1989 ClubCar Golfcart

[shasha]

I was recently giving a 1989 club car golf cart by a close friend. It is the 36 volt model. The batterys have water and the charger says that it charges all the way. The golf cart will stay at full speed unless you stop fully then it wont even go half speed even after only five minutes. I don't know what to do. Is it the motor? Or a battery? Or a solenoid? I also have to double tap the clutch in order for the it to kick into gear. But thats only after the first five minutes of use. Any help on this will be great!

[OLD MEC]

The 36 volt cart COULD have either a 5 resistor board behind batterys with a V Glide unit to control speed, or possibly a V Glide with solid state controller or at that age almost any other conversion? A V Glide unit is a pie shaped black box mounted on top of frame rail, and between batterys and below drivers seat. To confirm which type you have you will need to check the V Glide for the following--5 small guage wires coming out of back or 6-HD 6 guage wires out the back and 5 of those going to resistor bank.
With this info the forum can help you find the problem without having to guess whats going on. Please advise with info.

[scottyb]

'89s were resistor coil carts. Sounds like you may have a combination of bad batteries and intermittent micro switches?

[shasha]

The batterys are fairly new and they held a charge fine before it was giving to me. It did sit for two weeks with no charge but I dont think that will affect any thing and I dont have a v-glide unit. It gets up and goes but like i said after even two minutes it just slows down. And I plug it in and the batterys are still fine and the motor runs fine. Maybe its an eletrical problem. All the wires are good and tight. Could something be grounding out that shoudlent be?

[scottyb]

Humor me, take a voltage reading of the pack when it comes off the charger and then another after it slows and note how much time you drove and on what kind of terrain. We need some hard technical info to work with. Thanks.

[OLD MEC]

If you dont have a V Glide unit is it the older style White-Silver box with Red ends with 5 micro's inside and if so you would have 5 solenoids mounted to resistor plastic board behind battery pack? The other possibly would be a Curtis PB-6 unit hooked to pedal linkage OR some type of later CC model units mounted under either drivers floor or passenger floor and if not what does it have?
From what you say about loosing power after a few minutes it really sounds like you have some battery problems? Just because batterys seem to charge up ( depending on what type of charger used ) isn't proof that they are in good condition?
Have you tested with either a digital volt meter EACH BATTERY AND WHOLE PACK VOLTAGE or a single float hydrometer with temperature correcting scale to EACH CELL OF EACH BATTERY and compared the readings with STICKIES "State Of Charge Readings"

[shasha]

Okay ill do that. Now what about with the go pedel. Like if you just press it it will move slowly but if you double tap it it jerks then kicks in.

[OLD MEC]

LIKE SCOTTYB SAY "HUMOR ME" and find out first by doing as SCOTTYB says about battery tests and condition and advise us about it by giving us "NUMBERS", and then let us know what type of speed control system ( AS I SAID ) you have "FOR SURE" so a recomendation of how to perform tests can be given to solve your problems? It would be like trying to trouble shot a carburator problem when auto is out of gas?

[shasha]

Okay. So I took a meter to the batterys before driving the cart. all read as fully charge at 6.30 V. After driving it for about ten fifiteen minutes it still read as full charged but acted like it was dead. It is a resistor coil cart with the five seloniods. Im not the best at mecahnincs so im just doing what told to do. I tested the seloniods and none stay running like my brother said one might be on all the time. Again they read 6.30 before and after driving it.

[OLD MEC]

Just a note in passing for your info 6.30 volts is only 90% charged not 100% and electric golf carts DONT HAVE CLUTCHES TO DOUBLE TAP as you said in first message. It sounds like you have a older style set up than 1989 36 volt CC cart as it would have a V Glide? To confirm what pedal control we need to know the following IS IT #1-a white or silver box with red ends mounted on top of frame rail under drivers seat, #2-the V glide pie shaped unit in same position? #3-some thing else and if so what does it look like? To recommend tests we need to know what you have.