RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

RXV Auto Brake

Looks like I will be the one to burst the bubble. :?

I'm searching for others who are having problems with the new rkv auto-brake.

Our fleet of 60 have been in service since last Fall and they are just now exhibiting problems . . . specifically, the auto-brake is locking up. About a couple each day now.

Bummer.

Anyone else?

Since it is new technology, we have to share our experiences. The fix, whatever it will be, will be a new fix . . . for a new problem.

(guess we're the Guinnea pigs on this one) 8)

Let's work together to find out what's wrong. :help:

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Welcome to the Forums, Cartboy!

I assume you are referring to the RXV carts by EZ-Go? Yours are the first problems like this I have heard of. Any info from EZ-Go?

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

We haven't heard of this problem in the Dallas area...

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

need some more info. Is the car just going along and it then locks up? or it the car not releasing the brake? Taylor Dunn has had A/C cars out for some time with a similar brake system.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I have not heard of this prob either in my area

Yeah, I meant RXV, like in the topic line, not the RKV I typed in the body. :oops:

They are locking up as they are moving along, not failing to release after being parked.

Our E-Z-Go dealer is clueless, since this is a new problem.

We suspect it has something to do with our course being hilly, that the auto-brake is getting worked pretty hard. Most of the lockups have been on hilly holes, after going down a steep hill, but not all of them.

This is my day off, when I play in league at another course, so I don't know what happened today, but yesterday there were two. One was on a flat Par 5, which follows a downhill Par 4. The other was one that had locked up previously, unlocked, then locked up in the AM when we were staging it.

But, I don't want to blame it on the hills and rule anything/everything else out.

It is so frequent that yesterday I cut a 2 x 4 to wedge in to hold down the brake release lever, so we can tow them back in.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Oh yeah, our team won league . . . well, tied with my friend's team. Got to play with my cousin, too. Nice day. :thumbup:

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Obviously I'm new here, but speaking of typos, the Edit feature does not seem to be enabled for very long. :?

It normally takes me a few readings before I catch my errors, so . . . :thumbup:

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

You'll get the hang of it. BTW, the thread title was wrong too, but one of the mods fixed it for ya. They can be very helpfull at times.:thumbup:

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Since I'm new here, and this was the first golf cart forum google brought me to, is this a forum that most in the industry use . . . are there others?

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

BGW is currently the busiest GC forum on the web. There are other forums...

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

E-Z-Go came by today and yes, there is a problem, yes they know about it, and yes they are trying to do something about it. Specifically, replace solenoids with better ones.

It wasn't quite clear if we got the better ones that have been in development, but we got some new solenoids direct from Augusta put in today. Just in the carts that have had brake lockup, as they are doing it thataway instead of replacing all of them at once.

I took one repaired cart out and ran nine holes with no problem. Another one had no governor, so we can't let customers have it, and another one had total brake failure. A cart attendant discovered that, fortunately. When I tried to return it to the cart barn, downhill, it had total failure again so I had to take to the embankment. When we tried to park it with the key on, it kept lurching forward.

That's out of 6 or 7 they repaired today, so the fix obviously is still a work in progress.

We have a celebrity event Saturday and Sunday and another tournament Monday, so the next few days should be revealing.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Turns out another one locked up after I left yesterday, one that did not have a new solenoid yet.

And, actually, we had a very busy day today, a Pro Am tomorrow,a celebrity tournament the next day and a really big tournament the next day.

So . . .

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I'm surprised how little activity there is on this thread, since this could turn out to be a really big deal.

I can't help but think I'm in the wrong place, with the wrong audience, and that I should be somewhere else to reach those who need to know about this.

Whattya think?

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I had the same problem with an RXV on my lot. I took a customer out on a test drive, we got 5 minutes out and the cart came to a screeching halt and then jerked for a while. The problem was intermittent so hard to troubleshoot. I ended sending it back to my distributor after unsuccessfully troubleshooting with EZ-GO technical service dept. I suspect that it was the solenoid but did not have one to change. Since then we install a heavy duty solenoid right off the bat as we have some hills in the area.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Not to burst your bubble but it's only a problem if you have one of those carts and not many here do.
Any of these carts are likely under warranty and generally not a huge concern to a community of DIYers.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Yeah, sounds like the same thing. The one they had fixed and then the brakes went out totally jerked when you parked it, park not really meaning park since there were no brakes.

We have been able to get some that have locked up on a hill back to a flat area by turning the key off and on. Each time we turn it on it moves 2 or 3 inches.

As to the other reply, that's too bad, since a recent post said this is the most active golf cart forum. If there is another, I'd be glad to go there, or to have those there directed here, as we try to solve this problem.

I do believe it is a major problem. There was a recall for another problem and it was for 16500 RXVs. I have no reason to believe they won't all have this problem.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I am curious, what was the recall for. I do sell a few RXV's here and there and would like to know if it pops up?

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

It was about a year ago for hip restraints breaking.
Here's the link:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08591.html

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Ahhhh, I did hear about that one. It did not affect us. Thanks for the link.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

The carts in question are all still out on their initial lease from the factory. The few that are in private hands haven't found us yet. In a few years the RXV carts will start showing up in the secondary retail market, and then we will all have something to talk about. In the meantime, you are the man of the hour. Please keep us updated as the condition plays out.:thumbup:

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I have been doing this for little over a year and have only sold 1 RXV and the dealer has only sold 2 total. The reason I can not sell these is because they are just 2 **** high for what you get. Nobody using it in their neighborhood really cares about 48V A/c. they just want a cart. I will put them in a Yamaha before I put them in a RXV. I can sell them 2 yami's to 1 RXV. Not meaning to burst your bubble either.

