How to Adjust the Governor on a Golf Cart

In theory, golf carts make it easier for players to get across the course, saving their much-needed energy for the game. In practice, golf carts can be more of a nuisance than a help, as many standard carts creep along at unbearably slow speeds. Luckily, you don’t have to stick with these standard speeds. Golf cart speed is often controlled by a device called a governor, and you can adjust the governor on a golf cart relatively easily to make the cart faster.

1. Look for a small metal rod near your golf cart’s clutch.

2. If you find this rod, then your governor can be easily adjusted by accessing the cart’s inner workings. Simply adjust the cable coming from this metal protrusion, turning the nut counterclockwise to make the cable longer, effectively adjusting the cart’s governance to increase the overall speed. If you cannot find external controls, you’ll need to adjust the governor internally.

1. Open up your golf cart’s access panel to get to the engine. In many cases, the panel pops open like a car hood, but in some instances you’ll need to unscrew the panel first.

1. Locate the golf cart’s governor; you can find the governor by tracing the thickest cable running from the gas pedal. This cable runs through the governor on its way to the carburetor.

2. Use a screwdriver—or in some cases a wrench—to loosen the tension on the governor’s springs. You have now adjusted the governor for faster speed.