EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

Hi Everyone,

I have a EZGO TXT 04-01.5 36v DCS model golf cart and am considering changing the motor/controller to improve torque.

I used the guide at Carts Unlimited to determine I have a DCS cart. Also, the stickers on the side that say "Drive Control System" on the side of my cart also helped. But, you never know. I also attached a picture of my controller just to be sure.

Contemplated going 48v but here are my challenges:

1. 3 year old batteries in great shape.
2. 3 year old charger in mint condition.
3. Really not looking for speed but a torque increase for hills.
4. I am handy but, I don't want to take on too much.

Before I do anything silly I need some guidance as to what I should do.

Is staying 36v going to get me what I want (torque)?

Do I really need to change the motor or can my motor handle a new controller without frying?

Will changing the controller really give me a significant improvement in torque?

Will my wife yell at me for spending more money on the cart and for fixing something that isn't broken just to have the coolest cart in the park? :P (Answer: Yes)

What controller/motor should I get? (I am partial to Navitas because they are a Canadian company and their HQ is only 90km drive from my house but, I can be swayed to a better option if one exists.)

What size controller? 400amp? 500amp? 600amp? AAAAAAAAAAAAA! Totally confused.

As you can see I am struggling with what I should do... If I should do anything at all.

Also, can anyone tell me what controller (in the picture) I have? I can guess at it based on searches but, if someone here can tell me that would be great.

Current motor and controller work fine.

Cheers,
Impaled

PS: I have also read the materials on Carts Unlimited about coverting to 42v. It did indeed increase my understanding of what can be done to improve my cart. :) Something I would consider doing as well.

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

So glad that you created this post, my situation is almost exactly the same with a slightly older cart that I got from my mother that she wasn't using anymore. I will be watching this post closely.

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

The controller in the picture is a Curtis 1206SX so you have a 1994 TXT DCS.

The picture also shows the front panel of the controller is bowed away from the top panel, possibly indicating overheating has occurred. The DCS controller was a failed design, so going to an aftermarket controller in the near future is definitely a good idea.

All cart slow on inclines, some drive types more than others. Series drives slow the most and AC drive slow the least. Sepex drives, like the DCS, are someplace between the two extremes.

Tires taller that stock height (18") cause carts to slow more going uphill, as do weak batteries, undersized high current cables and high current cables in poor health.

You haven't mention your tire height, are they 18" tall or are they taller?

The cables seen in the picture are in poor health and if they are the original ones, some were 6Ga. All 10 high current cables need to be 4Ga or thicker. (Note: If 48V might in future, get cable set for a 6 x 8V battery pack, the cables connecting batteries together have to be longer for 8V batteries since they have both terminals on same side.)

The solenoid shown in picture has an 85A rating, needs to be 200A or greater. (More on this later)

The stock DCS motor has good torque, can handle a 500A controller and loves a 48V battery pack, so other than new brushes and bearing and cleaning, it'll probably suffice unless you have taller than stock height tires.

Nobody except you can answer the question if 36V is going to provide the performance you want, so the trick is to maximize the performance at 36V with new cables, controller and solenoid while creating a pathway to 48V at minimal expense when you are ready to buy new batteries. Do it right and the only expense is a new battery charger and cost difference between 6v and 8V batteries.

The controller, Navitas or Alltrax, work at 36V and 48V. Only a few setting need to be changed. (I prefer the Alltrax, but if Navitas is local to you, it might be a good choice.)

As mentioned earlier, get cable set for 48V pack, they will work with a 36V pack.

Get a MZJ400-48V solenoid. It will work at 36V and 48V later.

BTW: There is a market for used 36V battery chargers.

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

Thank you very much! Really appreciate the information. There was no marking on it so I couldn't really tell what controller it was.

I went back to take a closer look and you indeed have a very good eye. It is indeed bowed from away from the top panel. On closer inspection the top of the unit there is indeed evidence of overheating. The white plug on the top closest to the second cable on the right (in the photo) shows evidence of heat as well. You are correct that overheating has occurred.

