Cart won't go sometimes

[Walrus127]

I have a 2006 Ezgo PDS cart. Couple months ago I lost the controller due to a shorted wire on the solenoid. I replaced the controller with a stock one. Cart has been doing fine. Yesterday I was playing golf and noticed that a couple times when I started off the cart would jump a little. Today I was playing and on several different times when I pushed the go pedal nothing happen. couple times I heard several short beeps. usually waiting a few seconds or even a minuet and pushing the pedal it would take off and run fine, may not do it again for several holes. When it would not go I could hear the solenoid clicking when I pushed the pedal. Now this has me worried that I'm going to get stranded on the course. Any suggestion what this might be or where to look would be appreciated.

[usgicollector]

Well start with the batteries and check the water use only distilled. With a DVM check to see what the pack voltage is. Should be 38.3 for 36 volt system. What name brand of batteries do you have? How old are your batteries. How often do you charge them?

[Walrus127]

The batteries and cables are just shy of a year old. I have been working and did not get a chance to check the voltage. I charge it every time I return home( I work at the golf course and use the cart to go back and forth as well as play.) Yesterday morning (Saturday) I unplugged the cart and drove it to work. It did fine. Last night when I started home I stopped to answer a phone call and when I started to leave the cart would do nothing when the pedal was pushed. I waited for about 45 seconds just pushing the pedal a couple times when it took off and ran fine all the way home. I'm wondering if this is related to the problem I had when the motor wire shorted to the solenoid. This is when I had to replaced the controller.

[scottyb]

There are basically halves of the drive system.
1 half = The low amperage side which activates the solenoid and tells the controller you want to go and how fast.
2nd half = is the high amperage side which delivers battery high amperage to the motor to drive the cart.
Finding an intermittent problem can be a difficult thing - you can only troubleshoot it when it is not working.
Initially you want to double check both ends of all 10 battery cable connections and battery pack voltage to eliminate a simple problem.
If the solenoid clicks when you try to go then most of the low amp side is working. Verifying the throttle signal is correct would complete low amperage circuits tests. See below.


The picture below shows a fairly common trouble spot for the TXT carts. This trouble spot is located behind the battery closest to the speed control. If you have lost 1 control and are having intermittent run problems you should probably pull the 1 battery and insure this is not a problem for this cart.

[Walrus127]

Thanks Scotty I will check this next.

[Walrus127]

I have been checking for shorts in wiring chassis rubs any thing I could find. everything looks good. This morning I went out and played 18 holes of golf. on several different occasions the cart would not go when I press the pedal. after waiting for a few seconds to a minuet it would engage and go. one time it started and would only run very slowly it did this for a couple holes then started back running like it was suppose to. After searching on the net I just went out and put the cart in diagnostics mode and got the 3-2 code which is solenoid wielded. it said to replace the solenoid. My question to you experts out there is do you think this would cause the crazy trouble I have been having?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Walrus127

I have been checking for shorts in wiring chassis rubs any thing I could find. everything looks good. This morning I went out and played 18 holes of golf. on several different occasions the cart would not go when I press the pedal. after waiting for a few seconds to a minuet it would engage and go. one time it started and would only run very slowly it did this for a couple holes then started back running like it was suppose to. After searching on the net I just went out and put the cart in diagnostics mode and got the 3-2 code which is solenoid wielded. it said to replace the solenoid. My question to you experts out there is do you think this would cause the crazy trouble I have been having?

Replacing solenoid is the second suggested action, the first is check the Auxiliary Voltage.

Check the voltage on J1 Pins 4 & 5. Plug is mounted upside down, so pin-5 is far left side on bottom row. (See attached)

They should both be FULL battery pack voltage. If pack reads 38.2V, both Pin 4 and 5 should also read 38.2V.

Pin-4 is connected to B+ via the reed switch.
Pin-5 is connected to B+ via the battery side large terminal on the solenoid.

If the either reads less than full pack voltage, you may get a wielded solenoid error.

[Walrus127]

I was going to replace the selonid tonight. When I went to loosen the nut on the right side of the selonid I foun a small red wire connected to that post that comes out of the wiring harness was burnt at the connector site. I cleaned up the wire checked the connection and taped the wire with electrical tape. Took the cart out on the course and rode the entire 18 holes plus and the cart did fine. Best I can tell from the wiring diagram I looked at this wire runs back to the pedal box I think. In the morning I'm going to splice the wire and install a new connector. And see if this corrects my problem.

[scottyb]

Sounds like you may have found it

[JohnnieB]

Sounds like you did find it!

The red wire on the right side large solenoid terminal goes to J1 Pin-5.

It is tapped inside the wiring harness with a "Sonic Weld" and also branches to the reverse beeper. That may be the red wire you saw heading towards the front of the cart.

A bad sonic weld is also a source of false welded solenoid errors as well as a bad connection on the solenoid's battery side large terminal like you had.