Still having problems with the cart

[december45]

let me restate this in somewhat a more logical manner

Cart just sitting there, not pressing on the pedal, i get 37+ volts from the "main" battery Negative to the solenoid with the positive cable. I get 18 volts on the other big post on the solenoid. This is without pressing on the pedal.(* i was under the impression that it should be zero 0 volts on the other big post of the solenoid.)
With the cart sitting there (rear wheels off the ground) and the pedal depressed, I get 20 volts on both big posts on the solenoid.
The last episode with this today, I smacked the solenoid with a small hammer and the cart
started working, I got 37 volts on both sides of the solenoid, with the petal depressed and with the pedal not depressed. So i had 37 volts ( both sides of the solenoid) no matter what position the pedal was in. This lasted about 2 minutes and it quit working. I was back to 37 volts on one side of the solenoid and 18 volts on the other side with the pedal not depressed and 20 +- volts on both sides of the solenoid with it depressed.
The batteries are about 3 years old but have been working fine, and for that 2 minutes it was working it had plenty of power and seemed as it ususally does.

[Scott quail]

Ok. Sounds like a bad solenoid like previously stated.

[Scott quail]

To rule out the batteries, check voltage across pack with pedal not pressed. Then press the pedal to activate the solenoid and check voltage across the pack again. If the battery pack stays near 36 volts then the batteries are ok.

[december45]

Thought i would update you guys on the cart. I bought a solenoid and installed this morning, everything seems to be working fine now. Thanks for all your help.
Scott, it doesnt seem like a big thing to help a fellow cart owner, but i want to tell you, when these things quit, its like it could be about a 100 different things, I really appreciate you helping me and giving me a place to start... Thanks again for your help!

[december45]

Well, lets revive this post.... I thought everythng was fine with the new solenoid, Wrong! today it quit three times, and is sitting out there dead!
Ill get voltages later, but for now, it was running fine, with the new solenoid, i had 36 volts on the battery side and <0 volts on the other big post with the pedal not pressed 36+ volts on both sides with the pedal pressed down, every thing was working fine. This morning it started off fine and just QUIT, I pushed it down the drive way about 50 yards and it just started going fine, used it for about 3 or 4 hours and it quit again.

[Scott quail]

Does the solenoid still click?

[meimk]

I'm going to jump in here. Check / clean ALL your battery to battery connections, connections at the controller - since you just changed the solenoid I'm going to guess those connections are good. Somewhere you have a connection that is allowing that drop in voltage when you put a load on it. Where ever that poor contact is will generate a lot of heat too. Check the forward reverse switch too. Those are a common failure point.

[december45]

Yes the solenoid does click.
I have checked all connections everything seems good.
At this point I thought I would check the charging port and the reed switch.
I will get voltage readings tomorrow, when the cart is working and when it is dead. Maybe then I can get a handle on where the problem exists

[december45]

I think I have it figured out...
I think it comes down to weak batteries as far as i can tell.
When I check the voltage I got 37 volts from the main battery to the solenoid, the other large post has 20 volts when the pedal was pressed.
When I checked the reed switch, i found that the reed switch had been removed and it has power all the time, no matter if the charging or not. So We plugged it in and and got 39 volts on both sides of the solenoid. When we had the charger plugged in with the increased voltage, it worked the cart operated as normal. So we put it on the charger until fully charged and its working as it should.
I think new batteries are in our future.