Problem Solving
The following Trouble Shooting Q) and A) is meant as a general guide to problems that may be experienced. For more specific information please refer to the contact page on this web site to request further assistance.
Most power related problems are due to either the battery charger not charging the battery or the battery failing. Please check the following before contacting MiCaddy for assistance.
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If possible test the battery with a voltmeter for a voltage reading. A fully charged battery should be in excess of 13V. After 18 holes it should be in the region of 12.3V. Anything less than 12V. will probably create an intermittent power problems. If the voltage reading is low the charger should be checked as follows.
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Connect the charger to a power point and switch it on. The light on the charger should remain on, if it does not the charger is not working. If the light remains on connect the battery to the charger and see if the light blinks or changes color (depending on the type of charger you have) when connected to indicate that it is charging. If this does not happen the charger is not working and therefore the battery will be in no condition to be used. A normal car battery charger can be used to recharge it by connecting the clips to the poles on the battery. Remember that the red clip always goes to the positive (red) battery terminal.
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If the battery is fully charged it could be that the battery may need replacing. A battery that can be fully recharged but is losing power is generally gets tired toward the end of 18 holes and then getting progressively worse over the next few rounds. If a voltage reading at the end of the round is less than 12V. it is a fair indication that the battery does need replacing. To confirm this it should be load tested using a computer program which is a service offered by MiCaddy and some other suppliers who sell batteries. If these points are checked and the problem persists please contact MiCaddy for assistance on 08 62625293 or rex@micaddy.com.au
Q.
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My buggy stops after a few holes and I have to push it for a while before it will go again.
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A.
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Probably caused by either 1) a poor connection that becomes hot and will not work again until it has had time to cool down or 2) a faulty PCB (Controller board) that allows the heat protection to activate too early. Most likely to be the automotive type connector that connects the motor to the power source which has been found to be faulty in some instances. The terminals have not been fitted correctly at the time of production which can result in these symptoms. This can be overcome by eliminating the connector completely and joining the wires by the use of a standard electrical joiner, available from hardware stores, that secure the wires with screws.
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Q.
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Lately my buggy has been struggling to complete 18 holes and now it seems to be getting worse.
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A.
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Without a doubt the battery needs replacing, a battery capacity test would confirm this. This test will determine the true state of the battery rather than just the batteries ability to reach a fully charged state. Ensure that you replace it with a genuine deep cycle battery for a longer life than a cranking type battery as commonly supplied with cheaper buggies. It is important that the battery is recharged after each use to ensure that it is kept in a fully recharged state to prevent sulphation which will reduce the battery life.
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Q.
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Sometimes my buggy will not start but when it does it performs ok.
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A.
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When starting after turning the red switch on the speed control dial must be turned completely anti-clock wise to the off position. If it is turned up it may not start, or may take some time to start moving.
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Q.
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How do I know if the charger is working?
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A.
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The green light on the charger will flash when it is charging. When the battery is fully charged it will remain on in float mode. Note: The charger should be plugged into the mains power and switched on before connecting to the battery.
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Q.
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My buggy now turns to one side all of the time, what could be causing this?
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A.
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Either one of the wheels are not locked onto the clutch or it has a broken axle.
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Q.
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My battery is fully charged but the buggy will not start when it is connected.
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A.
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Make certain that the speed dial is turned completely anti clockwise to the off position before turning the red power switch on, it should then be turned partially up to start the buggy moving. The first time the dial is used after turning the power on there will be a delay of a few seconds to power the control board, thereafter it will react immediately. It could possibly a fault with either the red or black connectors. It could also be a blown fuse which is located in the battery harness. When connected, listen for a "click" sound from the control box (contact points) when the speed dial is turned up. If a "click" can be heard it indicates that power is getting through the controls to this box so it will be a problem between the control box and the motor. Probably either a poor contact in the connector (attached to the rear of the bar that supports the battery cradle) on the lead to the motor or a faulty motor.
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Q.
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My buggy works very well generally however at times when climbing quite steep sections of the course such as around some greens the motor will stop. I can turn the speed control back and it starts again. Why is that?
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A.
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The controller has a built in circuit breaker that cuts power to prevent damage to the motor when it senses the load is becoming too much. To avoid this simply assist the buggy slightly under heavy conditions such as this.
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Q.
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When I unfold the arm which I hold to steer the buggy, it normally clicks into place - but now doesn't as the spring mechanism seems to have collapsed.The long bolt at the point which allows the arm to fold had lost the nut so I bought another screw, exactly the same, fixed it, and found that the spring had become ineffective.
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A.
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The pin that you replaced anchors the spring so when it became dislodged it released the spring . To fix this first remove the pin again. You then need a wire with a small hook on the end to reach down through the end of the mainframe section (need to remove the cap in the end) to pull the spring back far enough to reinsert the bolt again.
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Q.
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At times the buggy just decides to "take off" and can only be stopped by turning the red power switch off.
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A.
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Either
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The PCB needs to be replaced. This is a simple operation as it is connected by plug in terminals, instructions are supplied with the replacement unit. or
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the cable between the control in the handle section and the PCB has chaffed through where it enters the frame either side of the top hinge.
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Q.
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Why does the buggy take a few seconds before it starts after turning the red switch on and yet responds immediately after this?
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A.
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When the red switch is turned on it will take a few seconds to begin the initial start up. Thereafter it will respond immediately unless the red switch is turned off. This is while the unit powers up. When starting after turning the red switch on the speed control dial must be turned completely anti-clock wise to the off position.The dial should always be used in a similar manner to the accelerator of a car. Start gently rather than accelerating hard to start. In fact the speed control should be used so that, like an accelerator, it is positioned to give the required available power and not turned completely up unless there is a response to it.
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Q.
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I have broken an axle. What is the reason for this.
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A.
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The most common reason for axles breaking is due to miss-aligned bearings that the axle passes through. This causes the axle to flex and can eventually cause it to break at the hole where the pin secures the drive to the axle. The other reason can be turning sharply under power while loaded which tends to stress the axle at the point where the gear drive is secured to the axle. Later model MiCaddy buggies are fitted with stainless steel axles which rarely give trouble.
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Q.
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My buggy tends to stop after I have played a few holes and will not start again until I have pushed it for a few minutes. It then performs ok for a while before stopping again.
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A.
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This sounds like there is a poor connection in the power line which creates heat and stops the power to the motor. It will start again after the connection has cooled down. I suggest that you check the connection to the motor, this is an automotive type connection located behind the bar that the battery case is located on. Most likely to be the automotive type connector that connects the motor to the power source which has been found to be faulty in some instances as the terminals have not been fitted correctly at the time of production which can result in these symptoms. This can be overcome by eliminating the connector completely and joining the wires by the use of a standard electrical joiner that secures the wires with screws and is available from hardware stores,.
Another point to check is the terminals within the red and black connections that plug into the battery harness. If you contact me I will tell you how to remove these terminals for inspection.
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Haven't found any answers?
For more specific information please contact me on 08 6262 5293, and we can work through the problem together.