What is this module on left frame rail?

[R&TBabich]

At first I thought this potted module mounted in the left frame rail was a voltage reducer.
It has a label warning about it getting hot and rated for 28W.
But, there are only 2 wires coming out of it.
If it was a voltage reducer wouldn't it have more wires?
The rear wire goes to B- on the controller.
The front wire goes to a distribution strip with a couple of other wires on it.

[NoleFan4Ever]

16v to 12v reducer

It goes to B- so the OBC can account for the energy usage as your cart must have factory lights or accessories.

The strip is a Negative Terminal strip you can connect other accessories to. You will find another under the front cowl.

[R&TBabich]

Originally Posted by NoleFan4Ever

16v to 12v reducer. ....

One of the black wires from the strip goes into a loom and a red comes out that hooks onto bat5.
Well, that's gotta go.
Thanks

Update: OK, now I see how it works, it's a resistive reducer so it sits inline with 12v accys and reduces 16v down to 12v with a large potted resistance. Inefficient, besides putting a drain on bat5 & bat6 that makes for uneven charging of the pack.

[Sergio]

That is correct except it is not resistive or the voltage drop would be dependent of the current being used by the accessories.

[R&TBabich]

Originally Posted by Sergio

That is correct except it is not resistive or the voltage drop would be dependent of the current being used by the accessories.

Do you know how it works and why it gets so hot?

[Sergio]

It is probably a linear regulator instead of the buck (switch mode) circuit used on the better models.

Those linear devices (current in = current out) are only good when delta between input and output voltage is small. They are widely used in chips like the LM78xx series regulators.

[sgarcia]

Great question as I was wondering the same what that block was. So with that said, is that 6 spade distribution strip always live power? Or is it only live when the cart is in motion? Being new to the cart world just trying to learn/understand all the systems and their workings. You say its a 16v to 12v how is that so when the cart is 48v?

S

[Sergio]

Those devices are not good for your pack in the long run, they are designed to reduce the voltage from 2 x 8v batteries (16v) to 12v.

Depending on how much You use the accessories, the additional drain on those two batteries will cause an issue during the next charging cycle by overcharging the other four batteries.

Also being a linear regulator, if You use 20 amps @ 12v, it is pulling 20 amps from those two batteries.

A good 48v to 12v reducer will pull less than 6 amps from the whole pack to deliver the same 20 amps to the 12v accessories.

You should also get a converter with a "trigger wire" which connects to your 48v key switch and automatically turns the 12v accessories ON/OFF as you turn the key switch ON/OFF.

[R&TBabich]

Originally Posted by sgarcia

.... is that 6 spade distribution strip always live power? Or is it only live when the cart is in motion? .... You say its a 16v to 12v how is that so when the cart is 48v?

I'm digging into the wiring more and it's starting to get clearer.
There were 2 power taps off bat5+ which will provide power for the lights/accessories.
One tap goes to the backup light after going to the FNR switch.
I'm guessing when R is selected on the FNR switch power goes to the backup light then to the 6 spade distribution strip/reducer/GND.
Not clear, yet, how the FNR switch can be used for this.
The other tap on bat5+ goes to 3 fuses in a box.
The 3 fuses are probably for the lights/horn/wiper.
When those accessories are turned on the power goes to the 6 spade strip/reducer/GND.
So the 6 spade strip is only live when a 12v accessory is on.

It would be best to draw power from all the batteries for the reducer so all the batteries are tapped equally.

[Sergio]

That reducer is called a "low side" reducer meaning it regulates on the negative side.

You basically run +16v from the battery directly to any device you want to power.

You then run the negative wire from those accessories to that reducer.

The reducer regulates the voltage drop on the negative side to keep the voltage across the accessories around 12v.

Club Cars don't have factory backup lights (or perhaps some Carryalls may have) so the previous owner must have installed them in your cart.

I have backup lights on my Precedent but I use the reverse buzzer activation signal to trigger a 48v relay that completes the 12v connection to the lights.