EZ-GO No go...PDS

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by daytrepper

Thanks. I was referring to B- as ground. Batteries were right about 36.6-36.8 volts. I'll do those checks. I didnt disconnect anything with it in RUN position, not sure if the previous mechanic did or not.

That is only about 60% charged. If you haven't already, fully charge the battery pack.

That is enough to keep the controller from going in to low-voltage cut-off, but letting them sit in that discharged state is killing the new batteries.
Also, when you get it running, be sure to break in the new batteries properly to get them up to their max storage capacity.
(They only have about 75% when the come from the factory.)
Here is how to do it. http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Batter...n_Methods.html
While there, read everything with "Battery" in title.

BTW - All those voltages are with the DVM negative test lead attached to negative terminal on right-rear battery.

Good luck.
John

[scottyb]

Quote .... " That is enough (SOC) to keep the controller from going in to low-voltage cut-off, but letting them sit in that discharged state is killing the new batteries. "

[daytrepper]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

You've mentioned "Ground" a couple times. There is no ground, it is either B+ or B-.
If you are just referring to B- as ground, okay, but if you are trying to get a return path to the battery via the frame, it doesn't exist, or at least it shouldn't.

The controller activates the solenoid by placing B- on J1Pin-6 (Blue wire)
Except when the Run/Tow switch is in the Tow position, the controller can activate the solenoid.
Key ON, F/R switch in either F or R and the throttle pressed is but one of the four conditions that the controller will activate the solenoid.
(The other three are associated with regen braking - Walk-away safety, regen braking in the two "Hill" PDS modes and max downhill speed limiting.)

Lift rear wheels off ground and put cart on jackstands so it doesn't unexpectedly take off and run over someone or something.

With Run/Tow = Run, Key = ON and F/R = F
The following pins on J1 should measure B+ with J1 plug attached to controller.
(Measure voltage on wires through backside of plug.)
J1 Pins 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 & 9.

If you get that, push throttle pedal and you should measure B+ on J4 Pins 1 & 2.

Also, what is the battery pack voltage?
It ought to be 38.2V or so, or the plates of those new batteries are sulfating as we speak.

Note: If the Run/Tow switch was not placed into Tow before connecting/disconnecting wires, that could have taken out the controller.

Okay, batteries are up to 38.2V.

I checked all the pins, and they all have 37.9 volts, key on, switch in Run, and F/R switch in F.

I also have voltage on J4 1&2, and between J4 1&2, pedal depressed.

This is back-probing the plugs to check while plugged into the controller.

The solenoid is still inoperative. I can disconnect the blue wire, attach a jumper wire to B-, and the solenoid will operate, so we know its good. If I check the wires on the solenoid, I have B+ at the yellow wire...AND the blue wire, if checked between the wires and B- on the batteries. I do not show voltage testing between the two....whether the pedal is pressed or not.

Been over the plugs and wiring several times. No loose terminals or anything that I can see.

Tested the ITS sensor, have 15.4 volts to one side, nothing out the other, pedal depressed or not. The owner had mentioned the pedal came loose at some point before it went to the original repair shop. Apparently they fixed that. Have an ITS ordered. Did all the diagnostics per the service manual 2-3 times. Everything checks out, other than it tells me to replace the motor each time.....

If its not that, not too sure what else it could be other than the controller.....

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by daytrepper

Okay, batteries are up to 38.2V.

I checked all the pins, and they all have 37.9 volts, key on, switch in Run, and F/R switch in F.

I also have voltage on J4 1&2, and between J4 1&2, pedal depressed.

This is back-probing the plugs to check while plugged into the controller.

The solenoid is still inoperative. I can disconnect the blue wire, attach a jumper wire to B-, and the solenoid will operate, so we know its good. If I check the wires on the solenoid, I have B+ at the yellow wire...AND the blue wire, if checked between the wires and B- on the batteries. I do not show voltage testing between the two....whether the pedal is pressed or not.

Been over the plugs and wiring several times. No loose terminals or anything that I can see.

