98 CC DS Solenoid and diode combo question

[CabinetGuy]

I purchased a 98 DS a few months ago and have since added a lift and wheels. Last night while doing a little off roading in the woods, I burnt up the solenoid. I am now looking for a replacement but figured that I should go with a heavy duty style so I don't have to worry about this in the future.

I am purchasing a W/R 586 36V solenoid but don't know what size diode I should get for it. I also noticed that my old one did not have a resister, just the diode; should I put both on the new solenoid? If so, what size should I go with for both?

On a side note, I was wondering if I should change out my cables to 4 gauge? I am doing more and more off roading and am getting the "hot smell" quite frequently. I wonder if thicker cables would help with current flow and hopefully alleviate future problems.

Also, has anyone used a Bandit motor for their 36V DS? I'm interested in knowing how much speed/torque increase was gained as well as if they can truly run without any upgrades.

Thanks for any help / suggestions.

[mrgolf]

Sounds like you have just got bit by the mightaswells. The cables are a must, not sure or the numbers for the other stuff.

[Rics68]

You may have something going on if things are getting hot. Check all your connections. make sure cables are clean and tight.

I'm running 22s on my DS. With three people in the cart and pulling a 200lb pig up hill I don't smell anything getting hot. My cart is all stock except for the tires and lift.

[jjance]

Here's my SWAG. When you apply voltage to an inductor, which a motor is it acts like a short until the field builds up. The precharge resistor applies a voltage to the inductor (motor)to prevent this initial in rush of current. Replace the resistor.

[mrgolf]

The parts manual will give you the size for diode,resistor. I don't have one for that model, check stickies.

[CabinetGuy]

Thanks for the help. As far as checking the parts manual for resister and diode size, does it matter if I install a heavy duty solenoid?

The cart is a bit tired and I'm finding out that there are a lot of gremlins that were bandaged up to help sell it but now that the bandages are wearing off, I'm realizing that this thing is going to be comparable to a boat pretty soon - draining my wallet.

Anyways, thanks again for the help. I'll do a little more research on the diode/resister question but in the meantime if someone knows if I can still use the stock diode/resister on an upgraded solenoid, I would appreciate it.

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by CabinetGuy

Thanks for the help. As far as checking the parts manual for resister and diode size, does it matter if I install a heavy duty solenoid?

The cart is a bit tired and I'm finding out that there are a lot of gremlins that were bandaged up to help sell it but now that the bandages are wearing off, I'm realizing that this thing is going to be comparable to a boat pretty soon - draining my wallet.

Anyways, thanks again for the help. I'll do a little more research on the diode/resister question but in the meantime if someone knows if I can still use the stock diode/resister on an upgraded solenoid, I would appreciate it.

The resistor and diode requirements for a heavy-duty solenoid are the same as on a stock solenoid. The operating system voltage determines the size. You can use a one amp diode with 36 V system and a three amp diode with a 48v system or you can just simply use the heavy-duty three amp diode on both 36 and 48v systems.

[CabinetGuy]

Originally Posted by scottyb

The resistor and diode requirements for a heavy-duty solenoid are the same as on a stock solenoid. The operating system voltage determines the size. You can use a one amp diode with 36 V system and a three amp diode with a 48v system or you can just simply use the heavy-duty three amp diode on both 36 and 48v systems.

Thanks Scotty!