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I have a Multiplus 12 volt 3000/120 and it sometimes shuts down on overload even through there is nothing which would take it over the 3000 and the v/m is showing a minimum of 13.5 volts. I have to then shut the unit down and leave for a short time the unit is not running hot the cooling fan is not running. Any ideas
I am having the same issue. Sometimes it cuts out a few times a week; sometimes it is fine for 4 weeks. It has nothing to do with the load, though, as I've been there when it cut on only a 300W load on the 48/5000 with a 100%SOC and brand new 9.6 kWh BYD batteries, and full sun on the panels. I cannot find a pattern. I upgraded all the firmwares today; maybe that will help. I'll also install bigger leads to the battery bank
Hi Ant, I have been working on the same problem for 18 months now on my Multiplus 12/1600/70 and still haven't found a solution. Cuts out randomly, might be 1 day, might be 4 weeks. I've changed 1 thing at a time and waited but no result. Thought it might be heat, so installed computer fan underneath, but no change.
So I'm interested in your"bigger leads to battery bank" comment. I have 35mm2 cable 2m run. Spec says 70mm2 but I can't see why 35mm2 (as installed by electrician)would be an issue- should gobble up 70amp. Also charger on 'float' or maybe absorption when it drops out after days or weeks, so minimal current flow. Did you upgrade cable, what did you upgrade to and did it fix the issue?
Hi MikeS,
I changed the cables to oversize and it made no difference;still cuts randomly, never managing more than 5 days online.
I've now disconnected all loads except for the barebones basics like security cams and a couple of 5w bulbs, and it made no difference (maybe total draw of 40W!). It still cuts
As Ive been away from site for a few months I installed another small inverter on the battery bank that powers my internet router, so when the multiplus cuts I am still able to access the multiplus and reset it. Which I have to do at least a few times a week.(Frustrating)
Note I have to wait an hour or more after it cuts to reset it satisfactorily. If done sooner it resets, but then cuts again after a few minutes. Waiting for an hour more allows it to reset and stay up.
I hope to to sleuth out a solution when I return to site. My next idea is perhaps some kind of interference on the Comms cables? Maybe if I look at the logs?
Ideas welcome!
Overnight only things running are a few standby powerpoints, 2 fridges / 2 freezers. I have tried eliminating power points one at a time. Yet to finish this. Am suspecting it might be moisture related.
Just now I went out & turned the inverter off / then on again before it could restart itself. I am about to add 9 panels to my existing 9 as during the winter not much sun and the generator comes on once a day. Summer no generator.
A few months back my washing machine was 'tripping' the power. Could the current issue have anything to do with this. I think not as the breaker was tripping fine & that is the protection.
Will keep my eye on these posts - don't want to waste my time / money trying to get it sorted (not!)
Hi All,
I don't have any specific advice, to your installations.
Generally, an inverter shutting down for no obvious reason is not acceptable. Please all get in touch with your dealers, and have them review the cases.
https://www.victronenergy.com/support
Where there is a GX device in the system, it should help a lot to find a cause and suggest a solution - which may be a replacement Multi.
This is not normal to have units shut themselves down without a reason.
Regards,
Guy
What can you tell us about your battery cables between the MultiPlus and the battery?
The length and girth are of particular importance.
Maybe I have some progress with my problem of the Quattro cutting out so often? As I have previously written the cut outs were happening with a frequency of a few days to a week.
Since I upgraded the firmware of the Venus to 2.23 on March 1 it has only cut twice (meaning the frequency is down to every 2 weeks). There aren't enough data points to mark a trend, but this is a significant improvement. I'm interested if anyone else has a similar improvement after the upgrade, and perhaps am explanation that can guide me to a full solution
Thanks
Hi Ants, thanks for reply. It doesn't make sense that it would be cables anyway given the low current draw, which is the same situation I've got. Mine's on a boat, and I currently have everything disconnected - AC out, temp sensor, remote control panel & solar panel into batteries. Only have fridge running (4A). ie I have shorepower cable to stern (new & test n tagged), then AC from stern to Multiplus just keeping batteries charged & it still drops out irregularly.
Next planned step is to wire temp lead from shorepower stand on marina direct to Multiplus box which will tell me if there's something odd about AC wiring between stern & box. I've already had the box replaced & it still does same thing. Victron agent says it's probably AC spikes, but like you, I don't believe that's the issue. No other boat we know of, has the issue in the marina.
Marine electrician also going to check all programmable settings in Multiplus (eg widen AC range). Not sure if fault is logged?
Cheers Mike
Following on from my previous thread. Yesterday the multiplus cut out a few times, and I was able to verify, based on Guy's troubleshooting comment, that the cut out happened when both the solar panels and the load was off. Which points to trouble with the Multiplus?
Today I am on site and it tripped again. When I reset the system from the VRM I can hear an occasional "frying" or random fast ticking from the top right of the Multiplus (is not quite the sound of a typical short, and no odour). I have not noticed such a sound before. It lasts from 1 to 5 seconds, then disappears and comes back a few times. There were 3 trips within a few minutes of start up (no load, no solar). On the 4th restart it made the noise for a while, but has now quitened down to its usual buzz. The solar and loads are now back on.
I guess I need to take the device to the distributor? This is a problem as it takes a while to get there and their turnaround is slow, during which I have no power on site.
Is there anything else I can try before I take it into the city?
Hi Ant
I have recently installed a second hand 24/3000 in my shed and getting very similar symptoms to you.
Multi connected to the batteries via a fuse through 35mm2 cables. Victron 70/20 solar charger keeping the batteries charged. No mains connected so no multi charging.
AES is enabled on "hunter" rather than modified sin wave.
