Voltage on both sides of solenoid

[ncseadad]

2000 ezgo (not sure what controller) 36 volts. clicks but will not move. Its seems to have 38 volts on the battery side of the solenoid and 30 volts on the controller side. No diodes or resisters on the control wires. If I disconnect the large wire from the controller to the controller side of the solenoid the volts go away..Also If I disconnect the white 4-5 wire plug from the controller the volts also go away on the controller side of the solenoid. with either wire removed from the controller, the solenoid clicks and works as it should. ..Pack voltage on battery side and pack voltage on the controller side when mashing the pedle and clicking....any Ideas friends...Thanks Bill...

[ncseadad]

OK all my ole experts...The above question is to save time. The cart belongs to a friend that lives a ways away. I just had him check a few things that I thought he could do ok. I am just assuming if there is 38 volts on battery side and 30 volts on the controller side of the solenoid it may be a bad controller. seeing how if you disconnect the B+ or the white 4 wire connector from the controller, the solenoid works ok. Would I be correct

[JohnnieB]

Are you saying the solenoid does not click when the B+ cable and molex plug are connected, or is your concern that there is 30V or so on the controller side large terminal when the solenoid is de-energized.

As long as the voltage on both of the solenoid's large terminals is the same after the solenoid contacts are close, the solenoid is good to go. What voltage the controller side large terminal has on it when the solenoid contacts are open depends on how long the contacts have been open. (If no pre-charge resistor is installed). There are several filter capacitors located between the controller's B- and B+ terminals and they'll stay charged for several minutes after the solenoid's contacts open.

[ncseadad]

Hey JohnnieB...The solenoid clicks when I push the pedal no matter what. It clicks with everything hooked up like it should be and it clicks with nothing on the controller side of the solenoid. so I am thing the solenoid is working ok. The problem is I have 38 volts on the battery side of the solenoid and about 30 volts on the controller side of the solenoid without touching the pedal. When I do push the pedal the volts on the controller side go from 30 to pack volts. so I always have about 30 volts on the controller side. Now, if I disconnect the B+ from the controller to the solenoid I have 0 volts at the solenoid as it should.(yes the solenoid still clicks).. So, I have voltage coming from the controller making the controller side of the solenoid hot.(30 volts)...I don't know what else to think other than the controller is either shorted out or something is giving it wrong information....I can not run any controller or ITS test because I have voltage everywhere....so what do you think my man...

[JohnnieB]

Sounds like the controller is the source for the 30V you measure on the controller side of the solenoid when the solenoid contacts are open.

That could be a bad controller, or it could be a phantom voltage. If you are using a DVM, it has a very high input impedance and will read voltage when an ever so slight current path exits. Put a 1KΩ resistor (or higher up to about 10KΩ or so) in parallel with the test leads and it'll most likely go away.

Also, check battery in DVM. They do strange things when the battery is low.

You mentioned a 4/5 pin white plug, so I suspect you have a series drive system, and the solenoid clicks, so the problem is in the high current circuit.

Connect your DVM test leads between the controllers B- and M- terminals and when pedal is pushed just far enough to make solenoid click, you should have full battery pack voltage (38.2V when fully charged).

If you don't, Use the red test lead to trace the high current back to the main B+ terminal on the battery pack.