HotRodCarts
Cartaholic
That's my fault the diagram is for a Curtis 1244. I tried to make the image larger and easier to read and made a typo.
Star Classic with Curtis Controller Code 3-4 Missing Contactor
- Thread starter jablake53
- Start date
I say that the wiring has not been modified. However, I don't know what they actually did during the 2 months that it was at the Star dealer. But I un-taped the harness and checked the splice and it looks factory. Also the 24 pin connector does not look like it has been worked on. I unpinned terminal 17 to run a new wire to the contactor just to appease a friend that suggested that maybe there was a problem that I couldn't see. but then put it back to original configuration.
When I picked up the cart from my daughter's house I had no golf cart repair knowledge and with no manual and no wiring diagram it seemed overwhelming, but I just kept figuring out the wiring and the systems one by one. It has a type 3 throttle (0-5k Ω). the replacement controller which appears to be new old stock was set to type 1 (5k-0 Ω) and caused a throttle error code along with the missing contactor code. That was easily corrected with the programmer but the missing contactor code never goes away. I keep thinking that there's not that much to it, it shouldn't be this hard. I work on Honda's and Acura's and our saying is "It's never the computer" (of course once every two to three years it is the computer). So I tried to eliminate everything else before sending it off for repair. Then when I got it back and it was the same, I said I knew that it's never the computer. This was followed by double and triple checking everything I had already tested and I decided that they had not actually fixed anything so I sent it off again. Again they told me everything tested good. So I started replacing things that I was sure were good (like the contactor and the wire to pin 17, a perfectly good one foot long copper wire with a good Molex pin on one side and good female spade terminal on the other.) Finally I decided to buy a different controller. Seeing that computer also blink code 3-4 was crushing. But as my friend says "if it was built by man, it can be fixed by man". I wish I knew what signal it is getting that makes it think the contactor is missing.
All changes I have made to the Parameters has resulted in no change to code 3-4
Main Check was set to On so I changed it to Off
Main Cont Intr was set to off so I changed it to on
Weld Check was set to On and I changed it to Off
Precharge is set to On and setting it to Off causes the contactor to click on and off one time when the key is turned on. However, the code 3-4 is still present and it sometimes causes a low battery voltage code to show up in history but not present code. Clear All clears the low voltage code but not the missing contactor code.
Main Check was set to On so I changed it to Off
Main Cont Intr was set to off so I changed it to on
Weld Check was set to On and I changed it to Off
Precharge is set to On and setting it to Off causes the contactor to click on and off one time when the key is turned on. However, the code 3-4 is still present and it sometimes causes a low battery voltage code to show up in history but not present code. Clear All clears the low voltage code but not the missing contactor code.
Yes, the Monitor screen shows 48 volts and the Forward and Reverse inputs show Off but toggle to On when the switch is toggled to each setting. The throttle reads 0% and goes to 100% when the pedal is pushed to the floor. At idle the interlock input is off and just off idle it is on. The Power fuse and the control fuse are both good and the Polarity Protection Diode is operational, it allows 48 volts to pass to the key switch which in turn supplies 48 volts to the controller key switch input, coil return input, one side of the contactor, the interlock switch and the Forward/Reverse switch.
If I manually ground the contactor I get a blinking Code 3-2 "Main Contactor Welded" and in the scanner it shows Contactor Missing and Contactor Welded in both Present Errors as well as History.
I think you can see why I sent the controller off for repair twice and purchased another controller because I didn't believe the controller rebuilder.
I don't know what contactor was on it originally. The golf cart repair shop had it for two months and this contactor looks pretty new but they didn't charge for a contactor and said they thought it was the controller or wiring harness. My son-in-law was so irate that they may have left a new contactor on there or it may be the one that was on it when it was taken in. I can't find a repair manual and the owner's manual just says "Check that the solenoid is in order by checking its touching point". When I google Star Classic 4 +2 contactor, I find a listing of the same exact contactor on ebay. Maybe not the most reliable source but all I can find. Star EV Classic 2,4,6 (+2); Sport 2+2, 4+2 48V 4Kw Curtis Solenoid OEM 2SO040 | eBay
If you can help arrange to send it to the Curtis factory I'll give it a try because at this point I don't know what else to do. Also, if I include a detailed list of test measurements, contactor number, etc. and the controller is good, maybe they can tell me what I'm doing wrong.
Zman
Cartaholic
The fact the controller sees a 3-4 or a 3-2 tells me it is working , i still think something is being missed in your diagnostics. Have you ohm checked your B+ to M- cables to motor? F1 to F2 wires to motor, You may have a bad or stuck brush inside motor, or you have a broken wire / connection to motor field, 24 pin connector is nice and clean inside?