2012 RXV Speedometer issues

[BobBoyce]

While browsing the Shop E-Z-Go site, under guages, I found a Speedometer option for the RXV, part number 609401. This speedometer is the same one as used in the 2Five dash, and has the built in State of Charge meter. While the 2Five has a harness connector for the speedometer, the RXV does not, so you must buy a harness adapter for it, dealer only part number 614897. The vehicle compatibility list shows this speedometer to be for the 2010 to 2016 electric RXVs.

After getting this speedometer and harness adapter, which plugs into and replaces the CAN Bus interface connector under the cupholder, I was fully expecting this speedometer to function. I did not cut out the SOC meter hole to fit the speedometer, I wanted to make sure it worked properly first. Not only did the speedometer not work, but neither did the SOC function within the speedometer. The speedometer powered up just fine, but it was obvious that it was not communicating with the controller.

I contacted E-Z-Go, and was referred to an engineer. I was told that this speedometer was intended for use on RXVs with the Danaher controller. My cart was an early 2012, with the Curtis 1206AC-5201 controller. I was told that the early Curtis controller did not support the speedometer, that support had been added later. So I began looking for a new controller. I found a 2016 date code 1206AC-5211 controller for sale so I bought it. Later that same day, I also found a 2016 date code 350 Amp upgrade controller, the 1206AC-5350, so I bought it as well. A condition of sale was an authorized E-Z-Go technician had to install the 1206AC-5211, so I put my RXV on the trailer and took my cart to the local dealer. He installed the new controller, and it did not function. He reinstalled my original 1206AC-5201 controller, and it worked fine. This was perplexing. He put the new 1206AC-5211 controller back into the box. He was more than a bit upset at this whole mess. I had bought my 2012 cart from him and he felt obligated to help resolve the issue, but he was unable to. He refused to charge me for his time, but told me that I was on my own with this problem. I would like to mention, I did not have the speedometer installed. I had removed the harness adapter and hooked the factory SOC meter back up. That SOC meter never really read right anyways, at full charge it would only read 75% SOC. He had mentioned that to me when he sold me the cart, and had given me a slight discount.

After my ordeal with the 2015 2Five (mentioned in another thread), I felt that I could solve this controller issue with my RXV. As it turned out, E-Z-GO had switched RXVs over from Danaher to Curtis controllers on January 23rd, 2012. During that initial switchover, RXVs were made that had Danaher harnesses, with a 23 to 23 pin box and a 23 pin Danaher to 35 pin Curtis adapter harness.

Within the Danaher harness, the orange +5V wires for the motor encoder and motor temperature sensor were bonded to the orange +5V wires that fed power to the throttle and brake encoders. The black and black/green negative wires from the motor encoder and temperature sensor were also bonded to the black negative wires that ran from the throttle and brake encoders. In those first Curtis controllers, the Power On Self Test (POST) had to allow for this bonding, but in later controller OSs, the POST would fail if these wires were bonded. I thought that this might be the reason that the new 2016 date code 1206AC-5211 controller failed to pass POST. After tearing down the RXV to get at the harness, it was apparent that my factory main harness had been replaced with a 2014 date coded main harness. I checked for bonded connections and there were none. At this point, I tried the 1206AC-5350 350 Amp upgrade controller, and it passed POST just fine. Obviously, the 1206AC-5211 was a defective controller. I contacted the seller, and he had me send it back for replacement. Since then, I have upgraded my main harness to include the CAN Bus wiring to support the speedometer, as well as adding a direct speedometer harness to the instrument cluster so the adapter harness is no longer required. I've even added a harness connector for a rabbit/turtle switch, to support a 2Five controller in my RXV, if I choose to do so in the future.

The best thing to come out of all of this is? I learned the wiring layouts of the RXV and 2Five, and how much alike they really are. I also learned the wiring differences between the Danaher and Curtis controllers, but have no experience working with Danaher controllers. I'm hoping that this experience will help others with similar wiring or controller issues.

Bob

[cgtech]

i have done those speedos too, they only work on danaher carts. for a while, i was suggesting them as a cheap option for a code scanner, as they will replace the odometer with a fault code when faults are present. but only works for danaher...

