2010 Precedent

[txjack1956]

TahoeDawg - The batteries on the carts were the original batteries and yes, they were properly maintained with scheduled watering intervals. The carts, on average, go out for 2 rounds a day and the rotation schedule that we use ensures that all carts have about the same energy use. As of this post, they are within 500 EU's from low to high. The watering system that Club Car put on the carts is the watering system that we use, so I can't say that they have been abused in any way, shape or form and per Club Car, we always use distilled water. The chargers are each on their own circuit and I had an electrician come out and check out the entire barn to ensure that it was not an electrical problem in that sense.

I have had one person give me the idea that maybe the controller is going to sleep and not waking up in a proper fashion and with the problems that we are having and clearing up on their own, that sounds like a logical place to start.

[erict]

Can someone explain energy units used as I have never heard this before?

[Stevegrmich]

Originally Posted by erict

Can someone explain energy units used as I have never heard this before?

Think in terms of an "hours meter" on your lawn tractor . . .

[erict]

Originally Posted by Stevegrmich

Think in terms of an "hours meter" on your lawn tractor . . .

I had an idea like that but how is it measured? Another words, how is it tracked?

[Stevegrmich]

Originally Posted by erict

I had an idea like that but how is it measured? Another words, how is it tracked?

Not sure . . . possibly thru the Curtis programmer . . . maybe OBC or controller stores the info . . . ???

[shadowman]

i think thats where the orange dash light comes in they can put a scan tool over the light and read the several things from it......when the lights were red you had to jack the cart up and put your tool on the ground under the cart pointing towards OBC at a 45 degree angle to read the OBC......what a pain.....david do you remember that?? i still have that tool .....but thats why in 95,96,97 when you bought an OBC for those years they gave you a orange battery light with your unit.................i still say i would swap a few controllers and see whats going on cause it seems like they worked the battery issues out.....................................

[txjack1956]

The energy units are measured and tracked through the OBC and read with a meter through the battery light on the dash.

[scubabud]

Are your chargers "built in" to the cart or are they stand alone that need to be plugged in?

[txjack1956]

David

I did a lot more thinking about all of this and wanted to explain the process I have been through with my problems. First of all, I was hired in late August of last year to take the job as the cart mechanic here. They had a mechanic before me, but he quit and moved on. In the interim, they had one of their other mechanics come over and do the watering of the batteries and any major maintenance once a month. I received a lot of 60 used carts that were 1.5 years old to maintain.

My first indications of problems were carts having to be towed in off the course almost daily. I thought it was something as simple as bad rotation or trying to get too much out of the carts. Investigating the problem, I discovered that some of the carts were not making two rounds. I contacted Club Car on several occasions and discussed the problems with them. They said they would send someone out. I got a call one Saturday morning and Club Car was there changing out my OBC's. When I asked why, I was told it was a routine thing that they needed to do.

The carts continued with the problems and they (CC) sent out techs and did the battery testing. Of the first 20 carts they tested, they found 25 bad batteries. They replaced the bad batteries.They came back later and did some more testing and found more bad batteries. (Total of 45) They then told me that they knew there was a bad batch of batteries out there and that we must have them. They said they changed the OBC's to ward off the battery problem but that just enhanced the problem and eventually changed all 360 batteries.

Since that time, (12-17-11) all of these other problems are starting to appear. I know it isn't because of lack of maintenance or anything of that nature. I do believe, as someone told me, that it may be in the controllers or something on that line, but that is just speculation at this point.

All I am certain of is this, the computers were changed out, the batteries were changed out and now I am having weird problems with the carts "being asleep" and being told by CC that it is possible that the computers may be bad. I am trying to get to the bottom of things to ensure that when my spring golf starts, I have 60 good working carts that I don't have to fear breaking down on a round with my customers.

Just as an example, I had one cart, on it's first round, died on the course. I went out, towed it in and did some checking. I found nothing wrong with it and it started running again and have not had a problem with that cart since. The gentleman was on the 6th fairway when it died and just PFM, it started working again.

Jack Martin
txjack1956@yahoo.com

[shadowman]

jack have you swapped any controller yet? as i said with all the weird stuff going on in my mind the 1 common is the controllers and if you have access to them i would do this now and at least eliminate them as an issue and if you find it is controller related you have plenty of time..............i don,t do this as a job per say not like david and you, i have a little thing going at a camp ground where there are several thousand carts running around of every make gas and elec. and one thing i have learned with elec. sometimes things just don,t make sense and its time to go gut...........just sitting here reading the problems your having and what has been done my gut says swap a few controllers....................all you lose is a little bit of time which right now you can afford...........................