Tested the ITS sensor, have 15.4 volts to one side, nothing out the other, pedal depressed or not. The owner had mentioned the pedal came loose at some point before it went to the original repair shop. Apparently they fixed that. Have an ITS ordered. Did all the diagnostics per the service manual 2-3 times. Everything checks out, other than it tells me to replace the motor each time.....

If its not that, not too sure what else it could be other than the controller.....

If you are reading a voltage between J4 Pins 1&2 with pedal depressed, something isn't right. With one test lead on Pin-1 and the other on Pin-2, you should read B+ with pedal up and Zero with pedal depressed. Otherwise the microswitch in the ITS box (or the wires to/from it) is bad

That tells me there is an open in the ITS coil or connecting wires. Unplug J4 and measure between Pin 3&4 with an ohmmeter. I'm not sure what the ohmic value ought to be, but the ITS coil is just several hundred feet of very fine wire, so my guess is that it would be a couple hundred ohms. At least it would shown conductivity.

When you get the new ITS installed, activate the solenoid as you did here and try pushing the pedal. The motor just might run.

From what I can tell, there is more than one problem. ITS coil, ITS microswitch, controller (pretty sure), motor (maybe) and possibly others.
Plus, what all was done to the cart at the cart shop is unknown.

At this point, it might be best to start from scratch and make a list of what is good and what is unknown. Then set out proving the unknowns good or bad or questionable.

Being relatively new and charging to 38.2V, the battery pack goes in the good column, but that's it, everything else is suspect.

Fortunately, with a PDS cart, just about everything except the controller itself, is a stand alone circuit and can be checked separately with an ohmmeter or voltmeter.

Pull the plugs on the controller and use ohmmeter to verify the key switch, Run/Tow switch, F/R switch and the pedal box microswitch are making/breaking contact like they are supposed to.

All you can do for the ITS coil is check continuity. It has to be connected and voltage reading take to check completely.

Same with speed sensor, but it is not needed to run. If not connected, cart won't run fast, but it will run.

Verify continuity between F1&F2 on motor and between A1&A2.
Then check for continuity between A1&2 and F1&2, There shouldn't be any.
Also check for unwanted continuity between Armature and Field windings and motor frame.

Be careful removing/replacing cables on motor. Use two wrenches, one to keep bottom nut from turning, other to loosen.tighten to nut. If stud turns, bad things happen inside motor.

The first thing is to get the solenoid to click when the pedal is pressed, then go on from there. The motor does not need to be connected for the solenoid to click.

[daytrepper]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

If you are reading a voltage between J4 Pins 1&2 with pedal depressed, something isn't right. With one test lead on Pin-1 and the other on Pin-2, you should read B+ with pedal up and Zero with pedal depressed. Otherwise the microswitch in the ITS box (or the wires to/from it) is bad

That tells me there is an open in the ITS coil or connecting wires. Unplug J4 and measure between Pin 3&4 with an ohmmeter. I'm not sure what the ohmic value ought to be, but the ITS coil is just several hundred feet of very fine wire, so my guess is that it would be a couple hundred ohms. At least it would shown conductivity.

When you get the new ITS installed, activate the solenoid as you did here and try pushing the pedal. The motor just might run.

Thanks for the info! I will recheck the microswitch voltage. I did test the ITS sensor, and it showed open. It also had 15.4 volts in, nothing out. New ITS sensor will be here Saturday, so I can install that and go from there.

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

From what I can tell, there is more than one problem. ITS coil, ITS microswitch, controller (pretty sure), motor (maybe) and possibly others.
Plus, what all was done to the cart at the cart shop is unknown.

At this point, it might be best to start from scratch and make a list of what is good and what is unknown. Then set out proving the unknowns good or bad or questionable.

Being relatively new and charging to 38.2V, the battery pack goes in the good column, but that's it, everything else is suspect.

Fortunately, with a PDS cart, just about everything except the controller itself, is a stand alone circuit and can be checked separately with an ohmmeter or voltmeter.

