EZGO PDS Shudders/Won't Move with Much Diagnosing

Shane _WY

Hi. I'm new here and new to trying to work on golf carts, though I do have much mechanics experience. This thing has me stumped.

I have read a lot of this same problem and have tried to diagnose everything simple so far. This is for an EZGO PDS cart, TXT I think.

Here goes:
1. Battery pack voltage is over 37 volts. Drops to 34.7 when I try to move the cart. I have taken off each cable and tested each battery. They all read close voltages at over 6 volts each. I load tested each battery individually and they all tested good. (Was hoping for a bad battery ie. easy fix!) Solenoid clicks when the accelerator is pressed. Cart shudders momentarily and then stops. Cleaned all cables and connectors and sprayed with battery post protectant.

2. Did diagnostics several times and got three beeps each time.

3. Undid, cleaned, retightened each connection, including on motor.

4. Checked motor and it has 37 volts at all four terminals, which I thought was weird.

5. Jacked up rear end and tried it again. Rear tires spin slowly at first and then take off at a fairly quick speed, but only in reverse. Doesn't matter whether the FNR switch is in F or R, the tires always spin in reverse.

6. Jumped between both large sides of the solenoid with a welding rod and tried the accelerator. Nothing.

7. Read somewhere to jump between main battery power and the small solenoid post with the blue wire. Did this and got a small arc. Now solenoid doesn't click.

Any thing else to check? Any ideas? Guessing I have now smoked the solenoid at least. It just looks like a regular Ford starter solenoid. Right?

The controller is a Curtis PMC S/N 1043-P059213

Thanks!
Shane

BGW

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scottyb

#5 = controller failure. I'd start there.

TheFlash16

Sometimes if you jump a wire from battery pack to small post on solenoid it blows the micro switch. I'd take the floor mat off and check that. When checking the batteries wire them all together, jack the wheels off the ground (of course use jack stands) and press the accelerator to 1/4 throttle and check each battery. Sounds like a bad battery to me. Lemme know!

Cameron

scottyb

It sounds like a weak battery until it goes F in F&R ?

Then it sounds like a bad battery which may have killed a controller.

Sir Nuke

On top of the things listed by the other guys, he states that he was disconnecting and reconnecting wires, HOWEVER, and considering its a PDS, he never stated that he flipped the RUN/TOW switch to TOW.......if not, another symptom of a blown controller.

Shane _WY

You're onto me about the tow switch. I didn't know about that until I all the batteries tested OK and I had to get online because I didn't know where to go from there. I may have messed up the controller from what I gathered, but what made it stop to start with?

As I stated in my first post, I tested each battery individually with a load tester and they all tested good with very little voltage drop when loaded.

When I disconnected the first battery, the cart beeped once. Not sure what that indicates.

When you talk about burning up the microswitch by bridging the solenoid posts, I assume you're talking about the switch on the accelerator? It still clicks. I also traced the wires and did a continuity test and it appears to be working fine.

Thanks for the posts!
Shane

Shane _WY

Just ran back to the shop to check a couple things on the cart.

#1 - Measured the battery pack voltage after sitting for 12 hours without a charger. It is still at 37.9 V, which is where it has been all day, even with all the messing and testing I've done.

#2 - Tested the solenoid and it is still good. So I must have killed whatever provides power to the small terminals. What does this?

As I stated above, I have the Curtis 1043 controller, but I can't find this one online. Can someone direct me to one, or a suitable alternative?

Thanks!

Thatsme?

I would check out the site sponsors.

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/site-sponsors.php

JohnnieB

1. The batteries are at 90% SoC (State of Charge). They should be kept at full charge except when cart is being driven.
Attached is a chart showing SoC vs voltage after a 12 hour rest. The pack will read roughly 38.2V when fully charged, each battery will readd 6.37V and all batteries should be within 0.1V of each other.

2. A PDS controller supplies both B+ and B- to the solenoid coil. Arcing either one of the small terminals can take out the controller.

---------
In your first post, you gave the Serial Number of the controller and 1043 is part of the serial number.
If you have a PDS cart, it is a Curtis 1206MX controller, which is Part Number 73326G0x

Attached are pictures showing top label and front view of a PDS controller in a 2008 cart.
If your controller looks like that, an Alltrax DCX400 would be a suitable replacement.
Package# 808 about 2/3 the way down the page: http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Custom_Options.html

Last picture is with a DCX400 installed

Attached Images

	JohnnieB's SoC Chart.JPG (66.2 KB, 0 views)
	Controller.jpg (36.5 KB, 0 views)
	Original - Controller.JPG (607.1 KB, 0 views)
	DCX Installed-2.jpg (893.7 KB, 0 views)

Shane _WY

The top of my controller says:
CURTISPMC
P/N 73326G02
S/N 1043-P059213

I assumed the 1043 was the model number.