2005 EZGO TXT Repair / Upgrade Project - Thoughts on Controller Options / General bui

[MantaRay12]

Hello everyone. I’m new to the forum and would like to get some feedback on my build project.

I bought a gently used 2005 EZGO TXT Freedom SE a year ago. All stock parts, and what appears to be a recently replaced Curtis Controller P/N 25864G09. My plan is to eventually upgrade everything. High Torque Motor, Wheels, Lift, etc., and begin to prep the electronics to support it. I replaced the F/R assembly about 6 months ago due to some bad connections. I opted with a Heavy Duty F/R switch assembly to accommodate my eventual build plan, so I've got that component out of the way.

As of lately, I’ve been having some declining performance issues and as of today, I’ve got no movement. After going through the EZGO troubleshooting flow charts, I keep landing on “Replace Controller”. Batteries Good, Cables / Connections Clean, Brand New F/R Assembly, and after all my trouble shooting, I’m getting less than 60% reference voltage between B+ & M- when testing. Voltage actually gets stronger when I start trouble shooting, but then drops back down between 8 – 20 volts then fluctuates with petal fully depressed.

Now on to my question(s). At this point, I’m assuming it’s my controller (Any opinion as to my diagnosis would be greatly appreciated).

1. Assuming that my diagnosis is correct, does anyone have any experience running an Alltrax programmable controller that can handle my “Stock Series” motor now, programmed @ lower Amperage, and eventually a New High Torque Motor a year or two down the road when I get to that point?

2. Also I’ve upgraded battery cables to 4 AWG, but would I be required to upgrade all cables from 6 AWG to 4 AWG to the motor, controller, & F/R cables as well (assuming I go with an Alltrax), or would that only be required to occur when I eventually install the new motor a year or two down the road?

I'm learning as I go, so if any of my verbiage and/or logic above appears to be a bit off to you pro guys, feel free to correct me . Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

[Jamey]

hello, and welcome

1. Yes, I have experience with a stock EZGO motor and an upgraded controller. (albeit on an older cart, I run a 1994 Marathon. I might have gone a little overboard with it, but I'm happy with the results.
I run a 72v System, with an Alltrax SPM 72400 (72v, 400amp) controller, 6 12v batteries, and the stock EZGO series motor. The motor has held up well, and i didn't turn down the power going to it at all. This setup wasn't exactly recommended, I too plan on upgrading to a better motor in the future, but it's been 3 years and i haven't gotten around to it yet.
So long story short, that stock motor is pretty durable. You should get ahold of Scotty B. at Carts Unlimited, he is very helpful and has many ready made options for you for upgraded controllers, cable sets, upgraded brakes, etc. (IDK about a TXT, but my marathon certainly needs better brakes.

2. Yes. Upgrade all the cables first thing. I run 2ga, but 4 would probably be a bare minimum.

3. There a lot of very experienced people on this forum who have documented their builds online. The search function is your friend, spending a few hours reading the boards is an education all of its own :) enjoy.

[Sir Nuke]

Hello MantaRay and welcome.....First I will answer your two questions....

First, what do you want to achieve with your upgrade? as in how big of a controller do you want/need? are you just going to use it for a cruiser? or some off-roading? what?

so lets go on to your questions:
1. Your STOCK Series motor will work just fine without having to down grade the new controller.....but that will inly be ok as long as you don't get a controller bigger than a 500 amp.

2. your cables.....they should ALL be the same size....the entire set, on a series cart, there are 13 cables. NOW if you are going to go with a 400 amp controller and stick with a stock motor.....then 4 ga is ok. BUT if you are going with a 500 amp controller and/or a aftermarket Motor.....2 ga. is the way to go.

As far as a Controller....I would highly recommend one of these, either a SPM 48400 or the SPM 48500.

Here is a link to one of our sponsors, which I HIGHLY recommend, and you can get EVERYTHING you will need....plus have the greatest customer support in the world.

http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Home_Page.html

You will find there a page that covers all the cables, a page for the controller upgrade (which they have packages put together with everything, that saves you money too), and anything else you may need/want.

Oh and before I forget.....

Welcome to our happy little corner of the net, and to BGW. There is a BIG fridge on the back porch with anything you can think of in it...help yourself...of course only take what you can LEGALLY have. Make yourself at home on one of the big fluffy couches, kick your shoes off, put your feet up on one of the tables, yes we are allowed to do that, mom's, dad's, wives', husband's, girlfriend's and boyfriend's here don't care....and take it easy.



oh...btw....every once in a while a food fight breaks out...so you may not want to wear nice clothes here.

