New batteries medalist will not move

[Bobert]

I am reading 37.25VDC on both sides of the solenoid, which according to the copy of the repair manual I downloaded from this site, means the solenoid is not OK. I found the proper solenoid on a Franklin site, but any advice about any other suppliers?

[Sir Nuke]

yes.....scottyb, one of our sponsors and contributors.....his site is at

http://www.cartsunlimited.net/?wwparam=1367931139

[Bobert]

A thought occurred to me, maybe fallacious but this is it: If the diode across the battery side to the controller side has gone bad would that not be acting as a jumper, especially since I am measuring the same 37.25V at each of the connectors?

I asked (in a reply I don't see in this thread) if there were any other sources for the solenoid I need other than Franklin?

[Sir Nuke]

Originally Posted by Bobert

I asked if there were any other sources for the solenoid I need other than Franklin?

I answered.....its in the post just above yours.

[Ky81538]

Originally Posted by Bobert

Thanks, again good advice! Would you know the title of the thread about bypassing the controller to run the motor?

Bypassing the motor can be found in this thread. Heed the advise about only applying 12 V to the motor and be sure to use jack stands.
http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...ller-shot.html

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Bobert

I am reading 37.25VDC on both sides of the solenoid, which according to the copy of the repair manual I downloaded from this site, means the solenoid is not OK. I found the proper solenoid on a Franklin site, but any advice about any other suppliers?

The solenoid has two sets of terminals on it. Two small studs two large studs.
The small terminals are the coil and the larger terminals are the contacts.
On which set of terminals are you measuring "37.25V on both sides"?

If your battery pack voltage is 37.25V, your batteries are only 73% charged and sulfating as we speak, so they need to be charged without further delay.
A fully charged 36V battery pack reads 38.2V roughly 12 hours after the charge turns off automatically.

However, that voltage is high enough to troubleshoot with.

----------

Instead of Poking and Hoping, how about troubleshooting the system in a logical sequence?

1. Power supply- We have a viable power source, so the first step is completed.
2. Solenoid - The solenoid isn't clicking, so find out why it isn't.
3. High current circuit integrity.
4. Controller/Throttle
5. Motor

We are at step-2, so get the solenoid to click before going on witch hunts.

Two conditions have to exist to get the solenoid to activate (click).
a. It has to be armed. (B+ applied to one of the small terminals via the Reed switch, Key switch and the F/R assembly)
b. It has to be triggered. (B- applied to other small terminal by the controller)

If the 37.25V you are measuring at the solenoid is on the two small terminals, it tells me that the solenoid is armed and that the coil is good. So what is missing is B- from the controller.

For the controller to supply B- to the solenoid, it has to be powered up and it has to be told to activate the solenoid by the pedal switch.

To be powered-up the controller has to have B+ on Pins 6, 9 & 10.
The pedal switch tells the controller to apply B- (via Pin-7) to solenoid coil by applying B+ to Pin-5.

[Dave Box]

Apropos nothing other than my own curiosity I note that both the circuits in this thread show a diode in parallel with the resistor. I thought that the resistor was placed across the switched terminals to preload the controller and the diode was across the solenoid coil to bleed down the back emf when the coil was opened thus protecting to switching circuit.

What did I miss here?

Dave

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Dave Box

Apropos nothing other than my own curiosity I note that both the circuits in this thread show a diode in parallel with the resistor. I thought that the resistor was placed across the switched terminals to preload the controller and the diode was across the solenoid coil to bleed down the back emf when the coil was opened thus protecting to switching circuit.

What did I miss here?

Dave

You didn't miss anything and you have the purpose of the resistor and diode reasonably correct.
(The diode shorts the back EMF back into the coil to dissipate, so bleeding down is too slow of a description. )

Probably some junior engineer on the DCS design team at EZGO had a brain fart and nobody noticed until the cart was in production.

With both DCS and PDS controllers, the controller supplied B- to the solenoid coil and very likely has a swamping diode built into that circuit, so the external diode across the coil is redundant, or at least it is with the PDS, which also supplies B+ to solenoid coil.

The DCS is sort of a hybrid with B+ to the solenoid coil supplied externally, via some switches, and B- supplied by the controller.

In either case, it certainly doesn't hurt to have a properly oriented diode across the solenoid coil.

[Dave Box]

The Wit and Wisdom of JohnnieB, sounds like a good book title to me.

Thanks

Dave

[Bobert]

I found a thin white wire, coming from the battery charging receptacle, that was spliced to a red/white wire(presumably of the same gauge) coming from the Run/Tow-Maintenance switch but no continuity with either of the plugs in the receptacle. I took the cover off the receptacle and found the white wire bent down in a sort of socket and a loose red wire connected to the positive(white) terminal. I assume this is a blown reed interlock switch. Can I just solder these two (red from + and white to splice with red/white to run/tow) together or should I buy a new reed interlock switch? Advice would be appreciated. By the way, this switch from EZGO is $65. I had looked at Scotty B's site before but thought it was for modifying carts, My Bad. JohnnieB, I appreciate your responses. The 37.25V was measured at the two Large terminals. This seemed to me to be the terminals indicated in the downloaded EZGO manual. I will check the two small, as you advised, but part of the problem may be the reed switch in the charging receptacle (I may be wrong about that).