Golf cart running hot

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Old 11-30-2018, 04:29 PM
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Default Golf cart running hot

Mrs Fox has a 36v E-Z-Go which has new batteries, and had a reconditioned motor put in about a year ago.

After any journey of more than a mile there is a smell (possibly hot oil?) coming from under the seat and the two plastic covers under the passenger side of the seat are hot to the touch. I assume that the larger cover hides the motor?

Mrs Fox does not drive at the cart's top speed so I do not understand why the cart is running hot. Any thoughts?

Thank you
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Old 11-30-2018, 08:03 PM
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Check the voltage across each battery with and without the charger connected, do the without test first. All batteries should have almost identical readings. Immediately after using the cart, VERY CAREFULLY check and see if any of the wiring or battery terminations are HOT. Call whoever installed the batteries if you find differing readings between batteries, or any hot connections. The next item to check would be excessive current draw to the motor, for this you would need access to a DC clamp on ammeter, mine is no where high enough rating for this application.
Hope this helps.
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Old 11-30-2018, 08:44 PM
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OP,

Based on your description "hot smell" that starts after a mile or so I would check the brakes to be sure one or all are not fully released and dragging on the drum causing friction (heat). Many electric carts can produce enough torque to overcome the brakes even when fully on.

Electric carts do not have any oil except in the rear end gears. If you do not have any signs of an oil leak in the back then it is unlikely to come from there.

Other than brakes, unusual odor from electric carts is due to overheating, either within the wiring harness or or inside the motor. And the condition(s) that cause the overheating resulting in an odor will quickly cause a failure that prevents the cart from operating.

Don
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Old 12-01-2018, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by SouthOfTheBorder View Post
unusual odor from electric carts is due to overheating, either within the wiring harness or or inside the motor. And the condition(s) that cause the overheating resulting in an odor will quickly cause a failure that prevents the cart from operating.
Thank you, Don

It is definitely a motor/electrics issue - I think the motor they put in may be too powerful for the cart's original wiring
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Old 12-01-2018, 08:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by villagetinker View Post
The next item to check would be excessive current draw to the motor, for this you would need access to a DC clamp on ammeter, mine is no where high enough rating for this application.
Thank you, VT

Will have to call on my engineer friends as I have no such equipment myself. However, I do think it is a "too powerful" motor for the original wiring so your suggestion above is a good one

Foxy
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Old 12-01-2018, 02:26 PM
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Thank you, Don

It is definitely a motor/electrics issue - I think the motor they put in may be too powerful for the cart's original wiring
Dragging brake(s) will cause the controller to satisfy the increase/current consumption need by the motor to maintain speed. Results in overheating both at the brakes and in the 36V portion, including the motor, of your drive system.

Who ever replaced the motor should be able to do a diagnosis pretty quickly.

Don
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Old 12-01-2018, 04:58 PM
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As a side note, the brakes failed on our gas Yamaha, on one of the rear wheels, the pads came loose from the brake shoes, and would occasionally get wedged between the drum and the shoes, so a noted above, have the brakes checked, been there and done that.
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Old 12-02-2018, 03:48 PM
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Dragging brake(s) will cause the controller to satisfy the increase/current consumption need by the motor to maintain speed. Results in overheating both at the brakes and in the 36V portion, including the motor, of your drive system.
Thanks, Don - good point

Will jack her up and see if all wheels spin freely
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Old 12-02-2018, 05:25 PM
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You might go to Harbor Freight and buy one of those $10 infrared temperature guns and see what the temps are of the various components in the engine bay after it gets 'too' hot.

My bet is on the controller box that modulates the power from the batteries to the motor.

Another bet is that you have corroded wires someplace and the corrosion is causing resistance that is causing the heat. A cheap first thing to do would be to disconnect all the high amp wire and clean them and re-connect them.
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Old 12-02-2018, 06:14 PM
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Loose battery connection would be the most common and due to the fact that it heats up so quick. Its not the controller for sure.
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Old 12-02-2018, 11:18 PM
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Loose battery connection would be the most common and due to the fact that it heats up so quick. Its not the controller for sure.
Didn’t mention how old batteries or cables were? I was thinking cables internally corroded?
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Old 12-03-2018, 07:33 AM
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Batteries and battery cables are new, and tight, and there is no sign of any heat amongst them after running the cart

It is whatever is in the two black, plastic boxes under where the passenger sits that gets hot. The small box nearer the front (to which the forward/reverse lever connects) gets warm, but not that hot. We had that component replaced last year as, before that, it was definitely getting hot.

The larger box to the rear is very warm to the touch, which it never used to be. I have taken the cover off and there doesn't appear to be any damage or arcing in there, but I don't recall that one getting hot previously.

The person who fitted the new motor did tell Mrs Fox that she would have "the fastest 36v in The Villages" so I think the motor is too powerful for the original electrics and draws too much current, even though she doesn't go anywhere near full speed in it.

I shall be checking for binding brakes tomorrow.
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Old 12-03-2018, 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Arctic Fox View Post
Batteries and battery cables are new, and tight, and there is no sign of any heat amongst them after running the cart

It is whatever is in the two black, plastic boxes under where the passenger sits that gets hot. The small box nearer the front (to which the forward/reverse lever connects) gets warm, but not that hot. We had that component replaced last year as, before that, it was definitely getting hot.

The larger box to the rear is very warm to the touch, which it never used to be. I have taken the cover off and there doesn't appear to be any damage or arcing in there, but I don't recall that one getting hot previously.

The person who fitted the new motor did tell Mrs Fox that she would have "the fastest 36v in The Villages" so I think the motor is too powerful for the original electrics and draws too much current, even though she doesn't go anywhere near full speed in it.

I shall be checking for binding brakes tomorrow.

Wrong motor for application.
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Old 12-04-2018, 03:25 PM
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Brakes are not binding, so we have Willy Willcoxon coming out on Monday to cast his expert eye over it
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Old 12-04-2018, 05:20 PM
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Please do get back to us about what he finds.
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hot, motor, fox, mrs, running

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