[charlie49]

My Club Car DS died today. The batteries are fairly new, a couple of times the same thing happened, but, pumping the accelerator with the key off would make it go again. I do hear the solenoid click but the cart will not go. I checked and tightened all battery connections to no avail.

Any suggestions out there?

Thanks,
Charlie

[donmarchand]

solenoid click does not mean that the battery is charged. There are a few things to check:

Is your battery charger really working? best way to check that is to borrow a neighbors' - otherwise you can take it to your dealer and have them check it.

Is the water in batteries up to snuff? Check the water.

Check the terminals on your batteries -specifically the connections. If you have any corrosion on them (any at all) take and clean them (you can use baking soda diluted in water). Make sure when you pour over terminals do it in the street.

That's all I can think of at the moment - hope you get your problem fixed.

Don

[charlie49]

Thanks for your input. The batteries are fine, the cart was running fine, lots of power and speed and then died as though someone had turned off the key.
Charlie

[donmarchand]

Well, Charlie, sounds like a loose wire to me - but tracing it will be a problem - much of the wiring is hidden.

Suspect you'll have to call a cart company - usually $40 to 50 - Ken Spanos or Golf Cart Connection are quite reliable.

[Ooper]

On my way to the golf course a few years ago, my Club Car just quit like somebody turned the key off. As it turned out, one of the crimped connectors linking the batteries had a stress fracture and finally broke.

[Ceafolks]

I think you've just convinced me to buy a gas cart.

[charlie49]

While trying to check the solenoid, I noticed a nut was loose and a corroded washer fell off in my hands. A red wire fell off also, that repaired my reverse buzzer which had been failing. Another blue wire fell apart from its connector, that wire made the cart go again. Someone had never tightened that nut and the bad connection caused problems. The cart had initially gone through batteries while under warranty. I suspect this problem may have caused batteries to fail prematurely. Thanks to all for the help. We have a gas and electric cart, we both prefer driving the gas cart,

Charlie

[champion6]

Thanks for the complete story, Charlie.

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by charlie49

While trying to check the solenoid, I noticed a nut was loose and a corroded washer fell off in my hands. A red wire fell off also, that repaired my reverse buzzer which had been failing. Another blue wire fell apart from its connector, that wire made the cart go again. Someone had never tightened that nut and the bad connection caused problems. The cart had initially gone through batteries while under warranty. I suspect this problem may have caused batteries to fail prematurely. Thanks to all for the help. We have a gas and electric cart, we both prefer driving the gas cart,

Charlie

Hmmm, I certainly see some advantages to a gas cart, especially with range issues, but I would think from a driving perspective an electric would win (quieter, no fumes). Can you elaborate on why you both prefer driving the gas cart - or is it just the extra range that you have with the gas?

[charlie49]

Our first cart was electric for reasons you cited, fumes, noise and some people said our garage would smell. Later, we found that as a driver, it is very rare to smell fumes from your own cart and our garage does not smell. It is important to drive them correctly, at a red light the engine should be allowed to stop. I know of two separate renters who kept the engine running while stopped at a light and complained about fumes. The noise is minimal when driving at cruising speed, although they do make some noise while accelerating.

'Battery anxiety' is a term we have coined. It occurs when your batteries are a couple of years old and on a cool day you play eighteen holes at one of the more distant courses and your charge meter is in the red as you approach home on the return trip. It may also occur when you played 18 in the morning and you are considering a long trip after the cart has been on the charger for two hours. The 'go where ever you want' feeling far out weighs the noise of a gas cart.

Charlie

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by charlie49

'Battery anxiety' is a term we have coined.

Charlie

WOW - that is the perfect term to describe my feelings about electric. I have "Battery Anxiety" about anything battery operated - flashlights, golf carts, laptops to name a few.
I would worry myself into an early grave if I had an electric cart - even though the consequences of running out of juice are really only an inconvenience in the grander scheme of things, I'd still fret, fret, fret. I like knowing I can go 250 miles between fill-ups without any concerns.
Thanks - it's a great term.