I just purchased a 2005 GEM ES that did not have any batteries and was missing the DC to DC converter and did not have the QuiQ charger installed. I installed a good DC to DC converter and the battery charger, as well as six 12 volt Trojan batteries. The LCD display showed full charge. I drove the cart about 20 miles and the gage went down as I drove the cart. At the end of the ride it showed a little less than half capacity. Everything worked correctly and the cart performed great.
After fully charging the batteries, the percent charge meter never changed on the display even though the voltage measured around 78volts at the distribution panel and the QuiQ charger successfully completed its charge cycle. (The meter should read fully charged).
When I drive the cart the % charge continues to drop from the last reading even though the batteries have been fully recharged.
Does anyone have an idea of what I need to do to get the display to read the correct charge status? Have I mis-wired something?
OK. I am 100% certain that the batteries are fully charged. I checked each individual battery with my 12 volt battery charger and they all read 13.1 volts each and 100% capacity.
Total voltage going to the distribution block 78.6V.
Yes- but it is important where your red and black charger wires are attached to in the grid.
Your SOC battery meter reads by keeping track of power coming and going through a shunt. It sees power being drawn out when you drive and deducts it from the bar graph. If your charger adds power in the wrong place the SOC meter never sees it going back in.
Red is most likely going to B+ on the controller or on the PSDM lug marked B+(I think). Black should be going to B- on the controller or the lower lug (-72v) on the PSDM. NOT on the Bat-.
Now that your pack is charged and hopefully some charge wires rerouted, you will need to reset the SOC Meter. (manually tell it the batts are full).
It involves a couple of button presses, a few wiggles of the blinker stick, a few more button presses, and sometimes a dead chicken swinging around on a string.
SOC Reset 2009
Turn the key on.
Push and release the TRIP/ODOMETER switch until it’s showing the
odometer.
While holding the switch down, turn the RIGHT signal on, then the LEFT
signal, then return the blinker to the center.
Release the TRIP/ODOMETER switch. You should be seeing data (P0105) on
the display now.
Turn the RIGHT signal on, then off repeatedly until the display reads:
SOC (State Of Charge).
Push and release the TRIP/ODOMETER switch. Now it’s remaining capacity in
percent.
You can now raise (or lower, for that matter) the SOC with the blinker
switch.
When you’re happy, Push and release the TRIP/ODOMETER switch. The display
reads: DONE.
Turn the key off.
(Chicken not really needed. Go put it back in the fridge before your wife notices dinner is missing)
You don’t have the right Delta Q . charger. Delta Q builds a GEM specific model that has circuitry to make the SOC function work. The generic 912 7200 Delta Q’s don’t have this. Model # 912-7200-01 is for 2005
I speak from experience. I ended up with the right one from Dave Bissen (INWO)
@Old_Houseboater
Yeah, I was hoping one of you would chime in on this. I heard you mention it before, but I don’t understand it. (This is something I still need to study up on).
I was going on the assumption this was the same charger that came on his 2005, but was just unhooked by the PO for some reason.
After I moved the wires it started reading full charge, and then showed that the batteries were decreasing as I drove it around town. Plugged it back ups dn watched it increase.
any charger will work with the meter. but it must be run threw the meter. 100’s of people use use the R4F super charger and the quick charger. iIf wired to the correct place the Gem charge meter will work correctly. The factory chargers have no commination logic in them, they are the same as any other charger.
Hey @AssyRequired - bumping this thread up and hopefully getting your eyes on it! I’m in a very similar boat (GEM?) as OP @Up-N-Over :
Just purchased a 2005 GEM ES from Facebook Marketplace in ATX for neighborhood cruising, grocery shopping, giving the kids rides around the lower speed streets ect. The seller was given the GEM from a friend who’s mother had left it in storage for a decade. It’s in mostly great shape and has 6x gel batteries that appear to be working perfectly. He did buy a new controller, the standard QuiQ controller. Here’s where things get funky:
On my first day I used the GEM until the battery went down to about 2x green bars and then plugged it in for the first time overnight. This is where my situation is exactly verbatim as @Up-N-Over ‘s”
After fully charging the batteries, the percent charge meter never changed on the display even though the voltage measured around 78volts at the distribution panel and the QuiQ charger successfully completed its charge cycle. (The meter should read fully charged).
When I drive the cart the % charge continues to drop from the last reading even though the batteries have been fully recharged.
Batteries are charged, reading around 12.8/13.1 on every battery. QuiQ charges shows complete charge, green. But the SOC display reads exactly as low as it was before I charged them.
I opened up the panel to take a look at the PSDM and how the battery might be connected but was having trouble understanding the wires and what was going where. Are you able to take a look at these photos and see if anything seems amiss?
