Tow Switch Ezgo Marathon

[barcloverranch]

I have a dumb question that hopefully someone can easily answer, as far as I can tell there is no tow/run switch on my 1986 ezgo marathon. So what would be the process to safely tow it, or push it, after it breaks down?

I've had to do this several times, always just put the F&R switch in neutral and gone. But I've been reading horror stories about how this can seriously damage an electrical system.

Any thoughts?

[kgsc]

No such thing as a dumb question if you truly don't know the answer.. Run/Tow switch is on carts with a sepex drive system and possibly regen capabilities. Yours is series. Put it in N to be safe and tow away.

[Helirich]

Now I got a related question. I have a Marithon and I have towed it several times and never put the F/R switch in the center. Was I hurting it? (It still works)

I'll qualify this by saying I only towed it a few hundred feet. It would have been in forward with the key off.

[roady89]

Originally Posted by Helirich

Now I got a related question. I have a Marithon and I have towed it several times and never put the F/R switch in the center. Was I hurting it? (It still works)

I'll qualify this by saying I only towed it a few hundred feet. It would have been in forward with the key off.

No.

[Sir Nuke]

For both barcloverranch and Helirich, whenever to tow a electric cart (either type drive system) to be absolutely safe, you need to put the cart in NEUTRAL (for series carts) and Filp the RUN/TOW switch to TOW. What you are doing is actually isolating the motor from the electrical system. Why you need to do this is because when you turn a motor manually (tow the cart) it turns the motor into a GENERATOR and feeds the electrical current backwards into the system. and that does BAD things to things like your controller.

[roady89]

Originally Posted by Sir Nuke

For both barcloverranch and Helirich, whenever to tow a electric cart (either type drive system) to be absolutely safe, you need to put the cart in NEUTRAL (for series carts) and Filp the RUN/TOW switch to TOW. What you are doing is actually isolating the motor from the electrical system. Why you need to do this is because when you turn a motor manually (tow the cart) it turns the motor into a GENERATOR and feeds the electrical current backwards into the system. and that does BAD things to things like your controller.

A series cart does NOT have a Run/Tow switch. A separately excited motors does. The sepex controllers have "roll away" features and electronic braking....thats where problems can occur when you don't put it into tow mode. Current is going into the motor trying to brake or not roll away...then possibly burning up the controller.

On a series motor, it doesn't matter at all. You can leave it in forward, reverse or neutral, it doesn't matter. No power is coming out of the controller if the key is off...if it is wired stock/correctly

The OP does NOT have a run/tow switch, nothing to worry about.

[barcloverranch]

Good deal, glad it is safe. Thank y'all for the info.
One more question I have, what is the fastest speed you could tow this cart without the motor being turned too fast? Say if you need to haul it down the highway a few miles?

[Sir Nuke]

Originally Posted by roady89

A series cart does NOT have a Run/Tow switch. A separately excited motors does. The sepex controllers have "roll away" features and electronic braking....thats where problems can occur when you don't put it into tow mode. Current is going into the motor trying to brake or not roll away...then possibly burning up the controller.

On a series motor, it doesn't matter at all. You can leave it in forward, reverse or neutral, it doesn't matter. No power is coming out of the controller if the key is off...if it is wired stock/correctly

The OP does NOT have a run/tow switch, nothing to worry about.

I knew that.....I was thinking and not typing at the time....lol I meant to type " you need to put the cart in NEUTRAL (for series carts) and Filp the RUN/TOW switch to TOW for SEPEX drive systems". sometimes the mind goes faster than the fingers can type! LOL

[Sir Nuke]

Originally Posted by barcloverranch

Good deal, glad it is safe. Thank y'all for the info.
One more question I have, what is the fastest speed you could tow this cart without the motor being turned too fast? Say if you need to haul it down the highway a few miles?

THAT can be a problem....your motor will most likely experience "internal energetic disassembly" (explode, or weld the rotating parts together). lets assume you have a stock motor in your cart, and stock rearend. I wouldn't tow it any faster than about 35 mph to be safe. if you get to highway speeds, you WILL have your motor come apart, and it will most likely lock up the rear end, if your lucky.....as if it does at highway speed, it could possibly explode, then you will have a real mess.

Think about it....if you have a motor that normally spins at roughly 3500 rpm, through a diff, that has a 12.4:1 ratio (stock diff) to make it achieve a 20 mph speed......NOW you tow it at 60 mph or more. At 60 mph your motor is spinning 3x the rpm, that's 10500 rpm......it will come apart, guaranteed.

if you need to transport it at highway speeds, you need to get yourself a trailer to do it.

[Helirich]

Originally Posted by roady89

The sepex controllers have "roll away" features and electronic braking....thats where problems can occur when you don't put it into tow mode. Current is going into the motor trying to brake or not roll away...then possibly burning up the controller.

On my PDS, I sometimes drive up somewhere and get out on a slight hill. The cart drifts a few feet as I walk away. It beeps and I know the regen is putting a drag on it. That doesn't hurt anything, does it?

Originally Posted by roady89

On a series motor, it doesn't matter at all. You can leave it in forward, reverse or neutral, it doesn't matter. No power is coming out of the controller if the key is off...if it is wired stock/correctly.

On a series, If you are coasting down a hill, the key would be on, so I wouldn't think it would hurt it, even if the key is on.

Originally Posted by barcloverranch

One more question I have, what is the fastest speed you could tow this cart without the motor being turned too fast? Say if you need to haul it down the highway a few miles?

I wouldn't tow it much faster than it will drive under its own power. I believe the max rpm of the motor is 6000. You would have to figure what yours is doing based on tire size and gears.