The cart is 25 years old so I am not surprised. As well, prior to my ownership it wasn't well taken care of.

Now I have the evidence to support my case for a new controller with my wife. :)

I am not looking to fly up hills really. Just want to be able to get up them without burning the motor/controller up.

I failed to read your guidance on this forum in other threads prior to putting on a RHOX LIFT-100 6" lift and put 14"x23" Duro off-road tires. The new wheels will slow it down going uphill for sure. Hopefully, it won't cause additional issues.

Again, good eye! I didn't notice but, the wire on the far left does indeed have some issues. The cables to the controller are also original and have not been touched as far as I can tell.

The cables on the batteries are new but, the ones running from the two main posts to the controller are original. The ones on the batteries are red. I have included a photo of them. There is no writing on the wires so I don't know what gauge they are.

The only new wires that I see are they 5 on the battery pack. I am assuming the other 5 that need to be replaced are the 2 coming off the batteries to the controller. The one that is has the stress on it that is running from the solenoid and the 2 big ones that run to the motor. Correct? (I am a noobie so bear with me. :) ) Ok, educated myself and watched which explains which wires need to change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb-6XQfqH3w

If all my wires suck and need to be changed what is the best kit to get to support 48v as suggested? Sourcing parts in Ontario, Canada is a pain. If there is a specific set you can point me to it will make it easier to find here. Part numbers generally match up but, not always for some reason.

I have taller than stock tires. :( I am more mechanically than electronically inclined so I did the lift and wheels without thinking about the overall impact.

Ok. Your recommendation gives me an excellent path forward.

1. New cables.
2. New controller and solenoid.
3. See what happens. If happy with performance stop. If not happy go to step 4.
4. Put in 6x8v to get to 48v and new charger.

Now, this is if I don't have to change the motor. If I have to change the motor because of my tire upgrade which motor should I get. I am assuming one that can operate on 36v and 48v. But, which one?

If Alltrax which model specifically is the best to go with for this cart? If I can source one here in Canada I would consider it. All the research I have done points to the direction of Alltrax. Navitas is a good choice too but, I can't find hundreds of videos of the install of one.

Will order once I figure out which ones to get and find a source in Canada. :(

Check.

Problem is one of the largest golf cart dealers is only 10-15 drive from my house and they just posted on Kijiji a photo of about 30+ 35v EZGO chargers. They are a dime a dozen in my zone (Greater Toronto Area) as a result. The good news is that if I need used parts they have a yard full of old EZGO cart parts. Cowels, tie rods, etc...

Again, thank you for all the help. I really appreciate it a lot. I am a complete and utter newbie when it comes to all this stuff.

Cheers,
Impaled

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

Johnnieb might be able to confirm, and I really have no business jumping in the middle of his help, but the battery cables look to me like they might be automotive cables, Or just low quality cables. The ones you want are made from welding cable. They’re high strand copper and when they bend the radius is smoother than what yours look like in the picture. You might have said that you’ plan was to replace them all. If not, just confirm they’re what is being recommend.

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

They may very well be automotive / low quality cables. They came with the cart. So I don't mind changing them to better ones.

I don't mind replacing them all with the proper wires. Might as well do it once and do it right I say.

Is this the right set of wires for my cart?

cartguy.ca/collections/electric-parts-battery-parts-ezgo/products/1258

Yes, Canadian prices suck. :( But, it is a pain to order direct from the US with the recent changes in trade.

Cheers,
Tayken

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

Those do look like automotive cables. Also, the batteries don't appear to have any hold downs.

With 23" tires, you lose 22% of the available torque where rubber meets road, so the cart will slow more on hills than it would have with stock (18") tires. Also, if the off-road tires are the low pressure type (<10PSI max inflation pressure), even more slowing will occur. Not counting the inflation pressure issue, if it exists, you'll need 28% greater than stock torque at the motor to climb the same hill at the same speed as the same cart with 18" tires.

The good news is that going to 48V will increase the torque at the motor by 33%, so a higher torque motor might not be needed if the uphill speeds are acceptable to you.

