Fairplay Stopped Dead

pjunct

New Member
I bought a used 07 48v Fairplay about a year agoand have been pretty happy with it till now. While driving on the cart path on the 9th hole yesterday it just stopped dead. Batteries are fully charged and all cables are clean and in good shape. I found a fuse near the controller and it is good. There is a solenoid near the controller which has what appears to be a resister attatched to the small terminals and this "resister" is getting very hot. I do not get any voltage to the motor. I had an old 36v Harley that I reconditioned and used for 5 years before this one and I was always able to repair as needed. Please help as I have not been able to find any diagnostic help online yet.
 

pjunct

New Member
I sorry I tried to edit post....But the resister is attached to the large terminals not the small ones....thanks...
 

pjunct

New Member
OK, Now I have determined this "resister" is hot at all times. Key on or off with or without accelerator pushed. So I have disconnected my batteries to keep them from draining due to this draw. arrrggg!!!
 

gornoman

Well-Known Member
I have no direct knowledge of the Fairplay carts, but that resistor is the pre-charge resistor for the speed controller. It will get hot and stay hot for quite a while, resistors do that. But, if it is still hot 3 hours after the last cart use, then something is keeping it activated, perhaps a stuck solenoid or a failed microswitch.
 

pjunct

New Member
Thanks for that bit of info. This resistor was hot after sitting overnight so something is surely wrong there and I went to reconnect battery cable and there is a large draw when I connect it. I did not check the amount with ammeter, but it is substantial.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
I haven't worked on many Fairplay carts but what you describe it could be a bad solenoid or a bad controller. Either can cause that resistor to get hot and the cart to stop moving.
 

pjunct

New Member
After talking to a guy at Alltrax (controllers) it appears I have a controller failure and he was very helpful in helping me diagnose and getting a replacement on the way. I'll be happy when it arrives and I will post results. Thanks to all who have read and pondered this with me.
 

pjunct

New Member
Controller arrived and I got it installed....... Whew ! A BIG thanks to the guys at Alltrax for all their help! Cart runs great again
 

GEMmechanic

New Member
I have only worked on one Fairplay. A local hospital bought one of these because it cost less than an EZ/GO. A six seater, 48volt, with the fancy woodgrain accent panels. They have had numerous problems with it. Cheap rubber insulation falls off the wires. I upgraded to #4 welder cable. Battery charger switch melted. Replaced with higher amp switch. Controller "acts funny." Never could figure it out. The controller was some Chinese brand I had never heard of. Figured out the wiring and replaced with an old 400 amp Curtis from a wrecked Cushman. Has worked fine since then, except this older controller does not have regen. If it says "made in China," the electrical components may not be the best quality.

Daniel
 

pjunct

New Member
My original controller was an ALLTRAX. That is why I contacted them. I replaced it with exact same one and it is still working fine. If I remember right this was a 275 amp. Seems kinda small to me ? I have not had any prblems with peeling wires or melted anything,or any other troubles!
 

dougmcp

New Member
If your not having any issues with the 275 amp controller then all should be fine.
If you are needing more power/speed/torque etc, a 400 amp upgrade and 4ga cables is a pretty normal next step.
 

zman970

New Member
I am a Fairplay dealer. I am 99 % sure your controller is cooked. Make sure you get a R10 or newer replacement controller from Alltrax. You have a R7. Key settings are: throttle set for linear and 0-5000 ohms, field map4, under voltage 26 volts and over voltage at 55 volts. the rest you can play with to fine tune the cart to your satifaction. If you need any help or parts just email me. Also for all the readers out there Fairplay has started using cutris 1268 controllers on their 2011 carts with ADC motors. They have committed themselves to quality improvments and now have started assemble in USA. They are now using an american made wiring harness, controller, motor, other electric switches, some body parts. They are up to around 64% american made. All in all for a 4 year old company they are working hard at improving the cart.
 

bigdog29609

New Member
Be careful with the motor. These have known problems with the motor over-revving and basically self-destructing which also takes the controller with it. I one sitting here right now that when the motor came apart, it locked down at over 20 mph and threw the owner through the windshield.

www.golfcartoutfitters.com
 

zman970

New Member
Alltrax R7 300 amp controller came out in 2007 Fairplay carts. Replace with a R-10 or newer stops the melt down problem inherent in the Fairplay. All 2010 and newer Fairplays are now using USA made wiring harnesses. This should stop the wiring issue.
 

bonduranth

New Member
I repair Fairplay carts on a regular basis. All that were manufactured for EXPORT had alltrax controllers. The Chinese controllers were used on carts in China. Groups like ALibaba import chinese carts in groups of 10 in containers used on ships. These wind up in the local markets where a dealer has bought 10 on the cheap. Group in Phoenix have been helpful. Only problem so far is the SCR chargers. They die and can not be repaired since the circuit boards are not available.
I use 48 volt Yamaha chargers that come with a crowfoot plug as replacements..
 
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