95 Club Car DS, Rev works, no FWD

[bke]

After working on it for three weeks, and reading any of these threads that I could, still stumped. First golf cart, first time working on one, but I do have a strong background in mechanics, and just enough in electronics to be dangerous.

The cart goes in Reverse great, but will do nothing in FWD (solenoid does click). Hopefully I can give all the details needed:

- All voltages are checked with black lead at battery #6 negative terminal
- Battery Pack 51.2 volts, three new batteries, 3 unknown age, but older ones charge to 8.3 to 8.4 volts. New batteries charge to 8.6 volts

- New Heavy Duty F/R Switch, New 400 amp controller, New 200 amp solenoid. 4 AWG wires.

- V-Glide system, looks original and old, but I get voltage across the black and white wires that connect to the controller when pedal pressed (About 9.6 volts)
- Charges fine, shuts off with no problem when batteries charged
- When in reverse, works great. I did jump across the diode from micro switch 3, diode seems to be broken, so in reverse it goes at full speed, which has good power uphills, so ruling out battery issues

- I get pack voltage into Micro switch 1, and battery pack voltage out when pedal depressed. So feel MS-1 is working (and its new).

- Does not go FWD, but I do hear the solenoid click when in FWD and pedal pressed

- When in FWD and pedal pressed, I get battery pack voltage on both large solenoid posts, and the + smaller post, A1, A2, both wires in and out of F/R Switch, S1, and S2. All seem good and no wires are hot. Also get pack voltage across B+ and B- of controller, as well as pack voltage across B+ and M-. All three smaller connections to the controller also get pack voltage when pedal pressed and in FWD.

- I switched the two outside wires going in and out of the F/R switch, and then when in Reverse, it actually does go FWD. But then Reverse doesn't work.

- The small post on the solenoid (with yellow wire to OBC), is at 1.3 volts? Is that normal due to the diode? Seemed low but I didn't know. All that is on this post is the (-) diode side and the yellow wire.

- the A2 and S2 posts on the motor are in bad shape and wiggle with any kind of torque on the bolt. So I thought this could be the issue, but when it works great in reverse, as well as FWD with the F/R wires swapped, makes me think the motor is still working since it does run in both direction under the right conditions. Continuity test on the A1, A2, S1, S2 posts are all normal.

- One other test that has failed is one where I press the pedal in until I get the solenoid click, I get pack voltage on B+ of the controller, but the tests say that as I press in more, the voltage should go to 0 volts. It does not, it remains at pack voltage regardless of how much I press the pedal down. I wouldn't think this would keep it from going FWD, since the motor is getting voltage, that this would just cause it to be jerky when going FWD.

- All continuity tests are good, across pretty much every wire on the cart.

- Not sure if I am even checking this correct, but when I have my volt meter connected to the #6 battery negative terminal, and the positive lead to the B- of the controller, I get 0 voltage when unit is running. Guessing that is normal since they are both negative terminals? Just wondering how any voltage gets across the several wires attached to B-? Or is controller (which is new) not working?

Can't wait to see some ideas on what to check or replace next. Thanks in advance!

[Fairtax4me]

On the bottom of your FnR switch do you have two separate bars? Do you have a cable going to each of those bars or just to one?

[bke]

Looks like two separate ones, slanted upwards as I look from under the seat forward. Pics attached. It’s brand new, already see some black scar marks now that I took a pic.

[bke]

On the underside of the FnR switch, there are two cables, one at the bottom (from Motor A2) one at the passenger side (Going to M- of controller). These two bars on the underside are solid bars, one on bottom, one of top.

[Mooncarter]

Originally Posted by bke

On the underside of the FnR switch, there are two cables, one at the bottom (from Motor A2) one at the passenger side (Going to M- of controller). These two bars on the underside are solid bars, one on bottom, one of top.

Can you post a photo of those?

[Mooncarter]

Like this 95.

[bke]

Here is the front of my FnR switch.

Question related; since it is working in reverse, does that completely rule out the OBC being an issue. It charges perfectly, but wanted to make sure I shouldn’t spend anytime troubleshooting the OBC.

[bke]

So, at this point I am looking to replace the motor, or fix the S2 and A2 posts with a local DC Motor shop, depending on what makes most sense. Mine was a 3.1 HP, looks to be original. Seeing some much higher HP replacements out there for a reasonable price, so not sure yet what I will do.

Question; still thinking that even if I replace the motor, that this won't fix my issue? Seems that if it were going great in reverse, and it worked in FWD as well when I swapped the FnR cables, that the motor wasn't my issue? Thinking I am going to fix this motor, only to still have the same issues that it won't go FWD.

[Mooncarter]

Originally Posted by bke

Here is the front of my FnR switch.

Question related; since it is working in reverse, does that completely rule out the OBC being an issue. It charges perfectly, but wanted to make sure I shouldn’t spend anytime troubleshooting the OBC.

You should have a blue cable at the top and a white one at the bottom. Where is your white cable?

[bke]

Replaced the white cable, due to it not being good. This new cable you see goes from the bottom of the FnR switch to the A2 post of the motor, just as the white one did. It is possibly a failure point, but question for the group - if this new wire was a weak point (which I think it could be), would it work in reverse so well? Doesn't current flow through the wire from A2 motor post to the FnR switch, either way in R or F?