Chase Beddingfield
New Member
Greeting Cartaholics! I'm a newbie here and pretty much new to golf carts as well. I need some help on a golf cart project. I just bought a "fixer-upper" Cushman 36v electric. I want to get it working properly so my kids can drive it over to grandmas house (and heaven knows where else). I paid $50 for this thing and it seems most everything was here except batteries. Man they don't give those away......geez. Anyway, I've been messing with this thing and I've would up at a few dead ends. I've also spent some time on vintagegolfcartparts.com, but still need help. I put 6 new 6V batteries on this thing and wired them according to all the resources I've seen. I'm getting 37.47V across the battery bank in a no-load state. Someone put a new solenoid on this thing and I did some some further research to get that and the buzzer wired properly. I also had to replace some copper bars on the accelerator plate (forgive my ignorance of proper nomenclature), and put a new key switch on it. I kicked the thing on and holy smokes it actually runs. But then come the weird things that I don't understand:
1) I have tried my best to determine the model and vintage, but I'm stumped.
But my tag doesn't seem to have the proper info. My tag or "nameplate" (which is located where the literature says it should be) says "Cushman" and "881409". As best I can tell. It's somewhat damaged and difficult to read, but there definitely aren't any other numbers. I have looked repeatedly where the literature says to find the serial number (2 different places on the cart) but there is nothing. I even got my brightest light, cleaned the surfaces well, and then went so far as to wire wheel the paint off. Nothing. I can say that everything on this cart looks identical to the photos (for electric models) on the website at the link I posted above. So honestly I can't tell you guys what this thing is, but it appears it maybe in the range of 1964-1975
2) the cart still tries to "go" when the accelerator is not being pushed. It appears to me that it (the pedal and associated linkage) is returning to the fully retracted position, but I see there is still a contactor in that position and current is still being applied to the motor. Now I would have thought no pedal would mean no power applied. This thing wants to go (albeit not much) any time the key is on, the FWD/REV knob is engaged in either FWD or REV, and the brake is not being pressed. I'd really like to find out if this is normal or if it means there's a problem...doesn't seem logical to me.
3) I wired everything according to this diagram (which yes, I had to guess was the right diagram)
I did verify that this thing has a circuit breaker, and my cart's components match this diagram perfectly with no additions or deletions. So the thing runs, but as I mentioned earlier, it wants to go all the time and lastly, the buzzer, which the literature calls a "brake buzzer" activates any time the brake is pressed. (Provided the key is on). Likewise, the buzzer activates if my butt isn't on the seat and depressing a little lever under the seat (which I also don't really know the purpose of). Now I've seen carts with reverse buzzers, but never one that buzzes anytime you press the brake.
So I know that was long-winded but that's my story and I'm hoping you all might shed some light on my issues. Thanks in advance. -Chase
1) I have tried my best to determine the model and vintage, but I'm stumped.
But my tag doesn't seem to have the proper info. My tag or "nameplate" (which is located where the literature says it should be) says "Cushman" and "881409". As best I can tell. It's somewhat damaged and difficult to read, but there definitely aren't any other numbers. I have looked repeatedly where the literature says to find the serial number (2 different places on the cart) but there is nothing. I even got my brightest light, cleaned the surfaces well, and then went so far as to wire wheel the paint off. Nothing. I can say that everything on this cart looks identical to the photos (for electric models) on the website at the link I posted above. So honestly I can't tell you guys what this thing is, but it appears it maybe in the range of 1964-1975
2) the cart still tries to "go" when the accelerator is not being pushed. It appears to me that it (the pedal and associated linkage) is returning to the fully retracted position, but I see there is still a contactor in that position and current is still being applied to the motor. Now I would have thought no pedal would mean no power applied. This thing wants to go (albeit not much) any time the key is on, the FWD/REV knob is engaged in either FWD or REV, and the brake is not being pressed. I'd really like to find out if this is normal or if it means there's a problem...doesn't seem logical to me.
3) I wired everything according to this diagram (which yes, I had to guess was the right diagram)
I did verify that this thing has a circuit breaker, and my cart's components match this diagram perfectly with no additions or deletions. So the thing runs, but as I mentioned earlier, it wants to go all the time and lastly, the buzzer, which the literature calls a "brake buzzer" activates any time the brake is pressed. (Provided the key is on). Likewise, the buzzer activates if my butt isn't on the seat and depressing a little lever under the seat (which I also don't really know the purpose of). Now I've seen carts with reverse buzzers, but never one that buzzes anytime you press the brake.
So I know that was long-winded but that's my story and I'm hoping you all might shed some light on my issues. Thanks in advance. -Chase