G2 Starter - Immediate Brush Failure

[Salt1972]

What would cause starter brushes to fail in less than 2 minutes?

We've been having starter issues on a G2. Here are the details.

1. Reliance Power Parts #687 Starter/Generator. New in Jan '21.
2. Brushes were completely worn in Aug '22. How would that happen in 18 months?
3. New brushes (Amazon).
4. Reconnected the starter incorrectly because of bad internet instruction and poor interpretation on my part (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/734649757941664262/).

5. Realized the starter was turning the motor backwards and causing a short pulling the battery down to 5V.

6. Tried reversing the positive and negative to reverse direction. No.
7. Moved the red jumper. Perfect.
8. Ran the cart and the brushes failed in less than 2 minutes.

What would cause brushes to fail in less than 2 minutes?

1. Is the 3rd party starter junk?
2. Were the Amazon brushes junk?
3. Did we wire the starter wrong? Maybe. We had positive to A2 and Ground to F2. Would that cause the brushes to destruct in less than 2 minutes?

Do we order a new set of brushes and try again? Or order a new Yamaha starter?

Thanks for your help.

[CP241]

Pretty much all the aftermarket starter generators are notoriously garbage.

Same with the Amazon brushes.

I’d get an OEM Yamaha part and you should be fine. Give plowmans a call Don won’t give you a bum steer

[Salt1972]

Originally Posted by CP241

Pretty much all the aftermarket starter generators are notoriously garbage.

Same with the Amazon brushes.

I’d get an OEM Yamaha part and you should be fine. Give plowmans a call Don won’t give you a bum steer

Thanks CP. He's on my call list for tomorrow. I bought the valve cover and exhaust gaskets from his last week after he helped troubleshoot to this point. I thought we finally had it beat when we rode around for 2 minutes....

[CP241]

Sorry to hear that. That really sucks. Don is an awesome resource and just a really good guy to work with.

Don if you’re reading this, have I sucked up enough for a free golf cart?

Just kidding. I wouldn’t say the things I say if they weren’t true

[nickdalzell1]

Over the years I've realized at least three things:

1. Customers are cheap, and refuse OEM prices, even though they would have better reliability.

2. You can't just put brushes in and hope it works out. It's NEVER 'just' the brushes. Them wearing out is just the symptom of a much larger problem.

3. Starter generators, especially aftermarket ones, can EXPLODE. I never got over that. I literally had one explode last year on me. No warning, just running and BOOM.

[Golf cart guy]

As stated, the aftermarket stuff is just junk.