95 Club Car 48v-OBC Alternatives?

[ozzie2012]

First, GREAT Forum. Glad I found you all.
Hopefully a brief history. New batteries last year. Starting charging but cart charge would not last. Stayed by charger and noticed it would shut down in 5-10 minutes. Brought all batteries to my supplier, severely depleted so they put them on a charge for a few days. Hydrometer read high fair. Brought charger down to local CC dealer and put it on one of their carts and good to go after 30 minutes. Not the problem. Tried charger on newly charged batteries, same issue. shuts down after a few. Voltage on all, 50.74.
Questions?
1. Is it my OBC. Cart is still running fine on the supplier charge. Limited time though. I am going to try reset today.
2. If I bypass the OBC, and need to charge so batteries stay up, How long should I charge. Is there a rule of thumb?
3. Is there an aftermarket processor (dont remember correct term) that installs into the Power Drive charger that regulates the charge instead of the OBC? Has anyone done this with success?

Thanks in advance to you pros

[gaminde]

Yes 1 member put a timer in a charger, you can get a new charger for a little more than the price of a OBC. Do a search for 5 stage chargers Or just chargers on thls site

[ozzie2012]

Thanks gaminde.

ok. Bypassed the OBC and the charger kicked on. Took a few seconds for the charger to figure out what to do and stay on. Still would like to know a little more on Q2.

2. If I bypass the OBC, and need to charge so batteries stay up, How long
should I charge. Is there a rule of thumb?

Regarding Q3
3. Is there an aftermarket processor (dont remember correct term) that installs into the Power Drive charger that regulates the charge instead of the OBC? Has anyone done this with success?

What am I looking for regarding a processor to handle my 48v system. New charger or install processor in old charger. I don't understand the 5 stage you mentioned. So far no luck in finding post regarding this. Will continue my hunt though, but more info would be appreciated.

If it was your cart with a bad obc, what would you do?

[andy4639]

In this post:

http://www.golfcartsforum.com/club-car-electric/2005-what-should-i-do-4.html

post 58!

[gaminde]

If my OBC goes bad I'm not spending 200 dollars Plus to replace it When I can get a new charger for 300 dollars With 100 dollar replacement controller boards. How long to leave charger on depends on discharge state of batteries never ever longer than 16 hours.

[ozzie2012]

Crap. Last night I had the charger on for less then 5 minutes when I said It kicked on after I bypassed. Now, this morning, plugged the charger and cart in, still with the wire on to bypass. Charger won't kick on. Cart still runs fine on the borrowed charge from my supplier.

Just don't get! why ok last night but not now. Could I have fried the relay in the charger?

Could it be something else?

Hands up in the air with one scratching my head.

[gaminde]

Ok we need to take a step back here

1 the charger you borrowed is it a CC charger PowerDrive 2? or something else.
2 Check the circuit breaker on charger
3 Where and how did you jumper the charger

[ozzie2012]

1 the charger you borrowed is it a CC charger PowerDrive 2? or something else.

Not borrowed. Original 1995 Power Drive for the Cart

2 Check the circuit breaker on charger

How? Glass/Wire circuit on front with small square fuse holder at bottom right of face

3 Where and how did you jumper the charger

Did nothing to the charger itself other than putting it on a 48v cart at a dealer in town to check it..
Bypassed the OBC with 14 ga wire, no connectors on the ends, to neg post on battery 6, same post as black 6 or 4ga going through the obc, to the front small post of the solenoid, with the yellow wire connected, that leads to the OBC. Neg side of the solenoid. My solenoid only has 2 large posts on top, and 2 small, small, connectors on the front.

Bought cart 7 years ago from a nursery going out of business. The back up buzzer was disconnected along with the battery indicator on the dash when i got it. It is a series cart as well

[gaminde]

Before you go any further put everything back to stock and read this thread.

http://www.golfcartsforum.com/club-c...ectronics.html.

If you have any questions on the above post it.

[ozzie2012]

Gaminde,
Before I begin, an update.
Removed the 14 ga. bypassing the obc. put everything back to stock. that was the only thing actually. Plugged charger in to charge. It took about 20 seconds and the charger kicked on and shot up to 15 amps but only lasted for 30 seconds or less and never came on again..

I will try the grey from the back of the obc to neg. on batt. 6 and see if charger stays on.

Regarding reset of the obc, I have done that as well. Disconnected main neg. and pos. Put into rev. Key on. Slowly pressed peddle and locked down for 5 min.

Have read that some reset instructions say disconnect neg. only and some say neg. and pos. Which is correct or it doesn't matter?

[gaminde]

On cars you always did negative first Because negative went to body so that is just a carry over. No sense in changing now.

[ozzie2012]

From previous thread. your quote gaminde.

when working on these chargers, I always start with the Gray Wire Test! On the back of the charge receptacle there are three wires red, black and center gray, if you follow this grey wire to the OBC you will find it unplugs there. Unplug this wire touch it to the neg. 48volts of the battery pack and see if charger comes on.

Could not find where grey unplugs at the obc. Wiring harness goes into the obc as a group, multiple wires, and only neg. cable going through. Don't see where to unplug. Looks like all original harness.

