OBC replace, reset, or...?

[808Pants]

I think this must've been answered dozens of times, but...the dang search function seems not to work at all (no results for "OBC" in either search option?!)

I've barely driven my 1999 DS in the few months I've owned it since I've not needed it for the project we bought it for yet, and I've spent some time and money in the meantime to try to resuscitate the badly-abused batteries. The Lester charger, on connecting, would sometimes do nothing until I messed with controls, ie jogging the cart forward or backward would give me the telltale relay-click in the charger and then the charging would begin, and I've been wondering if that's typical, or if there's any normal delay before the charger kicks in, assuming the required threshold voltage is there (40V, was it?)

Anyway, last time I connected the charger, no amount of jogging or other pokings or messing-with would get the charger to kick on. Even the relay-bypass-switch I put into the charger doesn't kick-start the OBC anymore. I get 0 volts on the gray fused feedback wire from the OBC (don't recall what it has been in the past, but I think it's gotta be over 40V to trip the relay in the charger, right?)

So - is that sticky called "resetting the OBC" for me? I don't know when that process is indicated. If not that, then...what, a new OBC?

BTW, I was maybe relieved to see that, whatever the problem is with the charge-signal in the gray wire not being there, with the relay bypassed so it charges, the charging current snaps on and off, suggesting to me that the charge-control algorithm is perhaps still working. This also makes me wonder if I can't safely bypass the gray-wire charge-on-signal indefinitely, or at least while I am around to notice smoke...

[sonicj]

The gray wire goes low, which closes the relay in the charger. Sometimes this takes 20 seconds or so.

OBC acting the fool after low voltage & wacky charge routines w/o driving is pretty typical. Reset the OBC. Drive, charge, repeat (not the obc, just do that once) a few times and it should start behaving more consistently.
-sj

[808Pants]

Yikes - gray wire goes LOW to permit charging? I think that creates a new set of mysteries. But if that were true, wouldn't it start charging when the fuse blows?

I reset the OBC (supposedly) twice. Not convinced I did anything, really, though.
a) reverse buzzer has never worked. I want to substitute or test it. Is it 12V? 48V? Since part of the OBC reset instructions describe the buzzer sounding, then apparently dying out slowly over five minutes or whatever, I am not sure I am...discharging (?) whatever needs discharging, if that's what I am doing, since the device may not be consuming any power.
b) Can/should keyswitch position inhibit charging?
c) I've discovered, to my surprise, that I can actually 'drive' the cart with the charger plugged in and on. Shouldn't be permissible if interlocks are working, right?
d) When bypassing charger relay, charging appears to still be controlled (spikes on and off irregularly) so I conclude that the charge control doesn't use the charger's onboard relay, but rather some switching in the OBC. What's the danger in bypassing the charger relay, then? That is, does the charger relay prevent anything other than overcurrent when trying to charge a flat pack of batteries?
e) Other than low-voltage, does the yellow dash warning lite indicate any other problems? (Yes, mine was occasionally flashing during charging and at other odd times...)

[808Pants]

I found the 'buzzer' problem - bad microswitch @ F/R switch - now repaired. Repeated the OBC reset routine - same result (no change), though at least this time I had the satisfaction of hearing the buzzer fade away.

Is there only ONE OBC-reset procedure, regardless of model/year?

[hanny]

Originally Posted by 808Pants

I found the 'buzzer' problem - bad microswitch @ F/R switch - now repaired. Repeated the OBC reset routine - same result (no change), though at least this time I had the satisfaction of hearing the buzzer fade away.

Is there only ONE OBC-reset procedure, regardless of model/year?

the buzzer fading away is the capacitors discharging which would mean from way of thinking is resetting the obc, so it sounds like you are doing it right.

not sure on your model/year but its my understanding that with the charger hooked up the cart wont move period. I would check all your wiring from the plug in to where each wire goes and see if you have a loose connection for starters thats what i would do. it could be just a loose connection you wiggling things around caused ti to charge and a connection issues is cause the cart to move even with the charger connected. boy hope its that easy

[sonicj]

Originally Posted by 808Pants

Yikes - gray wire goes LOW to permit charging? I think that creates a new set of mysteries. But if that were true, wouldn't it start charging when the fuse blows?

no. LOW is the same as "ground". So if the signal goes "high" thats means +48V. Going "low" would be 0V or "ground".

Blowing the fuse would leave the circuit open.

Originally Posted by 808Pants

b) Can/should keyswitch position inhibit charging?
c) I've discovered, to my surprise, that I can actually 'drive' the cart with the charger plugged in and on. Shouldn't be permissible if interlocks are working, right?
d) When bypassing charger relay, charging appears to still be controlled (spikes on and off irregularly) so I conclude that the charge control doesn't use the charger's onboard relay, but rather some switching in the OBC. What's the danger in bypassing the charger relay, then? That is, does the charger relay prevent anything other than overcurrent when trying to charge a flat pack of batteries?
e) Other than low-voltage, does the yellow dash warning lite indicate any other problems? (Yes, mine was occasionally flashing during charging and at other odd times...)

b) i don't think so
c) correct
d)correct. the relay opening enables the charger. The OBC regulates the charge. Bypassing the relay will result in eventual overcharging. bypassing the relay is handy way to force the batteries to charge when voltage is too low for proper operation of the OBC.
e) the light will flash if there was a break in the power supply (mains supply). not sure about other faults it may or may not display
-sj