How big a controller before upgrading other stuff

mauistardog

Hi All, How big of a controller can you up a stock 36v cart before having to change solenoid and FnR to heavy duty ? I am thinking my controller is going bad, so if I upgrade from the stock 270 amp one, can I go to 400 amps without changing out the other stuff ?
thanks
joe

BGW

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arcitech

Yes you can, but if any other part is marginal or worn, the higher amperage will cause extra heat and that can cause melted battery terminals, melted/burned wires and a whole lot of other problems if you plan on using full power from your cart with the new controller installed. At a minimum with a 400amp controller I would change all the cables to 4 guage and make sure that all the connections and contacts are clean and tight. You may or may not have problems with your master solenoid, heavy duty is always the best way to go if you plan on any mods. The extra money for new cables and a solenoid with your new controller purchase will save you a lot of headaches down the line.

scottyb

Agreed, 350 is about the max on the old 100 amp solenoid and 6ga cables... you will not get the full effect of the 400 on the old cables and the orig solenoid may not last long.
I use a HD solenoid on the 400a controllers

mauistardog

Thanks, the cables are all 4 ga. now. I have been having problems with my cart. It goes very slow, put new batteries, still slow, pulled the motor and put new brushes..still slow...like 4 or 5 mph. I posted earlier and tried to test my controller. I got about 34.8v at rest and about 36.1 with the pedal fully pressed. I test 38 + v on the batter pack. another member tried to help and got me so far, but my limited electrical skills come into play and could not follow along on any further testing. Anyone have a drawing of which terminal to test with a volt meter ? any thanks again for the help. I was planning on upgrading so I may change everything out and hope for the best

aloha
joe

mauistardog

Scotty, is there an HD solenoid that I can use on a 36v cart now and use if I upgrade to 48v ?
joe

scottyb

Not really .. there are controllers you can use on 36 or 48v. but the solenoids are pretty much voltage specific. Your problem may be battery related..... have you tested the SG of those batteries or done a load test?

mauistardog

No to the testing, the batteries are new. I tested the old ones and found they were bad, so I thought a new set was the problem. So batteries are brand spanking new and volt test fine. The local ev guy swore it was the brushes, but 4 new brushes later, still nothing. It moves, but real slow. something is not letting the motor have all the juice. I'll buy a new motor if that is what it takes, but I seem to be on a path of replace each part one at a time till I find the problem. I'll save the motor for last

joe

ps love your web site, i guess i missed the sale

scottyb

How about a beefed up F&R cam for your switch

How did the motor armature look when you took it apart? Any sign of wear where the brushes ride?

mauistardog

Did not pull the motor apart, took it in to a electrical motor shop, he did visual of the motor, said the brushes were fine, which he turned out to be correct. Said he thought motor was fine and that the where the brushes make contact with the motor, which we could see from the 4 access holes for the brushes that it was fine. He showed me a bad one and said it would be rainbow colored if it was burned up or something like that. He would have taken it a part for me but would have had to charge me. He did not want to charge me because he did not think he would find anything wrong based on what he could see. He said if something was wrong with motor, it would not work at all, not just run slowly. The place mostly works on starters, alternators, and some fork lift stuff, but only rebuild starters and alternators. have you ever had a motor run just slow ? I can pull the motor again, but it is bitch because the solenoid and controller gotta be unbolted to make room. can a solenoid give you only partial power ? i thought it was either on or off, no in between.
joe

scottyb

It sounds like your guy knows what he is talking about. So if the motor is good then it must be starving for power..... double check for a bad 'new' battery then look at the cables where they wrap around the battery frames toward the rear of the cart.......... sometimes they rub until they short out there? (on the passenger side Right behind the batts)