Very odd problem
 

My wife's 2008 gas Club Car Precedent has a problem that I have no idea where to even start. It starts, stops and runs great on flat ground and going downhill. It runs great going uphill BUT if she stops at the top of the hill it will not start. I mean like ALL of the electrical is dead, no crank, no clicking, no nothing. If she doesn't stop it continues to run fine with no issues. When it does this we can let it sit for 3-5 minutes it starts right back up fine and has no issue again until another hill comes along. When it first started I would shake the wires on the microswitch thinking this was the issue because the wires did seem a little loose. It would seem to work BUT this was also after it set for a few minutes. I put new ends on the wires and replaced the microswitches but I still have the issue. It's got a new solenoid on it also. The starter was replaced last year. This issue started about 2 months ago.

Does anyone out there have any idea at all what I can look for?

Re: Very odd problem
 

Seems like a bad battery connection.
Check and make sure the cables and terminals at the battery are clean and tight.
Also check the ground cable where it attaches to the frame. It’s kinda below the battery and prone to corrosion on the precedents.

Re: Very odd problem
 

Thank you. I will check this out for sure. But I'm curious how this would only happen after going uphill and stopping if it is a connection issue and remedy itself after a few minutes of sitting. I've thought about the battery and did clean the connections earlier this year. The battery itself is about 2 years old but does have an oily residue on top for some reason. I have not checked the ground but I will.

Re: Very odd problem
 

Heat.
More engine load, higher rpm going up hill will produce more heat.

Why was the starter replaced? Was this happening before that got replaced?
Is it a Club Car original starter?

Re: Very odd problem
 

No I've never had this issue until about 2 months ago. Starter was replaced because it was a cheap generic starter and the winding came apart and locked it up. I replaced it with an AMD brand.

What would the oily residue on top of the battery be? Possibly boiling over?

Re: Very odd problem
 

There shouldn't be oil on it, unless its from grease on the posts.
These will get acid buildup on them, which is pretty normal due to heat and vibration. That should wash right off with a hose.

Re: Very odd problem
 

it did wipe off with a rag easily. Popped the caps off the battery and the water was very low. Is it possible the battery could be the cause even though its only 2 years old? If it's low on water and possibly causing it to overheat?

Re: Very odd problem
 

Might want to check the voltage output of the starter generator.
High voltage output can cause battery level to get low.
Put in maintenance mode and run the engine at full throttle and check voltage at the battery posts. Should be in about 13.5 to 14.7v range.
If its getting above 15v that will put more stress on the starter generator and can make it run hot and burn up.
Over 15v would indicate bad connections for the voltage regulator, loose/corroded ground, corroded positive input wire, or the regulator is failing.

Re: Very odd problem
 

I checked the voltage. Not running checked about 12.6v running started at 14.65 and topped out at 14.88v after warming up. Does this seem to be too high? The ground cable has started corroding again after I cleaned them about a month ago. Should I replace the battery with this and the past issue of low water level and what appears to be leakage on top of battery?

Re: Very odd problem
 

14.8v is a little high but not uncommon. Check the ground for the voltage regulator and make sure it is clean.


I'd be tempted to replace the battery if you're having problems with corrosion on the posts and excessive venting, but if the ground cable is corroding make sure you clean that up really well and apply silicone grease or battery terminal grease to the posts and cable ends to help prevent future problems.