Lithium Conversion Trouble “Help Me” 2008E6

GEM Forum
1

Hello everyone,

I just picked up a 2008 Gem Car E6. I bought it from the marketplace and the description said the batteries died on them and want to get rid of it.

I immediately purchase a 72V lithium battery from Amazon and just finished “installing it”

I don’t have much knowledge but about a year ago swapped my club car 48v from lead acid to lithium and it was fairly easy. Red+ to red terminal on battery. Black- from controller to negative terminal on battery.

I have connected everything to the gem car but I’m getting nothing. No dash light up, no sound, no movement.

Second row compartment had 3 gel batteries. A red cable labeled B3+ and a black cable labeled pack- (and around it were two thin cables I’m assuming go connected with it)

Third row had 6 batteries. A red cable labeled pack+ and a cable labeled fuse.

I assumed the pack cables were the main ones and connected pack+ to red positive terminal on lithium and pack- (along with two thin cables) to negative terminal on lithium .

Capped off b3+ and fuse cable.

And this is where I’m at . Nothing works obviously . Any help is appreciated. Thank you guys

2

Hey Cassie, welcome to the group.

The tough part about acquiring a non working car is that you might have more issues beyond a dead battery. Your car may be dead for another reason.

It sounds like you hooked up the battery correctly, (using the Pack + and Pack - ). Some people miss the center row of batteries in 9) 8v config.

So you need to grab your handheld digital volt meter (DVM) and find out where your power is getting held up. (hopefully you DO have a meter?)

Depending on what battery you installed, is it even turned on?
Some of these aftermarket batteries have a power switch (shipped in OFF state) that must be poked at before they spit out the power.

Next place to look for PackV will be up at the PSDM. That is the electrical panel in the center of the dash.

Being new to the Gem Car world, you may not be aware of the Main Disconnect Switch. Verify that it is ON.

Verify (Y/N?)

PSDM disconnect
PSDM disconnect1065×1005 63.8 KB

Verify (Y/N?)

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If you have power coming out of your battery, AND you have the Disconnect to ON, then you should have PackV across the two Batt Connections on the front of the PSDM (marked Batt + and Batt - )

Verify (Y/N?)

Report back with what you find and for further instructions.

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I also have a separate concern about your amazon battery that should be addressed.

I immediately purchase a 72V lithium battery from Amazon and just finished “installing it”

What exactly did you buy? Quite a few have made the mistake of buying a battery not suited for Gem car use.

It is most likely not the base of your issue, but 90% of the batteries on Azon are not properly designed for use in a Gem car. The cheap deals may seem an easy grab, but they simply do not provide the power a Gem demands. Your car (being an e6) is even more of power hungry monster.

Depending on what you installed, the battery should light up the car (anything over 80v should at least light up the car), and probably even get it to roll down the block once or twice if you don’t press the pedal down too hard. I’m guessing performance will not be very impressive, range will be short and for sure will not show you what the car can really do.