No Solenoid Click

[JohnnieB]

BTW: The stacking order of the ring terminal on the solenoid's large terminals is wrong.

The high current cables go on first, then the low current stuff.

[busman9]

Can I run a ground to the blue wire on the solenoid from the battery pack to see if the solenoid will click when pedal is pushed??

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by busman9

Can I run a ground to the blue wire on the solenoid from the battery pack to see if the solenoid will click when pedal is pushed??

When you jumper B- to the blue wire, you bypass the main coil driver, so the pedal switch is no longer associated with making the solenoid click.

The solenoid ought to click when you have a direction selected on the F/R and the keyswitch ON.

[busman9]

OK I will try that and let you know. Thanks as always

[Fegarex]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

BTW: The stacking order of the ring terminal on the solenoid's large terminals is wrong.

The high current cables go on first, then the low current stuff.

This is something I did not know and wonder why. Is it because the larger rings are able to make better contact with the terminal? Always learning something on this forum!!

[kgsc]

Base of the stud on the solenoid has a larger surface and you want as much surface area as possible.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Fegarex

This is something I did not know and wonder why. Is it because the larger rings are able to make better contact with the terminal? Always learning something on this forum!!

You are on the right track, but there's more to it.

It all boils down to the current density through the ring terminal and the number of contact surfaces between the ring terminal and the power source.

The ring terminal on a 18ga wire isn't designed to pass as many amps as the ring terminal on a 2ga cable, but when a 18ga ring terminal is placed on the stud terminal before the 2ga ring terminal, that is what happens. Also, to get to the 2ga cable, the amps have to pass through twice as many metal to metal interfaces and there are no perfect conductors or interfaces, so heat is generated.

If the OD of the ring terminal on the wires is less than the OD of the ring terminal on the cable, which is usually the case, the current density through the wire's ring terminal is even higher.

[Fegarex]

Now I know! Thanks. Looks like I need to swap around a couple of wires.

[busman9]

OK I jumped from battery - to the blue wire on the coil and when I put the cart in forword I got the solenoid to click but no motor engagement with or without pedal activation. What would be my next step or would you say the controller is bad?

[JohnnieB]

I'm back. Had some Honey-Do stuff to take care of.

Measure the voltage between the controller's B- terminal and M- (labeled A1 on a PDS controller). With the blue wire jumpered to B-, after the solenoid clicks and before the pedal is pushed, you should get full battery pack voltage. It ought to decrease to 0V as pedal is pushed.

If it doesn't, check the ITS throttle voltages per the attachments.

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I suspect the controller is bad. If it is, replace it with an Altrax XCT48400-PDS (or larger) controller.

With an XCT controller, which is user programmable, a 36V PDS cart with stock motor and tire height will do upwards of 24MPH, and more with 42V or 48V.