Steering fix for Rechargemower G2 - battery electric riding mower

[logistiker]

I've come up with a fix for steering problems related to the Rechargemower G2. I have had two different model numbers of this mower that exhibit the same problems with steering. If you push down on the steering column and turn all the way in one direction (all the way left seems to be the worst) and then try to turn back in the other direction, the steering will make a clicking sound, the wheel will spin freely and the wheels will not turn. After some trial and error, I determined that the problem was that the two gears were not lining up properly because there is too much give between the shaft and the tie rod assembly. The fix essentially consists of inserting 3 washers under the nut of the shaft rod but it requires removing a bunch of parts to get to it. I am attaching some pictures to show the process.

1. Unscrewed tie rods
2. Removed steering assembly nuts
3. Removed battery indicator wire (Noted where the wires plug in on the battery level indicator before removing them)
4. Removed cover, steering wheel and steering wheel assembly
5. Removed plastic cap on steering wheel assembly and noted the gap between the nut and the gear
6. Noted the shaft gear out of alignment when moving the shaft up and down
7. Noted the shaft compressed before the fix
8. Noted the shaft extended before the fix
9. Found three spare washers to put under the nut.
10. Reinstalled the nut with the washers underneath.
11. Got a closeup of the fix with the washers.
12. Noted new extended shaft length.
13. Noted new compressed shaft length.
14. Reinserted plastic cap and reinstalled all parts.

 

[KennyV]

Great pictures & fix...
That electric rider has a Far better steering system than the average mower... Nice Rack & Pinion ...
I really like electric riders. (But not quite as much as I like Diesel powered)... :smile:KennyV

 

[EngineMan]

Yes I think that post should be kept up somewhere safe and not be deleted (for ref) good photo's:thumbsup:

 

[logistiker]

Thanks for the comments. It was my intention to provide an authoritative fix for this problem since I've seen reviews on amazon mentioning problems with the steering. Hopefully it will be tagged and not deleted.

KennyV - It's funny that you mention that it has better turning than other mowers because I often wondered if it was worse than others before taking it apart to examine it. With the fix, it is now really solid and doesn't slip at all which makes me think it's not so bad after all.

 

[juliej]

I so appreciate seeing any information about the Recharge ride on. I own a G1, first generation and am coming up with some problems and don't know how to address them since I essentially am ignorant in the mechanics of mowers of any kind. I was hoping to avoid extensive repair problems with the electric mower since I've been very satisfied with other electric products that I have had that have last more than 20 years without needing attention. Powered by Solar inc. essentially does not give customer support, not having responded in a helpful way to questions on how to fix variation issues that have come up. Now my batteries are not holding a charge and the mower is bucking or jerking when I engage the start handle. I don't know how to interpret this, whether the bucking is related to the weak battery or whether it is a mechanical issue and how do I go about problem solving this when the company will no offer any advice? Since the battery replacement is $400, I'm afraid to go ahead and order them in case the other problem might get worse or is not fixable. Even with the battery replacement, there are no directions on how to remove the old batteries and replace with the new. I've asked the company, suggested that they put up videos, but it is an uphill challenge that is frustrating and time costuming. Clearly I will need to educate myself, but your post here is the first I have seen with some direction and photos. I've read many a post on Amazon with people having all sorts of mechanical problems, parts replacement problems and their mowers are sitting idle. I'm hoping the Recharge ride on mower owners can manage to pool their information some how and help one another out. If you have any idea what the 'bucking' problem might be on my mower, I would appreciate any guidance. I've decided to try to recover the batteries before buying new ones. They should have lasted longer. I got less than 100 charges out of the claim of 250-300 charges in the advertisement and the literature. Then again, the Recharge information on battery care is so minimal. There is much more to know about how to maximize the life on the lead acid batteries. Thanks for any help or advice that is out there.

 

[logistiker]

I so appreciate seeing any information about the Recharge ride on. I own a G1, first generation and am coming up with some problems aend don't know how to address them since I essentially am ignorant in the mechanics of mowers of any kind. I was hoping to avoid extensive repair problems with the electric mower since I've been very satisfied with other electric products that I have had that have last more than 20 years without needing attention. Powered by Solar inc. essentially does not give customer support, not having responded in a helpful way to questions on how to fix variation issues that have come up. Now my batteries are not holding a charge and the mower is bucking or jerking when I engage the start handle. I don't know how to interpret this, whether the bucking is related to the weak battery or whether it is a mechanical issue and how do I go about problem solving this when the company will no offer any advice? Since the battery replacement is $400, I'm afraid to go ahead and order them in case the other problem might get worse or is not fixable. Even with the battery replacement, there are no directions on how to remove the old batteries and replace with the new. I've asked the company, suggested that they put up videos, but it is an uphill challenge that is frustrating and time costuming. Clearly I will need to educate myself, but your post here is the first I have seen with some direction and photos. I've read many a post on Amazon with people having all sorts of mechanical problems, parts replacement problems and their mowers are sitting idle. I'm hoping the Recharge ride on mower owners can manage to pool their information some how and help one another out. If you have any idea what the 'bucking' problem might be on my mower, I would appreciate any guidance. I've decided to try to recover the batteries before buying new ones. They should have lasted longer. I got less than 100 charges out of the claim of 250-300 charges in the advertisement and the literature. Then again, the Recharge information on battery care is so minimal. There is much more to know about how to maximize the life on the lead acid batteries. Thanks for any help or advice that is out there.

