January calls are nearly always the same. Cart sat since October, somebody wants to move it, and it does nothing at all. No lights, no click, nothing.
Before you call me, there are four things worth checking. Any of them might save you a service call, and if none of them work you will at least be able to tell me something useful.
1. The tow/run switch
I put this first because it is the answer more often than everything else combined.
Most electric carts have a switch, usually under the seat, marked TOW and RUN. In TOW the cart is electrically dead on purpose so it can be pushed or towed without damage. A lot of carts get flipped to TOW for winter storage, including by me, because that is the correct way to store one.
If your cart is completely dead, look for that switch first. Flip it to RUN.
2. The main disconnect or fuse
Some carts have a main disconnect or a pull-out fuse near the pack. Same idea, and it may have been pulled deliberately.
3. Pack voltage at the main terminals
If you have a multimeter, read across the two main pack terminals. A 48 volt pack should read somewhere near 48 or above when healthy. If it reads a few volts, or zero, the pack is flat.
A deeply discharged pack sometimes will not accept a charge at all, because the charger looks for a minimum voltage before it will start. That is a job for me rather than something to fight with in a cold garage.
4. Look at the cables
Corroded or loose terminals are common and they are visible. White or blue crust on the posts, a cable you can turn by hand, a cable end that looks burnt. Any of those will stop a cart dead.
Do not go poking at a pack with tools if you are not comfortable. It is a lot of stored energy and a dropped wrench across two terminals makes a very bad day.
What I will ask you on the phone
- Does anything at all happen when you press the pedal? A click is very different from silence.
- Where is the tow/run switch set?
- How old are the batteries, and was the cart winterized?
- Has it been on a charger at all since fall?
Those four answers usually tell me whether I am bringing a battery tester or a controller.
The honest bit
If the cart sat all winter uncharged with an old pack, there is a fair chance the pack is finished. I will test it and tell you straight rather than selling you a repair on a cart that needs batteries.
406.270.9346. I answer my own phone.