Crazy Cart 24 Volt

[Ozella Vires]

Myson has a crazy cart that he got for Christmas last year, so almost 8 months old. I believe it is version 5, but not positive. It has run great and then last week it just stopped working. Nothing happens when he hits the gas. No click, nothing. Both batteries a believe are charged. I have taken it apart and see not wire damage, and every thing is connected. I have a voltage tester, but I really have no idea of where to put the leads on to check for anything. I was thinking it might just be the control module. Any help would be great.

The first thing I would check is if the power switch light illuminates when the switch is on. If it does then the fuse in the battery pack is good, however if it does not then chances are that the fuse in the battery pack is blown and needs to be replaced.

If the power switch lights up when the switch is on then the next thing I would do is test the switch for continuity to make sure it is working. This could be done with a multimeter set to Ohms by removing the two red wires from the back of the switch and testing the switch leads for continuity where the red wires were removed from. Make sure to mark which red wire goes to which switch lead before removing them because they will need to go back onto the switch exactly where they were removed from. The same test can also be performed without a multimeter by removing the two red wires from the switch and bridging them together with a jumper wire and seeing if the cart works then.

If the fuse and power switch both test good then the next step I would take is to test the motor to make sure it is good and does not have a broken wire underneath the wire insulation. The motor can be tested by unplugging it from the controller and momentarily jumping its leads to the Crazy Cart's battery pack, or to a 12 Volt automotive battery charger (however do not use the Crazy Cart's battery charger to test the motor or it could be damaged). 1/4" push-on connectors which are available at auto parts and hardware stores can be used to make jumper wires for testing the motor.

If the fuse, power switch, and motor all test good then the problem has to be either the controller or accelerator pedal. Both of these parts could be replaced at the same time to eliminate any further testing, or the accelerator pedal could be tested to determine if it is working or not which will indicate if it or controller is faulty.

To test the accelerator pedal the first step is to unplug it from the controller and test continuity between its green and yellow wires. There is a switch in the accelerator pedal that these wires go to and if that switch fails the cart will not run. These wires should have no continuity with the accelerator pedal released, and have continuity with the accelerator pedal depressed.

If the switch in the accelerator pedal works then the next step is to test the throttle's position sensor. To perform this test plug the accelerator pedal connector back into the controller, turn the cart's power switch on, and test the throttle's red, black, and green wires as follows.

The fuse and power switch are both good. I went to check the motor, and I think that is maybe the problem. I unhooked the motor and ran a jumper wire straight to the battery, and nothing happened. I then connected the motor to a 12v automotive battery charger, and nothing happened. I assume the motor should run when I connect the wires? If nothing happens does that mean the motor is bad?

The motor is a very common part to fail on the Crazy Cart, which is why I recommend testing it early in the diagnosis process. However usually the motor itself works and only a motor wire is broken and needs to be repaired. The motor wires are subject to an extreme amount of flexing when the steering wheel is turned back and forth and one of them may eventually break underneath their flexible plastic insulation. The broken wire can often be fixed with an automotive wiring crimp connector for an easy repair. Some people choose to replace the entire wire between the motor and connector with a thicker or more flexible wire to help prevent it from breaking so soon again. However a quick repair with a crimp connector and then wrapping electrical tape around the wires to make them stiffer usually does the job.

To determine where the wire is broken the plastic covering around the wires, or on some newer models the spring around the wires, will need to be removed or pushed out of the way so the individual wires can be accessed by hand. Then the wires can be bent by hand up and down their length to determine where the broken wire is. The break in the wire will have much less resistance to bending than the good sections of the wire so it will be easy to determine exactly where it is.

I went back and checked the motor and it ran, so thats good. One thing I forgot to ask. I unhooked the two red wires to the switch to check the switch and I lost track on which one went where. Is there a way to figure out which goes where? I am now going to test the accelerator pedal and the controller. I have a volt meter, I am just not sure what to set it on while testing both of these.

