Albright SW180B-845 36V Heavy-Duty Golf Cart Contactor With Bracket
- Fits 36V electric carts upgrading the main solenoid, with a 6.3 mm spade coil connection and M8 studs
- Heavy-duty contactor with magnetic blowouts, polarity sensitive; 150A interrupted, 200A uninterrupted
- 36V coil, mounting bracket included
- Does not fit: 48V carts (use the 48V Albright SW180B-1125)
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Not sure it fits? Send us your cart setup and a photo of your solenoid, and we will check. Buying guide: Will a 36V Solenoid Work on 48V? Voltage Compatibility Guide
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Overview
The Albright SW180B is the heavy-duty main contactor golf cart builders fit when the stock solenoid can no longer keep up with a higher-amp controller. It is often sold as a 400A solenoid. That is a peak figure: Albright rates it 200A continuous uninterrupted and 365A at 30% duty.
The B suffix means magnetic blowouts. Permanent magnets pull the arc off the contacts when they open, which is what lets the SW180B switch up to 96V DC and keeps its silver alloy tips from welding. Because of the magnets it is polarity sensitive: the stud marked + goes to battery positive.
This is the 36V coil version, supplied with its top hat mounting bracket. Navitas recommends upgrading to a 200A or bigger solenoid when a cart works harder, and the SW180B meets that with room to spare at high duty.
- Voltage
- 36V
Compatibility
Fits
- Universal by coil voltage Electric carts upgrading the main solenoid or contactor
- Voltage
- 36V
- Years
- Any
Needs 6.3 mm spade connectors on the coil wires
Does not fit
- 48V carts (use the 48V Albright SW180B-1125)
- Installs that cannot keep battery positive on the + marked stud, because the blowout magnets are polarity sensitive
- Gas carts
Not sure which one you have? Send us a photo of your old solenoid and its label and we will match it. support@golfcartlab.com
How to confirm it fits
Check the voltage that feeds the coil, normally your pack voltage: this is the 36V version.
Measure the space where the contactor will mount: about 127 x 61 x 45 mm plus the bracket.
Make sure your battery cable lugs fit M8 studs.
Tell us your controller and amp rating if you want us to check the choice between this and a stock-style 200A solenoid.
What's in the box
- One Albright SW180B-845 36V contactor
- Top hat mounting bracket
Specifications
- Albright
- SW180B-845
- Albright SW180B: single pole, single throw, normally open, double-breaking main contacts
- 36V DC
- Yes (the "B" suffix). Polarity sensitive: the + marked stud goes to battery positive.
- 96V DC
- 150A interrupted, 200A uninterrupted
- 275A interrupted, 365A uninterrupted
- 210A interrupted, 285A uninterrupted
- 180A interrupted, 240A uninterrupted
- 1000A at 96V DC (5 ms time constant)
- 30 mV at 150A
- Silver alloy tips, weld resistant
- M8, tighten to 8 to 9.5 Nm
- 6.3 mm (0.25 in.) spade terminals
- Top hat bracket included
- More than 5 million operations
- -40°C to 60°C (-40°F to 140°F)
- About 127 x 61 x 45 mm (5.0 x 2.4 x 1.8 in.), studs included
- About 690 g (640 g contactor plus 50 g blowouts), bracket extra
- New
Requirements and install notes
Disconnect the battery pack before you start. The SW180B is a different shape from a round stock solenoid, so plan the mounting spot and cable runs first.
Observe polarity: the + marked main stud goes to battery positive, the other to the controller B+. Reversed, the blowout magnets push the arc the wrong way.
The coil uses 6.3 mm (0.25 in.) spade terminals, not threaded posts. Crimp insulated female spade connectors onto the two coil wires.
Tighten the M8 main stud nuts to 8 to 9.5 Nm. Mount it horizontally or vertically. If vertical, the main studs must point up.
Keep or refit the pre-charge resistor across the main studs if your controller uses one. For the coil diode, follow your controller maker: the blowouts make the contactor polarity sensitive and a diode slows drop-out. Navitas installs remove both the resistor and the diode.
Albright sizes the maximum continuous current for 130 mm² copper, so undersized cables will run hot before the contactor does. Navitas recommends at least 4 AWG, preferably 2 AWG, on hard-working carts.
FAQ
Is the SW180B really a 400A solenoid?
It is sold that way in the golf cart trade, but Albright's own ratings are 200A continuous uninterrupted, 365A at 30% duty and 285A at 50% duty, with a 1000A fault breaking capacity at 96V. We list the manufacturer's figures so you can compare like for like.
Do I need this with a Navitas or Alltrax controller?
Navitas recommends upgrading to a solenoid of 200A or more when a cart works harder. The SW180B meets that and has more high-duty headroom than a stock-style solenoid. For a 600A or larger controller driven hard all day, an SW200-class contactor has more continuous rating. Ask us and we will say honestly which one your build needs.
Why does polarity matter?
The magnetic blowouts push the arc away from the contacts in one direction only. Wire battery positive to the + stud or the arc is pushed the wrong way and the contacts wear fast.
How do I connect the coil?
The SW180B uses two 6.3 mm spade terminals for the coil, so crimp insulated female spade connectors onto your two small solenoid wires.
Warranty
This part is new and covered by our returns and refunds policy. We handle any claim for a defective part directly with you. Albright does not publish a separate warranty term for this part. Damage from wrong coil voltage, reversed polarity or over-tightened terminals is not covered.
Manufacturer part reference
- Manufacturer part number
- SW180B-845
- GCL SKU
- GCL-ALB-SW180B-845