[BobBoyce]

Yes, I was told the same. There are exceptions to that. For example, 2Fives made from 2013 on use a Curtis 1206AC-52XX controller and the speedometer does work with those controllers. I was told by the engineer at E-Z-Go that the latest 2Five controller available at this time is the 1206AC-5212, part number 649379. I have already verified that a 2Five controller will drop into an RXV and operate, if you remove the resistor.

The main harnesses in RXVs made post July 2014 support CAN Bus once again, wired to a GPS connection. This does not mean that they will support a speedometer however. This has yet to be tested. I am still waiting for the replacement controllers to arrive. A 1206AC-5211 and a 1206AC-5212.

Bob

[BobBoyce]

Sorry, I forgot to mention, the factory Curtis harnesses do not have CAN Bus wiring running to the CAN Bus port under the cupholder. So even if you were to put in a 2Five controller, a speedometer will still not work. Those missing CAN Bus leads must be installed between the controller and the CAN Bus port, or run to a speedometer connector at the instrument panel in order to restore the missing communications path.

Bob

[cgtech]

great info, thanks for sharing. i was under the impression that the curtis 2five used a different speedo (it does have some minor visual changes, like unused turn signal indicators). good to know that canbus is missing in the harness.

[BobBoyce]

I went out earlier to test if the speedometer would work with the 2016 date code 1206AC-5350, the 350 Amp upgrade controller. I turned on the key and after POST completed, it went into failure mode. I connected my handset and performed diagnostics. History showed EM Brake OC, and HPD/Sequencing Fault, with only the EM Brake OC in Current. I had just put in a new motor brake last week while I had it apart. I checked impedance before installing and it read at 25.5 ohms. Today it's reading 14.5 ohms. Good reason for an overcurrent fail! I ordered another new one from a different supplier. The speedometer was not reading the battery SOC during this, but that was all I could check.

Bob

[hooked-up]

Any new info on the speedo /soc meter into a newer rxv?
We located a speedo kit 614914 that says it's for rxv.
Has a speedo and wiring harness. It plugs into all the rxv connectors, but no speed on the gauge. I tried it on a 2015 and 2017 rxv.
Is there any hope to getting it to work? Thanks

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by hooked-up

Any new info on the speedo /soc meter into a newer rxv?
We located a speedo kit 614914 that says it's for rxv.
Has a speedo and wiring harness. It plugs into all the rxv connectors, but no speed on the gauge. I tried it on a 2015 and 2017 rxv.
Is there any hope to getting it to work? Thanks

It was designed for the Danaher controller that is used on the earlier 2008 to 2012 prior to 2/23/2012. It uses the CAN Bus port under the cupholder. If you want to use it on a newer RXV, you can buy a Curtis 2Five controller and add the CAN Bus wiring to make it work, otherwise no luck. I seriously considered reflashing a late model (2016) RXV controller with the OS/VCL files from a 2016 2Five, just to get the speedometer to work. I decided to use an old obsolete Garmin GPS as a speedometer, since no maps are available anymore.

Bob

[jkenprice1]

I know this is an old thread but,,,while on the Shop EZGO site today, I saw the 16-17 RXV listed as an application for the 2five speedo. Just wondering if there's any updated info on whether it's now plug and play.

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by jkenprice1

I know this is an old thread but,,,while on the Shop EZGO site today, I saw the 16-17 RXV listed as an application for the 2five speedo. Just wondering if there's any updated info on whether it's now plug and play.

No, it is not. Shop E-Z-GO parts compatability is horrible. A 2Five Curtis controller can be used in a Curtis RXV if you install a Curtis 2Five wiring harness and recalibrate the 2Five controller for the RXV rear gear ratio. Not that hard to do really if you know how and can afford to find and get the parts.

I have two of the 2Five harnesses. One was from E-Z-GO parts and was only available for a Danaher harness. I later converted it to Curtis. The other was for a Curtis, and the only way to get it was to get one pulled from the 2Five assembly line back in 2015. That was the hardest to get part I had ever managed to get. It required assistance from the factory business office. They needed my assistance to solve an issue with the 2015 2Fives. I wrote another thread about that.

Bob