Golf Cart Headlight Help

[thinkxingu]

Greetings, All!
One of my golf cart's lights are no longer working. I checked the bulbs, which are fine, and the fuse on the positive lead is not blown. It's a 48V Ezgo, which I believe has a voltage reducer, but I've hit my knowledge limit.
I've got on order an LED replacement kit on order that I could replace the whole system with, but is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot simply?

Thanks!

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[TheTimeTraveler]

Just be sure to limit that night driving until you get it fixed, lol.

[John Mercier]

If it is a break in the wire... the LED shouldn't work either; unless it is a complete new wiring kit.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

If it is a break in the wire... the LED shouldn't work either; unless it is a complete new wiring kit.

Yeah, I bought a completely new kit to start from scratch.

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[Poor Richard]

Check for voltage at the light sockets

Also check voltage is making to and passing through the light switch

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Poor Richard

Check for voltage at the light sockets

Also check voltage is making to and passing through the light switch

Given the bulbs I removed from the broken cart worked when put into another cart, it would mean that I already know there's no voltage at the light socket, right?

That being the case, there's also no power coming from the switch?

If those are true, I should check the voltage coming into the switch and, if there is none, what would be next?

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[8gv]

Just keep checking for voltage farther back until you find the mouse with a belly full of wire insulation.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by 8gv

Just keep checking for voltage farther back until you find the mouse with a belly full of wire insulation.

Hahahaha! That's kinda what I wish happened...so it'd be clear why they aren't working!

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[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Given the bulbs I removed from the broken cart worked when put into another cart, it would mean that I already know there's no voltage at the light socket, right?

That being the case, there's also no power coming from the switch?

If those are true, I should check the voltage coming into the switch and, if there is none, what would be next?

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If the wire runs from the battery to the switch with nothing in between.
Since the battery is putting out juice... that wire would have a break in it that you are not detecting and needs to be replaced.
If it is hard to replace the whole length, you could locate the break with a voltage pen and splice at that point... but probably not worth it rather than new wire.

[Slickcraft]

Often it is a ground connection. Check continuity from the battery negative to the bulb socket.


Alan

[The Real BigGuy]

If it is a 12 volt lighting system, and only one light is not working, it sounds like a wiring issue after the switch. I would guess, as someone else mentioned that you have a short in the wire, broken wire, or bad connection between the switch (I assume only one switch working all lights so it is most likely good) and the light. Is there a “gang” plug in the harness (similar to a boat trailer connector), a bus bar, or some other type of splitter after the switch? If so check, the continuity of the light wire between that splitter and the light using a meter.

Additionally, if the bulb worked in another socket it may be a bad socket. That’s why you should put a meter on the socket.

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[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

If it is a 12 volt lighting system, and only one light is not working, it sounds like a wiring issue after the switch. I would guess, as someone else mentioned that you have a short in the wire, broken wire, or bad connection between the switch (I assume only one switch working all lights so it is most likely good) and the light. Is there a “gang” plug in the harness (similar to a boat trailer connector), a bus bar, or some other type of splitter after the switch? If so check, the continuity of the light wire between that splitter and the light using a meter.

Additionally, if the bulb worked in another socket it may be a bad socket. That’s why you should put a meter on the socket.

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The OP in his first post said it was a 48V system.

Dave

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

If it is a 12 volt lighting system, and only one light is not working, it sounds like a wiring issue after the switch. I would guess, as someone else mentioned that you have a short in the wire, broken wire, or bad connection between the switch (I assume only one switch working all lights so it is most likely good) and the light. Is there a “gang” plug in the harness (similar to a boat trailer connector), a bus bar, or some other type of splitter after the switch? If so check, the continuity of the light wire between that splitter and the light using a meter.

Additionally, if the bulb worked in another socket it may be a bad socket. That’s why you should put a meter on the socket.

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None of the lights are working, and both bulbs I pulled worked, so it's a whole system issue, which I'm guessing is the ground/power, pull switch, or voltage reducer issue?

Can someone tell me, simply, how to test the negative for continuity? I did check the positive and negative leads and both looked like they were making good contact.

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[Descant]

When you say you "Looked at" the negative, is that a "look see" or actual test with a multi-meter or a test light? Can you just bypass the switch, and the lights will work?

[DPatnaude]

A 12v test light and a volt meter with continuity mode would help make this much easier.

Volt Meter

Test Light

[John Mercier]

I assumed he was using a test light probe. Now I know not to assume.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by DPatnaude

A 12v test light and a volt meter with continuity mode would help make this much easier.

Volt Meter

Test Light

I have a volt meter but not a test light. Can I do what I need to with just that, or should I grab a test light?

And if using a test light, what do I clip the lead to and what do I poke the end into?

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[John Mercier]

Should be able to with the meter.
Check for continuity across the wire.

Not sure what meter you are using, but the continuity setting generally looks like sound waves coming from a speaker...

Disconnect the wire if possible, and probe both ends.
Most meters will beep if the wire is good.

[DPatnaude]

The test light is just a simple power test. Clip on to any ground source (battery negative terminal) and then touch the probe to a positive source and the light will come on if you have power.

Touching the probe to the positive of the light socket would light up if you had power beyond the switch.

The probe can also pierce the insulation on the wire to determine if current is flowing.

In the 80's, I worked five summers at Shep Browns and only needed a test light for the majority of electrical problems.

[The Real BigGuy]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

The OP in his first post said it was a 48V system.

Dave

With a “reducer” which I assume is a transformer to make it a 12 volt system.

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[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Should be able to with the meter.

Check for continuity across the wire.

Not sure what meter you are using, but the continuity setting generally looks like sound waves coming from a speaker...

Disconnect the wire if possible, and probe both ends.

Most meters will beep if the wire is good.

Ok, so I would connect one lead of the volt meter to the end of the cable that attaches to the battery and the other to the connection before the switch and after to figure out if it's the switch? And I can do that with both the positive and negative leads?

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[DPatnaude]

Continuity would test each run of wire or electrical connector. Touch a probe to each end of the wire and a tone will sound if the wire is connected from one end to the other. No tone, the wire is broken somewhere between the two points that you tested. The multi-meter is trying to complete the circuit with that wire.

You can test each leg of the switch for continuity too. With the switch in the on position, you should get tone across the terminals if the switch is good.

Test any fuses and fuse panels in the same way.

[Descant]

There are several lesson videos on Youtube if you query "How to test for continuity"

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by DPatnaude

Continuity would test each run of wire or electrical connector. Touch a probe to each end of the wire and a tone will sound if the wire is connected from one end to the other. No tone, the wire is broken somewhere between the two points that you tested. The multi-meter is trying to complete the circuit with that wire.

You can test each leg of the switch for continuity too. With the switch in the on position, you should get tone across the terminals if the switch is good.

Test any fuses and fuse panels in the same way.

Makes perfect sense—thank you kindly!

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