Question about my solenoid

[yamahaguy97]

Originally Posted by BrewCityMusic

How is it running IE no hesitations, jerkiness, etc? I had a TXT with a pedal microswitch that couldn't just go "bad" like they usually do, that one would kind of "pulse" and kept clicking the solenoid, but the cart ran rough and even though it was driveable it was kind of "twitchy" ...

I think what's happening is the car runs fine but the solenoid is just clicking while it's running all the time. I honestly can't think of any issue that would cause that except low battery voltage or just simply a bad solenoid

[meimk]

The solenoid needs to stay engaged the entire time the engine is running to allow the generator to charge the battery. Test the small terminals on the solenoid. At rest, with the key "on" you should have battery + voltage on the blue wire & across to the orange wire. As the gas pedal is pressed the orange wire should go to ground and stay grounded as long as the pedal is down. That circuit, power in on blue, ground out on orange, is what engages the solenoid. If it's clicking, even after replacing the solenoid, one of those two things isn't happening. The ground path goes from the terminal on the solenoid with the orange wire, through the upper switch in the control box and the rearward switch at the shifter, finally terminating at the "Main" frame ground bolted right next to the battery. + power path is from the terminal on the solenoid with the blue wire back through the ignition switch in the dash, on the red wire from the switch back through the fuse in the control box, then ties in to power by way of the small red wire on the same terminal on the solenoid as the large red wire from battery +. Figure out what part of that power path fluctuates with your clicking and you've found your culprit.

[DannyAbear]

Not according to mine or the electrical schematic; there is a diode across the solenoid to allow the generator to recharge the battery

[meimk]

I can't recall ever seeing a diode on the solenoid of a gas cart, and I've worked on more than a thousand. Electric carts yes, but not gas.

[DannyAbear]

I'll take a pic for you tomorrow

[lockman1]

Concerning the Flyback Diode on the solenoid...
(I got bored and thought I'd do some investigating, because I have one!)

NONE of Club Cars schematic's show the diode except one... 2003 Carryall key start,
However... the exploded view in the Illustrated Parts List of the Electrical Components Box shows the diode from 2004 to 2010!

Weird...

[DannyAbear]

My 2007 xrt800 has the diode and is shown on schmtic that was given to me when i bought the cart used. It is a key start model

[XtremeGolfCarts]

Thanks guys for the replies.... I just replaced the battery, solenoid and the FWD/REV micro switch and it still doing it.

It does it more often when I am trying to start the motor with the pedal and after the motor is running good it stops clicking. It clicks rapidly more often when I increase the RPM's when the motor is running. It's got me going crazy!!

[XtremeGolfCarts]

i just looked in my 2000 maintenance and service manual and under the wiring diagrams and it does show a diode across the solenoid for a pedal start cart. Do you think this might be the problem. i have had many gas club carts and i never ran a diode on mine.

[XtremeGolfCarts]

To answer meimk With the key on i tested the small orange wire on the solenoid and it read +12.7 and when i pressed the pedal down and started the motor it read negative.