1998 Freedom down

[preceptguy]

Hi and thanks to all for the forum and sharing your expertise,

I have a 98 EZGO Freedom that I believe is a TXT - F/W switch below seat, no run/tow switch on controller.

The motor was replaced 1.5-2 years ago and upgraded to a Raptor. The controller was also upgraded to handle the larger motor around the same time. I just replaced all batteries 2 weeks ago and cart has been running fine (and fast).

I did notice in the last few months that the cart would sometimes "lurch" a little on initial depression of the accelerator pedal, but that was very infrequent. It also had an issue "engaging" when I put it in reverse about a week ago and it took several times moving the switch back and forth before it kicked in.

Yesterday, in the middle of the 18th fairway, it made the lurch as I went to go, then nothing.
The "beeper" sounds when put in reverse, and the solenoid clicks when pedal depressed in both forward and reverse. Batteries when fatality occured were still showing 90% charge.
Can find no loose connections and cart was running great for 2 weeks after battery install.

Any ideas appreciated and am not a genius with a multitester so may need very detailed instructions for that.

 

[dougmcp]

Sounds like a bad connection or cable. I would pull on all the battery cables to make sure they are OK and then remove and clean all of them including the ones to the F-N-R switch.

 

[preceptguy]

Thank you -

I started checking the cables and found a small wire on the F/R board that looked like it was touching one of the nuts and arcing - also had one cable break off at the connector end where is attached to the board. In trying to get the nut off to add a terminal end and reconnect, the nut was rusted and I twisted off the copper bolt. Looks like a new F/R assembly now. I will replace and seee if that does it, but have to travel this week and may not get to it right away.

This forum is great - thanks again.

 

[dougmcp]

Individual parts are available for the F-N-R switch like buss bars, contacts and the board itself.
Check with the sponsors at the top and bottom of the page. If you don't see the parts on line, call them, they will have what you need.
Good luck.

 

[preceptguy]

Okay, finally got the time and the parts - replaced the whole FNR board mechanism complete and upgraded to heavy duty to match up to the Raptor and higher amp controller. Installed the unit and now have nothing registering on my battery charge indicator and don't even get the buzzer when put into reverse. Charger is charging and I have headlights.
Went to the auto parts store to replace the cable that end broke off of, and didn't take the old cable with me - assumed it was the same gauge as the batterry cables. This cable went from the FNR to the motor. Will putting a larger gauge cable make a difference?

And any ideas why I may have nothing now? Gauge and buzzer worked before the new FNR board. Thanks in advance.

 

[HotRodCarts]

The larger cable won't hurt anything as long as it's a good cable with good ends on it. You may have a blown reed switch. It's located in the charger receptacle on the cart. There' info in the EZGO resource forum on testing/bypassing the reed switch.

 

[preceptguy]

would that cause - no reverse buzzer, no light on the battery gauge and still no movement in either forward or reverse?

 

[HotRodCarts]

Yes. If the reed switch is bad the cart will be dead except for the accessories like lights etc that are wired directly to the batteries.

 

[preceptguy]

I appreciate the responses.

Okay I am not the brightest bulb in the marquis - looked in the resources section about bypassing the reed switch and found the pic - although I m still a little unclear because there are several wires that are white and red.

I have a white and red wire that connect at what looks like a tiny fuse at the end that fits in a hole in the housing exactly as in the picture. The white wire then connects to the red wire that leads to the FNR. Is the reed switch the little fuse-like thing that connects the two thinnest wires? And am I splicing those two wires to in effect eliminate that fuse?

Sorry to sound so dumb, but I have already invested a lot in my dad's cart and don't want to risk frying the controller.

Also, I tried to include the picture that i photoshopped with arrows, but can't figure out how to upload a pic into the post

 

[HotRodCarts]

The part you see outside of the carts charger receptacle is just a plug connector. You can unplug that connector and run a jumper from the longer wire on that connection to positive on the same battery post the white wire from charger receptacle connects to.

 

[preceptguy]

OK, cool - I did the bypass (thanks for the layman's explanation) and VOILA! I have battery meter and reverse beeper and the cart goes - but only in reverse.....

I am assuming that when I replaced the FNR mechanism, I did not get the lever mechanism back in the right place. So, I'll mess with that tomorrow with better light and room to test direction.

Thanks again for all the patient help, if you guys need golf ball technical info, I'm your guy.....

 

[dougmcp]

Good job and well done!

 

[HotRodCarts]

You can leave the reed switch bypassed and it won't hurt anything but the cart will run with the charger plugged in.

Glad you got it fixed and thanks for the follow up...

 

[preceptguy]

One last follow-up. Got the FNR lever adjusted and I am good to go - both directions.
Thanks for the time you guys take to help with all the problems.

 

[HotRodCarts]