88 Club Car 36v always engaged unless shifter in neutral

[pappygt88]

1988 Club Car 36v V-Glide - good to VGC cart. One day noticed it was creeping. In grass it didn't move but on pavement, it would crawl even when gas pedal NOT engaged. Nothing happened out of ordinary, it just started happening. Because I didnt realize it immediately, cart sat in grass trying to move but grass kept it from rolling, I noticed during short ride when I stopped, cart wanted to creep unless I out it in between F and R. I looked under seat and the coils were VERY hot. The cart had been 'engaged' while sitting there for ? minutes. As I checked wiring, etc and switched from 'neutral' to F or R, the selector switch started smoking . I scrambled to take lead of 1st battery killing power. I checked things, checked pedal travel, checked wiring for a short or loose connector, the obvious stuff, but every time I tried to connect the lead back up with it in F or R, selector switch smoked immediately. Cart is very clean, well kept. I don't know how to check why it is always HOT. Is it the v-glide or the main solenoid? If I try to test for voltage, I have to hook up the batteries, once I do that, selector switch smokes. What wire should I take off to test for current where it should NOT be when gas pedal is NOT engaged? Clearance is tight by v-glide , I can access the main solenoid, if you remove 1-2 batteries for access, then system is not 'hot' so unless I hook them up, how do I test for the leak or problem? One comment, the solenoid DOES CLICK when you engage gas pedal, it makes the mechanical click. I know how to test for current but have not done a 'continuity' test. Logic tells me the v-glide is the culprit, but test and confirm? Since the selector switch has smoked several times, is it fried or still usable - I have 2 points of failure so I guess I need to narrow it down but I'm not an electrician, but I can follow directions. Sorry for this diatribe - help would be appreciated.

[movin-on]

Usually this is caused by the solenoid contacts being welded closed but you stated that it is working..Test it anyway..With cart off put a multimeter on the continuity setting and put the leads across the 2 big terminals...You should not have continuity...If you do replace it...The other culprit could be the microswitch inside the vglide staying closed..Do a continuity test on it also..

[Budule]

you may need to pop the cover off the v glide and make sure the wiper arm is all the way at the bottom, the first 2 pads are dead and sometimes it gets out of adjustment ….

[pappygt88]

Thanks - to do this text, I would have to hook up the batteries but put the selector switch in 'neutral' then, right? If functioning properly and there was no current, just wondering, how does pressing the gas pedal engage the solenoid which I'm assuming would be the way it properly operates?

[pappygt88]

Originally Posted by Budule

you may need to pop the cover off the v glide and make sure the wiper arm is all the way at the bottom, the first 2 pads are dead and sometimes it gets out of adjustment ….

If the wiper arm is not seating and possibly touching the 1st pad, there would be no lead coming from that 1st (or second) pad right? How would that cause it to be engaged then? Can I spray some electronics cleaner across the glide and clean it up a little or would that create a problem?

[Mooncarter]

Cleaning won't hurt anything, but you don't know what the problem is. I suspect you may have more than one.

Make sure the go pedal is returning as it should and the v-glide wiper. Then check the solenoid.