Solenoid question

boonesbuggies

My brother who claimed he knew what he was doing called me and said tried to jump the solenoid on his 36v txt pds after he told me how he did it I'm concerned he may of burned up a new controller. He said he jumped the two small studs together. Please tell me worst case he ruined the solenoid!

BGW

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BobBoyce

That would short the controller output that turns on the solenoid. Hopefully he did not press the pedal while it was shorted. Maybe there is a fuse on the +48V side that protected the controller output from damage.

Bob

boonesbuggies

It's a 36v with a fuse on B- side of the controller and one off pack + to controller

cgtech

If it's a series car, the gas pedal switch, or Reed switch is likely blown. If it's a PDS car, could be worse.

boonesbuggies

It's a pds and he said the petal wasn't pressed it made an ark when jumped and he quit

boonesbuggies

It got the controller

BobBoyce

The solenoid FET is a far better failure to deal with than the motor FETs. The solenoid can be bypassed and just let the motor FETs control power. What I would do instead is to use a relay triggered by the pedal switch using keyswitched power to activate the solenoid. A killed solenoid FET is usually a sign that the motor FETs are ready to go, but this was caused by improper testing instead of motor FET overloads.

Alternatively, the motor FET might be able to be changed out.

Bob

cgtech

Oops, missed the Pds part. The only issue with rewiring it to use the pedal switch is that the controller might notice the "not as expected" solenoid operation and throw a fit about "solenoid failed to blah blah blah". (welded, did not close)

BobBoyce

Yup, the PDS controller is fickle about timing. I'm thinking the electromechanical delay of the relay closing to power the solenoid, and then the electromechanical delay of the solenoid then closing, is about the right amount of delay to trick the POST into passing at that point. Which is why a direct solenoid bypass would not be a goods option. If it were me, I would at least try to open the controller and replace the main coil FET rather than replace the entire controller. Unless his brother did other testing that could have done further controller damage that is. This is one of those cases that really requires the controller to be put on a test bench for a full functionality evaluation. The problem is, FSIP normally charges so much for that, that it's probably better to just buy a new replacement. If I remember right, their current evaluation quote is between $360 and $375. I work with FSIP at times, as we have similar capabilities. By contract however, I'm not permitted to interrfere with other OEMs business plans when it comes to Curtis controllers. It it's a simple memory corruption caused by unstable power, that's something an end user can fix if they have a compatible programmer and they get a correct file emailed to them. But electronic damage is not one of those things that can be fixed by a reflash or cloning of the controllers affected memory.

Bob

scottyb

I know you mean well and you are certainly telling us you know a lot about controllers and that you have the same capabilities as FSIP but, I don't think the same person who shorted the solenoid coil trying to test the cart is capable of understanding half of what you are posting... much less be capable of repairing a control by himself.

It seems to me this person's mistake is no worse than installing the diode wrong which blows the pedal box ms in this cart. Lots of people do that without blowing a control. I don't trust the controller is dead diagnosis from this guy. I want proof. Verified input at the proper pins and failed output at the proper terminals before I'm buying in.