First, I am thankful for finding this forum recently. I have been encouraged by some of you to try to figure out my issues and have at least found some common things happening. I would appreciate any advice, even that which will make me cringe…
I have a 2007 Flybo, bought January 2014 as my first totally electric vehicle, which is fun to drive when it works but definitely frustrating since I cannot depend on it. Here are the issues as well as I understand them:
- Gauges do not work on dash (dash lights come on but not MPH, ‘Tach’ (the one that tells me how much amps/volts (?) I am using at that moment) or either of the two digital gauges (thinks one tells me my battery status)…Who works on that type of item?
- It has 9 eight volt batteries, two of them unattainable except to test the voltage - probably can get to them if I take the car somewhere where there is a lift. All batteries return between 8.1 and 8.7 on the meter.
- The charger is a HWC4 - 7225A 72 volt that I hook up to my 110 circuit. It always tripped the breaker until I upgraded that breaker to 30 Amp. When I turn it on it starts a digital reading of 02.2 or less and over the next hour or so will rise to just over 41.0 before gradually declining to less than 02.0 before gradually rising again. Over the weekend I ran it for two sessions of over 8 hours each and it just kept doing that over and over. The electric cord and circuit wire never got warm to the touch, stayed cool.
- I can take the vehicle onto the streets and go about a mile and a half before it just turns off. Sometimes before it does some kind of fan stars up that is located under the dash (definitely not the charger fan which is in the back). The fan will eventually turn off, either before or after the vehicle decides to shut down. If I wait a couple of minutes, the vehicle will suddenly be willing to go again, maybe a few hundred yards before it shuts off again. I went through that five times to get home from a 3 mile drive this past weekend.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated…
Just figured out I did not place this post asking for help in the right place but I am not sure where to place this…do not see where to place a general question…not too many Flybos out there
1 I would suspect batteries. How old are they?
2 You might have a short that is draining the batteries.
- The fan coming on and the reason it dies after a time may be excessive load on the controller. Are the brakes dragging - does the cart roll free - are the tires hard?
4 You may need professional help
5 see #1
Thanks for the comments and advice. I was told the controller was replaced 1 1/2 years ago…looks pretty new…batteries on the other hand look pretty old; wouldn’t be surprised if they were original. I will see if I can find anyone willing to work on it around Portland, OR; no NEV specific specialists that I can find and most Golf Cart shops seem to only work on ones associated with their brand. I wonder if I should just go ahead and replace the batteries…pretty big expense but I suspect as you do those are going to have to be changed anyway and may cure most of the other issues. Regarding brakes, I can push the car; it feels like it rolls free and when the motor turns off if glides before coming to a stop. If anything I think my brakes need tightening somehow…have to push down pretty far to engage and they never feel like I can ‘stop on a dime’. Thanks again
hi Charles… in Denver I found a auto garage who has done all the work on my GEM car… it took a little looking to find them… so far they have about rebuilt the car maybe not that far but they look at it as a car not a golf cart… also the Flybo was like the Wheego Whip… I think… look for a Wheego dealer in your area
Dave la Tarte’s Great Lakes Auto Sales was a dealer at one time… they might have some info laying around… I Googled Flybo images to find this info… they may be gone
Great Lakes Auto Sales Address
Great Lakes Auto Sales
2205 N Michigan Ave
Saginaw, MI 48602 - 5641
(989) 755-7950
Bob
Every bit of information helps - I will follow up each of your ideas Bob - Thanks!