Welcome to Golf Cart Stuff Hodgepodge

If you like golf carts, I hope you will like us

E-Z-Go gas cart Starter/Generator and Voltage Regulator

When the solenoid is energized through the logic switches (Key Switch and Accelerator Switch), current flows from B+ through the solenoid, to F2 of the Starter/Generator, though the field winding to F1, through the strap, to A2, through the armature to A1 to ground. That completes the circuit, so the Starter/Generator begins to spin. As it spins, a voltage appears at the DF terminal of the Starter/Generator, which is connected to the Voltage Regulator. The voltage regulator’s job is to internally connect this voltage from DF to B-. As DF goes to B-, the voltage at F2 increases as a path for the charge winding inside of the Starter/Generator is completed. The charging current to the battery is proportional to the speed of the motor and the charge state of the battery. It is constantly completing the current path from DF to B- as required to provide this charging current.

In order to test the function of the Starter/Generator and the Voltage Regulator, the wire attached to DF can be removed and while a meter is used to monitor the voltage B+, DF can be shorted to ground (with a jumper) with the motor running. Before the jumper is shorted to ground, the voltage at B+ should, of course, reflect the charge state of the battery (around 12 volts), but when the jumper is touched to ground (which is what the Voltage Regulator does in instantaneous bursts), the voltage at B+ should rise as the motor’s speed is increased. It should peak at about 15 volts (the maximum output of the Starter/Generator’s charge ability). If it does increase, then the Starter/Generator is alright. If it doesn’t, there is a problem with the Starter/Generator. If the voltage does increase, but the voltage at B+ doesn’t increase when the wire is re-attached to DF as the speed of the motor is increased, the Voltage Regulator is the culprit.

For information about books written by Ron Staley about both electric and gas driven golf carts and their repair, visit the following links.

Electric Golf Cart Repair, both as an eBook and in Hardcopy:

Book: Ronald L Staley: 9780578560557: Amazon.com: Books

Gas Golf Cart Repair, both as an eBook and in Hardcopy:

Gas Golf Cart Repair Book: Ron Staley: 9798987911303: Amazon.com: Books

Electric Golf Cart Evolution -6-
In the last post, we discussed carts with the most sophisticated “series” speed control systems. The controllers contained microprocessors and were capable of being “programmed” to fit the needs of the cart and its driver. What do we mean by “series”? There are two major components within a DC motor that make things work. They […]
admin
Electric Golf Cart Evolution -5-
In the last post in this sequence, I talked about the first electronic speed controllers that were used in series golf carts. The first series controllers to come out were totally electronic, but they were not “computerized”. Therefore, nothing was adjustable in terms of the cart’s operation. As time went by, these controllers became more […]
admin
Electric Golf Cart Evolution -4-
In the last post of this sequence, we talked about carts using an electronic speed controller instead of resistors to control the speed of the motor. We discussed the technique that the motor speed controllers use to vary the voltage to the motor. The technique is called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). In order to know […]
admin
Electric Golf Cart Evoltuion -3-
In the last post of this sequence, we talked about carts that still used resistors to control the speed of the cart but didn’t have a solenoid and its circuitry for each resistor. It was a big improvement from the maintenance point of view over their predecessors. This month, we’ll talk about the next step […]
admin
Electric Golf Cart Evolution -2-
In order to get rid of most of the solenoids, but still be able to utilize the resistors for motor speed control, Club Car came up with a configuration called the V-glide (by most people). It was a big improvement over the previous system in terms of maintenance. The following is a diagram of a […]
admin
Electric Golf Cart Evolution -1-
This post is the first of several on the subject of the evolution of electric golf carts. According to Wikipedia, it was in the early 1930’s when it all began. A guy named JK Wadely noticed the convenience offered by a three-wheel electric cart that had actually been designed for helping somebody disabled get around […]
admin
E-Z-Go Rear Hubs
Many E-Z-Go owners have experienced hearing a grinding noise at the rear end of the cart when trying to take off. A cart with this symptom will usually either not move or will only lunge a bit but won’t make it very far. This symptom is caused when there is a problem with one of […]
admin
Gas Cart Battery Testing
A recent comment that I received reminded me that I had never really discussed how to test for a bad battery in a gas golf cart. I go into a lengthy discussion of battery testing in the “Electric Cart Stuff” section, but there is nothing there about a gas cart’s battery. So, here it is. […]
admin
What is this Relay all about?
In the old days, most people just wired the lights up on a golf cart similar to the diagram below: Because the 36-volt cart consisted of 6 6-volt batteries strung in series, it was easy to “steal” 12 volts (that’s what most golf cart lights are designed to use) by just connecting up to 2 […]
admin
Why Do I Need a Meter?
In a book that I wrote about golf cart repair, “Electric Golf Cart Repair 101 (and a half)”, I began the first chapter with a statement that a “Meter is a Must”. That book was written with the “do it yourself” mechanic in mind and the statement was certainly true. However, even if you never […]
admin