No problem. I’ll step you through a few things to check.
I assume you checked those two fuses on that PWB?
I’m looking over a wiring diagram for the early cars. The lack of 12v is a concern but I don’t think it would keep the controller and display from booting up when Key ON.
What we can check is for a Key On signal coming back to the controller from the PWB.
I’ll step you through that.
I did check the 2 fuses on the PWB, it was a visual - didn’t look blown, Is there other way I should check?
Let me know what you would like to check, I may have an hour or so before my wife has me running errands. Then after 3 or 4 pm pst I can check some more things for you.
If anyone is curious and still following (and future thread viewers), I took Rokitman to PM and off list for more detailed diagnostics.
This issue really looks like it is pointing to a defect in the PWB.
Noteworthy Observations
More details later.
With this news, RMan will hit up his local dealers again and see if he can talk them into scrounging up an update kit. If not, we may have to run this up the chain as RedDevil suggested in the other thread.
As an alternate, I’m thinking it might be worth having him take the board out and get a better look at it. This might be as simple as a bad/cold/corroded solder joint on the board.
@JarJarJava - What does your PWB update look like on your cart that you are parting out? I seem to remember yours is a potted box version? Obviously, (by the pics posted) RMan has a T2 open PWB.
I always default to bad PWB if it is a 2002 - They can cause so many odd readings/behaviors.
Everything here is great info but it seems to always end up being the PWB in these years of cars.
Thanks for all the work @AssyRequired
I have the final (correct) DC-DC. It’s the sealed black aluminum box with the heat sink fins
I wouldn’t offer it for sale if it was one of the recalled ones.
First 2 photos in this thread it is clearly visible
Ah- Ok. I could have sworn it was you. You have the Surepower DC Converter that is driven by a handful of other components offered in the “Recall/Conversion Kit”.
I remember (very recently) seeing someone had a third type that had a potted 16x1 pin header in the end of a silver aluminum box. It looked like the car harness plugged right into it. I think it was like a interim PWB version 3 fix before going to your version.
I probably have a copy of the kit contents somewhere. Remind me what document they were in if you know . I think it is was the recall instructions or was there a 2nd document?
Found what I was thinking about.
This was from dougl and the pothole incident.
This car was a 2002. The recall was performed by Polaris and local shop CartMart. They insist this vehicle has already had the recall installed.
In dougl’s recent issue the PWB was not the failed component.
Thanks AssyRequired for all your help yesterday. I was excited to see a little bit of life back in the car that has been dead for 5 weeks. Having a few mini crisis’s today that need addressed, but hope to get back to the car again tomorrow. I may try to call local dealer again on the PWB recall to see if they will help. Earlier, they wouldn’t do anything on vehicles prior to 2007. Also asked them to see if they could order recall kit so maybe myself or someone else could install but didn’t get very far. Going to put some pressure on them to get something moving.
Just wondering where in Las Vegas you are/// I have a 2005 GEM G825 flatbed truck that I know nothing about except it works. I am in Sun City Anthem & hoping if I do have any issues, I can reach out. You might be a newbie but I am not all that mechanical : )
Hi mermar, I’m in Sun City Summerlin, but all I know about the GEM is what I’m finding out as I try to troubleshoot this thing. AssyRequired is really the expert and I’d run everything past him first. But from what I’ve found out so far, there is only 1 GEM dealer and they won’t touch anything older than 2007, today they told me nothing older than 2014 with new owners. I hope to find someone in the area that works on the old GEMs in case I need some major work. Still troubleshooting with AssyRequired, but thinking my pwb (board) is bad.
Here’s what the PWB looks like after removal. Dealer won’t perform recall or obtain replacement parts.
Dammmnnn… I can smell the burnt components and fiberglass from here…
Just for shits and giggles, did you ever run your VIN through NTSB’s recall database? If so, what came up?
I haven’t looked at the circuit diagrams for the 00-04 years in a while, but I think ? Maybe? That if you swap all your lighting for LED, I think you might be able to run the 12V side of vehicle with one of the larger sealed lead acid batteries like what goes into alarm systems or computer UPS batteries. Just have to hook up extra wiring to the charge plug for a second charger. You could even drop a small auto or motorcycle AGM in the trunk box with it’s own charger.
Paging @AssyRequired … can you sanity check that idea in the above paragraph for me?
Apologies Rokit, Didn’t mean to ignore you yesterday. I was busied out all day and used all of my available CPU cycles.
run the 12V side of vehicle with one of the larger sealed lead acid batteries
@JarJarJava I actually know a guy that is doing that on his car except it is a later model.
and Yes- He did look his car up on the NTSB recall database and His car was listed as needing it done but his two local dealers are refusing to do it. This is the frustrating part.
I’m open to options. I’d like to get the car running again - so either try to find a recall kit I can install myself or if there is a way to easily rig up an alternate method (ie battery) to make things run.
jrjava - I have 2 recalls on my VIN - one for PWB board replacement to the sealed unit and the 2nd is for the parking brake.
AssyRequired - no problem - I know you are busy and appreciate all you’ve done so far in troubleshooting and all you will continue to do while I try to get things running. 
That’s just the microswitch that senses if the brake is set or not. It’s like a $4 part at Mosler or Digi-Key, or free-50 if you just jumper the right two leads together, then the car is happy all the time. I drove mine around with the microswitch jumped out for 2-3 years, it didn’t care.
I may jump the wires like you if I have any trouble with the switch. There are 3 wires (top, middle, bottom), which 2 need to be connected to bypass the switch?
Actually on our cart the parking brake recall, in addition to a new switch, also included a beefier metal support piece and other parts under the seat.
But what if one switch was wired incorrectly? So one would possibly be jumping the wrong wires together. Might work, might not. Might also cause an earth shattering kaboom.
Wire colors at switch:
Yellow/Green
White/Green
Green
Disconnect all wires from the switch.
Jumper White/Green to Green
Cap/tape off Yellow/Green and leave disconnected.
