figured this would ruffle feathers:)i know mine are but i just bought it like that(batteries and all).
i'll get you exact numbers but the dash volt meter doesn't drop into the red zone as i barely touch the throttle since it"s just tests conducted in the driveway with the steering pump relay disconnected and no lift pump actuation.i strictly use the traction motors as this is where the problem lies.
i'm hoping you're correct in that the golfers can't keep up but???i fully charged them and it ran(all at walking speed) for perhaps 4minutes then started acting up.let it rest a few minutes and it would go again for a minute but sometimes less.steer a little hard left or right and it shuts down.got it back in the driveway by turning the key switch on,flooring accel then putting lever in forward.if i put lever in forward first then accelerate the contactors would drop out.
2 days later it ran fine for about 3 or 4 mn till i parked it.not pushing my luck :)
low voltage lock light has not come on and when traction shuts down,lift and steering still function without straining.
not much info to go on but i will do a more thorough test in the next couple of days.
the symptoms are random time wise,just like whether the steering is turned or not.sometimes all is ok then next seconds it's not.
kinda points at low volts or a loose connection but??
drives me nutssss.

Do what??????? 3 golf batteries? sensitive? yes as most electrical things are and especially cards and choppers. The unit should have a pump cut card located on it. Do this.......... back probe the positive and negative cables off the batteries with volt meter and when driving it under load ( hard accel) what do the volts drop to? The hydro pump will be the big energy user Approx 350 amp dead headed. I am not sure what AH rating those batteries have but it isnt helping the situation. It will be hard to diagnose problem without proper battery and amp hour rating. Never seen a set up with golf batteries before on a sitdown rider as such. I am suspecting unit is dropping contactors due to low voltage as the golfers cant keep up. The golfers are cannot maintain a constant and reliable voltage range due to capcity is what i am thinking. You do not want more than 3 to 4 volt drop when accelerating. The pump cut card works by kind of averaging the voltage and going into cut. Let me know what the voltage drops to. There sould be a switch on dash thats marked power /eco. Perform the test set on power.

i'll open the console and check it out.the loss of drive power is intermittent.sometimes it'll shut off when you back off throttle completely.reseting the f/r lever gets it going again but sometimes it doesn't.
you can always hear the hum of the controller and the contactors close but as soon as you touch the accel the contactors cut out and hum stops.reseting the f/r gets the hum back on and cycle repeatsthis happens in forward or reverse.are these trucks very sensitive to input voltage/amps?
it's currently running on 3 8volt golf cart batteries.i'd like to sort this out first before splurging for a $3k battery.
the forks and power steering always function.
thanks.

Sir this lift does have a cabin relay that is located in bezel with key switch. But if truck always comes on, cabin relay is good. Possibly you had a stuck or welded tip that freed up when you were wiggling wires. If truck acts again, check tips and as i mentioned before, remove the forward-n-reverse swith and take out the 4 phillip headed screws. Inside you will find leaf contacts. Check for cracks in leafs or metallic flake bridge on leafs. Also the throttle may be not returning all the way. These trucks have a throttle module that can be a real pain to set up if tinkered with and not familiar with it. I do not suggest adjusting anything in them unless you have set one up before.

truck always comes on,it's only forward and reverse that acted up.
moved the wiring around a bit and reconnected the control module a couple of times and all seems ok but for how long?
seat switch was bypassed and no cabin relay on this unit.
anyone with an electrical service book?
btw,unit was built july 1985.
i saw a service manual for a 1983 model.any similarities?

Check your seat switch and cabin relay for no power up. Relay is located underneath keyswitch bezel. Check battery voltage first. Should show atleast batt volts or more (count yer cells and double them...... 12 is 24v, 18 is 36v ).While bezel is off, be good time to check f-n-r switch and ign switch.