no power in reverse, but buzzer sounds?

[ycis]

so ezgo (sepex) 48v cart hadnt been used in a few weeks, go to back it out of the garage and notice when clicking the FR switch (toggle style) into reverse, the battery gauge light goes out and while the reverse buzzer activates, the cart does not move and there is no solenoid click when engaging the pedal.

put it in forward, and the power comes on (dash lights, battery meter, etc) and the cart behaves perfectly normally.

first guess is the switch itself is borked? easy enough fix, but if it were bad why would the reverse buzzer still kick in like normal?

thoughts?

[ycis]

also noticed today taking off the seat cover, the sepex controler status light is flashing.

2 flashes followed by 4 flashes.

although I suppose it could be 4 flashes followed by 2 flashes, not really sure how to tell. the blinking happens with the cart on or off.

[ycis]

new fnr switch had no effect, exact same symptoms.

cart works perfect in F, but nothing in R. even the factory battery gauge goes blank. (reverse buzzer and headlights all still work, so its still got power).

i disconnected the factory battery gauge just on the off chance it was fried or similar...no change at all. still works fine in F, but nothing in reverse.

did notice the sepex controller warning lights have gone away (had flipped the cart into tow/maint mode overnight to troubleshoot).


Just so im not chasing my tail, the ignition switch, microswitches and solenoid have to be good as the cart behaves normally in F (normal clicking, normal speeds, etc). aye?

[ycis]

more fun tonight,

verified 50v to center post of FnR toggle, and 50v to each of the other posts when engaged in F, or R.

this would lead me to believe there is no issue with the toggle switch itself.


did notice that when testing, cart still performs as normal in F all proper clicks, drives fine etc.

same issue when engaging reverse, buzzer activates, all lights work etc...but no solenoid click when depressing foot pedal and now the curtis sepex controller blinks 1 - 5.

this is a might different blinking from the previous 2 - 4, and nothing in google seems to indicate that 1 - 5 is a valid code for said controller?

can toggle tow/maint mode to reset controller and reproduce this issue over and over engaging reverse and pressing the pedal with no visible or audible sound from the cart, and the sepex controller begins to blink 1 - 5

about at the end of my experience with electrical items before i really start doing more harm than good. perhaps the fault lies within the controller itself?

[kgsc]

Flipping to tow can reset the codes. Is this a newer 48txt or an older one that was converted? The dash meter going off doesn’t make sense.

[ycis]

its an 04, came with the curtis controller when purchased and has run flawlessly for years (its a txt shuttle)...this literally just happened out of nowhere.

I agree im a bit lost at the dash meter turning off in reverse, the only thing thats even connected to the dash meter is the yellow key switch lead (which after taking apart the dash, is simply vampire tapped into the existing key on wire).

just to rule out the gauge itself, i wired in a brand new one that doesnt use the lead (always on) and it reads fine in both F and R on the toggle (along with the new toggle).

i can only guess that there is something wrong with the key switch or wiring, but even that doesnt make sense to me as the controller is clearly still getting the R signal due to the buzzer going off (based on diagram, that is a direct output off the curtis controller when R toggle is engaged), vs any mechanical or switch trigger etc.

its almost like when the vehicle is in R, something is disabling the solenoid but that isnt being disabled in F?

i admit im at a loss for what coudl even cause something like that.

[ycis]

on a side note, i found the manual for the later generation curtis controller ( 1268 ) which everyone seems to say is an absolutely identical version to the one in my cart ( 1264 )...and it shows the 1-5 code to be:

Controller: 1268, Fault: 15

Fault Name: Motor Stall

Fault Cause:
1. Slope too steep for vehicle weight.
2. mechanically locked motor.
3. EM brake wiring failure.
4. Speed sensor defective.

this is baffling as id think if any of those 4 items were the cause, it would happen in both F as well as r

[kgsc]

I attached the manual for the 1264 controller. Page 88 is where the information for the controller starts. It’s almost like reverse has failed. As for the meter, it’s powered by the pack and the key switch so if it’s going off it’s almost like the controller isn’t putting power on the circuit when you put it in reverse. Check the smaller wires going from the controller to the motor to make sure they haven’t worn through and are touching the frame.

[ycis]

will say that when wiring in the new battery gauge (digital display, always on, just a two wire) the black/red wires going to it are hot all the time, regardless of key position or fnr position.

so even the factory meter was supplied with the proper 50v at all times, so that would lead me to believe the issue was with the yellow key on signal wire?

perhaps the key switch itself has failed, but it seems rather odd that the trigger for the key switch to "turn off" would be clicking the toggle switch to R

[ycis]

Originally Posted by kgsc

Check the smaller wires going from the controller to the motor to make sure they haven’t worn through and are touching the frame.

I spent most of last evening tracing the wires i could gain easy access to and wiggling them (as well as adjusting any splices and or connectors...of which there were more than id like, but nothing that seemed melted or loose) to no avail.

just so im not out to lunch here (as admittedly, electronics are voodoo to me)...if the issue were a loose wire from the controller to the motor (or solenoid)...it should manifest itself in forward and reverse aye?

I simply cant fathom how the cart works perfect in forward. Its gotta be a wiring issue somewhere, but other than ripping literally everything out and redoing it...im at a loss.