Pull the plugs on the controller and use ohmmeter to verify the key switch, Run/Tow switch, F/R switch and the pedal box microswitch are making/breaking contact like they are supposed to.

All you can do for the ITS coil is check continuity. It has to be connected and voltage reading take to check completely.

Same with speed sensor, but it is not needed to run. If not connected, cart won't run fast, but it will run.

Verify continuity between F1&F2 on motor and between A1&A2.
Then check for continuity between A1&2 and F1&2, There shouldn't be any.
Also check for unwanted continuity between Armature and Field windings and motor frame.

Be careful removing/replacing cables on motor. Use two wrenches, one to keep bottom nut from turning, other to loosen.tighten to nut. If stud turns, bad things happen inside motor.

The first thing is to get the solenoid to click when the pedal is pressed, then go on from there. The motor does not need to be connected for the solenoid to click.

I have already found the motor bad, and the keyswitch bad, and have replaced both. The keyswitch had no continuity in the bench test, nor any voltage coming out of one side when hooked to the cart. New keyswitch cured this. The motor had a short between A1 and the motor case. When I pulled the motor off, it was definitely burnt. Smelled terrible. I am thinking it may have damaged some other components, hopefully not the controller, which the previous shop has replaced, along with the solenoid. I replaced the motor with a brand new one (new speed sensor included).

Reed switch, Tow/Run switch and F/R switch all appear to be fine from continuity checks etc.

[JohnnieB]

Sounds like you've gotten into a real can of worms.

The good thing is that you'll be able to draw a PDS schematic from memory by the time you get it running.

Hang in there....

[daytrepper]

SUCCESS!! The ITS sensor showed up today, I installed, and boom she runs like a champ.

Verdict was bad motor, bad key switch, and bad ITS sensor.

Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions! Hopefully I can get one of these for myself one of these days instead of fixing everyone else's around here. LOL.

[rib33024]

Well this is some good news it's good to have it running, and you learned alot about the cart

[Cart54]

Enjoyed reading this success story! Too many threads just end with a question.

[buddyroe]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

You've mentioned "Ground" a couple times. There is no ground, it is either B+ or B-.
If you are just referring to B- as ground, okay, but if you are trying to get a return path to the battery via the frame, it doesn't exist, or at least it shouldn't.

The controller activates the solenoid by placing B- on J1Pin-6 (Blue wire)
Except when the Run/Tow switch is in the Tow position, the controller can activate the solenoid.
Key ON, F/R switch in either F or R and the throttle pressed is but one of the four conditions that the controller will activate the solenoid.
(The other three are associated with regen braking - Walk-away safety, regen braking in the two "Hill" PDS modes and max downhill speed limiting.)

Lift rear wheels off ground and put cart on jackstands so it doesn't unexpectedly take off and run over someone or something.

With Run/Tow = Run, Key = ON and F/R = F
The following pins on J1 should measure B+ with J1 plug attached to controller.
(Measure voltage on wires through backside of plug.)
J1 Pins 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 & 9.

If you get that, push throttle pedal and you should measure B+ on J4 Pins 1 & 2.

Also, what is the battery pack voltage?
It ought to be 38.2V or so, or the plates of those new batteries are sulfating as we speak.

Note: If the Run/Tow switch was not placed into Tow before connecting/disconnecting wires, that could have taken out the controller.

Hi. I hope I'm not breaking any forum rules by posting on a very old thread, but this is the same exact issue I am having. I didn't really see the point in starting a new one. Anyway, my troubleshooting brought me to this post and I did the tests on all of the J1 and J4 pins. Everything looked good except for J1 Pin 6. It is showing B+ (38 volts), yet, the troubleshooting above indicates that should not be the case.

This would explain why my solenoid (new) is not closing or doing anything at all when I depress the accelerator and I hear the micro-switch engage.

Any reason why I would be getting B+ out of the blue wire like that? (I just know you're going to say it is the controller)