Contactor Service Bulletin

Background: Original wiring of the contactors has the "Forward" in the "up" position and  "Reverse" with the contacts pulled down. This means that as the car is going down the road, the bouncing, gravity and the shock of the road is trying to pull the contacts apart. Contacts that normally are switched without power are now being jarred apart with full power on them. Make gravity work for you. Two checks to make; the first is to see if the high power wire are located on the lower terminals of the Forward/Reverse contactor (that's the tall one). If they are low, you probably already have the change. If you are still not sure, with the wheels off the ground (for safety) watch the F/R contactor when you turn the Forward/Reverse switch to either position. If the "Forward" position pulls the contacts down, close up the car confident you already have the change.

If the factory issued service bulletin was not installed on your car, the fix is easy. Let’s take it one step at a time. First, disconnect power at the battery pack. ComutaCar owners should also  remember to disconnect the 12-volt accessory battery. Now, find the F/R contactor (again, it’s the tall one) and move all the wires straight down. That will relieve stress on the terminals. Tighten the terminals. If we stopped here, that would be a fine mess, the car would go in reverse when the switch is in the "forward" position. To fix this, interchange the positive coil wires (the bigger wires), usually colored red and green. The black wires attached to the small terminals can stay where they are at.