No "Clink" from starter

Hello all,

I have a flybo and it was working great until one day…

no “clink” sound when I turn the key and no light up on the display panel. The clink sound usually tells you the power is on and you are ready to go.

Most NEVs I test drove had the same “ignition”, so I’m hoping you guys/gals know what I’m talking about.

Any ideas on what the culprit might be?

The batteries were wearing fairly low when this happened.

Is this a broken “ignition” , a fuse, or something to do with the controller?

Anyone have a similar experience? Or can anyone point me to a board here where this issue has already been discussed?

Thanks in advance.

-MM

What is a “flybo”?

It’s a NEV. 120 Volts. They were made in china. They look like smart cars. Mine is a 2008.

Hope that helps. If you google image search “flybo electric car” you’ll see what they look like.

welcome M M tell us more of the Flybo… think it was a forerunner to the Wheego Whip… is it 6v or 12v… have you checked the voltage of your batteries GEM car needs all the batteries to have about the same voltage… if we have a battery that is low the car won’t run

Bob

It is 12 volt.

Thanks. I will check the batteries to see if that is the issue.

Do your GEM cars fail to register all readings on the dash if one of the batteries is low? It’s not just that mine isn’t running, it’s that it isn’t doing anything. It doesn’t even display voltage or error messages or anything. Normally when you turn the key to engage the “ignition” you know you are connecting the power to the controller because you hear this “clink” sound. (and the dash suddenly gives you readings). I’ve never driven a GEM, but when I drove ZAP and Zenn cars, it seems they both had similar “ignitions”. Does the GEM car make that sound, and light up the dash when you turn the ignition?

Thanks. MM

I haven’t had a problem like that and am just the driver of my GEM car… I have a BattSix monitor that tells me what my pack is doing… so far (2 years of ownership) when I turn the key the car goes… know others here will weigh in… GEMmechanic is a great source of information…

Bob

Thanks Bob.

Did you ever resolve this problem? I think I may experiencing the same problem in my GEM car. Everything was working one night and the next day their is no “clink” or dash information as well.

probably GEMmechanic can tell more but **I think the clink is the sound the converter makes when it is asked for power… **I’m only a driver

Bob

Nebraska, Please describe the trouble you are having with the main relay not closing.

Hey GEMechanic! Well I put my new Trojan scs225s in last Friday night. Turned on Master switch and “beep beep beep” the E brake alarm went off. I put on the e brake, turned the key on and everything worked! I jacked the car up and tested forward and reverse. All good.
That same night I hooked up a wiring harness for a radio and a batt six pack monitor. Tested them against they key switch and they would shut off when the key did. All tested good! Everything was working great so I took out the radio (unplugged from harness) and turned off the master switch.
(All while I was turning the car on and off and such I heard the loud “clicking” of the contactor)

Fast forward to the very next day. I turn on the master switch and NOTHING. No “click” no power when I turn the key, no beeping when I take off the e brake, NOTHING! :eek:

All batteries checked over 12.6 (if I remember correctly)
I even plugged in the on board charger and charged the pack back to a green light. Checked the pack and it was at full charge.

The car still has no power indication to anything. I unhooked the batt six and radio harness after the recharge and still nothing.

Everything was going perfect the night of install. Then nothing the next day!!:confused:

Recheck all of the battery cables. Check the main fuse under the dash. Check the smaller fuses on the DC convertor. Check that your charger interlock is not stuck on. On another note,if this is an old GEM, have a look at the gear oil in the transaxle. They are usually dirty and need changing.

Daniel

Daniel

[quote=GEMmechanic;20538]Recheck all of the battery cables. Check the main fuse under the dash. Check the smaller fuses on the DC convertor. Check that your charger interlock is not stuck on. On another note,if this is an old GEM, have a look at the gear oil in the transaxle. They are usually dirty and need changing.

Daniel

Daniel[/quote]

Thanks Daniel! I have a couple quick questions.

I forgot to mention that when I first turn the master key on, They display shows 79 the 00000 and then goes blank. That’s when it goes lifeless.

All cables are clean (new), tight and checked. Fuses are all good.

Could the trans oil cause it to not have power? (that might be a dumb question)

Im sure it needs changed and I noticed when I first tested it on jacks one wheel (left) would turn sporadic while the other was constant.

I am unfamiliar with the charger interlock. How does a guy check that?

Ok I found on another thread where you said to check continuity between the red and green terminal on the charger. I DO have continuity between the red and green charger as the car sits (UNPLUGGED)

Ok just checked my cart it a 99 gem 72volt with the zivan charger I have continuity between the two leads on the charger interlock multi Meter on 2000k it reads 5.8 I do not have continuity on the green and red wires going in the harness key on or off

The oil is unrelated. Is the 79 displayed as -79 ? If so, that is an error code I have not seen before. When the batteries and fuses are good, but nothing else works, that is a sign of a bad DC convertor.

Daniel

I forgot to mention that when I first turn the master key on, They display shows 79 the 00000 and then goes blank. That’s when it goes lifeless.

All cables are clean (new), tight and checked. Fuses are all good.

Could the trans oil cause it to not have power? (that might be a dumb question)

Im sure it needs changed and I noticed when I first tested it on jacks one wheel (left) would turn sporadic while the other was constant.[/QUOTE]

The oil is unrelated. Is the 79 displayed as -79 ? If so, that is an error code I have not seen before. When the batteries and fuses are good, but nothing else works, that is a sign of a bad DC convertor.

Daniel

[quote=Nebraska;20549]Thanks Daniel! I have a couple quick questions.

I forgot to mention that when I first turn the master key on, They display shows 79 the 00000 and then goes blank. That’s when it goes lifeless.

All cables are clean (new), tight and checked. Fuses are all good.

Could the trans oil cause it to not have power? (that might be a dumb question)

Im sure it needs changed and I noticed when I first tested it on jacks one wheel (left) would turn sporadic while the other was constant.[/quote]

You should have continuity across the contacts of the charger with the car unplugged. You should have no continuity with the car plugged in. The GEM uses the NC (normally closed) contacts of the AUX1 relay. These are marked on top of the charger. When the GEM is unplugged, the relay should be closed, which completes the 72 volt circuit to the key switch. When plugged in and power is present, the relay opens to prevent driving away with the cord still plugged in. The Zivan NG1 manual can be downloaded from their website which explains how the relay works. The red and green wires at the charger can also be connected together with a jumper for test purposes.

Daniel

[quote=GEMmechanic;20559]The oil is unrelated. Is the 79 displayed as -79 ? If so, that is an error code I have not seen before. When the batteries and fuses are good, but nothing else works, that is a sign of a bad DC convertor.

Daniel[/quote]

You my friend are correct!! Just got the car back and Polaris replaced the DC board, brake handle, and added splash guards all on Polaris’s dime!! Thanks for the help!