Alltrax AXE 4865P does not power up

[thingstodo]

I have 2 older Club Car Carryall with Alltrax controllers. The other one is using a 4844P.

The 4865P works better. When it works, it works well. Sometimes - I have not figured out any symptom as yet to tell why it decides not to work sometimes - I have 56V on the B+, 0V on B-, the key switch shows 56V with the key on and the throttle pressed down just enough to click the contactor that bypasses the pre-charge resistor.

The 4844P works much worse. It's been sitting for about 6 months since the last time it moved at all. The controller simply won't power up.

For both of them, I wrote down the voltages for the throttle, referenced to 0V on the pack. It is the same when it works as when it doesn't work. And the same between the 2 carryalls.

The following things have been tested and do not appear to make any difference:
- turn on some 12V loads - lights, winch, 4wd solenoid. Sometimes it runs the next time I hit the throttle, most times not
- heat up the controller (when it is below -20C or 4 below F), it worked once but the next time I tried - today - the controller scanned at -20C with my infrared thermometer and the Axe works just fine.
- turn the key on and leave it sit for a while
- wiggle each visible connection. They are all tight .. after checking them so many times I think they are over-tight. I can't get some of the terminal screws to back off. The crimped connectors have been cleaned with a burnishing tool, soaked with WD40 to keep the moisture off them, then put back together. The key switch is not visible inside the dash, but it comes out to a screw terminal block and there is pack voltage there

The controller does not power up .. somehow. It has voltage where it should. The LED .. when it does not work .. shows nothing. dark. Not green, not red, not amber, not flashing.

Over the past couple of years it has gotten worse. We have removed the high throttle lockout and wired around the forward/reverse switch (to enable the controller). All we have left is the emergency stop switch, the key switch and the throttle switch.

The throttles have both been replaced. One of the controllers was exchanged with Alltrax and the problems did not clear up. I expect it is something simple, Alltrax makes reliable equipment ... but I don't know what else to check.

Suggestions?

[WalterM6]

Have you connected your computer to the controller? It might show something up. 56v sounds high for pack voltage. Check the upper voltage limit. I also believe that there is a low temp limit.

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by WalterM6

Have you connected your computer to the controller? It might show something up. 56v sounds high for pack voltage. Check the upper voltage limit. I also believe that there is a low temp limit.

The laptop was connected when it was programmed, and a few times since. The setup is pretty basic.

I don't remember what the high pack voltage setting is, but the controller is not powering up. It's not complaining about the voltage, it just does not power up.

The low temp limit is -25C from the manual. It doesn't say what happens when you hit -25C.

I'm going to take a look at the keyswitch connection on the controller again. The manual says that the controller only needs that for positive pack and B- for negative pack in order to power up. So I measure pack voltage on the terminal but perhaps that is not making it to the spade connector .. ?