lifted club cars - lifted ezgo
Home FAQDonate Who's Online
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric EZGO
Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV.



Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-10-2019, 08:07 AM   #21
baymee
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 41
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

Thanks all for all the help. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to look closer at the charger using the manual. I'm replacing the plug assembly and the voltage meter.

The Curtis volt meter has been lying to me for a few months and maybe I also have a charger problem, but I couldn't have gotten this far so soon without all you alls help.
baymee is offline   Reply With Quote
Alt Today
BGW

Golf car forum Sponsored Links

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum
   
Old 10-10-2019, 08:34 AM   #22
Timberwolflt
Gone Wild
 
Timberwolflt's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: South Texas
Posts: 449
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

You definitely have a charger problem... the charger ought to top that pack off in a couple or few hours
Timberwolflt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2019, 04:40 PM   #23
baymee
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 41
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

The charger was off today again and the batteries were 38.1. So I took it for one or two thousand feet drive up and down and the pack went down to 37.3. After about 8 hours, the pack was back up to 38.3. I'm glad at least that the batteries weren't hurt.

Thanks to all for your help. It would have been a struggle for me doing this step by step.
baymee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2019, 08:14 AM   #24
baymee
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 41
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

Even with the battery at full charge, it doesn't seem to have the same power to travel as it once did. I thought at one time, I would hear a second click when the pedal was depressed all the way. Is this how the high/low amp circuit works? I don't think I have the second click any more.

I have the factory manual and it has sections on acceleration and power, but it doesn't really answer my question.
baymee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2019, 02:50 PM   #25
R.Boyd
Getting Wild
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 96
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

You said earlier that you don't charge until it's run down. You need to charge every time you use it regardless. So, if you get on it and go anywhere, plug it in when you return. Your charger should be putting out 15 to 20 amps when you plug it in and gradually go down as it charges. If it's only pushing between 1 and 5 amps, you have something wrong, most likely a bad capacitor. Of course, if the charger plug is making a bad connection it won't charge well, but you aught to be able to get the amp needle to fluctuate up to 15 to 20 amps by moving it around. Your batteries have been chronically under charged is the problem, most likely due to both you not charging often enough and problems getting the current from your charger to the batteries.
R.Boyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2019, 11:59 AM   #26
baymee
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 41
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

Watched a few U tube videos and then took the cover off the charger.

First thing I saw was a burned off wire and terminal on the cap. Then checked the two diodes and both were bad. Ordered them and hopefully that will fix it.

My charger iii doesn't resemble any of the U tube videos. I'd be nice to find one.
baymee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2019, 06:28 PM   #27
JohnnieB
Techno-Nerd
 
JohnnieB's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

Quote:
Originally Posted by baymee View Post
Watched a few U tube videos and then took the cover off the charger.

First thing I saw was a burned off wire and terminal on the cap. Then checked the two diodes and both were bad. Ordered them and hopefully that will fix it.

My charger iii doesn't resemble any of the U tube videos. I'd be nice to find one.
Here's the manual for your TC-III charger and how to test the capacitor.

If the capacitor is bad, get one of the same value. IIRC, it is 20µF.

A Motor Run capacitor will (Motor-Run, not motor-start) will work. Like this one:https://www.grainger.com/product/DAY...apacitor-2MDZ2
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Transformer-Capacitor test - Text-1.jpg (367.7 KB, 0 views)
File Type: jpg Transformer-Capacitor test.JPG (66.2 KB, 0 views)
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Total Charge III Parts and service-1.pdf (3.28 MB, 0 views)
JohnnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2019, 09:06 AM   #28
baymee
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 41
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

Thanks JohnnieB.
baymee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2020, 09:29 AM   #29
baymee
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 41
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

Thanks to the many helps given here. I did indeed have a charger problem.

The first thing I found was that the one wire to the capacitor had either rusted off or broke off due to rust. Also, on the control board, there is a NO or NC switch that activates the charger when it’s plugged into the vehicle. One of the pins was separated at the solder joint. I saw it pull away from the board when I removed the wire terminal. Also, one of the diodes was defective

After replacing or repairing the issues and resoldering the pin to the board, I had charging voltage to the specs that JohnnieB’s instructions showed.

The batteries charged up to 46 volts in a short time, the charger turned off when fully charged and after 12 hours the batteries were 38.3V. The charger was putting out 18 amps, just under the red zone and the cells bubbled freely.

Question:

With the batteries fully charged, why does the charger start charging at 18 amps and 47 volts. I could smell the hydrogen. What tells the charger to shut off when the batteries are already fully charged?
baymee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2020, 01:37 PM   #30
JohnnieB
Techno-Nerd
 
JohnnieB's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
Default Re: Marathon started struggling to go up a grade

Quote:
Originally Posted by baymee View Post
Question:

With the batteries fully charged, why does the charger start charging at 18 amps and 47 volts. I could smell the hydrogen. What tells the charger to shut off when the batteries are already fully charged?
Fully charged is 38.2V (after 12 hours at rest) and the charger shuts off at 45V +/-1V (44V to 46V), but the On-Charge voltage starts rapidly decreasing the instant the charger shuts off and is quickly below the charger's shutoff voltage, so the charger will turn on when reattached shortly after a charge cycle ends. The new charge cycle ends when the On-Charge voltage once again exceeds the predetermined shutoff voltage.

As for coming on at 47V, the voltage that turns the charge on and off is the voltage between the red and black wires attached to the control board, which can differ from the voltage measured between the battery pack's main + & - terminals.

The control board detects B+ at the heatsink the diodes are attached to inside the charger and B- is detected on the outside of the negative radsok (terminal) in the carts' charge receptacle via the auxiliary contact in the plug, which is circled in the attached picture. Cleaning all the contacts and connections in the receptacle and to the battery pack will get the voltage sensed at the control board closer to the voltage at the battery pack's main terminals.

Hydrogen gas is odorless and tasteless, so you are more likely to be smelling hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell). Hydrogen gas is produced by the chemical reaction of battery charging and via the electrolysis of the water in the electrolyte, but the gas bubbles up through the diluted sulfuric acid use as the electrolyte and some of it picks up some sulfur ions to form hydrogen sulfide.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_2460 aux contact circled.jpg (294.8 KB, 0 views)
JohnnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric EZGO


Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Forum
New to me cart struggling up hills and batts appear ok??? Electric EZGO
Struggling uphill Electric Club Car
G22 gas struggling to get going Gas Yamaha
EZ-GO struggling up hills, possible preignition Gas EZGO
86' Cc Looking To Up Grade. Lifted Golf Carts


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:02 AM.


Club Car Electric | EZGO Electric | Lifted Golf Carts | Gas EZGO | Used Golf Carts and Parts

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This Website and forum is the property of Buggiesgonewild.com. No material may be taken or duplicated in part or full without prior written consent of the owners of buggiesgonewild.com. © 2006-2017 Buggiesgonewild.com. All rights reserved.