Welcome!!

[MantaRay12]

Jamey, Sir Nuke... You guys rock, thanks for that feedback.

So it's clear that I need to beef up my cable setup to 2ga and be done with it, in conjunction with a controller install. That makes perfect sense so thanks for that info.

As far as performance goals, I just want to get from point a to b, but also be able to have some power if the need arises. I do have a hitch and from time to time would like to be able to tow a Utility cart of rocks, dirt, lawn stuff, etc., on my property. Speed is not a priority, torque is.

So based on that feedback, it sounds like the order of operation is as follows (additional feedback welcome here) :
1. Complete Cable Upgrade to 2ga
2. Controller / HD Solenoid install (500Amp - AXE or SPM??)
- program output to 70% / 350Amps to match current stock series motor (sound about right?)
3. Future Upgrades
a. High Torque Motor Install (adjust Controller output / Settings to match new motor)
b. Lift Kit / New Wheels

Any feedback on the above order would be appreciated. Also, are there any opinions on Alltrax AXE vs. SPM controllers?

Thanks.

[Jamey]

I'm no electrical expert, but I don't know that you'd need to turn down your controller to spare your motor... although that's a risk you should discuss with whomever sells you the controller. I'm feeding mine 400 amps at 72 volts, which to my understanding is the equivalent of 800amps at 36 volts... although I may be mistaken about that. I do know for sure that it's a lot more snappy and twice as fast.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by MantaRay12

Hello everyone. I’m new to the forum and would like to get some feedback on my build project.

I bought a gently used 2005 EZGO TXT Freedom SE a year ago. All stock parts, and what appears to be a recently replaced Curtis Controller P/N 25864G09. My plan is to eventually upgrade everything. High Torque Motor, Wheels, Lift, etc., and begin to prep the electronics to support it. I replaced the F/R assembly about 6 months ago due to some bad connections. I opted with a Heavy Duty F/R switch assembly to accommodate my eventual build plan, so I've got that component out of the way.

As of lately, I’ve been having some declining performance issues and as of today, I’ve got no movement. After going through the EZGO troubleshooting flow charts, I keep landing on “Replace Controller”. Batteries Good, Cables / Connections Clean, Brand New F/R Assembly, and after all my trouble shooting, I’m getting less than 60% reference voltage between B+ & M- when testing. Voltage actually gets stronger when I start trouble shooting, but then drops back down between 8 – 20 volts then fluctuates with petal fully depressed.

Now on to my question(s). At this point, I’m assuming it’s my controller (Any opinion as to my diagnosis would be greatly appreciated).

1. Assuming that my diagnosis is correct, does anyone have any experience running an Alltrax programmable controller that can handle my “Stock Series” motor now, programmed @ lower Amperage, and eventually a New High Torque Motor a year or two down the road when I get to that point?

2. Also I’ve upgraded battery cables to 4 AWG, but would I be required to upgrade all cables from 6 AWG to 4 AWG to the motor, controller, & F/R cables as well (assuming I go with an Alltrax), or would that only be required to occur when I eventually install the new motor a year or two down the road?

I'm learning as I go, so if any of my verbiage and/or logic above appears to be a bit off to you pro guys, feel free to correct me . Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

Sounds like a throttle issue.

Verify the throttle voltages are in the proper range and not fluctuating while output (M- to B+) is fluctuating.

Check the pedal box for moisture. (Moisture and the ITS sensor do not -play well together.)

Check the in-line connector at between pedal box cable and cart wiring harness.

Also, what is the pack voltage when when you are only getting about 20V between M- & B+?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by MantaRay12

Jamey, Sir Nuke... You guys rock, thanks for that feedback.

So it's clear that I need to beef up my cable setup to 2ga and be done with it, in conjunction with a controller install. That makes perfect sense so thanks for that info.

As far as performance goals, I just want to get from point a to b, but also be able to have some power if the need arises. I do have a hitch and from time to time would like to be able to tow a Utility cart of rocks, dirt, lawn stuff, etc., on my property. Speed is not a priority, torque is.

