trouble shooting lights

[lawnripper]

Ezgo 2000 PDS I believe aftermarket lights (Headlights h3 12v 35w).

Just drove the cart with the lights on, stopped to get some beer, when I turned the key back on the lights (including the running lights) did not come on.

I know for sure after some trouble shooting that the drivers side bulb is bad.

Can 1 bad bulb effect the rest of the system? or is there something else going on?

I checked and cleaned all the connections that I know of:
The fuse block
the pos and neg on the battery post
the ignition switch b1 and L ( although I am not sure how to measure. I had continuity and I tried putting the volt meter pos to the main on the ignition switch and the neg on b1 then on L. I got a reading like 12 or 13v when I just turned the key once, then when I turned the key to turn the lights on the reading was the same as I get from testing the battery pack (which was 36.4) the cart is charging now.

I tested continuity on the wires blk/white and Blue cables that the head lights plug into to all good. I think I correctly tested 13.3 on each side on those same cables with the ignition light switch on.

Just a side note... I have had this happen about 3 to 4 times before and it was a dirty or loose connection on the lights plug that connects to the fuse block each time.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks,
Johnny

[JohnnieB]

Sounds like you are mixing the 12V and 36V measurements at the keyswitch.

For the 36V measurements, you should attach the DVM's negative test lead to the main negative terminal of the 36V battery pack.
For the 12V measurements, you should attach the DVM's negative test lead to the negative most terminal of the two batteries used to supply 12V, which may or may not be the same as the the main negative terminal of the 36V battery pack. It depends on which two batteries are being used to supply the 12V.
If you have a 36V to 12V reducer, the DVM's negative test lead should be attached to the reducers, negative 12V output.

Here is a drawing of the Keyswitch with lights for a PDS. Only the terminals marked B1 and L will have 12V on them. The other three will be 36V.
I'm not sure what you would read if you measured from the I terminal to either L or B1, but it would be meaningless since they are in different circuits.

Unless the bulbs are connected in series, one bad bulb shouldn't shut down all the lights.

DO NOT turn on lights while batteries are on charge!!!!!!
Doing so is very likely to burn out Halogen bulbs.

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With DVM's negative test lead attached to the 12V supplies negative terminal, you should only measure 12V (Nominal - about 12.8V for fully charged batteries) on one of the two wires to each bulb and nothing on the other.

[lawnripper]

I do not believe I have a 36v-12v converter.

On the 2 main batteries (1 and 6 ? ) The main pos post has 3 red cables. I believe 1 for the state of charge meter, 1 for the ignition and 1 looks like the main for charging?

there are the 2 blk cables on the neg post on the other main battery (6).

There is a green cable coming from the neg post of battery 5 ( bk center) that goes to the fuse block.

from the fuse block it seems like the blue/white cable goes to the ignition switch?

from the ignition switch there are the 2 blue/white cables I assume 1 coming from the fuse block and the other going to the lights.

there must be splices in the harness that also run to the rear lights?

Let me know if this sounds correct.

So do I place the DVM neg lead directly onto B1 and then on L on the ignition with the DMV pos just hangs touching nothing?

where do I place the DMV leads to check the power on the fuse block? and is the same, just use the neg lead of the DVM to check for 12v?

This electrical stuff is a little bit confusing but I think I have a very very basic understanding.. thanks JohnnieB for your help!

[JohnnieB]

Is it possible to post pictures of the of the battery pack?
One showing all six batteries and others a bit closer and centered on the terminals with wires other than the heavy interconnecting cables on them.

[lawnripper]

I will get on that right now!

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by lawnripper

Let me know if this sounds correct.

So do I place the DVM neg lead directly onto B1 and then on L on the ignition with the DMV pos just hangs touching nothing?

where do I place the DMV leads to check the power on the fuse block? and is the same, just use the neg lead of the DVM to check for 12v?

This electrical stuff is a little bit confusing but I think I have a very very basic understanding.. thanks JohnnieB for your help!

To get a voltage read, both the Positive and the Negative test leads must be touching something.

Connect the Negative test lead to the most negative post on the batteries that are used to get 12V and touch the Positive lead to whatever you want to measure the voltage of.

To get 12V, you have to go across two 6V batteries, but from you description, I don't see how you are getting 12V, that is way I asked for pictures.

Here is a drawing show the three most common ways of getting 12V from a 36V battery pack, but other ways do exist.

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Unfortunately, I have some things to take care of, but I'll be back later today or tomorrow AM.

[lawnripper]

[attach][attach][attach][attach]2000pdscenterbatteryfusecable.jpg[/attach][/attach][/attach][/attach]

[lawnripper]

The leads on my DMV are not long enough to reach the neg post to the ignition switch or the fusebox. The leads are about 12inches.

cheapDVM.jpg

[Dela]

Ripper - this happens to me all the time. My lead to fuse panel (your last pic, blue wire) often comes loose. Turn key to lights on, lift seat and jiggle wiggle wiggle the wires leading in - my guess is that the wire is loose and looses connection when you're driving.

[lawnripper]

Hi Dela, That is what always happened to me.. easy fix.. but this time to no avail. So I visually checked the fuse and cleaned the fuse ends, the fuse box tabs and the plug.. still nothing? I have wiggled and wiggled :)