F&R rocker switch keeps going bad

DKRgoods

I am looking for ideas on why my F&R rocker switch keeps going bad. I have a 99 CC DS Regen 2 with the Regen bypassed. Last year my wife was driving it and it just stopped. By reading this forum I did some testing and discovered it was the F&R rocker switch. Changed it and all was good til this past weekend.

My grandson and I were playing basketball and when we went to leave... the cart wouldn't move. I had the rear buzzer but no motion. Towed the cart back to my campsite, disconnected the battery and removed the diode from the solenoid. Connected everything back (no diode) and the cart moved again. Stopped to talk to some friends on a test drive and BAMM!!! wouldn't move again.

Sooo.. I disconnected the negative cable again and put everything back (diode) together and now the cart works like normal. One thing I did notice is when I put the F&R switch to forward I heard the solenoid click which I know its not supposed to till you hit the gas pedal. This is what it did last year and when I replaced the F&R switch everything worked great.

Now the only thing I have done to the cart is new batteries a year ago. (tested and all is good there). I have a Bandit motor with the stock controller and stock solenoids but I added a diode and resistor to the solenoids. 4ga wire all around. Disconnected speed sensor so I can ROLL/FLY up and down the hills at camp.

Now the question is could the stock controller be adding to much juice to the F&R switch and burning it up? Should I look into a new controller with a matching solenoid? Any ideas?

BGW

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum

joesam

Nobody has jumped in, so I'll take a shot.....
I don't think your cart had either on the solenoid(s) in stock configuration - correct? Now, I can't imagine the diode would make any difference - but I wonder about the resistor on a Regen 2 solenoid circuit that is designed to work without one (that's really a Sergio question - hopefully he'll weigh-in)?
Are you sure the switch is really "going bad"? Did you crack open an old one and see burnt contacts - or measure ohms on the switch tabs and discover open contacts, while switched back & forth?

Its a long shot - but one other thing you can do (in case connectors are poor or intermittent) is check all spade & wire ring connectors to ensure they are making good clean contact. Also, (with pack negative disconnected) you can spray the male and female connectors on your controller; and the spade connectors on the rocker switch with drug store type isopropyl alcohol, then unseat/reseat them while "wet" to ensure that you get clean metal to metal contact with all pins. Wait an hour for the alcohol to evaporate before reconnecting pack negative. I know this process sounds a bit lame - but the alcohol/connector treatment actually helped one guy last year (admittedly Regen 1) get back up & running. Also, pulling spade connectors sometimes help you discover ones that are corroded or "just barely holding on" - so its a dual purpose exercise.

Sergio

The fact that you heard the buzzer eliminates the FNR switch from being a problem.

It would appear that removing power from the system is what is making it work again.

Since the Regen2 charges its capacitors through the controller 23 pin connector, adding a resistor to the main solenoid may cause issues with any kind of "main welded" detection circuit, although I don't know if the old controllers even did that.

Next time You have the problem, turn the key switch ON/OFF several times and also press the pedal several times to see if the problem goes away.

If if does, fix whichever has a bad connection.

If not, next time just remove power, wait 10 minutes and plug the power back.

DKRgoods

Thanks!!! I'll try all mentioned.

glassk

Are you using the tow/run switch before the battery work ?

if it does it again might operate it along with trying the key .

(PIN 1) RED WIRE
Supplies 48 volt input to controller through the red wire to keep capacitors inside the
controller charged. Supplies voltage when key switch is either ON or OFF, if TOW/RUN switch
is in RUN position. Voltage input to controller capacitors is shut off when TOW/RUN switch is
in TOW position.

DKRgoods

Hi glassk,

Yes.. I always turn the tow/run switch to tow then disconnect the neg on the battery pack before any work.

I think my issue has to do with the resistor I added to the solenoid so I am going to remove it and just leave the diode.

As you stated "(PIN 1) RED WIRE Supplies 48 volt input to controller through the red wire to keep capacitors inside the controller charged."

I'll be removing the resistor this weekend when I go back to camp and I'll let everyone know of my results.

Love this Forum!

glassk

I was just wondering if the tow switch might be dropping the signal to pin 2 , and when you operate it off/ and / back on it does as Sergio mentioned

"It would appear that removing power from the system is what is making it work again"

when you say regen bypassed, the second solenoid , I have a 99 that was done on when I bought it, turns out they did away with it in later models anyway , found by reading older post.

DKRgoods

UPDATE......

Removed resistor from solenoid. Let it sit without any power for about 15 minutes. Connected everything back and BAMM!!! We are go to go.

NOTE... NEVER and I mean NEVER put a resistor on the solenoid of a Regen 2.

Thanks to everyone who responded.