pds loosing run time

[hooknup]

Originally Posted by scottyb

Are the flashes red or green?

Flashes are red

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by hooknup

Jonnie what am i looking for when I test all of these items? Am i looking for 48 volts to each one? What is B+ and J1, J3. I am not familiar with most of this.

B+ is the positive battery pack voltage. It should be in the neighborhood of 50.9V for a fully charged 48V battery pack.

J1 and J3 are the 10 pin rectangular and 4 pin square connectors in the cart wiring harness that used to plug into J1 and J3 on the original PDS controller and are now plugged into the matching connectors on the PDS to DCX adapter assembly.

To energize the solenoid, first B+ must be applied to one of the small terminals and the list of test points starts at the cart's charge receptacle (Reed Switch) and proceeds to each connection point until it reaches the small solenoid terminal the the banded end of the diode attached to it.

Second, the controller must apply B- (Negative Battery Pack voltage) to the other small terminal on the solenoid. This circuit is far less complex and we will troubleshoot it (if needed) when we get B+ to the solenoid's small terminal.

Here is a schematic with the B+ path traced to the solenoid.

The first place I would check for B+ is at the small terminal with the banded end of the diode attached.
If it isn't there, I'd check for it at the back of the cart's charge receptacle.
If you do have B+ at the solenoid's small terminal, we will move on to troubleshooting the B- side of the solenoid.

[hooknup]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

B+ is the positive battery pack voltage. It should be in the neighborhood of 50.9V for a fully charged 48V battery pack.

J1 and J3 are the 10 pin rectangular and 4 pin square connectors in the cart wiring harness that used to plug into J1 and J3 on the original PDS controller and are now plugged into the matching connectors on the PDS to DCX adapter assembly.

To energize the solenoid, first B+ must be applied to one of the small terminals and the list of test points starts at the cart's charge receptacle (Reed Switch) and proceeds to each connection point until it reaches the small solenoid terminal the the banded end of the diode attached to it.

Second, the controller must apply B- (Negative Battery Pack voltage) to the other small terminal on the solenoid. This circuit is far less complex and we will troubleshoot it (if needed) when we get B+ to the solenoid's small terminal.

Here is a schematic with the B+ path traced to the solenoid.

The first place I would check for B+ is at the small terminal with the banded end of the diode attached.
If it isn't there, I'd check for it at the back of the cart's charge receptacle.
If you do have B+ at the solenoid's small terminal, we will move on to troubleshooting the B- side of the solenoid.

OK. When I unhook the diode the cart works like it should. The solenoid clicks when i turn the key not when I press the gas pedal.D o i have the solenoid hood up backwards? Do I need the diode hooked up?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by hooknup

OK.
1. When I unhook the diode the cart works like it should.
2. The solenoid clicks when i turn the key not when I press the gas pedal.
3. Do i have the solenoid hood up backwards?
4. Do I need the diode hooked up?

1. Getting closer to getting it fixed.

2. Solenoid should not click until pedal is pushed (IE: Pedal microswitch contacts are closed.)

3. Neither the solenoid coil terminals nor contact terminals are polarized. However, the diode is polarized and must be connected with the cathode (Banded end) connected to the terminal with the positive voltage (B+) being applied to it (Yellow wire in a PDS)
Sounds like the diode was connected backwards or is shorted.

4. Neither the diode across the small terminals (Coil) nor the resistor across the big terminals (Contacts) are needed for troubleshooting, but should be installed for normal operation.
The resistor reduces arcing on the solenoid contacts when they close.
The diode protects the controller from the high voltage spike that is generated by the coil when it de-energizes.

-------------

Attached is a drawing showing the rest of the B+ path. The part that tells the controller to apply B- to the other side of the solenoid coil.

Unplug J4, the flat 4-pin connector that goes to the throttle box from the PDS to DCX adapter.
If the solenoid still clicks when key is turned on, either the controller is bad or there is a short in the adapter or cart wiring.
If it no longer clicks when the key is turned on, the pedal microswitch is bad or maladjusted.

[hooknup]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

1. Getting closer to getting it fixed.

2. Solenoid should not click until pedal is pushed (IE: Pedal microswitch contacts are closed.)

3. Neither the solenoid coil terminals nor contact terminals are polarized. However, the diode is polarized and must be connected with the cathode (Banded end) connected to the terminal with the positive voltage (B+) being applied to it (Yellow wire in a PDS)
Sounds like the diode was connected backwards or is shorted.

4. Neither the diode across the small terminals (Coil) nor the resistor across the big terminals (Contacts) are needed for troubleshooting, but should be installed for normal operation.
The resistor reduces arcing on the solenoid contacts when they close.
The diode protects the controller from the high voltage spike that is generated by the coil when it de-energizes.

-------------

Attached is a drawing showing the rest of the B+ path. The part that tells the controller to apply B- to the other side of the solenoid coil.

Unplug J4, the flat 4-pin connector that goes to the throttle box from the PDS to DCX adapter.
If the solenoid still clicks when key is turned on, either the controller is bad or there is a short in the adapter or cart wiring.
If it no longer clicks when the key is turned on, the pedal microswitch is bad or maladjusted.

Jonnie, thanks for all of your help with this. The resistor is installed and seems to be working fine. Is the diode something I can pick up at radio shack or an auto parts store? Do you know what I need to tell them I need or should i just take the one I have in and show it to them. BTW carts runs freakin awesome. I used gps and got 30 on the brand new batteries.

[JohnnieB]

Now that it is going 30MPH, it's time to start looking at better brakes.
Upgrading never ends.

This diode should work. http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...erValue=Diodes
If they don't have it in stock, a 1N4004 would probably do the trick.

[hooknup]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

Now that it is going 30MPH, it's time to start looking at better brakes.
Upgrading never ends.

This diode should work. http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...erValue=Diodes
If they don't have it in stock, a 1N4004 would probably do the trick.

Jonnie, I tried both Diodes from radio shack with the same results. I put the original back on and the cart faulted like before. When i hooked up the new ones the solenoid continued to engage when F/R swich was engaged.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by hooknup

Jonnie, I tried both Diodes from radio shack with the same results. I put the original back on and the cart faulted like before. When i hooked up the new ones the solenoid continued to engage when F/R swich was engaged.

Does the solenoid just engage momentarily when the F/R is placed in F or R, or does it stay engaged?

I don't have my DCX controller installed yet, so I don't know for sure, but it doesn't seem logical (or safe) the have the solenoid engaged when the pedal isn't pushed.

I might be wrong, but I think you would have to have B+ on both Pin 5 (from Pedal microswitch) and Pin-6 (from Keyswitch via one of the two steering diode in the adapter from the F/R switch) to get the controller to put B- on Pin-7 and activate solenoid.

Pull the four pin plug that goes to the ITS box and measure between pins 1 & 2 with an Ohmmeter.
It should be open with pedal up and closed with pedal down.

If it is working right, plug the plug back into the adapter and measure the voltage at Pin-5 on the controller.
It should be Zero with pedal up and B+ with pedal down.

If Pin-5 has B+ on it all the time the Key is on and F or R is select, something is wrong in the adapter or cart wiring.

If it only has B+ on it when the pedal is pushed, I suspect there is something wrong with the controller and I'd be on the phone to Alltrax tech support.