Need help diagnosing a PSDM. I was driving and it shut off, the dash has everything lit up, all the letters and numbers are 8, it’s very dim, no way to see any codes. I did notice an electrical burning smell. When I got home I checked voltage all the way down the line from batteries to BMS to PSDM switch, the voltage goes away after the contactor, I can hear and feel the contactor relay clicking just no voltage on the cable to the controller. I think it needs a PSDM, does anyone have one? I’m in San Diego Ca. Also I have a 4 or 5 other carts I’m wondering if it would hurt if I tried the PSDM from another cart?
Thanks,
Dustin
The king of many questions enters the room and decides that today he shall not disappoint
I am a bit confused to status of this car.
It shut off while driving
Dash had everything lit up but all the numbers were dim?
Was there anything flashing?
But then you got home somehow? Were you towed home or did car wake up enough to drive again after inspecting?
(Scene changed to home)
-Then checked voltage all the way to the contactor (where it stopped). Depending on status of keySwitch, this is normal.
I did notice an electrical burning smell.
What were you doing when you noticed this? When stopped and inspecting?
If driving, this may have been the motor. It may need service.
Or motor may have been hot. You have hills in Carlsbad.
I can hear and feel the contactor relay clicking just no voltage on the cable to the controller.
The loud contactor? Or the quiet one in the PSDM?
What action are you doing to make this relay click? Key or pedal?
I think it needs a PSDM, does anyone have one?
Don’t be shopping for one just yet.
Q → Did you happen to check any fuses?
Specifically F13?
So sorry for lack of info, I wrote all this down then deleted it. 2014 e4, all of the testing is with key on, ebrake off. all 12 volt works, towed it home, this happened in a High school parking lot teaching my daughter to drive. Don’t think it’s the motor, it wasn’t hot or smelling burnt, recently serviced. The screen is on but everything is lit very dim, everything that can be on is on, every part of every number. I checked the 72 volt fuse. This is a Samsung lithium set up I got from Mike in 2021 (had it a while) nothing new added. Thanks for the help.
K- I might have even installed that battery for you.
Display-
It might have failed. It looks like it is not finishing the boot up.
Does car drive? or is dead?
How much of dash is removed? (upper/lower sections).
Are you available for a few more voltage checks?
I can check for voltage, I have installed probably 5 or 6 Samsung and another 4 mighty mites for Mike. I have the software and cables for programming but not that great with it. I noticed the burning smell while being towed home when it died. It doesn’t move, it still charges and everything else works just no voltage to the controller with key on in forward, ebrake off. When I refer to the contactor i am talking about the one mounted to the back of the PSDM. So the screen and no voltage is what I am going off, not sure what inputs to the PSDM I might be missing. I have no problem starting from step one on any diagnostic help you can offer, maybe I jumped ahead somewhere
I think you already did this, but just to make sure-
Conditions:
MainSwON, KeyON, Verify dash at least lights up with something, (nothing else matters)
Target → Motor controller
Action → Meter probes across top of controller (POS and NEG posts).
Expect → PackV (in your case ~88v)
Verify(Y/N?)
Also
Target → Main Contactor. (Same conditions as above)
Action → Probe the small 18ga Org wire connection/post on the coil (NOT the big main cables) and Ref B- on the PSDM (pass side, upper or lower)
Expect → PackV (in your case ~88v)
Verify(Y/N?)
Note: The MC will NOT be active/closed at this point. (Don’t expect it to be).
Q1 → You say MC will function/snap closed/open? What is the action you are doing to get it to go active? (pedal, handbrake?)
Q2 → When you were towed home- Was KeyON or KeyOFF?
I need to step out for a bit. back later with more(depending on your input).
Master switch on, key on, dash has lights and will dim and brighten with headlights on and off.
MSO, KO, check positive and negative on the controller, 0 volts.
MSO, KO, orange wire on contacted and B- in PSDM 80 volts.
The condition to get a clicking noise was at key on from off, what’s actually clicking is the area on the top front of the PSDM between the plugs that has the PSDM sticker on it
what’s actually clicking is the area on the top front of the PSDM between the plugs that has the PSDM sticker on it
There ya go. That makes more sense. It is the key relay inside the PSDM.
The other voltage checks tell me there is a problem possibly at the controller plug. Having 80v at the MC says pre-charge is coming out of the PSDM same orange wire is going over to the controller.
Check the spoof you installed on Pin1 going to the 23p main harness connector on the controller. Depending on the generation oof spoof, this may be difficult or easy. If you need to disconnect the 23p and probe the pin directly, don’t use your meter probe itself (it stretches the spring/wipers in the connector). Use a pin, stick it in the socket, and probe the pin.
Follow?
Expect 80v at that pin1
Verify(Y/N?)
On the orange wire at the contactor I am actually at 82 volts not 80, the orange pin 1 on the connector at the controller is at 77 volts.
Ok. This tells me there is a problem with Pin1 not making a good contact
Has this been an issue before? Inspect the plug(pin1) and make sure it is fully seated in the connector.
The controller may be having issues.
Do you have another controller you can swap in to check?
No I have not had any issue with the connector before, I will inspect it tonight. I do have another controller I can swap in but I fear something happening to that one, any chance of that you think?
it’s a 2014. What should the voltage reading be?
That is probably a t5 controller.
The reading is fine on the pin, but it is not pre-charging the caps. (you would see it on the POS/NEG posts).
This could be a loose pin (not making contact when plugged in), or the pre-charge resistor has burned up.
There could be something more serious going on with the logic board in the controller too. I’m bothered by the display acting different than the normal no controller visible warning. (normally there would be some flashing).
Try swapping controllers. (if you have another T5)
Alt- put this controller into another known working car.
Alt2- bench test this controller and see if you can talk to it with your programmer/laptop/cable.
The connection at the controller looks good, no pushed out pins. I’m headed to my cart storage today to grab the controller out of a 2014 E6, anything else I should grab off it for testing while I’m there?
if you have not gone out/back yet-
Depending on the donor car state of disassembly, you could also grab that display. It’s a bit of work getting to it tho.
Review the tools and bits involved to get to it.
Ok, finally able to get back to working on these. I brought the E6 (donor car) home so I have all the parts here. I took the controller from my cart E4 and put it in the E6, I immediately got a code 51 and it will not move so I’m assuming this is my problem, now to figure out what caused this problem. I put the controller from the E6 into the E4 hoping it didn’t blow, I have b+ voltage at the controller and the cart wants to move now but feels like something in my motor is locking up and the display is still very dim and gets dimmer when you turn on the headlights, unable to read anything. The motor is an advanced motor I had serviced about 50 miles ago, maybe something was done wrong? I havent switched displays yet, wanted to get an opinion so far. Not sure if a code 51 is serviceable without replacement and the best way to go about checking the motor for I’m assuming a short to ground. Thank you!
