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Old 09-14-2022, 03:11 PM   #1
Nlb7928
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Default Is it really not charging?

1997 Club Car (gas)

The issue started with a no-start. Charged the battery and it worked, until the very next time when the battery was low. Charged it again and found that while running, it was only measuring 11.9 at the battery terminals. Silly me, I bought a Voltage Regulator and replaced it ($50)...but saw that I had the "good" ($50) voltage regulator on it from July 2020. Then I decided to test the battery, and it failed, and it looked like it was expanded around the case a little so I smacked in a new battery (old battery was also from July of 2020).

But, I'm only showing 12.3 across the battery terminals on my multimeter with the new VR and new battery. I unhooked the yellow wire on the VR, and still only show 12.3 while running. The generator was also new in July 2020 (1 cheap generator lasted 2 weeks, so I bought the $300 from a local electric motor/starter shop and was good to go).

However, it's a half-mile down to my parents, and I've been down and back 3 times now and no issue with starting (I stop and talk when I'm there). I feel like that is just a fluke and I'm actually not charging the battery, I'm just not draining it enough to be an issue. Am I being moronic about this...do I trust the Multimeter and say the generator is not charging? How's the QC on VR's...I thought buying the good stuff (VR and generator) that they would last more than 2 years (120 hrs run time).

To test for charging, it's just holding the probes across the battery terminals while running, right? Or do I have to touch the wires and not the terminals? It seems it always just shows whatever the battery was testing before I run the cart?

Surely my other issue is not related: in neutral the cart runs without moving the yellow knob to maintenance mode, if I do move the knob, the cart doesn't run. Could this be a ground issue that could be affecting my VR (VR ground plugged to microswitch, but I've got a bad micro or I'm dumb, or both).

Man, I hate taking off the rear seat to get to the generator...and I'd rather not scrap it and sink $300 more.

Someone please help me not be dumb anymore.

Thanks,
Nathan
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Old 09-14-2022, 03:20 PM   #2
CP241
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

Yes, hold the probes to the battery terminal and run the engine. You should see 14+ volts.

If you don’t, disconnect the yellow wire at the voltage regulator and run the engine. If you touch the yellow wire to ground while the engine is running, it should shoot up to 16-17+ volts. Don’t hold it there long, but a few seconds isn’t going to hurt anything.

If voltage goes up significantly when you ground the yellow field wire, it’s a bad voltage regulator not telling the starter/gen what to do. Or possibly a bad ground for the VR itself. Or maybe it’s got a bad connection or wiring. You can check the wires at the VR for power and ground east enough to verify

If voltage does not go up significantly, then I’d suspect the starter/gen itself. I would then redo the test checking voltage at the white wire at the solenoid and ground, instead of the battery terminals. If it goes up when you ground the field wire now, solenoid or microswitch circuit is defective. Because while the motor is running, the gen charges the battery through the solenoid. If still nothing then it’s a starter/gen.
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Old 09-16-2022, 02:01 PM   #3
Nlb7928
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

CP241,
Thanks for the pointers. I didn't realize I had to ground the VR yellow wire to see full gen charge.

I am guessing I've either got a bad micro-switch, or I got the VR ground on the wrong micro-switch terminal. I'll find out Sunday when/if I have time to look at it.

Thanks again!
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Old 09-17-2022, 08:12 AM   #4
Fairtax4me
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

The yellow wire is not ground.
He’s referencing grounding the yellow wire from the DF post of the starter gen in order to force the charge field to full output. This is only for testing the SG. If you get no output when running the engine with the DF post grounded then the SG has an internal fault that needs to be addressed.

