EZ Go 1985 Electric

[coosa]

Turtle, I don't think the coils are fragile at all. I only replaced them once in all the years I ran the cart. Its just that all that heat is hard on the other components. Not to mention the danger of setting something on fire. Mine would quickly get so hot that you could smell it.

Its also very inefficient to run one slow. You are still using the same power; the coils are just wasting part of it. After having one with a controller, I don't want to go back.

[yurtle]

Agreed that running at 1/2 speed, you're wasting energy in the form of heat. However, modulating speed by alternating from 100% to 0% is also horribly inefficient.

As to heat, catalytic converters can also start fires if you aren't careful.

[coosa]

Originally Posted by yurtle

Agreed that running at 1/2 speed, you're wasting energy in the form of heat. However, modulating speed by alternating from 100% to 0% is also horribly inefficient.

As to heat, catalytic converters can also start fires if you aren't careful.

Yurtle, you know waaayy more about carts than I do, so I sure don't want you to think I'm arguing with you. I'm just sharing what little I know from running only one cart, and I had 22" tires on it and a rear bed and was using it in a way that it wasn't intended. It may be that all of that made the problem worse than it normally would be. Still, there is no doubt the Forestry Department was in my yard trying to put out a cart-caused fire and save my house. :)

I suspect its gonna be inefficient compared to a modern cart no matter how you run it, but I think the "swooping" method is still gonna cause a lot fewer problems in the long run. EZGO must have agreed because that's how they said to run it. And I think I got decent range on the batteries in the old cart, but that's because I always ran it wide open. Of course, with that cart wide open was still very slow. I seldom found it necessary to do anything but run it wide open, but if you have to slow down, I found it far better to use the swooping method.

Woodnboats, good luck with it! I'm sure not dissing resistor carts. I'd still be running mine if the frame hadn't rusted out. Just be aware that the coil gets hot at slow speed.

[yurtle]

I've never had a resistor cart. Also, questioning and answering isn't arguing. It's how we all learn.

I never read the Owner's manual for a resistor cart, but if that's how they recommend driving it, then it's probably correct.

I have a controller, but drive with either the gas or brakes to the floor.