36V PDS slow at times & very hot solenoid

[thinze2]

I have a 6 seater PDS with 36V system. The cart is a conversion from a standard 4 seater. The guy I bought it from had the work done. I found one set of cables (not battery) that has October 06 date on them.

It is lifted 6" and has 23" tires on it. The batteries are Trojan t-105 and were installed new in April '13. The battery cables are like brand new.

For some reason the cart randomly decides to go only 5MPH at times, even after being charged overnight. It can start doing this when the cart is completely cold or after haven been driven for a while.

After doing a thorough inspection, I noticed that the solenoid is too hot to touch after driving the cart around for a while, at slow speeds and when it's working correctly and going about 15MPH.

All electronic connections have been thoroughly inspected.

Solenoid appears like new and is
White Rodgers 70-120224-5F

Controller appears like new and is
Curtis PMC 73326G07

F/R switch appears to be original but connections are good.

Any advice? Thanks

[thinze2]

Can anyone tell me if the controller and solenoid listed above are original factory equipment?

[JohnnieB]

The controller is a stock PDS controller(300A), so the solenoid is more than likely stock (85A) also.

That combo is designed to carry two golfers and their clubs over groomed cart trails on 18" tall turf tires.
Anything more than that, the drive train needs to be upgraded.

Your cart has 23" tires, so the controller and solenoid are being significantly overloaded.
The fact it will carry 6 people, makes the already overloaded components severely overloaded.

There are several things that will put the controller into a reduced speed mode.
Over temperature, Low battery pack voltage and speed sensor issues to name a few, but random misbehavior is a precursor to controller failure.

Does the problem go away when you cycle the Run/Tow switch?
If so, the controller is probably letting you know it is on its way out.

You need a Heavy-Duty or Super-Duty solenoid, a 400a or 500A controller, at least 4Ga cables (2Ga preferably) throughout the high current circuit and possibly a high torque motor to run that cart reliably.

[thinze2]

The first time we got the problem to stop, it was after flipping all switches, including the Run/Tow switch several times.

The second time, we could not get it to run correctly no matter what we did. We switched and checked and tried until we were blue in the face. It simply started working on its own.

[scottyb]

Like Johnnie said, the cart has been modified but the drive system appears stock. You are rebooting the computer by cycling the R/T switch.

Stretching a cart adds weight. Taller tires increase drive gear ratio. Added passengers add load. All of this adds up to 'fail' on a stock system. You will need to upgrade the controller, solenoid, and cables for starters. Eventually I would like to see an upgraded motor and an upgrade to 42 or 48 volts for more power/efficiency

[thinze2]

Originally Posted by scottyb

Like Johnnie said, the cart has been modified but the drive system appears stock. You are rebooting the computer by cycling the R/T switch.

Stretching a cart adds weight. Taller tires increase drive gear ratio. Added passengers add load. All of this adds up to 'fail' on a stock system. You will need to upgrade the controller, solenoid, and cables for starters. Eventually I would like to see an upgraded motor and an upgrade to 42 or 48 volts for more power/efficiency

What is meant by "cycling" the R/T switch? We simply tried it one way and then the other. Do you flip it multiple times or leave in a certain position for a certain amount of time to "cycle" it?

Yes, it appears an upgrade is coming soon. I will begin looking into this ASAP. I don't want to spend a fortune, however. You mention cables. Do you mean battery cables or cables to or from the solenoid and controller? Suggestions?

[JohnnieB]

Run to Tow, wait about 30 seconds and back to Run.

All high current cables. There are ten on a PDS cart. Since your cart is stretched, it may need some longer than usual.

[thinze2]

Are there two different types of Alltrax DCX400 controllers?
i.e. Will a DCX400 fit both DCS & PDS carts?

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by thinze2

Are there two different types of Alltrax DCX400 controllers?
i.e. Will a DCX400 fit both DCS & PDS carts?

There are DCX and NCX in 400 amp 36-48 volt controls available from Alltrax.
The NCX controls are non adjustable and are for stock carts only.
The DCX control is the same for PDS and DCS but !
The programming is different and the wire harness adapter is needed for the PDS carts.
I hope this helps.