lunges when giving light throttle. Runs great when you are full accelerating; it's just when you are slight on the gas like pulling forward at a light, or moving up in a parking spot. Have been told it is likely a "bad clutch". Anyone with experience with that repair and have any guesses on the cost to replace? Thanks.

If you haven't already done this, you might try cleaning the clutch surfaces with brake cleaner, adding grease, and checking the condition of the belt. Those simple steps solved the problem I was having without the expense of a new clutch.

[GreggC69]

Thanks Bill. I have not tried that. I am not very mechanically inclined (actually not even a little) but it looks like I will be googling to try and see how to do that. I have heard clutch replacement can be expensive so hoping I can avoid.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by GreggC69

Thanks Bill. I have not tried that. I am not very mechanically inclined (actually not even a little) but it looks like I will be googling to try and see how to do that. I have heard clutch replacement can be expensive so hoping I can avoid.

Not too difficult at all.

- remove the belt. Easy, no tools required, but google it to see how it is done.

- Put brake cleaner on a rag then clean any dust off the clutch plates.

- Use a grease gun to add one or two pumps of grease to the fitting on each of the clutches. This is the most difficult part since there is not a lot of room to get to the fitting.

- Check the condition of the belt. Is it cracked or visibly worn? Check the width to see if it is still within specs (can find this online). Buy a replacement if needed.

- Put belt back on (the old belt will still work while you are waiting for the new one. Again, easy to do, just the opposite of removing it.

If that doesn't help you've wasted about $5 and 30 minutes. If it does help you've saved hundreds.

[xkeowner]

A 2019 cart probably does not have a worn out clutch which Yamaha calls a sheave. If you have not replaced the belt it would be my first step and is a VERY easy to do 10 minute job but you will get dirty from your elbows down to your hands. If the belt is good AND clean as described above, replacing the clutch is an uncomplicated process. Basically four steps which does not involve jacking up the cart. All work is completed with the seat lifted off.

1. Remove the belt.
2. Remove the retaining bolt and washer then pull off the old clutch.
3. Slide on the new clutch then replace the washer and bolt then torque to 21-24 lb-ft.
4. Replace the belt.

I have the service manual for a 2020 but the procedure should be identical.

[GreggC69]

Thanks XKE. Does the lunging/jerking make sense for a bad belt? Not knowing much about carts, I also wondered if there's a chance its fuel system related. The jumping seems to be that feeling of not full fuel but then when you push pedal down and get started, it stops. It is just at that fine point on pushing the accelerator slightly that it jumps.

[CarlR33]

Originally Posted by GreggC69

Thanks XKE. Does the lunging/jerking make sense for a bad belt? Not knowing much about carts, I also wondered if there's a chance it’s fuel system related. The jumping seems to be that feeling of not full fuel but then when you push pedal down and get started, it stops. It is just at that fine point on pushing the accelerator slightly that it jumps.

Only if the motor changes sound related to this jerking. If a 2019 cart and it’s nearly 5 years old with no service ever to the belt I would guess that is a first step. Your manual may have the recommended service intervals listed in it including the belt cleaning and service? If not listed then a service manual may help further if you’re keeping the cart for a long time?

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by GreggC69

Have a 2019 Yamaha Quietech Drive 2. It lunges when giving light throttle. Runs great when you are full accelerating; it's just when you are slight on the gas like pulling forward at a light, or moving up in a parking spot. Have been told it is likely a "bad clutch". Anyone with experience with that repair and have any guesses on the cost to replace? Thanks.

How old the belt? That would be first place I would look?

You can remove 6 or so screws remove center dust cover and take cover housing off and clean it with brake clean. If over greased if just may be dirty and grit messing with weight throw? Or lack of grease may causing it to hang up. Usually one takes two or three pumps year?

If secondary about 230 bucks and and 15 mins or so. If primary double that cost? and have to special puller bolt and 5 time as hard to replace? I would suspect it’s secondary clutch malfunction? Not much can go wrong with primary centrifugal weight design other than over greasing or under greasing IMO. My primary clutch has over 10 years and 18K miles on it. Secondary clutch came apart and I replaced it at 15K miles.

[mrf0151]

Originally Posted by xkeowner

A 2019 cart probably does not have a worn out clutch which Yamaha calls a sheave. If you have not replaced the belt it would be my first step and is a VERY easy to do 10 minute job but you will get dirty from your elbows down to your hands. If the belt is good AND clean as described above, replacing the clutch is an uncomplicated process. Basically four steps which does not involve jacking up the cart. All work is completed with the seat lifted off.

