Full Answer
Why does the solenoid resistor on a club car golf cart get hot?
The solenoid resistor on a Club Car golf cart can get hot because of a faulty speed sensor, faulty solenoid or by using batteries that are too old. A normal club car in good condition is expected to move at a speed ranging from 12 to 15 mph.
Why is my electric golf cart not turning on?
On an electric golf cart, the most common symptom is the solenoid is not delivering electricity to the controller when the vehicle’s ignition is turned on. In normal operating conditions, the solenoid clicks on and off with the ignition switch.
What happens if you unplug the speed sensor on a golf cart?
In the Regen carts, unplugging the speed sensor will remove the option of regenerative motor braking. In Excel or IQ cars, this action will set the golf cart to limp mode and prevent it from running at full speed. You’ll encounter the same problem if the speed sensor is plugged in but has gone bad.
Why won’t my club car golf cart go backwards?
Be mindful of how the battery charge is measured. If the power from the battery pack is not reaching the motor, then the Club Car golf cart won’t move forward or reverse. In such cases, there are a few components in between the two that need to be checked.
How do I know if my golf cart controller is bad?
X Common Symptoms of Controller FailureTop Speeds Not Appropriate for Your Cart. Golf carts are designed to reach pretty specific speeds and to not go over them or beneath them. ... Sudden and Unexpected Slowing. ... Shuttering or Shaky Driving. ... Stalling Out and Refusing to Start. ... Surges in Speed When Driving.
How do you test a golf cart resistor?
Place the (+) probe to the controller side of the solenoid's large post. The reading should be 0.1 to 3 volts less than battery voltage. If the reading is more than 3 volts less the battery voltage, the resistor is faulty. If the voltage is the same as the battery voltage, replace the solenoid.
What does the resistor do on a golf cart solenoid?
Prevents arcing across your solenoid terminals and keeps your electrical system safe.
How can you tell if MCOR is bad?
With the cart in neutral, slowly depress the gas pedal. You should verify that the throttle moves from 0% to 100% in a smooth manner. If you see it jump around (ie. 17% up to 30% or back to 10% erratically) you have a bad MCOR.
What are the symptoms of a bad solenoid in a golf cart?
The most common side effect on a gas golf cart is the starter failing to connect, resulting in the engine not turning over and a succession of useless tapping sounds. If your golf cart fails to turn on when you turn the key on, this is the most obvious sign of solenoid failure.
What would cause an electric golf cart not to move?
Solenoid Wear When there is a disruption in the flow of the electrical current, your cart will not operate. A common reason for current disruption is solenoid wear. Each time the solenoid activates as you press down on the gas pedal, the solenoid compounds down onto a thin metal contact plate.
Why is my solenoid on my golf cart getting hot?
In some cases, this happens because the coil of the battery is worn out or is too old. It can also be a sign of a faulty battery or even loose connections within the solenoid. Additionally, you could be dealing with overheated contacts.
How do you test a golf cart diode?
To adequately test a diode, you must remove the transformer wires from them, as this can skew your results. With your multi-meter set to the diode function, or just simple continuity, press one probe to the end of the diode where the wire was and the other probe to the portion near the heat sink.
What does the MCOR do on a golf cart?
The club car MCOR or the motor controller output regulator works like a dimmer in the headlight. It determines how much power is needed to get the desired speed by modulating the voltage. The variation in the electric output is done by the MCOR to get the desired speed.
What is MCOR on electric golf cart?
Club Cars use an MCOR throttle device. This translates your foot movement at the pedal into electric impulse that the motor controller reads. MCOR stands for "Motor Controller Output Regulator".
How do you test a golf cart motor controller?
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.
Why do golf carts roll off?
Roll-away protection is essential for the safety of the golf cart. If the parking brake is not activated, the golf cart tends to roll off when it is in a neutral position and stopped in an incline.
How to check voltage on golf cart?
Ensure that the 3-pin plug from the sensor is connected and place a wire-piercing probe on the output green wire. Lift one wheel of the golf cart and turn it one full rotation with your hand. The voltage reading should change from 0V to 5V 24 times for one full revolution.
What is a Golf Cart Speed Sensor?
A golf cart speed sensor interprets the rpm of the motor and passes on this detail to a speed controller present in the golf cart. This helps to keep control over several motor functions including roll-away protection and regenerative braking.
Why does my golf cart stutter?
Your golf cart may move very slowly as if it’s creeping along or it may move at an erratic speed. You may experience stuttering in your golf cart like when you have a bad battery or there is a low voltage problem. A broken or damaged magnet on the motor can result in a bad speed sensor.
