Charger problems

december45 · 10-08-2021, 06:26 PM

The cart, 1995 club car I believe its a DS It is a 48 volt with new batteries.
The charger, power drive, its the one i got with the cart.
I have followed the troubleshooting stickie for chargers, word for word or at least as best as i can.All fuses and wiring are good to go, no loose wires, no problems that I can see.
I went through the check list, and got to the part about testing the Relay, It does not click nor does the charger start charging. I tested voltage between the red wire and blue wire at the relay and get the same battery pack voltage 48.9 volts. The trouble shooting check list says the relay is bad, I bought and installed new relay and same thing, no click no charge. What can i be doing wrong? Its a new relay, hard to believe its bad out of the box, so I believe i have something else wrong.
Question, if the charger is bad(windings or what ever) and if the relay is good it should still click, just not charge... correct? OR if the relay is good, and the charger is no good, will the bad charger prevent the relay from being powered up and clicking? Thanks for any assistance.

Volt_Ampere · 10-08-2021, 06:55 PM

9 times out of 10 (maybe 10 out of 10) the problem isn't the charger but the OBC.

december45 · 10-08-2021, 07:13 PM

I agree, however, according to the troubleshooting guide in the stickie, if you get full pack voltage from reading the voltage from the blue and red wire(from the relay), that means the OBC is communicating with the charger... Maybe, well probably, i read that wrong, please tell me if i am correct?

Volt_Ampere · 10-08-2021, 07:44 PM

The OBC grounds one lead on the relay to activate it. You can activate it by grounding that wire or just bypass the relay and the charger will put out voltage. But if the OBC isn't working properly, that voltage won't get to the batteries. I have fixed several of these carts for guys I golf with and every time the charger was fine and the OBC was at fault.

Fairtax4me · 10-08-2021, 07:47 PM

If you have pack voltage with probes on the red and blue wires, the relay should have clicked On.
Normally this would mean the OBC has given the command to activate the relay. The OBC provides the negative for the relay coil via the Grey wire in the cart receptacle. The relay should click on approx 5-15 seconds after the cord is plugged into the cart.

Do you have 110v on the Black wire going to the relay from the circuit breaker? The relay may be clicking on but is not getting AC voltage to send to the transformer.

december45 · 10-08-2021, 07:50 PM

i need an explaination on which wire to ground or how to by pass the relay to see if the charger will charge at all.
i think im gonna need it spelled out pretty plain for me to get it done.

december45 · 10-08-2021, 08:20 PM

I know next to nothing about this system, just what i read in the trouble shooting guide in the stickie, i pulled the red and blue wire and used my digital readout between the wires, getting the pack voltage.
When i reattach the red and blue wire to the relay, i get no click and no charging.
I will check the black wire going to the relay to insure i have 115 going to the relay from the power cord.
note; does the black wire power the relay and in turn powers the charger when given the signal from the OBC through the relay?

movin-on · 10-09-2021, 03:50 AM

This is for a powerdrive 2...If you have a powerdrive 1 the relay is in a different spot but it is the same procedure...Make sure power is off before you do this...

december45 · 10-09-2021, 04:59 PM

I followed the illustration in the above picture, and..... the charger charged, so i know the charger is, its self ok.
I checked the heat sink and it seems to check out ok
I get pack voltage when checking voltage with the red and blue wire
I get pack voltage at the recepticle between the charger and cart (grey three prong plug)
I do NOT get a click on the relay and the charger will not begin to charge when all wires are connected the way they should be connect.
I sent back the new relay that i just bought and have ordered another new one, it is hard for me to believe that the relay is bad right out of the box, but who knows, stanger things have happened.
I will report back when i get the new relay and if the newest relay does not click and then start the charger working, ill be looking for more answers
thanks for all of your help

Volt_Ampere · 10-09-2021, 06:19 PM

The OBC controls that relay. My money is on the OBC not energizing that relay. Check the fuse in the wire going to the third wire in the charge plug. (Yellow)