[gaminde]

For now just try jumping at the receptacle.

[gaminde]

maybe you can post some pictures of your OBC and the back of the charge receptacle. No fuse in the grey wire, did you even find the grey wire.
the grey wire doesn't it go to the OBC and isn't there a rubber boot there??

and NO the jumper is not the same each step tells you something skip a step and the other tests tell you half as much.

now when you did the jumper in the charger you said it did not come on is this by amp meter or did you listen for a slight hum of the transformer ??

[gaminde]

Also with the jumper on put your meter on the 48volt plug and plug in the 120 volt plug and see if there is any voltage and how much.

[ozzie2012]

Results are in!
Charger Normal set up. Jumped grey wire from receptacle to neg. on battery pack. Charge clicked but no usual hum or readings on amp meter.

Jumped relay in the charger and touched neg from the grey at receptacle. Same response. Click at the charger, no hum or readings.

I also tried jumping relay in charger with grey at receptacle in its normal set up. Nothing at all doing it that way. no click or hum at the charger.


What direction now PLEASE?

[gaminde]

You have a volt meter correct we need reading at charger DC plug, using either grey wire or jumper don't need both we are checking output of transformer.

[ozzie2012]

"Also with the jumper on put your meter on the 48volt plug and plug in the 120 volt plug and see if there is any voltage and how much."

Sorry gaminde.
Could you reword this quote. Not sure where, what what?

[gaminde]

Ok The big round plug of the charger there are three connections in it, one is shorter that the other two so put your meter on the two long ones they should be marked + and - then plug in the 120 volt cord with relay jumped and read voltage.

[ozzie2012]

Ok The big round plug of the charger there are three connections in it, one is shorter that the other two so put your meter on the two long ones they should be marked + and - then plug in the 120 volt cord with relay jumped and read voltage.

I did do this and got NO Reading for volts at all

[gaminde]

Ok I'm having a hard time here, your answers don't seem to match the questions I'm asking.
1. Do you have a volt meter

[gaminde]

Ok from the way you have described things you have a bad OBC and Charger.

are you sure you don't have a circuit breaker on the front of the charger ?

Next step do you know what the diodes are ?
can you send pictures of the insides of your charger, maybe I can explain things better.
clip your meter set for ac on the primary of the transformer plug charger into 120 and take reading.

[ozzie2012]

Ok from the way you have described things you have a bad OBC and Charger.
Your kidding!

are you sure you don't have a circuit breaker on the front of the charger ?

Yes i do. That would be the small black square on bottom right of charger I described earlier. Any way to test that?

Next step do you know what the diodes are ?

Yes. I have a picture of the power drive wiring diagram

can you send pictures of the insides of your charger, maybe I can explain things better.

maybe the diagram will work

clip your meter set for ac on the primary of the transformer plug charger into 120 and take reading.

?????

[timflury]

What Gaminde means is this..


Set your meter to AC volts. Test the outlet you're going to plug the carger into and make sure you have about 120 VAC. Then plug the charger in with the relay jumper in place to "force" the charger on. Don't worry about plugging into the cart just yet, we're testing the charger.

The primary side of the charger is the 120VAC side. You should have power there,.. no power, no charge. Trace the wires from the plugged in cord and you should be able to follow at least one of them to the transformer. There should be two wires there. check the voltage there with your meter and see if you have 120VAC at the transformer.


Hope this helps.

[ozzie2012]

Pictures of Charger and OBC along with grey wire, back of receptacle.

[ozzie2012]

Hi timflury. Thanks for joining in.


Set your meter to AC volts. Test the outlet you're going to plug the carger into and make sure you have about 120 VAC.
I have
and at 116vac.

Then plug the charger in with the relay jumper in place to "force" the charger on. Don't worry about plugging into the cart just yet, we're testing the charger.

I put relay jumper back in place from photo posted, and plugged in.
Did not force charge on. no nothing

The primary side of the charger is the 120VAC side. You should have power there,.. no power, no charge.
Trace the wires from the plugged in cord and you should be able to follow at least one of them to the transformer.
Yep. white to the transformer, black to the bottom connection at the fuse and the ground is grounded to the box of the charger.

There should be two wires there. check the voltage there with your meter and see if you have 120VAC at the transformer.
To be sure, where do i place my red and black meter leads.There, where?

[ozzie2012]

Back the bus up! wayyy back. I hang my head in ignorance and stupidity and will take my lumps. I only know enough of electrical to hurt myself or someone else.
My biggest apologies for wasting your time Gaminde and some of yours timflury.

I jumped the relay wrong!. The way i interpreted jumping the relay from the photo was across the relay instead of connecting the wire from the primary coil to the fuse wire.

Now I get the hum in the charger. Time to back track on this thread for next step.
My original thoughts of having a bad OBC and how to bypass.

no icons for anal/cranial inversion!

[ozzie2012]

Gaminde,
If you or anyone else is still willing to give me hand, her is the latest test results. Starting over.

Charger is back to original wiring, no jumper, and I took the grey wire from the back of the receptacle and placed it on the neg. of the battery.
RESULT charger kicks on but no amperage reading on the charger meter.

Do we stay on charger troubleshooting or go to OBC? why does meter not show amperes.