How to test a speed sensor on a golf cart?
Two methods of testing your speed sensor are the following: Activate the Run/Tow switch of the golf cart by keeping it in Run position and try to push the cart.
What type of motor does a golf cart use?
A golf cart uses either an AC or a DC motor. DC wound motors don’t incorporate golf cart speed motors because they don’t have many features such as roll-away protection and regenerative braking.
What happens if a motor magnet is broken?
A broken or damaged magnet on the motor can result in a bad speed sensor. If this is replaced with a new magnet, the speed sensor will begin to function properly. Alternatively, the magnet could have just come loose. If so, all that you have to do is to tighten the magnet.
What does it mean when a golf cart solenoid goes bad?
Technically, in fact, a solenoid is a shape – a shape in which the length of something coiled is longer than the diameter of the coils. In engine starters, this refers to the smaller motor ...
What are the symptoms of a bad solenoid on a golf cart?
In addition, the spring that pulls the pinion back to its resting position could wear down leaving the starter engaged continuously. (Starters are supposed to get the flywheel moving, then back out of position – disengage.)
Why does my golf cart make clicking sounds?
On a gas golf cart, the most common symptom is the starter failing to engage – so the engine doesn’t turn over – while all you hear a series of very futile clicking sounds.
How to check ohms of a cable?
Once you’ve disconnected the cables safely – using your multimeter – use the voltmeter on the ohms setting and touch each large terminal with the probes with the key turned off. You should get a zero reading.
Why does my solenoid wear out?
Like any switch that relies on wiring, the solenoid could also just wear out due to overheating. This might cause it to fail to retrieve the pinion gear.
What does a solenoid do when you turn the ignition?
Step by step, it looks like this: When you turn the ignition key, a small amount of electricity goes to the solenoid. The solenoid uses that small amount of juice to close two heavy-duty contacts that allows a large jolt of electricity to pass through the starter. The solenoid also sends a pinion gear forward, which is the device ...
Why do starter contacts wear out?
Secondly, the contacts could begin to wear out from overheating or exposure to high levels of current. This needs to be fixed right away if possible, because this causes continuous use of the starter. If not caught in time, the solenoid and the starter will both need replacement.
What happens if your golf cart doesn't accelerate?
Bad Solenoid. If your golf cart does not accelerate, there is a possibility of the damaged solenoid. The solenoid is basically an electrical switch that enables the battery's flow from the battery into the motor. Check out the signs of the bad solenoid.
Why is my golf cart not accelerating?
When your electric golf cart does not accelerate, the first thing you need to keep in mind is that it is not a regular vehicle like your car . That's why the methods and solutions you use to get your car to start are not the same as the solutions you can apply to your cart.
How do you know it's an Accelerator Problem?
If your cart does not start smoothly , hesitates before starting, or does not gain speed properly , these are all signs of a bad or damaged accelerator.
Why is my golf cart speed controller not working?
There are many reasons behind a speed controller malfunction. The most common problem that happens in the controller has aged due to infrequent use. These are just some of the issues that could be affecting your vehicle's acceleration. If you have trouble finding the issue of your golf cart accelerator, don't be afraid to take it to the mechanic.
How does a golf cart solenoid work?
The golf cart speed controller and solenoid are both controlled by the accelerator. The pedal is connected to the potentiometer. That means when you are pressing the pedal for acceleration, you are actually going through the potentiometer by pushing a rod. The potentiometer works as a communicator and tells the speed controller how much voltage it ...
How does a potentiometer work?
The potentiometer works as a communicator and tells the speed controller how much voltage it has to consume. The more voltage means the more speed and vice versa (Check out our resource on golf cart speed ).
Why won't my golf cart turn over?
For a gas golf cart, the most common symptom is the starter failing to engage, so the engine doesn't turn over. Starters have the responsibility of activating the flywheel. When the flywheel starts to work, the starter is supposed to disconnect.
Why is my golf cart not starting?
If the cart does not start, there is a big possibility of a damaged solenoid. Another reason for a bad solenoid is that the contacts are starting to get damaged due to overheating or high current passing through them. Note: You may not necessarily experience all of these issues to recognize bad solenoids on your golf cart.
How to Test a Bad Solenoid on a Golf Cart?
Testing bad solenoids in a golf cart is relatively simple, especially for Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts.
How to tell if golf cart solenoid is bad?
