High Current Wiring Get hot!!

[The_Shocker]

As I am learning, Ez-Go golf carts make me cringe. Heres my issue with the Current Ez-Go Series 36v. With all stock configurations, all of the high current wiring gets extremely hot. Once this occurs, the cart looses all power and torque. The controller had the strong smell of burnt wiring. We replaced the stock controller with a Alltrax 400 Amp and HD Solenoid and new HD Forward Reverse Switch. Guess what, we still have the same issue with the High Current wiring getting hot, and losing power. Is this pointing to a motor issue or is it something I'm not familiar with. Thanks..

[Drrhein]

How old and what gauge wiring does it have?

Dennis

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by The_Shocker

As I am learning, Ez-Go golf carts make me cringe. Heres my issue with the Current Ez-Go Series 36v. With all stock configurations, all of the high current wiring gets extremely hot. Once this occurs, the cart looses all power and torque. The controller had the strong smell of burnt wiring. We replaced the stock controller with a Alltrax 400 Amp and HD Solenoid and new HD Forward Reverse Switch. Guess what, we still have the same issue with the High Current wiring getting hot, and losing power. Is this pointing to a motor issue or is it something I'm not familiar with. Thanks..

Heat is caused by amps flowing through resistance, so anything in the high-current circuit getting excessively hot is defective.

What size high-current cables do you have?

Which Alltrax 400A controller are you running?

What is your tire height? (Stock height is 18")

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A properly working series wound motor can get too hot to touch (up to about 239°F case temperature is acceptable) and the controller can get mighty warm, but everything else should stay cool enough to hold onto for several seconds and the cables shouldn't get much more than 10°F to 20°F above ambient.

[The_Shocker]

Its an Alltrax NPX400. Stock wiring except for the batteries which have 4 gauge wiring. Also, remember, this cart showed the same problems with factory configurations. This cart is normal height and had no abnormal loads added to it. Thanks again.

[JohnnieB]

If the stock cables were getting hot with stock controller (275A), stock solenoid (85A) and stock F/R switch, going to a 400A controller, a 200A solenoid and HD F/R switch isn't going to make the stock cables run cooler.

Do the five 4Ga cables connecting the six batteries together get as hot as the other eight?
Also, what gauge are the other eight cables?

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Unfortunately, the NPX cannot be connected to a laptop, so we cannot see how many amps are being drawn by the motor.

When pushed by hand, does the cart roll freely?

What type terrain? (Hilly?)

What year and body type is the cart?

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Pictures of controller, battery pack, cables and motor would help.

[The_Shocker]

The 4 gauge battery cables do not get as hot as the other 8. Its a 2006, and it does roll freely. And those 8 get extremely hot! I mean, smelly hot... And p.s., anyone want to send a good Ez-Go mechanic my way send them on! haha

[JohnnieB]

Before I retired, I drove to Charlotte four time a year for meetings, but haven't been there since 2009.

If the other eight cables are the originals, they need to be replaced.

[The_Shocker]

Ok, well will try that. If it were a motor going bad, what would some of the signs that it would give..

[JohnnieB]

Drawing a lot of amps and not delivering much torque could be one of them, but a stock controller only passes about 275A, which won't overheat good high current cables and connections, even 6Ga ones.

If the current flow was 275A continuously, the nominal heating for 6Ga is about 30W per foot of cable length. For 4Ga it is about 19W per foot.

A motor that is going on ten years old, probably has a thick layer of carbon dust from the brushes throughout its interior, which reduces its efficiency, so it probably needs to be serviced, but the stock controller still limits the current flow to 275A.

To check the motor for wanted and unwanted conductivity.
With the cables removed, you should get something like 1Ω to 5Ω between the A1&A2 studs and between the S1&S2 studs, but infinite Ohms (open) between the A studs and the S studs and infinite Ohms between either A or S studs and the case.

[Tacodipstick]

I have a similar problem; however, only my positive terminal cable that connects to the solenoid contact gets hot. The other 6 AWG cables do not heat up at all, including the return cable. Either as a result of something downstream causing the hot cable or possibly as the source of the issue, as I am here to ask, the positive battery terminal has heated up enough to melt/deform the post and surrounding plastic. Also, the solenoid contact has a plastic piece around the inner nut that has begun to melt as well. Battery-to-battery connections are 4 AWG. Any suggestions? As another possible source of information, a volt-meter readout is available on the dash. When the cart runs, the voltage drops from, say, 37.5V down to 34.5V, sometimes slightly lower when going up hills (quite slowly I might add). I just thought of this and have not confirmed the wiring configuration of the volt-meter. Finally, the cable in question has a discolored and hard/cracked insulator near (3-4 inches) the positive battery terminal.