A new set (10 of them, you id them correctly) of cables, a higher amp throughput controller and solenoid will also help, however most of the increased torque from installing a higher amp controller is at the low end of the RPM spectrum. How many amps a motor draws is dictated by by the motor's RPM and the bulk of the gain from a higher amp controller occurs below the max RPM at which the motor is capable of drawing more amps than the stock (275A or 300A) controller can pass, but with the taller tires the motor turns slower for any given speed, so the net result isn't quite as bad.

The path forward is still the same, with one more step at the end. If cart doesn't do what you want it to do with stock motor at 48V, a new motor will be needed. Lots of choices out there, but I don't know what is available in Canada. Same with cables and other parts.

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

These are the cables I have on my cart, but don't know if he ships to Canada.
https://www.cartsunlimited.net/battery-cables.html

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

I took the hold downs off as I took the batteries out to clean up and paint the frame. Still haven't put them back in yet.

Cool!

Ok. Gotcha. Surprised my stock motor can handle 48v. Good to hear. Just need to figure out which controller to get and where to find it.

Which Alltrax would you recommend? I am assuming it to be a Alltrax XCT 500A. But, want to make sure that is the right one. Reading the wiring instructions for DCS TXTs at the moment. Will go with the Navitas probably as it is easily sourced and they just confirmed that the wire harness is plug-and-play. (Totally impressed they are responding to chats on Facebook @ 8:00pm on Easter Saturday!) Just want to do a side-by-side comparison.

Again, thanks for all the info!

Cheers,
Impaled.

Re: EZGO TXT 94-01.5 36v DCS - Motor / Controller Questions
 

Update:

So, considering the excellent advice given I am going to upgrade my controller, solenoid, and wires as a first step. Thank-you to JohnnieB for identifying the issues with my current controller and wiring. That information was incredibly helpful in explaining to my wife why it should be done. :)

I am a planner. So sorry for the details. But, in my profession (software engineering) good design and unit testing is a mantra. I also like to break down whatever I do into microservices to better contain what I am doing. So I apply the same theory of "lean product principals" to a number of things I do... Drives my wife nuts but, I rarely blow up things as I have an easy to implement plan. So please bear with me and sorry for all the detail. Mostly the detail is it for my benefit. I am sure experienced posters and contributors to this site have seen it all before and need less info. (I also type incredibly fast at around 85wpm which contributes to my verbal diarrhea in posts.)

So my steps that I will be taking shortly are:

1. Change all wiring to 4ga at minimum or 2ga (if I can find in CND) for a 48v setup as recommended by JohnnieB.

2. Purchase and install new MZJ400-48V solenoid as recommended by JohnnieB.

3. Purchase and install new controller. Alltrax or Navitas based on what I can easily source in CND.

I will try to drive out the season on my 36v battery set and current stock motor. Should the motor die because I programmed the controller wrong I will replace it.

My questions to this forum are:

a. Irrespective of being able to find it in Canada, which motor would be the best for high-torque application?

Note: I am staying 36v for the time being so if there is a motor that can operate at 36v and 48v that would be great.

I have no need for speed really. The park has a speed limit and lots of deck sitters who will remind you to "SLOW DOWN!" should you exceed it. I drive mostly on nice wide trails that surround the park and gravel covered roads in the park. There are hills.

I am willing to import the right motor if I am unable to find a CND retailer. Or dive to Buffalo and pick up one there and drive it over the border myself if I have to.

b. When I do move to 48v do I need to change the charger receptacle on my cart or can I use the D Plug that is already on my cart?

I think I have found the answer on Carts Unlimited FAQ but, I am a nerd so I want to be 100% certain. The answer being: I can keep my old "D Plug" receptacle as in the FAQ it states:

Thank-you to ScottyB as well who has indirectly helped me tremendously by contributing to this forum and with all the info on his site Cart Unlimited. Sorry for using up all your bandwidth on your site. All those hits from CND are probably from me. LOL.

Cheers,
Impaled