EZGO Marathon - White wire on FNR Switch

[Traviswright]

Hey all - I picked up an old 1990 electric EZ-Go Marathon, and it runs, but needs a little TLC. While poking around under the seat, I found this large white wire that connects to the bottom of the FNR switch, and appears to have corroded off of whatever it was previously connected to.

When I look at the wiring diagram, it looks like it should be connected to the positive battery terminal. And the length and general curvature of the wire would support this theory. But it is a big wire - probably 12 GA... And it seems like if that were where this wire was supposed to go, the cart wouldnt run. But it does run - Runs just fine, in fact! The reverse beeper does not work, but I can't imagine this big wire is just for that little beeper - right?

Anyone know where I am supposed to connect this guy?

[binder49]

Try to trace back to the other end. It may be connected to the charging port for charging the batteries. In which case, the end in the picture would connect to the batteries.

[Traviswright]

Hey Binder49 - thanks for the reply. it connects to the bottom of the FMR switch area. Battery charger seems to be working just fine.

[binder49]

Then I'm not sure where it would go

[camaroluvz28]

That wire goes to the positive battery terminal across from you main negative terminal and it is for the back-up buzzer positive if your buzzer isn't working...I would trace the other side of the micro its coming from to the buzzer to confirm

[Traviswright]

Awesome - thank you. That looks right.

There is also a tiny black wire (maybe 20ga?) that comes out of the buzzer and connects to nothing... any idea where this one goes?

[camaroluvz28]

Main negative battery post

[JohnnieB]

The Marathon carts with a controller and pot box throttle used a 6V beeper and had a double stacked MS-4 that was effectively a DPST switch. When reverse was selected, one set of contacts placed a fixed 5kΩ resistor in parallel with the 0-5kΩ pot box to give it a 1/2 speed reverse and the other set of contacts sounded the beeper. Later EZGO series drives with ITS throttles had a 36V beeper and 1/2 speed reverse was done withing the controller, so a single pole MS-4 would do both jobs.

The double pole MS-4 is no longer available, so if the F/R assembly has ever been replaced, you have either 1/2 speed reverse, or a reverse beeper, but not both.

As for the 12Ga white wire. Looks like the remains of an aftermarket crimp-on connector, so I suspect a previous owner used whatever gauge white wire he had available when he replace the white wire.

Where the black and white wires connect to is shown on the attached schematic, but like I said above, if MS-4 isn't a double stacked microswitch, you have to choose between having 1/2 speed reverse or a reverse beeper.

[Traviswright]

@JohnnieB - You totally rock. Yep - I have a double stacked MS, so it looks like that black wire goes to the negative battery terminal of the same battery that the white wire goes to.

What is that little rectangular thing on the black wire in the wiring diagram between the buzzer and the battery?

[JohnnieB]

A lot of off the shelf beeper devices have preinstalled wires, so the box in the black wire is most likely just an in-line connector.