You can not harm anything by connecting the red wires to the power switch in the wrong positions however if the wires are incorrectly connected to the power switch then its light may stay on continuously. If this happens then simply switch the positions of the two red wires so the light only illuminates when the power is on.

I just checked and the Razor Crazy Cart version 1-4 throttle, controller, and throttle plus controller kit have been discontinued by Razor so we will not be able to reorder them. The version 5 and up throttle, controller, and throttle plus controller kit are still available however they are sold out and on back order. I do not have any official word from Razor when they will be back in stock however I expect them to be in stock again within the next month.

Ok, I have been busy, and just now getting online. I ended up ordering a new controller and throttle. Once I hooked them both up I tested and the crazy cart worked. I started putting it all back together and tested again and NOTHING! I would wiggle some wires and push the throttle and it would work. Then let off the throttle and NOTHING. I did not move anything and it would not work. I went though, and would move each wire and sometimes I could get it to work, and then sometimes not. Each time the cart would work I would let off the throttle and then push it again, and nothing. Again these are brand now throttle and controller. I am not sure how to find out what is going on. My son really wants to ride! LOL

The copper wire breaks underneath its plastic insulation so the problem can not be noticed by looking at the wires. The motor's wires need to be individually flexed by hand, inch by inch, until a small section of the wire feels like it has less bend resistance than the rest of the wire. That area of the wire with less bend resistance is where the break is.

On newer Crazy Cart versions there is a spring over part of the motor wires and the wires can break under this spring, so the spring needs to be removed or pushed out of the way to bend test the wires underneath it.

I looked back in this forum topic and read that you tested the motor and it worked. I forgot to ask back then if you turned the steering wheel from far left to far right during the test to see if the motor cut in and out while the wheel was being turned. You might be able to tell if one of the motor wires is broken by testing the motor again and turning the wheel far left and right during the test.

If it winds up that the motor wires are not broken then the problem could be caused by another wire that is broken, a bad connector or fuse holder, or a bad wire connection to a battery. Chances are extremely high that the problem is with a motor wire though.

One more thought is that version 1 and 2 of the Crazy Cart have a safety button located underneath the steering wheel. If it has this safety button then checking it for proper operation and making sure that this button's wires are in good shape and not shorting out against each other would be a good idea.

So a little more diagnosing...I have power to the switch at 26v. I checked the charging port and have no voltage; however, the wall charger reports operational based on the instructions here: The batteries are putting out almost 26v. I have checked the connections and the only thing I am not getting power on is the blue and yellow leads from the control module to the motor. This "should" be 24v from what I understand. Any other advice or recommendations?

After dismantling almost the entire cart and checking each thing meticulously, I narrowed the issue down to the on/off switch. I ran to Radio Shack to get a new one; however, they did not have anything remotely similar. I returned home and began diagnosing the switch. I took it apart to see if it was fuzed inside. Unfortunately it was not. However, upon taking it apart, I found a small piece of paper-like cardboard between the contacts of the switch. I put it back together (backwards the first time) and it worked like a pro. So, before buying a new switch or anything, I recommend taking everything apart to check it out. This was very odd, but now have a happy carter! Thank for your assistance in diagnosis.

Power switches are a popular part in our store so it does not surprise me that the switch was causing the problem. It is interesting to hear that the issue inside of the switch was a piece of insulation paper that had come loose and wedged itself between the switch contacts. I have always just replaced switches and never thought to take one apart to see what was wrong inside of it. Gary, you will definitely get this forum's MacGyver award of the month for that!

Looks like you were right, the lines going to the motor were slightly severed at the pinch point below the steering wheel. Not enough to break the plastic, but enough to sever the thin copper wires inside. They should have put in a rubber grommet or something, the metal spring protecting the wires is basically useless. My dumb butt thought it was actually at the motor at first, so I took apart the motor. Bad idea. Now I can't get the motor back together and it ESP says the motor is on backorder. Any idea when new motors will be available?

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