New Cart with a 6th solenoid!

[golf cart man]

So I picked up another Royal Ride. It's an 86 club car with the 5 solenoid resistor set up. I was stripping it down and I noticed up on the passenger side of the cart away from the bank of 5 solenoids there is a 6th solenoid! So there are 4 studs on the motor. The third stud back that goes to the pack negative has a second wire coming off that stud that goes to one of the large posts on the 6th solenoid. There is nothing connected to the other large stud. The two small studs have one wire coming off each that are now not hooked up to anything but they were. Any idea what they were doing? Is this some sort of makeshift overdrive or extra speed?

[Mooncarter]

GCM, while I'm trying to wrap my head around this do you have some photos?

Do you think maybe at one time the last solenoid was bad and somebody was too lazy to remove it from where it belongs and replace it so they mounted another somewhere else and ran wires/cable to it?

[Kookster]

That's funny now that you mention it. I have a 1982 5-solenoid cart and, I too, have a sixth solenoid. Mine is under the driver seat and it has a couple wires from it heading back toward the motor. I don't see that solenoid in any of my wire diagrams. I'll wait to see what others have to say.

[Sergio]

The Motor post that goes to pack negative is S2, the other Solenoid post probably went to S1 in order to do "field weakening".

[Mooncarter]

Originally Posted by Sergio

The Motor post that goes to pack negative is S2, the other Solenoid post probably went to S1 in order to do "field weakening".

Sergio can you explain to us what this means and what it accomplishes?

[Sergio]

Here is an old thread about it:

https://buggiesgonewild.com/showthread.php?t=101016

[Mooncarter]

Originally Posted by Sergio

Here is an old thread about it:

https://buggiesgonewild.com/showthread.php?t=101016

Thank you Sergio.

I think I'm going to leave my carts the way they are.

[Cartmaster]

As Sergio says, this was a common modification for more speed on a series motor back in the day before programmable sepex controllers and motors became popular. In those days it was known as a shunt switch. If you read the posts Sergio has linked to you will realise that the solenoid activation became the answer to all those who wondered why they grenaded their motors very soon after the simple switch mod LOL. I cant tell you how many carts i converted to sepex once their owners tried the shunt modification. All i would say is, if you wish to proceed with field weakening, follow Sergio's instructions to the letter or start putting money in savings for your new motor!

[golf cart man]

Boy am I glad that it is disconnected then! For how long I have no idea but it's not hooked up at all other than the one S2 negative wire. I will completely remove it. I was just thrown off when I saw a 6th solenoid.

[golf cart man]

Originally Posted by Mooncarter

GCM, while I'm trying to wrap my head around this do you have some photos?

Do you think maybe at one time the last solenoid was bad and somebody was too lazy to remove it from where it belongs and replace it so they mounted another somewhere else and ran wires/cable to it?

Mooncarter, I'll post a pic later today. After reading here and those threads linked by Sergio I am glad I discovered it unhooked.