There should not be any wires from the VR to the micro-switches.
The VR case needs to be grounded, the black wire or wires from the VR need a clean ground point or need to go to the B- post.
Red wire goes to the post on the solenoid with the White cable so it gets 12v when the solenoid is engaged.
Yellow is connected to the yellow wire which comes from the SG.
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Old 10-02-2022, 12:38 PM   #5
Nlb7928
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fairtax4me View Post

There should not be any wires from the VR to the micro-switches.
The VR case needs to be grounded, the black wire or wires from the VR need a clean ground point or need to go to the B- post.
Red wire goes to the post on the solenoid with the White cable so it gets 12v when the solenoid is engaged.
Yellow is connected to the yellow wire which comes from the SG.
My VR has 2 black wires connected. One is grounded to the frame. The other was on the lower microswitch post/terminal. With it removed the engine wouldn't die, just kept motoring.

I got 12.4 across the battery. 12.2 with it running and 12.2 with DF grounded out. And 12.2 with ground disconnected from microswitch.

I'm yanking the SG...can I fix it (how do I figure out what's wrong) or do I take it to the place I bought it and pay for test and repair?
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Old 10-02-2022, 01:30 PM   #6
Fairtax4me
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

Ok, they're using that black wire to the microswitch as a shortcut for the ignition kill. Normally there should be a wire from that switch to the frame for a dedicated ground. Either way works.

If you grounded the DF post and it did not output any voltage the field is damaged.
It may be as simple as a broken wire, but it may also be a shorted field coil , either of which would need repair at the shop.
Really sucks that you would only get a couple years from the SG when it seems to have very little use on it.
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Old 10-03-2022, 11:36 AM   #7
Nlb7928
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

And, my local Electric motor repair shop closed after 44 years.

Raise the hurdle a little higher!

I was goooogling and clicked on an EZ-Go thread. It said run for a few minutes to get the VR up to Operating temperature. Is that really a thing? I would have thought it would show charge volts from the moment the cart starts running (which is when I test it, engine cold, start cart, then test...no warm up).

Also, could I really take 10 half-mile trips on a new battery, and the battery still be working...or would it only be working if it was re-charging. It's generally showing 12.4...but seems a little weak after my 150 yard trip. I haven't been taking any longer trips since I've been worried about getting stranded.
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Old 10-03-2022, 08:19 PM   #8
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nlb7928 View Post
I was goooogling and clicked on an EZ-Go thread. It said run for a few minutes to get the VR up to Operating temperature. Is that really a thing? I would have thought it would show charge volts from the moment the cart starts running (which is when I test it, engine cold, start cart, then test...no warm up).
I wouldn't think that is a thing. As others have said, if the charging system is working, it will show 1 to 2 volt increase when the engine is running over not running.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nlb7928 View Post
Also, could I really take 10 half-mile trips on a new battery, and the battery still be working...or would it only be working if it was re-charging. It's generally showing 12.4...but seems a little weak after my 150 yard trip. I haven't been taking any longer trips since I've been worried about getting stranded.
The battery is only used for starting (and maybe lights). The battery is the size of a car battery, but is only starting a small garden tractor sized engine. It should be able to start it many, many times without being charged.
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Old 10-03-2022, 08:49 PM   #9
CP241
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

You have to remember, the FE290 is a self contained motor much like a wood chipper or pressure washer motor. Once it starts, it will run all day (until it runs out of gas) with no battery, no starter/gen, etc. think of it like a push lawnmower. Once you pull the cord and it’s running, it will keep running until you release the handle, which grounds the ignition coil killing spark and shuts the engine off.

The ezgo and Yamaha motors that use an external ignitor or CDI type ignition, use power to power the coil and CDI and everything to keep it running. The Kawasaki doesn’t care it uses magnetically generated electricity between the coil and the flywheel to make the spark plug sparkle
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Old 10-06-2022, 10:15 AM   #10
Nlb7928
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Default Re: Is it really not charging?

So, I checked for continuity across the multiple nodes of the S/G to see if any were grounded out and I didn't find anything. I read through a manual online and didn't really find my problem in there, although it was pretty detailed. It had a procedure for testing the battery if you're charging lower than 9v...I thought to myself that I've got 12v charging so what the heck. I figured it must be better after driving around with it in my trunk for a few days so I put it all back together.

It only shows 12.16v while running. I'm just going to drive it like this until I get a no-start. Then I'll start my whining and moaning all over again.

Thanks,
Nathan
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