Hello all and TIA for any help or advice.
I bought a 2000 E825 2 seater from a gal and she claimed it only needed new batteries as it had been sitting in her garage for the last two years not being used.
I put new lead acid batteries in the cart, they charged from the on board charger without issue but I had no power to the cart. I called ride-4-fun and they explained that my dc-dc converter must be bad. So I ordered a new one. It arrived and I put it in the cart and still had no luck with getting the cart to move or power up.
So here is what I have going as of now. I have good voltage from the batteries to the cart. I have all of my 12v accessories working, such as horn, headlights etc.. but no gauge cluster, fwd/rev or pedal. The cart has the black fin dc-dc converter ( the part I replaced from ride-4-fun that I found out I didn’t need to as my old one still works) a T2 controller and the Schott charger ( I know it is junk and is on the top of the list to replace as well, but it’s working as of now). Stock motor.
I have ohm’d and check nearly everything on the cart and have power where I should and as much as I should. I’ve tested the key switch and it works, I tried the charger interlock over ride jumper, I’ve tested the fuse panel, converter and about everything else I can think of, but I still have no gauge or drive power. It was suggested to me that the 4 wire 12v relay may be bad by a gentlemen I met on facebook through one of the GEM groups that has been quite helpful. That part shows up tomorrow and I hope helps, but it seems that I have power on either side of the relay as well.
I see in here that there have been similar issues with other GEM owners, however a solution has not been posted that I can find, so I would gladly take any recommendations or advice as I am stumped at this moment.
I’m positive I have forgot something that I have tried, so feel free to ask any questions that may help diagnose my issue. (Yes the master switch is on 
)
Thank you.
Be careful of those that like to sell you parts without doing real diagnostics. As you found out, they are simply guessing.
Shotgunning parts at these things until it works can get expensive. At least you might end up with a bunch of spare parts you can use on your next cart.
The first thing you should look for is the power-up sign of life.
From cold boot, (car fully powered down for 60/more seconds)
MainBattSwitch to ON → Watch the dash display.
The dash display should light up for 5 seconds, show a couple of insignificant numbers, then go dark.
Verify it does this(Y/N?)
This is the controller warming up, Pre-charging the caps, then going into stand-by.
Return with your results and further instructions.
While I was waiting for this post to be approved, I kept reading in the forums. I found a post that suggested jumping the grey and white wire across the relay and that would confirm if the relay was bad. Sure enough that was the issue. At least at first glance. I have only had a chance to move the cart about 10 feet forward and back. When I get off work I plan to take it out of my shop and go for a legit test drive. But I am all but certain that relay was the cause of my issue.
Ah, You found the value of the archives.
Yep- they are like gold for the new guys that wander in here and having issues. Chances are that someone else has had that same problem.
Ya for sure. Unfortunately, even though I dug for quite awhile looking, it wasn’t until after I made a post that I found the info buried in another conversation. The main post I found that related to my issue specifically, never posted a solution. Just happy to have some life in my GEM car now.
Tip if you live on a hill, do your testing going up.
Otherwise, until you are really sure all the bugs are worked out, do small laps. Only go as far as you want to push it back.
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So the new relay showed up and I’m back to having the same issue. The car will run in limp mode showing -90 when I bypass the relay. But with the relay in, my gauge and drive have no power and still won’t function.
There appears to be multiple issues going on here.
Is this the first time the -90 showed up? That might means your temp sensor is unplugged.
If the stock motor has been changed, It might not have a temp sensor. If no sensor, the wires in the harness plug needs to be jumped together and the -90 should clear. Look down near the motor for a two wire connector(temp sensor) bundled with the 3 wire connector (speed sensor).
Key Relay
It sounds like you jumped the wires and stopped there since you had success, but you did not actually go back and test the relay for operation.
You know what the white and gray wires do.
The Black is ChassGnd. This wire goes down to a screw fastened to frame. There will be a few other wires there too. Make sure this is clean and tight.
The Green is +12v switched from Key. This same wire also powers the Timer relay that switches the 12v accessory circuit. I believe you said the accessories work?(headlights, brake lights, turn signals, etc)
Correct. The relay is brand new, just installed today. My understanding is that because I jumped the grey and white wire together, that is why I got the -90 as it eliminates the need for the key switch at all.
Could the timer relay be my issue?
@JarJarJava
You have a solution, but it is not really a fix.
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/pout
You big meanie. Jar Jar sad. I’m going to go throw myself at a floor covered with lego blocks and end it all.
… and the coroner’s report shall read "suicide by impalement on a 650 piece lego kit. But the good news. I picked one of those pips out of him that my kids had been asking for. A good day at the office. "
Yes and no.
connecting the grey and white simply substitutes the duties of the key switch and the interlock loop. It is the midpoint in a binary search where everything on side B is OK(sorta), so you need to focus your attention to side A.
Check the green wire to see if it has +12v switched from the key(ref ChassGnd). I suspect it does.
Then check the black wire to make sure it is connected to ChassGnd.
Follow?
The code -90 is a separate issue not related to the key switch issue. Go look for a Motor temp sensor. It is unplugged.
2000 - 2004 (some 2005s too) aka “short GE motors” dont have temperature sensors.
T2 controllers don’t have a -90 code iirc.
Also, for 2000, stock controller was a T1, not a T2. T2 came along with the 5 hp short GE in 2002. It could have been upgraded latern though.
Yo, fickle-dickle, the T1 and T2 controllers will have a long part number on a sticker that is on the mounting rail / foot. Last 2 characters are the “short” model number we toss around here like dwarves. What is that number? If you guess right, you get to toss @AssyRequired for distance.
The motor should have 4 orange heavy gauge wires that go to the controller with lug connectors. Then a triangular deutch commector with 3 wires right at the back. That’s the speed rpm sensor magnet pickup. Are there any other wire plugs on it?
That’s definately a short GE motor. The 3 and 5 hp had the same shells.
The FSIP tag explains the T2.
Just checked, there is no 90 code in the GE T2 manual.
For you to be seeing anything beyond 77 means that FSIP blasted who knows what firmware on to that controller.
Assuming duplo is right about the origin of the 90 code, and he’s not often wrong, although the temptation to make an extra $50 by taking off the football helmet when he gets tossed sometimes messes with his memory. Check and reseat all of the plugs from the motor to wiring harness to the controller.
Or just burn it.
Thanks. I’m hoping to test the above suggestions and then go through the wiring thoroughly this weekend. I’m just stumped as to why nothing is showing on the gauge if the relay is good. But then again idk jack about these carts and I know even less about anything electric.
Well, ain’t that a fickle coincidence…
What is supposed to happen
Turn key-> supplies the green wire with +12v → this drives the relay coil → makes the relay close contacts → this connects the white and grey wires together.
Are the wires pushed on the relay in the correct spots?
What you know:
The output circuit is good → verified by hooking the two contact wires (white and grey) together.
The relay assumed good → It should faint click when power applied to the coil. (key word here assumed at this point because it is new). Where did the new relay come from? Is it the correct relay? Aww man!!!. Uncle Owen. This R2 unit has a bad motivator. ← Just checking to see if anyone was still reading.
This means what is driving the coil circuit sounds like is not good. → A check with a meter will show you which wire to focus on. Instructions provided above. Waiting on results. JJ walking barefoot on bits of my kin.
