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Old 06-05-2021, 06:08 PM   #1
mikedivincent
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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Default Switch when charging

The manual states to turn the run switch to “off” when charging.

Do we need to lift the seat and turn the switch to “off” - or can we just plug it in while in the “run” position?
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Old 06-05-2021, 08:49 PM   #2
ATrain
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Default Re: Switch when charging

I've never once done it and I can't think of any technical reason why it's necessary.

That said, I can tell you why they probably recommend that. When you connect a golf cart charger, there is a signal that is supposed to be sent to the golf cart controller to tell it to disable the golf cart because it is being charged and there's a cord plugged into it.

People make mistakes and accidentally turn the cart on and drive away while it's plugged in... Like a gas hose in a car at the station.

There are so many battery variations and charger combinations they cannot reliably count on dealers to properly hook them up, so they just absolve themselves from liability by saying you need to disable the cart while charging.
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Old 06-06-2021, 09:28 PM   #3
Chris4851
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Default Re: Switch when charging

I flip the switch to “off” every time I charge. The two times I have not flipped the switch to. “off” and left it on “run”, tripped a GFCI outlet in the garage. I also have a friend who trips his garage GFCI if he does not flip the switch to “off”. No idea why this happens but it’s absolutely attributed to the golf cart charging.
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Old 06-07-2021, 11:49 AM   #4
ATrain
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Default Re: Switch when charging

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris4851 View Post
I flip the switch to “off” every time I charge. The two times I have not flipped the switch to. “off” and left it on “run”, tripped a GFCI outlet in the garage. I also have a friend who trips his garage GFCI if he does not flip the switch to “off”. No idea why this happens but it’s absolutely attributed to the golf cart charging.
I want to start by saying I'm not trying to argue, I just want to see if we can get to the bottom of why you should or shouldn't do this.

Do you both have the standard ICON charger or something different?

I'm not an expert here, so take with a grain of salt, but my understanding is the run/off switch just disconnects power to the controller.

Your GFCI experience is implying the controller is tripping it...this makes me think whatever charger you have is not wired to the controller properly or it is not properly grounded.

When you connect a charger, most have an output that you connect to the controller, so that when it's charging, the controller knows to disable the cart.

I think these chargers use pulse width modulation (PWM), which the pulses can supposedly circulate in the ground and the noise can trip a GFCI, but no clue why putting the cart in "tow" would prevent that, unless your controller is not detecting the cart is being charged and disabling it. That might be the reason?

I might test mine with a GFCI to see what happens out of curiosity, but I wonder what the experience of other users are?

I can say that with the factory ICON charger (that I have), I used the NEOS software to monitor this -- when you connect the charger, a bit flips, and the controller detects it. If you have the cable and software, you can test this yourself by hooking the cart up with key-on, use the "monitor" button in the software, then near the bottom there is something like "Charger SW". Watch that and plug the cart in and see if it switches from 0 to 1.

If connecting your charger does not flip that bit, then it would confirm my suspicion. If it does, then I'd want to look deeper.
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Old 06-10-2021, 11:28 AM   #5
mbrown55
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Default Re: Switch when charging

doesn't make sense. The charger is connected directly to the batteries. I always put the forward/reverse switch in the middle off position and of course turn off the key. I'm not running the Icon charger as I have a lithium setup and had to jumper the charge sense connector going to the motor controller to tell the controller that the cart is not charging.
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Old 06-10-2021, 01:31 PM   #6
ATrain
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Default Re: Switch when charging

I'm just ignoring that instruction and leaving my tow switch on "run" until I have an issue. I'm still of the opinion it's a CYA for ICON because dealers are using a variety of charger/batteries and the chargers might not be hooked to the controller properly (orange/orange-white wires).

The other technical thing that could trip the GFCI (I'm told) is a large momentary surge that can happen when applying a voltage to a capacitive load. It's the same reason the contactor has a pre-charge resistor across it. So the contactor doesn't spark and weld itself closed. The motor controller would be the capacitive load in that scenario...doesn't make sense though.
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Old 06-11-2021, 10:58 AM   #7
jeffahfah
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Default Re: Switch when charging

GFCI outlets are crap. Yes, they are good for something but I always have problems with one or two in every house I've owned.

The one I have the Icon hooked up to now is sharing a 30amp circuit with a garage freezer. Mine kept tripping when I first got the Icon. Swapped out the outlet, problem still happened, replaced it with non GFCI outlet (against code, i know), no problem and breaker never tripped, nothing ever fried. Two weeks later put in the newer GFCI outlet that failed previously, has not happened since.

Weird crap.
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