Cold Electriconics

[M.Gilbert3]

So whenever its near 40 out my old my old 2pg marathon has no problem starting right up. But once it gets pretty cold out i can't even get the solenoid to click. I know the battery's good I just put it in a few weeks ago...Could it be a bad ground? It only confuses me because it only happens once it gets cold...any input?

[DOOmsman]

Maybe a gummy micro switch. Check and see
if you are getting voltage to the solenoid.

[Dave Box]

What DOOmsman said. If you have no background noise and with the key turned off! if you stick your head down there you should be able to hear the switch click when you depress the throttle. Generally a partial failure of the main ground would not cause the solenoid not to activate as it draws little current. Still this might be an opportunity to remove the frame ground and sand the frame down to clean metal then clean the lugs. You should also check the integrity of the connection from the frame to the engine.
Dave

[EZ-GoingJon]

I agree with DOOmsman as well! I had a 1972 Cushman Golfster 300 that did the exact same thing. I figured i couldnt find a micro-switch for it, so i got some electrical contact cleaner, and sprayed it into the switch around the button. It worked great! Just make sure you let it dry completely, that stuff is CRAZY flammable! You can get a new switch for your cart all day long on the internet! Good luck!

P.S. Dave, i think that is the most wild avatar i have seen on this site!

By the way, Dave, the old 1982 Marathon is running like a champ, fires right up, even when it is in the teens here! Thanks for the help!

Jon

[M.Gilbert3]

with the key off i can here a tick...but its not like the solenoid activating. I got it to work today after soaking everything in electric cleaner and letting it dry...probably not the right way to go about the situation but it did start. A few hours later i went out to try it again and i got the same nothing. I think tomarrow i'm going to try to clean up all the grounds and replace and nasty wires...permitting it gets above freezing that is

[Dave Box]

The tick is probably the microswitch operating, but that doesn't mean that it is actually working. If you don't already have one a cheap little multimeter is invaluable when working on a cart. Your solenoid is just a simple switch which is needed because that microswitch is too effeminate to handle the load of the starter motor. So you should be able connect across the two small terminals of the solenoid and with the switch on depress the throttle and if the microswitch is working see 12 volts on the meter. If you do the solenoid is defective, if you don't, the microswitch or the connections to the switch. BTW just for safety it might be good to remove the drive belt or jack up the back end, you don't need that puppy firing up if you have your head in the engine.

EZ Goingjohn, I'm real glad to hear your cart is running good, I truely believe that a well running 2PG is a match for any other stock cart of any age. BTW the avatar tells a story, everything starts well but then ..........

[M.Gilbert3]

put my tester to it today.. no powers crossing the switch with the key on/off and with the gas pedal pushed...ordered a new one. think with christmas it might be here around monday tuesday.