I cant figure this out

[79 caroche]

Ive got a 97 with the controller under the passenger seat, and i did a diagnostic and it said the solenoid was bad so i replaced it and it still wouldn't work so i redid the diagnostic and it said the solenoid (brand new one) was bad so whats the issue?

[Spawn]

how did you test it?

[79 caroche]

Negative post for the tester on the last battery and the positive on each side of the solinoid and the diagnositc book i had from ezgo said it was the solinoid based on the voltage i got

[JohnnieB]

I take it this is the same 97 DCS cart you were working on in your previous thread.

Since you are not hearing the solenoid clunk when you push the pedal and you are getting exactly the same voltage on battery side and controller side of the main solenoid contacts (IE: 38.22V on both sides), either you've got two solenoids whose contacts are welded closed, or a controller that is energizing the solenoid coil continuously.

Flip the Run/Tow switch to Tow and disconnect the blue wire from the small terminal on the solenoid that goes to Pin-7 on the controller.
Flip Run/Tow switch back to Run.
Touch blue wire to terminal it was removed from.
If solenoid clunks when blue wire is touched to small terminal, the controller is bad.

OR you could check it this way:

Place Run/Tow switch in Run
Key-Switch in ON
F/R switch in F
Pedal UP
Measure voltage at Pin 7 on controller 10 pin plug.
It should be Battery voltage. If not the controller is bad.

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FWIW - The symptom of welded solenoid contacts is that the cart won't stop rather than it won't go.
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[79 caroche]

I did both of thouse tests and for the 1st one there was no clunck of the solinoid and for the second one the reading was the same as the battery voltage... So what does that mean?

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by 79 caroche

I did both of thouse tests and for the 1st one there was no clunck of the solinoid and for the second one the reading was the same as the battery voltage... So what does that mean?

It means the controller is not telling the solenoid to activate continuously, so you've got two bad solenoids, or something else is activating them, or there is another reason that you are getting exactly the same voltage read on both sides of an open set of solenoid contacts.

The odds of replacing a solenoid with welded contacts with a new solenoid that has shorted contacts are pretty high, but possible.

First. let's find out if the solenoid is truly bad.
Take all the cables and any other attachments (Resistors, diodes, etc) off of it.
With an Ohmmeter, measure from one big terminal to the other. It should be open.
If it is open, measure from one small terminal to the other. It should read some resistance. (Resistance of a Relay Coil)

If the solenoid in cart Ohms out as bad, check out the one removed from cart. If it is bad also, buy a Lotto ticket, your due for some good luck instead of bad.

Obtain a solenoid that checks out good with an Ohmmeter while absolutely nothing is attached to the terminals, and install but, only connect the wires to the small terminals.
Put your Ohmmeter across the big terminal so you can tell if contacts are open or closed.

Place Run/Tow switch in Run
Key-Switch in ON
F/R switch in F
Pedal UP

If contacts are closed, either the cart is mis-wired, or the controller is somehow erroneously being told to activate the solenoid, or the controller is bad.

Tells us what you get and we'll go from there.

[79 caroche]

I tested both the old (supposbly bad) solinoid and the new solinoid like you said to and both of them passed so i put the old one back on the cart and did as you said but when i measured the two big posts they were open.....

[JohnnieB]

Good.
There was a PC Board with a Resistor and a diode on it that was across the two big terminals. Measure the resistance both ways.
One way should be close to Zero. (Forward biased Diode)
The other way about 250 Ohms. (or whatever the value of the resistor is)
If the diode is shorted, or the board was installed backwards, that would have given you the same voltage on both main terminals.
(A condition that whoever wrote the troubleshooting guide apparently overlooked.)

Let's check the Outside portion of the solenoid activation circuit.
Leave the big cable off the main terminals of the solenoid.
DVM from Neg terminal on Right Rear battery to small terminal on solenoid with three wires.
Place Run/Tow switch in Run
Key-Switch in ON
F/R switch in either F or R
Should be Battery Voltage.

If not, check for B+ on small wire coming out of charger receptacle. Then trace through Run/Tow switch, F/R switch and Key switch.

If so, move DVM lead from solenoid small terminal to Pin-5 on controller.
Pedal up = No voltage
Pedal down = Battery Voltage.

If those two test pass, you pretty much eliminated everything outside the controller.

[79 caroche]

Im sorry its been so long ive had a lot of more important things come up. But now im determined to get this cart up and running ASAP ill be doing this test later today. Sorry about the wait again.

[79 caroche]

Ok
1. The pc board reads 255 ohms both ways could that be an issue?
These next tests were with the big cable off both sides of the main terminal on the solinoid.
2. With DVM from neg terminal on right rear battery to small terminal on solenoid with three wires there was battery volatge.
3. Since it was battery voltage i put the DVM lead from the solinoid small terminal to pin 5 on the controller. Pedal up= 37.0 volts (battery voltage= 37.4 volts) pedal down= 37.4 volts
So what does this mean? Once again im sorry it took so long for me to reply on this.