Loosing power going up hills

uhpilot

I have an '04 PDS 36v 6" lift 23" tires with brand new (Sep 09) batteries and all 4ga wires. The contoller looks like the stock Curtis but has a sticker on bottom that says 400amp. Motor is stock but it has NO regen braking to it at all. (with steep chip)

It drives great and fast on fairly flat ground but when I get to the hills (not really that steep) it slows down bad going up them. If me and my dad both are on it then sometimes it wont make it up. If I keep the speed up it will make it but if I ever stop or ease up it slow it won't

Could this be the motor, controller or selonoid. I am NOT looking for speed but more power/torque for going up the hills. These hills aren't really that steep or long, I have driven up a whole lot worst on the golf course.



Thanks

Ricky

BGW

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roady89

You need a controller upgrade or take the speed chip out.

uhpilot

Will just a contoller work? I've read here that the contoller gives you the torque and the motor the speed.

The speed chip was this first thing I took out when I bought it. It has the steep hill chip now.


Thanks


Ricky

dougmcp

Sounds like low charge, bad cables or bad batteries.
I know the batteries are relatively new and so are the cables. Is everything clean and tight?
What is your pack voltage after a full charge and rest for at least an hour?
It should be at least 38.2v.
I would take all the chips out for now.

tonyton

Hi Ricky,
The freedom (speed) chip should have no downhill braking. The steep hill chip should have max downhill braking. So,...something doesn't sound right to me.
If you upgrade the controller you probably need to upgrade the solenoid. Maybe the F&R switch too.
I don't know enough about these to go any further than that. The big tires are hard to compensate for... See ya around, Tony

uhpilot

I have a volt meter hooked up as my power meter. After a charge or sitting there for a while after I drive it they are 38.3-38.4. As I drive it drops down to around 34 or so with plenty of power.

When I get to the hlls it usually drops to 32 or so. The other day it showed 34.2 as we were trying to get up one incline and it just wouldn't get up it.

As far as the chip, I have driven enough PDS carts on the golf course to know that the regen braking isn't acting right. Going down one hll we have it almost feels likes its freewheeling. I dont feel any regen braking at all. Thats why I took the speed chip out first thing

Thanks for all your help.

I just hope an upgrade will help it out. I don't want to go to a gas powered utv.

roady89

That battery voltage is real low under load. The batts sound like they are toast BUT you say they are 09's? What KIND of batteries are they?


*edit. Ok, you have the hill chip. Something doesn't seem right with the batts. The voltage should not drop that low unless they are REAL dead. Are you SURE its the hill chip?

uhpilot

Yep sure about the chip. The voltage readings I am giving are with the excelerator pedel depressed, not sitting there. As soon as I stop for just a few minutes the readings are back up to 38 or so.

Everything is tight as far as cables.


Thanks For your help


Ricky

tonyton

No chip is "all terrain" mode. .

roady89

Yes, they shouldn't drop down that low with the pedal depressed. What KIND of batteries are they? Whats the 2 digit code stamped into the battery terminal?