Since you said your batteries aren't holding a charge, you might want to replace them anyway. I don't think you can really fault Recharge Mower for how long deep cycle SLA batteries last. I keep my mower in an insulated garage so the temperature is relatively temperate which might help with how long the batteries last. Only time will tell if that's the case. I've looked at the typical amount of time deep cycle SLA batteries last and you can generally expect 5-7 years depending on usage and environment. I think the 250-300 charges they quoted is a bit optimistic.

In regards to your jerking problem, the first year G2 (2012) had a similar problem but it was a problem from the start. When Rechargemower replaced my 2012 G2 with a 2013 G2, the problem went away. As part of the upgrades/fixes they made for the 2013 version, they mentioned that they improved the accelerator by allowing for more variability in speed and it's quite noticeable. Considering they use the same motor controller in the 2013 as the 2012, my theory is they just programmed the controller for more variability. I'm guessing maybe your motor controller might need adjustment. I don't have experience with this yet but for @ $400-500, you can buy a Curtis Handheld Programmer to accomplish this. The Curtis motor controller on the G2 is Model 1228. I don't know which one the G1 uses but it probably doesn't matter because the Curtis Handheld Programmer works with several models. I'll post the manual for the Curtis 1228 motor controller and the handheld programmer if you're thinking of tinkering with your mower.

 

[logistiker]

Here are some steps for disconnecting batteries in a series:


Step 1
Put on your acid resistant work gloves and perhaps a face shield before starting the battery removal process.

Step 2
Disconnect the battery bank positive lead from the positive golf cart body main power connection with the wrench. After the positive lead is disconnected, then disconnect the battery bank's ground wire from the primary golf cart body connection.

Step 3
Remove the connection from the first battery in the bank's positive terminal that is connected to the subsequent battery's negative terminal. Then, move to the next battery and follow the same steps until all of the batteries in the bank are disconnected from each other.

When connecting new batteries, you just wire back up in the reverse direction. You might want to note the direction you disassembled it in so you can easily reassemble it by reversing the directions. Be careful when installing the clamp on the last post because all the power comes on at that point so it might spark a bit when you connect it.

 

[juliej]

Since you said your batteries aren't holding a charge, you might want to replace them anyway. I don't think you can really fault Recharge Mower for how long deep cycle SLA batteries last. I keep my mower in an insulated garage so the temperature is relatively temperate which might help with how long the batteries last. Only time will tell if that's the case. I've looked at the typical amount of time deep cycle SLA batteries last and you can generally expect 5-7 years depending on usage and environment. I think the 250-300 charges they quoted is a bit optimistic.

In regards to your jerking problem, the first year G2 (2012) had a similar problem but it was a problem from the start. When Rechargemower replaced my 2012 G2 with a 2013 G2, the problem went away. As part of the upgrades/fixes they made for the 2013 version, they mentioned that they improved the accelerator by allowing for more variability in speed and it's quite noticeable. Considering they use the same motor controller in the 2013 as the 2012, my theory is they just programmed the controller for more variability. I'm guessing maybe your motor controller might need adjustment. I don't have experience with this yet but for @ $400-500, you can buy a Curtis Handheld Programmer to accomplish this. The Curtis motor controller on the G2 is Model 1228. I don't know which one the G1 uses but it probably doesn't matter because the Curtis Handheld Programmer works with several models. I'll post the manual for the Curtis 1228 motor controller and the handheld programmer if you're thinking of tinkering with your mower.

Thanks much for your reply. Every bit of information is helpful. I'm faulting Recharge for poor information and poor response to question posed about their product. If 250-300 charges is optimistic, they should not put that out. Most purchasers don't really know how maintain an SLA battery. The "no maintenance" claim should be more realistic and backed up with clear instructions on how to care for and maintain the product. I'm willing to do my homework but I've got no reference. My batteries weakened last summer which would make it less than 3 years. A $400 replacement set is more than I expect to pay out for less than 3 years of use. I would be satisfied with the 5 year life and happy with the 7. With my next set, I'll give them more attention from the information I've been gathering.

Since I am not experience in the mechanics of motors, I guess if the problem persists I will need to find someone local who can look at it. The mower seems to respond when I put it in reverse and then go forward again. There is no accelerator pedal. It engages with pressing in on the handle and the acceleration is via hand dialed knob. Getting it to engage is the problem. When it does catch, I can go unless I release the handle at which point I need to finesse it again.

Thanks again. I'll look over the pdf's you sent. I might get to learn something about mower mechanics bit by bit as I come across trouble shooting various problems.