1. Remove the belt.
2. Remove the retaining bolt and washer then pull off the old clutch.
3. Slide on the new clutch then replace the washer and bolt then torque to 21-24 lb-ft.
4. Replace the belt.

I have the service manual for a 2020 but the procedure should be identical.

Are you speaking about the Primary or Secondary replacement? Most often the issue is the Secondary. I have had two replaced.

[melpetezrinski]

Originally Posted by xkeowner

A 2019 cart probably does not have a worn out clutch which Yamaha calls a sheave. If you have not replaced the belt it would be my first step and is a VERY easy to do 10 minute job but you will get dirty from your elbows down to your hands. If the belt is good AND clean as described above, replacing the clutch is an uncomplicated process. Basically four steps which does not involve jacking up the cart. All work is completed with the seat lifted off.

1. Remove the belt.
2. Remove the retaining bolt and washer then pull off the old clutch.
3. Slide on the new clutch then replace the washer and bolt then torque to 21-24 lb-ft.
4. Replace the belt.

I have the service manual for a 2020 but the procedure should be identical.

So, there are weights and rollers that DO wear out and can cause the problems the OP stated. You also need a clutch puller to remove the primary. You also need to get access the the bolt, which very well might require the cart to be jacked and an impact driver wouldn't hurt. The OP stated they were not mechanically inclined, so this is not a task I would suggest. And if it's the driven clutch, "all work will NOT be completed with the seat off".

[mkjelenbaas]

Originally Posted by GreggC69

Have a 2019 Yamaha Quietech Drive 2. It lunges when giving light throttle. Runs great when you are full accelerating; it's just when you are slight on the gas like pulling forward at a light, or moving up in a parking spot. Have been told it is likely a "bad clutch". Anyone with experience with that repair and have any guesses on the cost to replace? Thanks.

DO NOT SERVICE AT SUMPTER LANDING Villages - they will up sell you like crazy - there are many companies that will do an honest repair in your driveway!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

[lawgolfer]

Originally Posted by GreggC69

Have a 2019 Yamaha Quietech Drive 2. It lunges when giving light throttle. Runs great when you are full accelerating; it's just when you are slight on the gas like pulling forward at a light, or moving up in a parking spot. Have been told it is likely a "bad clutch". Anyone with experience with that repair and have any guesses on the cost to replace? Thanks.

The first step is to replace the wide drive belt you see when you lift up the seat. This belt is easily worn, particularly when drivers do not "feather" the throttle when starting off from a dead stop. Ironically, my brand-new cart had a problem with lurching when starting off. I complained at the first service at 100 miles. The belt was changed, and the problem solved. The man who did the service told me to change the belt at each yearly service. I have and, each time, there is a dramatic improvement in the smoothness of starting off. No tools are needed to change the belt. It is, simply, a matter of pushing the belt to one side and pushing or pulling it to rotate the clutch until the belt comes off the pulley. Have the transmission in neutral--the lever at a 45 deg angle midway between straight up and straight sideways. Cleaning the clutch face with a spray can of brake cleaner and give a shot of grease to the zirk is also a good idea.

[DARFAP]

YouTube!

[MCJEFE]

If you want yo know if your belt is good, look for any cracking and or delaminating, then measure the with with a digital or dial caliper (about $10 at Walmart). According to the manual it should measure 31mm when new and 27mm when it needs to be replaced. It's not uncommon for them to wear out in 2-4 years.

NEVER use more than one squirt of grease, once per year on you clutch.

[Raywatkins]

We had the secondary clutch go on our 2018 Quietech.
The first problem was that there were no parts available to get. It’s not a difficult job.
The only option was to use Villages Golf Carts - as they are the Yamaha dealer.
They do not sell parts.
Total cost was around $320 about 18 months ago.
Hope that helps.
But as others have pointed out it sounds like a belt problem.
There is no adjustment on the clutch, so a new belt would be a good start.
Be careful, we had a mobile company, replace this before the clutch blew.
They fitted the wrong size.
This may have caused the clutch failure - but no way of knowing.
Although many people have had less than happy experiences with VGC, we find the guys at Spanish Springs both helpful and knowledgeable. They happily look and give an assessment on the likely fault and the price of repair.