10-08-2021, 06:26 PM	#1
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36	Charger problems The cart, 1995 club car I believe its a DS It is a 48 volt with new batteries. The charger, power drive, its the one i got with the cart. I have followed the troubleshooting stickie for chargers, word for word or at least as best as i can.All fuses and wiring are good to go, no loose wires, no problems that I can see. I went through the check list, and got to the part about testing the Relay, It does not click nor does the charger start charging. I tested voltage between the red wire and blue wire at the relay and get the same battery pack voltage 48.9 volts. The trouble shooting check list says the relay is bad, I bought and installed new relay and same thing, no click no charge. What can i be doing wrong? Its a new relay, hard to believe its bad out of the box, so I believe i have something else wrong. Question, if the charger is bad(windings or what ever) and if the relay is good it should still click, just not charge... correct? OR if the relay is good, and the charger is no good, will the bad charger prevent the relay from being powered up and clicking? Thanks for any assistance.
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36

10-08-2021, 06:55 PM	#2
Volt_Ampere Gone Wild Join Date: May 2012 Location: Rio Verde, Az Posts: 7,191	Re: Charger problems 9 times out of 10 (maybe 10 out of 10) the problem isn't the charger but the OBC.

10-08-2021, 07:13 PM	#3
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36	Re: Charger problems I agree, however, according to the troubleshooting guide in the stickie, if you get full pack voltage from reading the voltage from the blue and red wire(from the relay), that means the OBC is communicating with the charger... Maybe, well probably, i read that wrong, please tell me if i am correct?
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36

10-08-2021, 07:44 PM	#4
Volt_Ampere Gone Wild Join Date: May 2012 Location: Rio Verde, Az Posts: 7,191	Re: Charger problems The OBC grounds one lead on the relay to activate it. You can activate it by grounding that wire or just bypass the relay and the charger will put out voltage. But if the OBC isn't working properly, that voltage won't get to the batteries. I have fixed several of these carts for guys I golf with and every time the charger was fine and the OBC was at fault.

10-08-2021, 07:47 PM	#5
Fairtax4me Bonafide Nincompoop Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Charlottesburg Va Posts: 8,987	Re: Charger problems If you have pack voltage with probes on the red and blue wires, the relay should have clicked On. Normally this would mean the OBC has given the command to activate the relay. The OBC provides the negative for the relay coil via the Grey wire in the cart receptacle. The relay should click on approx 5-15 seconds after the cord is plugged into the cart. Do you have 110v on the Black wire going to the relay from the circuit breaker? The relay may be clicking on but is not getting AC voltage to send to the transformer.

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10-08-2021, 07:50 PM	#6
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36	Re: Charger problems i need an explaination on which wire to ground or how to by pass the relay to see if the charger will charge at all. i think im gonna need it spelled out pretty plain for me to get it done.
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36

10-08-2021, 08:20 PM	#7
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36	Re: Charger problems I know next to nothing about this system, just what i read in the trouble shooting guide in the stickie, i pulled the red and blue wire and used my digital readout between the wires, getting the pack voltage. When i reattach the red and blue wire to the relay, i get no click and no charging. I will check the black wire going to the relay to insure i have 115 going to the relay from the power cord. note; does the black wire power the relay and in turn powers the charger when given the signal from the OBC through the relay?
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36

10-09-2021, 03:50 AM	#8
movin-on Gone Wild Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Titusville, FL...Space Coast Posts: 591	Re: Charger problems This is for a powerdrive 2...If you have a powerdrive 1 the relay is in a different spot but it is the same procedure...Make sure power is off before you do this...

10-09-2021, 04:59 PM	#9
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36	Re: Charger problems I followed the illustration in the above picture, and..... the charger charged, so i know the charger is, its self ok. I checked the heat sink and it seems to check out ok I get pack voltage when checking voltage with the red and blue wire I get pack voltage at the recepticle between the charger and cart (grey three prong plug) I do NOT get a click on the relay and the charger will not begin to charge when all wires are connected the way they should be connect. I sent back the new relay that i just bought and have ordered another new one, it is hard for me to believe that the relay is bad right out of the box, but who knows, stanger things have happened. I will report back when i get the new relay and if the newest relay does not click and then start the charger working, ill be looking for more answers thanks for all of your help
december45 Not Yet Wild Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 36

10-09-2021, 06:19 PM	#10
Volt_Ampere Gone Wild Join Date: May 2012 Location: Rio Verde, Az Posts: 7,191	Re: Charger problems The OBC controls that relay. My money is on the OBC not energizing that relay. Check the fuse in the wire going to the third wire in the charge plug. (Yellow)

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