I have not seen or heard of this issue until you brought it up.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I'm not the cart buyer/leaser, I'm the cart keeper going guy, so I have no bubble to burst. 8)

We got through three major events in three days without a breakdown.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I was just waiting for this to start to happen, for my personal opinion, the magnetic brake is not a good idea. I had serviced some electric wheel chairs and gues what was always the problem with?

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

The new RXV Freedoms are a little pricey. However, I am just waiting to get my hands on one of the Fleet ones when they start coming back off lease. These buggies are going to make awesome hunting and off road vehicles. I love the way they pull the steepest hill with no loss of speed. There are plenty of people out their who want what 48 volts and AC drive has to offer. Just check out all the threads on this forum about 48 volt upgrades! The biggest problem I see is the scarcity of after market accessories.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

We've had major events every day the last week and some days mutltiple event, and today was the first brake lockup. That was early on and the event was still on the course when I left.

EZGo was here to replace the solenoids on all the carts but all but the broken down ones were in use, so they couldn't.

They replaced the barke assembly on one and it failed halfway to staging. :roll:

We have another big shotgun tomorrow, using some rented carts to supplement, so we'll see how things go.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

My EZGO rep is supposed to be here sometime this week, I will mention it to him and see what kind of response i get. I have a feeling He will know nothing about it.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

See no evil, hear no evil,.........

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

It is not our local/regular dealer replacing the solenoids on warranty. When we asked the one who is, on his first visit, if others are having the problem, he said, "I could lie and say No, but Yes."

We had a big day recently, 105 in a shotgun followed by a full slate of afternoon tee times, and we used 30 old rented gas Club Cars in the shotgun to help make sure we could make it through.

I believe we only had one brake lockup that day, and the Player Assistant on the course gave them his cart to keep them going.

Yesterday morning we had one more lockup in the cart barn as we were staging. We got it unlocked somehow and put the Player Assistant in it. As of when I left mid afternoon it was still OK.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

RXV's have been in numerous golf course fleets at Dallas area courses for over a year now and this issue has not happened here. Very interesting information to note - however:thumbup:

As for the opinions of being pricey? $6,500.00 to $7,000.00 for a fully dressed Freedom model is in line with all new equally equipped vehicles in the marketplace...

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

No, not pricey compared to what else is out there.
- - - - - -
I asked the EZGo guy if he could not just leave some new solenoids and we could put them on as carts fail.

I am accustomed to dealing with such things . . . GPS failures, charger failures, etc.

No. A warranty thing.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

If all they have been doing is replacing solenoids, it doesn't appear to be a brake issue unless the brake is solenoid controlled. Got a wiring diagram?
What does the solenoid control?
What was happening with the solenoids, coil failing or high amp contacts failing or welding closed?
Is the new solenoid different? In what way? Higher rating, different manufacturer? Where are the old solenoids made? Brand/Rating? Where do the ones ones come from? Brand/Rating?
Maybe post up some photos of the old and the new solenoids.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Anyone see all that flying right over my head? :lol:

I'm just repeating what I'm hearing, stuff like heavy duty, E Z Go developing a new one, are these the new ones or just what they could get to you?

When it comes to design, electronics, mechanics, etc., I don't know know ---- from Shinola, nor to I have an inclination in that direction.

I do know if that's all you're doing, and you're driving 100-plus miles to do it, I could be doing it for you. You can train a monkey to do stuff, and they don't to know why. :thumbup:

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

I did not work the 17th, but when I went in yesterday, the 18th, there were three more carts up against the wall. I did not work today, so I'll see tomorrow.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

We now have 5 carts out of 60 out of service with the brake problem,

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Is it just me, or is this getting a bit tiresome? We have RXV's all over Dallas and don't have an issue. We all understand your fleet is having problems. What good is it every day to report how many are broke? Let us know what you did to FIX them. Let us know that the ones that have been upgraded are OK or not OK.

Sorry, my 2 cents, again:|

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

It's not just you.
I asked the questions a week ago and all I got was an answer that said "I don't know sh*t from shinola, nor to I have an inclination".
At that point I just considered the source and moved on to other posts.
Once these get into the used marketplace we will take a swing at them at that time.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

One thing you can count on on the Internet is that folks say stuff they would not say in person. :thumbup:

Said another way, on the Internet no good deed goes unpunished. :mrgreen:

Sorry my knowledge and ability to report does not match some's expectations. But at least I'm trying.

Early on in this thread it was established that I am the first to report this problem. I came here assuming those here would be much more knowledgable than me, so y'all could give me answers. not the other way around.

I have gone as far as to establish that EZGo acknowleges there is a problem and is doing whatever they are doing to try to resolve it.

Tomorrow EZGo is supposed to be coming by to do whatever they do. If anyone would like to prepare tech questions, I will ask the rep if he wants to answer them, if I remember to check here before I head in.

Some of the ones they have fixed have failed again and some have not. The one that they replaced the brake assembly on did not work immediately, which I reported.

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

:thumbup:

re: RXV Auto Brake Problem
 

Although I may not use exactly the right words to please everyone, I am going to continue, for the greater good, that being that someone may be having the same problems we are, or they will, and they may use a search engine to try to find the answer, like I did, and it may lead them here.

Let me take a breath! :wink:

EZGo did come by today, to switch out the solenoids in our entire fleet. I did my best to get the technical explanation some seem to need, and it goes like this.

Why, yes, the magnetic auto-brake is run by electricity, and when the solenoid fails the electricity stops. Period. (That was said to me in the tone of what could be more obvious than that?)

Unexpectedly, I got the additional explanation of when you buy parts from a crappy supplier without checking out their claims, you get crappy parts. What we're putting on now is the good stuff.

Hopefully I will have nothing further to report than it worked.