I am attempting to restore a late 90's early 00's GEM 48 volt electric car. Needless to say, it is in pretty bad shape. I don't want to go any further until I can at least get the powertrain working correctly. I don't have a key to make sure the ignition circuit works either. I am trying to probe back the wiring to "jump" the system into thinking there is a key. My biggest issue is attempting to get the batteries charged. All four batteries are dead as a door nail. I am trying to manually recharge them one at a time. I may have to get them reconditioned to even get a charge. I have a cd with all the GEM parts/repair/troubleshooting manuals on it. I have went through the troubleshooting procedures and can't seem to get the power supply to "kick" on. I did discover that the system has to maintain a "minimum" voltage for the charger to even notice that the batteries are even there. I am a computer/electronics technician and repair many sensitive electronics myself. Since I am limited in my ability to find a viable schematic, I cannot move forward. I did, however, remove the power supply and inspect the internal components. I disassembled the unit and discovered a damaged component. It appears to be some type of double sided magnet that is meshed together from both sides. I am not exactly sure what the magnets are for or if they are even magnets at all- maybe heatsinks? There are traces around the component but I am unsure of what they do, maybe a filter choke or some type of magnetic field perhaps? I wanted to find someone with the expertise to troubleshoot the unit properly. I looked online for a replacement but their very expensive and I am not sure if it is even the correct replacement. Parts are rare and expensive. This project is definitely getting over my head!
The model number is the following:
SMPS 48v/15a
serial# pre production #1413
Battery Type: Lead Acid
Manufacturer: Safe Nife Corporation
AC Volts In: 120
AC Amps In: 12
DC Volts Out: 48
DC Amps Out Max: 15
The vehicle sat for over a decade exposed to the elements. I am fairly certain that the weather over the years contributed to the damaged components.