So based on that feedback, it sounds like the order of operation is as follows (additional feedback welcome here) :
1. Complete Cable Upgrade to 2ga
2. Controller / HD Solenoid install (500Amp - AXE or SPM??)
- program output to 70% / 350Amps to match current stock series motor (sound about right?)
3. Future Upgrades
a. High Torque Motor Install (adjust Controller output / Settings to match new motor)
b. Lift Kit / New Wheels

Any feedback on the above order would be appreciated. Also, are there any opinions on Alltrax AXE vs. SPM controllers?

Thanks.

The two highlighted areas are somewhat mutually exclusive.

Carts tend to be lifted so tall tires wont rub in the wheel wells and tall tire increase speed while reducing torque, yet you say you want torque rather than speed.

For example: Tires that are 20" do not require the body to be lifted off the axles, but you will loose 15% of the available torque where rubber meets road.

[MantaRay12]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

Sounds like a throttle issue.

Verify the throttle voltages are in the proper range and not fluctuating while output (M- to B+) is fluctuating.

Check the pedal box for moisture. (Moisture and the ITS sensor do not -play well together.)

Check the in-line connector at between pedal box cable and cart wiring harness.

Also, what is the pack voltage when when you are only getting about 20V between M- & B+?

JohnnieB,
Thanks for your feedback. Regarding you comment on Lift / Tires. Yes I understand that increase in size will reduce Torque. That’s a future thing, but do not intend on deviating from current tire size, I just need new Tires and desire getting it off the ground another 4 inches or so at some point.

Now on to current state and your comment that it could be Throttle related. My answers to your questions are as follows and your feedback is welcome.

Pedal Box Moisture: Its garage kept, but I have not opened up the Pedal box to inspect for moisture. Will definitely do that, but It’s been fairly dry in the garage.
Voltage Tests are as follows :

• Pack Voltage : 37.9 Volts
• B- to Pin 4 : Not Zero, but around 20 volts
• B- to Pin 2 : 14 Volts
• B- to Pin 1 : 0.5 upon solenoid click / 1.5 pedal fully depressed
• B+ to M- : less than 60% reference voltage between B+ & M- when testing. Voltage actually gets stronger when I start trouble shooting, but then drops back down between 8 – 20 volts then fluctuates with petal fully depressed.

In-line connector @ pedal box cable and cart wiring harness: I’ve seen worse, but looks good to me. I even cleaned it out with Connection cleaner and dabbed some dielectric grease in there.

[Sir Nuke]

Originally Posted by MantaRay12

Jamey, Sir Nuke... You guys rock, thanks for that feedback.

So it's clear that I need to beef up my cable setup to 2ga and be done with it, in conjunction with a controller install. That makes perfect sense so thanks for that info.

As far as performance goals, I just want to get from point a to b, but also be able to have some power if the need arises. I do have a hitch and from time to time would like to be able to tow a Utility cart of rocks, dirt, lawn stuff, etc., on my property. Speed is not a priority, torque is.

So based on that feedback, it sounds like the order of operation is as follows (additional feedback welcome here) :
1. Complete Cable Upgrade to 2ga
2. Controller / HD Solenoid install (500Amp - AXE or SPM??)
- program output to 70% / 350Amps to match current stock series motor (sound about right?)
3. Future Upgrades
a. High Torque Motor Install (adjust Controller output / Settings to match new motor)
b. Lift Kit / New Wheels

Any feedback on the above order would be appreciated. Also, are there any opinions on Alltrax AXE vs. SPM controllers?

Thanks.

MantaRay, as Johnnie mentioned, there is no need to turn down the controller for the stock motor, it will be fine. as far as which controller, do yourself a favor and get the SPM....it is considered the "State of the Art" as far as the Alltrax controllers go....you can't go wrong and will do way more that what you need. This way if you need/want to "beat of it a little" your cart will handle it! its always better to "OVER ENGINEER" it.....that way it will "TAKE IT".

as far as the new motor for the future goes, when it comes time, give Scotty a call, as a good choice is a D&D motor, which he sells, and him knowing what all is in your cart, and what you want/need to get out of it, HE can get you the EXACT motor you need.

[JohnnieB]

The voltage on Pin-4 ought to be FULL pack voltage. Get that corrected and the controller might start working right.
Voltage to Pin-4 starts at main positive on battery pack, through reed switch, through MS-2 on F/R assembly, through keyswitch, through pedal switch, connects to one side of solenoid coil and then paralleled to Pin-4. Four sets of switch contacts and over a dozen wire connections, any of the could be causing the voltage drop, maybe more than one.