What Does a Club Car Golf Cart Controller Do?
The speed controller in Club Car golf carts plays an important role in managing the power system. It is the controller that controls the acceleration and deceleration of a golf cart.
The speed controller helps the rider adjust the current going to the golf cart motor, therefore adjusting the speed. This adjustment is performed by modulating voltage by the controller such that the user has full control over their club car golf cart.
How to Test a Club Car Golf Cart Speed Controller?
The simplest test to ascertain your golf cart controller’s performance is to to watch whether it runs when the batteries are fully charged with a slight push of the pedal. If you hear a distinct clicking noise, then your golf cart is running correctly. If there is no clicking sound, then the solenoid is not allowing power to flow to your controller.
How to Test Club Car Precedent Controller?
To test a club car precedent controller, connect a voltmeter between the negative terminal of your cart’s battery and the M terminal on the controller. Then push the pedal down and look for a clicking noise from the solenoid. Your batteries should read as full.
- Connect a voltmeter to the negative terminal on the battery
- Connect the voltmeter to the M terminal on the controller
- Push down on the golf cart pedal
- A clicking sound should be heard
- The batteries show a full charge
You must determine whether your golf cart batteries are working properly or not. If the batteries are dead, then there is little chance of them working.
If your cart doesn’t start even when your batteries are full, and no clicking sound comes from the solenoid, it means your solenoid is defective or accelerator.
If you hear a distinct clicking sound, this means that there is nothing wrong with solenoid as it allows power to flow to the controller.
When this happens, it means some trouble with your controller. So you start checking your controller. Firstly, your controller would begin to give off a warning light like a Morse code.
Look for damage to the wiring as this will cause problems with the controller.
However, if you don’t understand what the Morse code is showing, then it is better to refer it to a technician who may identify the problem part from the Morse code or reach out to the original manufacturer to read it.
If the problem is serious, then it is best to purchase a new controller that may be a little pricey.
- A Club car DS/Precedent Navitas 600 Amp, 48 volt controller kit for 2001 and up would cost you $ 724.95.
- Club car Transport –Utility Navitas 600 Amp, 48 volt controller for 2006 and up would cost $ 679.95.
- A Club car IQ-400 Amp Curtis Controller that fits into 2001 and up the price would come to $ 474.95.
- A EZGO controller 300 Amp the price is $377. The 400 Amp is $435, and for 500 Amp the price is $532.
How to Test Club Car DS Controller?
- Remove all cables from motors
- Connect a jumper from A1 to F1
- Connect another jumper from A2 to F2.
- Connect 12 to 24 or 24 to 48 volts.
- Remember that A1 to F1 is positive, while A2 to F2 is negative.
- Swap F1 to F2 to change its rotation.
In most DS controllers the problem may be the same, and if it is older one, then the chances are that this may lead to problems one way or another.
If you have an old DS then you need a 48 volt for testing your controller. This means that you need to have yet another cart having the same controller. This is way better than relying on a different make.
How to Test 48 Volt Club Car Controller?
Testing your 48 volt club car controller is easy. First of all you need to charge your batteries to the full.
Please remember that not all batteries in the pack are low performing. Some may still have the requisite charge in it as per standard requirement.
So while you are at it you may take your voltmeter and then set it to 200v DC. Make sure that you start with battery 1 and 2 and so on.
The positive lead of the voltmeter should always be on the battery’s positive while the negative lead ought to be on the negative of the battery. So start testing from first the to last battery.
And now what should be the standard reading of each battery vis-à-vis other batteries in the pack? It is seen that there are six 8v batteries for 48 volt cart. For your 48 volt club car all batteries should read 9.3v so as to give the pack its optimal performance.
However, if any one or more batteries give a reading below 7.0v and the same differs much more than the standard tolerable limit of 0.5v against other batteries in the pack, then such batteries are stated to be bad. It means that you ought to replace them.
Next is to take a hydrometer test, and for this, you need to be slightly careful. You may put on your gloves and wear safety glasses as well.
Start testing each battery in the set, this time with your hydrometer. Your standard reading for water should be close to 1100 and 1300 for acid. If you find one or more batteries exhibiting a difference of 50 points, then the same should be replaced.
How to Bypass Controller on Club Car?
I usually see with the existing system of wiring in old models; you may not be able to bypass the controller. So the throttle and wiring need to be changed. So you go ahead for smart chargers.
There are several sources for a specific club car charger, and you need to find out what suits your cart best. For the external charger, it is the third pin that is connected with the negative of the charger or 3-pin plug.
For example, with Series carts, you need a 48v N.C. relay with a coil that is connected between KSI and third pin or sense wire. Then plug the charger, but you must disable the cart if KSI is ON. In this way, you prevent the regular power drive from working.
How to Reset a Club Car DS OBC?
- The best way to reset your club car OBC is first to switch off the key switch.
- Then you put your cart to neutral and then put tow run switch to the low position.
- After this, you should disconnect the negative of the battery terminal from the battery set.
- Now you put tow run switch to run and set from a neutral position to reverse. Finally, you put key to switch it on.
You have another option, and that is to replace your OBC with a new one. The other option is to replace your charger. If you purchase one of the popular 48v on-board battery chargers, then it can bypass OBC perfectly.
Of course, replacement may be expensive, but it is one way to go. In fact, for 15 Amp EZGO RXV& TXT Cargador the price is approx $259 while for Lester Summit Series II Cargador 650W 36/48V it is $327 approx.
How to Reset Club Car Precedent OBC?
For club car precedent, it is the same as above and with only some difference. You, first of all, make the key switch to off position. Then you do neutral to Forward/Reverse. After this, make Tow to Tow/Run switch and disconnect the negative terminal wire from the battery minus terminal of the battery set.
Now put Tow/Run switch to run position. Then Reverse the Forward/Reverse switch and soon after put key switch to ON position. Now Press the throttle pedal fully to the floor.
When you do this you will hear the reverse buzzer. Now leave the cart like that for about 5 minutes such that the OBC resets. Then after 5 minutes you release the throttle pedal. Now for reconnecting OBC back into your club car system you must switch off key.
The next step is to switch to neutral the Forward/Reverse switch. Then make to tow on Tow/Run switch. Now, reconnect the battery wire to the battery minus terminal on your battery set.
Then switch the Tow/Run switch to run. Finally, switch the key switch to ON.
In the case of current new club car sets, disconnect the main negative battery cable and wait for 10 minutes. Then you reconnect, and this means that you are making your capacitor to discharge.