One of the most common and obvious signs of the bad solenoid is the golf cart's failure to start when you initiate the ignition process. Once you click the accelerator and turn on the ignition switch, it is supposed to send a signal to activate the solenoid and start the cart. If the cart does not start, there is a big possibility ...
What is a solenoid in golf carts?
Simply put, a solenoid is a device that can transform electrical energy into mechanical energy. It's a coil of wire which is used as an electromagnet. The solenoid has the capability of creating a magnetic field with the help of an electric current. Solenoids work as the “go switch”, which is a must for any golf cart.
How to tell if solenoid is working?
Step on the gas and try to listen to the sound of clicking. If you hear the clicking sound, look for a reading of fewer than 0.4 ohms. If you get a higher reading, the solenoid is not working and needs to be replaced.
Safety Notice
Before attempting any maintenance or repairs on your golf car it is imperative that you consult the owner’s manual and follow all the safety guidelines. The following are a few safety tips, but may not be all inclusive.
Check Battery Terminal connections
The most common reason for your golf cart jerking is often the battery terminal connections are loose and/or corroded. A poor connection prevents the correct amount of current from flowing through the set of batteries to your speed controller (or resistor coil), and ultimately to your electric motor.
Check Battery Voltage
Once you’ve cleared all the battery terminals of corrosion, you’ll next need to check that your batteries are providing the correct amount of voltage. This can be accomplished using a simple voltmeter.
Check Resistor Coil (For Older 36V Golf Carts)
If you have an older 36V golf car that doesn’t use a speed controller, and you’ve completed all the steps above and your golf car is still jerking in set to forward, but works fine when the direction is changed to reverse you may have a bad resister coil.
Why won't my golf cart fire up?
After all, a solenoid is triggered every time you power on your vehicle while holding down its accelerator, that is, if it has no issues.
Why does my golf cart solenoid turn inactive?
That’s because the voltage is passed through it via its subparts, which are the steel plunger and a thin wire, allowing the flow of energy from the battery to the motor to create a linear motion . During its operation, your solenoid turns somewhat inactive, which reduces the usage of your golf cart battery.
How Does a Solenoid in a Golf Cart Work?
Whenever you put the pedal to the metal, you are activating not only your golf cart’s speed controls but also its solenoid.
What are Common Problems with a Golf Cart Solenoid?
We now know that a golf cart solenoid can be just as spent as the vehicle itself depending on use, so it’s to be expected that it will encounter problems along the way.
Why does my golf cart make a clicking sound?
The Golf Cart Has a Clicking Sound. As mentioned earlier, low amperage and insufficient voltage will cause a clicking sound. But when the solenoid is already damaged in the first place, it will also give off those clicks when you try to start your cart.
What is a golf cart switch?
It has many applications, one of which of course is being a switch that connects the battery of your golf cart to the starter or motor , with the help of both the high and low power circuits.
How many wires does a golf cart have?
It has a total of four-wire connections or terminals, big and small at two posts each. The solenoid may well be one of the most crucial and utilized components of a golf cart since it has to perform frequently as the number of times you power it on. It will work on the principle of attracting and repelling material that is sensitive ...
Why won't my club car golf cart go forward?
If the power from the battery pack is not reaching the motor , then the Club Car golf cart won’t move forward or reverse.
Why Won’t My Club Car Move?
A Club Car golf cart will not move if power from the battery pack is not reaching the motor. Faulty parts such as the solenoid, OBC and wiring can also cause a golf cart to not move.
How to check if a controller is corroded?
To check the controller, these are the steps: You will need a digital voltmeter (DVM) to check the 16-pin connector at the controller. Lift one wheel of the cart on a jack. The black probe from the DVM should be on the pack negative post.
What happens if you get uniform voltage across pins?
If you get uniform voltage across these pins then the controller is getting the correct power from the battery.
What happens if one of the batteries fails?
So, if one of the batteries were to fail then the movement in that direction will be curtailed. Checking individual batteries is very important to avoid such a situation. Controller: The design and functioning of the controller are similarly divided into forward and reverse movements of the golf cart.
Why is my solenoid hot?
Check if the resistor between the two big terminals on the solenoid is hot. If it is hot, the issue could be due to the controller. You have to replace it.
Where is the Delphi fuse holder on a 2010 Club Car?
For this, the first place you must check is the main fuse. In the 2010 Club Car Precedent, the Delphi fuse holder is located near the solenoid. There are standard operating procedures to be followed while working on your golf cart. The Run/Tow switch must be on Tow and preferably you should disconnect the batteries.
