I am embarrassed.. I am stumped

Tha_Rooster

I was just moving about 5mph up a slight hill and all of a sudden it stopped. So of course I gave it more pedal and it would not go. No foward or reverse so I wiggled the key switch and the f/r lever nothing. Then it just started working again right how of no where. So I brought back into my shop and looked for loose connections I found nothing but could feel some major heat. The speed controller darn near burnt my hand. The F/R I could feel heat and the motor was almost as hot as the controller. What could cause this? This was a slow 35 minute cruise through my neighborhood. Never had this happen before.

The cart was showing a near full charge and while it wouldn't move my voltage meter was showing a near full charge and is wired to my switch.

The cart is a 1997 CC 48volt
G.E 5.5hp 5700RPM motor non-regen
BU 700AMP speed controller
H/D forward and reverse lever
4 Gauge Cables all around
Heavy-Duty 48V 4-Terminal Solenoid
Batteries are June 2005 Trojan T-875

BGW

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BRS

My guess is you were going too slow for too long. My understanding of the D-380 motor is it likes to be run fast not slow, I think you may have gone into thermal shutdown on that controller. I have the same setup as you and mine has not shut down yet...but based on what I've learned it's due to happen with too much weight, too much incline, or too slow/too long or a combination of all. Maybe Nate can explain things better!

BTW, where in NE Ga are you? I know you've got some real hills/mountains there. We have a cabin outside of Clayton, Ga.

Tha_Rooster

I am in Gainesville, Ga. Right by lake lanier. My neighborhood is pretty flat but part of my yard that I was driving on has a slight slope. The temp that I could read on the controller was 140 degree F on a thermal probe.

BRS

We need Nate, but if you were going slow for an extended period of time it could have caused the overheating on your controller. Mine get's real hot at low speeds with very little weight. I hear Lake Lanier has a kick a$$ campground, my buddy lives in Bufordville and specifically got a torque motor with high speed gears for those little hills.

Tha_Rooster

We got a few campground's most are fed. owned but they have close about half of them down because they say they can't afford the funding but it was always packed.

We just got a new motorhome about a month ago and I would have loved to camp on the lake.

roady89

Cruising at a sustained speed going up hills will pull more amps than you think, especially with your motor. I bet if you were to take the same route just a little faster it wouldn't go into thermal shutdown.

The motor you have isn't suited for low speeds very well. Do you happen to have a clamp type ammeter? You could measure the amp draw with one of those.

PowerWashofVa

I added a small computer fan hooked, it up and now the problem is solved I put a toggle switch on on the dash and when I'm going to ride for a while I just hit the switch.

Tha_Rooster

I just learn something new every day. Thats just what I get for being slow. I got a clamp meter. I might play around with it tomorrow and see what kind of amp's I was pushing.

lol my dash is running out of places to put switches. I found some Thermostatic Switches on the internet so I might mount like a 12volt 120mm fan I got laying around.