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Just picked up this cart and am tinkering with it. The head lights go dim and basically completely out when I push the accelerator all the way down. I am wondering if this is normal or possibly a wiring problem somewhere. I am getting 12V at the headlights. The wiring seems to go through the controller.. I am still tracking it down. Almost like the hot is being picked up after the controller. The wiring going to the headlights and tail lights has been spliced and diced all up. Some of it is larger gauge wire and some smaller. I am considering just re-wiring the lights. But I still would like to know if it is common to lose lighting when accelerating? Thanks for any help.
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I'm not sure if you have a voltage reducer (16v to 12v) or a converter (48v to 12v) in your cart but it's normal to see some dimming of the lights when you accelerate due to the heavy amperage draw on your batteries.
If your batteries are not fully charged or are weak the problem will be even more noticeable.
It would be a good idea to clean up the wiring to your lights as well, 14ga wire is more than sufficient to do the job.
NOTE: Nothing on an electric car gets grounded to the frame, every negative connection goes to the battery negative. -
If the lights were wired in after the controller they would get brighter as you accelerated. you said there is 12 volts at the lights is that with them on. dimming is low voltage, bad connection, hooked to one battery 6 or 8 volt, or just bad batteries.Posted earlier by bigpembyComment
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Posted earlier by gaminde
How would you wire lights after the controller, it is parallel wired with the lighting. I would think any heavy amperage draw on the batteries will create a voltage sag (dimming) regardless of where the lighting circuit take off is.
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I was just answering his question when he said it seams like its wired after the controller. example if someone hooked a reducer to the output of the controller (motor leads) then one would possibly see voltage going up when pedal is depressed.Posted earlier by dougmcp How would you wire lights after the controller, it is parallel wired with the lighting. I would think any heavy amperage draw on the batteries will create a voltage sag (dimming) regardless of where the lighting circuit take off is.
all the rest is correctComment
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I guess the main question is, how dim is it getting, slight dimming is acceptable, excessive dimming is not. ??Comment
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Good point, it would be interesting to know how dim. I live in a golf cart community with about 2000 carts and all the electric carts I know of, the lights dim slightly when the throttle is activated.Posted earlier by gaminde
I have never checked my own cart (24v to 12v reducer) but I will this weekend and post the voltage sag results.Comment
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OOPS guess I having reading problems again
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The head lights go dim and basically completely out when I push the accelerator all the way down
does the cart run correctly if so there is a bad connection on the lighting side, if wires, controller, solenoid are heating up then there is a bad connection on large wiresComment
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There is no voltage reducer or converter on the cart. Let me go a bit deeper after some more thinking and looking... The cart has 4 12V batteries. There was a matched set of Deka Marine Deep Cycle Batteries. Someone stole one of the batteries and it was replaced with a standard small 12V starting battery of some sort. The lights are wired to this one battery. So that clearly is my problem. The batteries are a few months old, but the one odd battery gets pulled down way too quick. I have to replace it immediately. For now, because run time is not a great issue, I will try to get another Deka 12V Deep Cycle. Will it be okay to run the lights to one of these batteries? With a converter, would the lights dim less?, or work better? I plan to charge the cart every night or even twice per day. Using it at an RV Resort. Probably drive it 5 miles or less between charges on pretty much all level ground.Comment
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I would rather have 6 8-Volt batteries as originally came in the cart. But for my use right now, I think the deep cycle marine will be okay. Plus it will be alot cheaper right now. Probably be looking at replacing with 8 volt batteries next year. Some deep cycle marine are really a hybrid between starting batteries and true deep cycle. I am going to find out what mine are. I can't really tell. Went to Deka's website and they appear to be true deep cycle. Will call them next week and see.Comment
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Ok !! this makes sense move the wires to one of the larger batteries. bet your voltage is dropping way down under load.
if you have 3 100 amp hour batteries and one 25 amp hour battery guess which one will die first and with lights hooked to it also, double death.
so hook to one of the larger batteries ( the one with the highest voltage ) and replace them when you can.Comment
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I have done more research on the Deka batteries. They are starting batteries and not deep cycle. They are very large, the largest Deka makes. And they are Marine starting batteries. 56 Pounds each 182 minute reserve capacity. Here is my dilemna. I don't think I can spend the money right now to buy all new batteries. I think I might be able to live with the cart the way it is for a while if I replace the one odd battery which is small with another one of these batteries. I think maybe 50-75 dollars would get it done. I wonder what kind of mileage I could expect out of four of these in my cart? If I charge it everyday, could I get a day's use out of it? Probably only a few miles of mostly level driving around the RV Park?Comment
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Starting batteries can not be deeply discharged and will definitely have a shorter lifespan.
That being said, starting batteries are not intended for deep cycle use but will probably work OK for cruising around an RV park for awhile, maybe even another year.
My suggestion is that you start saving your money and buy the 6x8v batteries from someplace like Sam's Club for about $450 and do the changeover all at the same time.
I wouldn't change anything right now except move your light connections to the best 12v battery you have in the string. To find that battery, charge the up and let them sit overnight and the one with the highest voltage will likely be the best one.Comment
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Doug, using a battery other then recommended, would the OBC have an issue charging them?Posted earlier by dougmcp2005 CC Precedent
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Not at all, the OBC basically senses the charge rate and adjusts automatically for the batteries installed.Posted earlier by erictComment
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I switched the lights over to one of the marine batteries and now I have great lights even while running. I cannot even tell that they dim at all. Really pleased with them. Now I am going to replace the one battery and try and get by for a while. Thanks to everyone for the help.Comment
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Good to hear it's working better now.
Keep us posted on your progress.Comment
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Is it possible to restore batteries with new acid and charging individually?Comment
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I think we answered this in your other post in a different threadPosted earlier by rickpiontek@yahoo.comRegardsComment
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Putting this kind of battery in the pack is not going to help the others at all. The amp hrs and draw are going to hurt the others the longer you keep it in the pack. The charger will burn the smaller battery up everytime you recharge and the smaller battery will deplet faster than the rest when running it so it's getting worse with every cycle. Want be long and the cart will die.
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had the same problem but it just went awayComment
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Help.... I have a 48v system club car I have installed a 48-12v reducer BUT
there is 2 wires in ...2 wires out and a 5 th wire that says hook to trigger can anyone describe how and where to put this trigger wire? Thanks in advanceComment
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