More Voltage Reducer questions

[Sergio]

Originally Posted by slowroller85

This is good information but prompts a question from me. (I am new to carts and have a 2012 CC precedent) I just installed a madjax Voltage reducer and fuse block. The Madjax instructions had me wire to main positive and main negative on the pack. Is this incorrect?

Also my light kit was installed by a dealer and they have one wire from the light harness (blue wire) going to a battery negative and another (black with white strip) going to the 12 Gage black wire with the yellow bullet connector.

If I'm reading your previous post correct how could that black 12gag wire be a ground when it is supplying power? I even checked it with a volt meter.

That is not correct for any Club Car with a working OBC.

All negative connections must be made on the Controller B- side of the OBC in order for the OBC to measure the discharging current (the OBC uses a Coulomb counting method, Ie: Energy In vs Energy Out).

Your Dealer did not use a Voltage Converter so he is tapping 2 batteries to produce 16v for the accessories.

This can easily lead to a premature failure of your entire pack depending on how much current is being used, but it saves the Dealer money.

Don't be fooled by the blue wire being connected to a negative battery post, if You follow the big cable connected to that post, it is also connected to the positive battery post of the previous battery which gives you +16v as measured from pack negative.

Once You get your Madjax converter wired up to +48v, just move that blue wire to the +12v output of your Madjax converter and your batteries will last a lot longer.

[slowroller85]

Originally Posted by Sergio

That is not correct for any Club Car with a working OBC.

All negative connections must be made on the Controller B- side of the OBC in order for the OBC to measure the discharging current (the OBC uses a Coulomb counting method, Ie: Energy In vs Energy Out).

Your Dealer did not use a Voltage Converter so he is tapping 2 batteries to produce 16v for the accessories.

This can easily lead to a premature failure of your entire pack depending on how much current is being used, but it saves the Dealer money.

Don't be fooled by the blue wire being connected to a negative battery post, if You follow the big cable connected to that post, it is also connected to the positive battery post of the previous battery which gives you +16v as measured from pack negative.

Once You get your Madjax converter wired up to +48v, just move that blue wire to the +12v output of your Madjax converter and your batteries will last a lot longer.

Ok so my negative or ground from my reducer would plug in to the black wire with the yellow bullet connector? Then if my fuse block also has a ground hook up would that too connect to that same black wire?

Also, why does that wire show voltage when I touch my positive voltmeter prob to it and the negative to a negative battery post.

[Sergio]

Originally Posted by slowroller85

Ok so my negative or ground from my reducer would plug in to the black wire with the yellow bullet connector? Then if my fuse block also has a ground hook up would that too connect to that same black wire?

Also, why does that wire show voltage when I touch my positive voltmeter prob to it and the negative to a negative battery post.

Are You saying from the pack negative battery post to that black wire with a bullet connector is showing voltage?

You only need one wire (12ga) from the black accessory wire (yellow bullet) to your fuse block.

Every other negative accessory wire, as well as the negative wires from the Converter will just go to the fuse box.

[slowroller85]

Originally Posted by Sergio

Are You saying from the pack negative battery post to that black wire with a bullet connector is showing voltage?

You only need one wire (12ga) from the black accessory wire (yellow bullet) to your fuse block.

Every other negative accessory wire, as well as the negative wires from the Converter will just go to the fuse box.

Yes from a negative battery post to that black wire with the bullet connector I show voltage, around 41v.

[Sergio]

Originally Posted by slowroller85

Yes from a negative battery post to that black wire with the bullet connector I show voltage, around 41v.

What is "a negative battery post"?

There is only one pack negative battery post, that is the negative post that has the negative cable that goes through the OBC.

[slowroller85]

Originally Posted by Sergio

What is "a negative battery post"?

There is only one pack negative battery post, that is the negative post that has the negative cable that goes through the OBC.

Sorry I just mean if I touch the voltage meter to the black wire with Yellow bullet connector and a negative side of any battery.

[slowroller85]

Although if I test between the black wire with Yellow bullet connector and the main battery negative (on that goes through OBC) I see zero volts.

[Sergio]

Everything is fine, That is how it should work.

The batteries are connected in Series, so for every battery that you move up from pack negative, it adds approximately 8.5v to your voltage reading.

[slowroller85]

Thank you Sergio, I think this makes sense now.

I'm going to change my fuse block negative to run from the Black wire with yellow bullet connector and then run the voltage reducer ground to a negative on my fuse block.

I will then wire my lights directly to the fuse block.

sound good?

So the lights were basically pulling power through the battery cable connected to the negative battery terminal that it was connected to?

[Sergio]

Originally Posted by slowroller85

Thank you Sergio, I think this makes sense now.

I'm going to change my fuse block negative to run from the Black wire with yellow bullet connector and then run the voltage reducer ground to a negative on my fuse block.

I will then wire my lights directly to the fuse block.

sound good?

So the lights were basically pulling power through the battery cable connected to the negative battery terminal that it was connected to?

Yes, that sounds good.

The lights were pulling power from the first 2 batteries, which would cause those 2 batteries to get out of balance with the rest of the batteries from the pack.

The best way to get longevity from your battery pack is to draw power evenly from all batteries, that means a 48v->12v converter as you have installed now.