On the plus side, I did the SOC reset once I had it fully charged and that works for now… but I’d love to not have to do it on every full charge! Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
K, looks good so far. I think I see the Charger Neg wire in the proper place.
When charger is active, does the dash change to charge mode?
(Speed should disappear, a little yellow plug should appear and the battery bars will sequence) ← This would be the interlock going active. It keeps you from driving away with the cord still plugged in. It is also the second thing that needs to happen for the SOC to reset.
When charger is active, does the dash change to charge mode?
No - I don’t get the yellow plug icon or any activity on the display at all. The QuiQ charger shows active current and the correct progression of lights but the steering display showing nothing. Oddly, it does occasionally give me a -16 error code when it’s been plugged in for awhile which according to the manual is “High voltage on battery pack “. This happens intermittently when I turn the cart on while it’s plugged in.
The occasional -16 is normal. The charger throws a high charge in every now and then in an attempt to balance out the pack.
No interlock?(car will drive when plugged in?) → Locate the green wire.
Track down the output cable coming out of the charger. It will have 4 wires breaking out of a molded cable: A Red (going to B+), Black (going to B-), White (also going to B-), and Green (this is your interlock). Is the Green wire free floating (not connected)?
The Green interlock wire should be going to another green wire coming from your car harness. Specifically → PSDM J1 Pin J. This green wire is usually free floating and not bundled with any other wire. Chances are this wire is attached to a B+ source right now.
If a charger fails (or it is replaced by an aftermarket charger), it is common practice by the anxious to run/test the car to bypass the interlock. This is done by hooking the car side green wire to B+ to and run the car without the charger. (or test it for operation).
So long story short - that green female wire you wanted me to investigate (I’ll refer to as A) is connected to “B” - a male red wire that looks to go to a big black B- on rear of PSDM. That Red “B” wire has a label on it that says “Remove Wire to Enable Interlock”.
I also found the green Interlock wire you told me about coming out of the charger cable w 4x wires - that is currently free floating and has a female end. I’m going to call that “C”.
Finally, there is also a random free-floating red wire with female end with blue tape coming from under the hood. I’ll call that “D”.
Things I tried:
1. I disconnected A and B and tried turning on the cart but it didn’t work.
2. I tried connecting A (green) and C(interlock green) but they are both female so that didn’t work.
3. I stupidly connected B and D, heard a spark when I turned on power and quickly turned off power. Smelled a little smoke, reconnected the original wires and everything seemed to work. Vowed to never try to guess which wires connect again without guidance.
Other things I haven’t disclosed:
• Brakes are barely working. Coasting to a stop. Seller tells me he thinks I need a new brake master controller. A friend is going to take a look at them w me and “bleed the lines” to start diagnosing.
• Rear turn signal and brake lights are not working. Rear (brake?) lights turn on when headlights are on.
• Parking brake is not doing much, or preventing cart from going forward or reverse.
that green female wire you wanted me to investigate (I’ll refer to as A) is connected to “B” - a male red wire that looks to go to a big black B- on rear of PSDM.
That is where you need to be very careful. That is NOT a B- connection (pay no attention to the boot being black). It looks like that (B) wire is going to the top of the the Main relay. There is only B+ up there.
That inerlock wire needs to have B+ feed.
If you don’t have a meter yet, you should probably get one. Simply guessing will get you into trouble.
Check the feed on the green wire (C). it should have B+ when the charger is unplugged (use B- for reference).
If yes, then-
Remove that red wire (B) (currently jumped to the interlock wire (A) and attach the green charger wire (C) to the green wire (A). Crimp a new connector on either of the ends.
Finally, there is also a random free-floating red wire with female end with blue tape coming from under the hood. I’ll call that “D”.
I’m not sure what this wire if for. Leave it alone for now.
A pop and wisp of smoke is not good.
I disconnected A and B and tried turning on the cart but it didn’t work.
Perfect. That is normal. If you looked at the display, it was probably showing you the yellow plug.
I tried connecting A (green) and C(interlock green) but they are both female so that didn’t work.
One of the ends needs to be changed.
Other things I haven’t disclosed:
One thing at a time. Start your own thread on these other issues to not muddy up this old topic.
Alright - going to go out and get some connectors and then do this after multimeter testing. Two questions:
A. What kind of power should I be looking for coming from wire C “B+”? 72?
B. Is it ok that A and C are different gauged wires with C being slightly thicker? I was going to get a male connector for A to go into C.
One thing at a time. Start your own thread on these other issues to not muddy up this old topic.
Yes! I definitely plan to. I was mainly throwing these other issues out in case it relates or effects anything we’ve been talking about here. Thanks again for all your guidance and patience with a GEM-Newb!
