Early 90s ezgo just stopped

[Simsbud]

Evening I have been searching for answers for about 2 weeks now on why my EZGO Electric golf cart quit running, I believe its a early 90's I searched for vin plate but I bought it off craigslist and it doesn't appear to have one on it,, anyway I was driving the cart and got into some sugar sand and almost got stuck, so I had the pedal pushed just enough for the rear tires to spin slow so I could pull out of the sand, I was also climbing a small hill, then all of a sudden it jerked 3 times and stopped and only clicked, so I started tearing into the cart, I took a couple of batteries out and checked the motor by unhooking the cables and jumping the bottom two together and putting a battery charger on the top two posts and it turns freely, so I know its not the motor, next I cleaned and tightened up all terminals then I replaced the solenoid hooked it back up only clicks so then I was reading online that sometimes the key switch can cause the cart to stopped so I un hooked it jumped the wires together and the cart only clicks, any help would be great thanks!!!

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Simsbud

Evening I have been searching for answers for about 2 weeks now on why my EZGO Electric golf cart quit running, I believe its a early 90's I searched for vin plate but I bought it off craigslist and it doesn't appear to have one on it,, anyway I was driving the cart and got into some sugar sand and almost got stuck, so I had the pedal pushed just enough for the rear tires to spin slow so I could pull out of the sand, I was also climbing a small hill, then all of a sudden it jerked 3 times and stopped and only clicked, so I started tearing into the cart, I took a couple of batteries out and checked the motor by unhooking the cables and jumping the bottom two together and putting a battery charger on the top two posts and it turns freely, so I know its not the motor, next I cleaned and tightened up all terminals then I replaced the solenoid hooked it back up only clicks so then I was reading online that sometimes the key switch can cause the cart to stopped so I un hooked it jumped the wires together and the cart only clicks, any help would be great thanks!!!

Sounds like the motor was nearly stalled, so it was drawing a lot of amps and may have damaged controller enough that if failed the next time it was heavily loaded.

If the solenoid clicks, the problem is in the high current circuit. Controller or F/R switch being the most likely suspects.

Measure between the B- and M- terminals on the controller with your DVM.
You should get FULL battery pack voltage when you push the pedal just far enough for the solenoid to click and it should decrease to near zero as the pedal is pushed to floor.

[Simsbud]

Ok I was wrong it's 1998 ezgo golf cart

[Simsbud]

Ok I get 31.1 volts not engaged 38.3 engaged and 38.3 volts when pedal pushed to the floor

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Simsbud

Ok I get 31.1 volts not engaged 38.3 engaged and 38.3 volts when pedal pushed to the floor

Disregard the 31.1V, it exists because of the pre-charge resistor connected across the big terminals on the solenoid.

Looks like you are getting full pack voltage when the solenoid first clicks and it doesn't decrease when the pedal is pushed to floor.

Don't know whether you have a DCS or Series drive cart, but they work about the same. Measure the voltage on the white wire from the pedal box.
Should be about 0.5V with pedal up and about 1.5V with pedal down.

That is the throttle signal to the controller, if it is varying like it should, the controller is bad.

What drive system do you have?

[Simsbud]

i believe its a series because I don't have a forward reverse button or a tow mode, and on series pictures it looks like under the selector lever is the whats under the box that comes from the selector lever

[Simsbud]

stupid question you say check the white wire coming from the pedal box, is that under the cart where the pedal is connected to a shaft and it looks like a coil spring on the lever then there is a cover with 4 bolts on it??

[JohnnieB]

It is a series.

If the throttle (white wire) is telling the controller to pass amps to the motor and the controller isn't doing it, the controller is bad.

If the voltage on the white wire isn't varying, the ITS might be bad (need more troubleshooting to be sure)

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Simsbud

stupid question you say check the white wire coming from the pedal box, is that under the cart where the pedal is connected to a shaft and it looks like a coil spring on the lever then there is a cover with 4 bolts on it??

I said that poorly.
I meant the the controller end of the white wire that originated in the pedal box.

You have a series drive, so it would be Pin-1 in the plug on top of controller.

[Simsbud]

I'll have to check it out after work,