With no load connected (switched off via rcb) the multi has cut out with overload fault/led.
It also occurrs under small loads (1A-2A @ 240v) when I'm in the shed. Like you, I hear what sounds like a relay chattering away for a fews seconds before it cuts out.
On a few occasions, when I've been around and it starts chattering, I've given the multi a few taps. Tapping the left and right side doesn't appear to affect it, but tapping the front stops the chattering and appears to stop the failure on that occasion and the multi will can run faultless for days or just a few minutes.
I'm being to think (having had this problem for only a month or so) it may be a dry joint or a faulty relay.
Perhaps victron can comment on this.
Obviously, a dry joint somewhere could come in to play from the smallest of temperature changes.
However, the relay chatter that we appear to be hearing - what relay could that be (related to an overload) and what would cause it to change state (rapidly) when there is no overload (or any load for that matter)
Cliff
Hi Cliff, on the advise of Victron I took my device to the service agents. They could find nothing wrong. However they said there was a dust residue on the components. So they cleaned the boards, reseated a few components, took my money, and gave it back. It definitely helped as it went more than a month without an Overload, but it is not fixed. Because it then went through a few days with (noisy) cutouts once or twice a day (with and without loads) And now it's been faultless for a week. I'm going to get it back to the service agent soon, and will let you know the outcome.
Hi Ant,
Thanks for patiently going through the process with this issue. I expect it must be frustrating for you.
You are on the right track to stay in contact with your service agents.
Please keep a log of each time the fault occurs, with notes on what is happening at the time that might be relevant. Data log from a GX device would also be useful.
I hope you can get this resolved shortly.
Hi All
No solution yet!!
Just to show everyone what I'm getting, I found this on YouTube recently.
It's a long video just to see the fault happening, but I suggesting watching the last 15 seconds.
I'm sure I'm not the only one getting this and there must be a fix / solution somewhere!
Cliff
May have a solution.
Thinking this must be mechanical, because I can temporarily fix when the relay chatter starts and before it goes into overload. I think as it is warming up, connectors and solder joints (dry joints) move causing bad connections. I've had the back off.
I've re-flowed the solder joints on the AC side (left hand side) under the PCB which is just an insulator.
I've removed the microprocessor board (with the LEDs on it) and cleaned all the connectors - connecting it to the rest of the system, one did look a little loose. Made sure the clamps holding the ribbon connectors in were actually tight.
I've blown out some (small amount) of dust.
Bench tested and its does not make the relay chatter any more. Ran for a good few of hours without any problems, specifically, without overloading with just a small load (radio and light).
Put it all back together and remounted on the wall.
I'll keep you updated if anything changes.
Hi @tryagain10
What's going on here??
I don't understand what you've bridged here and why, but it shouldn't be like this!
Not sure where you got this image from, but it's not mine.
My connection image attached.
Hi Guys,
Update for you.
So the above cleaning and re-flow soldering seemed to work for a week or so, but unfortunately the problem came back.
Today I took the cover off with it all plugged in and working, after having to bash it around a bit to get it out of overload (really feed up with it). There are 2 IDC (ribbon cable) connectors at the bottom of the main PCB. I pressed and jiggled the left hand connector and can reproduce the fault (getting the overload chatter to happen). It seems the re-flow exercise only fixed the problem cause and would have had to have moved that connector.
Having pressed the connector hard home, it has worked fine all day. If the problem comes back, I'm going to completely replace the ribbon cable.
Cliff
Hello Guy,
I still do not have any solution for my Multiplus's frequent shut downs (with no discernable pattern). I finally have time to look at the logs, as per your suggestion. Please point me to a resource that tells me how to do this. I have opened a ssh session, with root access, but need guidance on which logs to download. The github resource is beyond me. Thanks
Hi @ant is your system online? if so you can see the VRM logs.
if you're sure the multi is faulty, please have it repaired, is it still under warranty?
Hello Daniel, thank you for the response.
The VRM logs do not have the detail that will help understand what is causing the L1 Overload (which happens irrespective of the load). Hence my efforts, on Guy's advice, to look at the logs on the Venus operating system. Much of my multi-year efforts to fix this are posted on this thread, as is Guy's response. When I took it to the Victron guys in town, they tested it and said the device is fine and maybe just needed a clean (which seemed to solve the issue for a short while only...maybe coincidence?). I bought the device more than 5 years ago, so I think it is now out of warranty?
Any suggestions?
@Ant - there was a change made in the CCGX firmware 2.23. It was intended to fix issues with parallel and three phase systems
Could you please try disconnecting the CCGX from the Multi, and see if that makes a difference?
Guy, if I disconnect the Venus, the Multiplus has always shut down after a few minutes (isn't that because the BYD BMS needs the Venus?)
Also, I only upgraded the Venus firmware to 2.32 a few days ago, so it won't be this latest version that is causing the issue.
Ahh yes, in a BYD system you should be leaving everything connected.
Though for accuracy, as long as the GX is powered and connected to the BYD it will stay alive. The Multi CAN be disconnected from the VE.Bus but it SHOULDN'T. So leave it connected.
On that note, please also make sure that firmware on the Multi is current. There have been some improvements with DVCC.
Hey Guy, thanks for response.
Local Victron agent in NZ has been involved but still no resolution.
Can you tell me what are ALL possible causes of the unit shutting down and requiring a reboot (switching off/on the controller) to get unit going again. Overheating I'm told is one, but I have added a computer fan, ensured I hace 100mm all around and hasn't solved problem. In other words what other possible causes are there to the shut down, so I know where to head next.
I do know our cabling from battery to isolator and then to batteries (4 x 6V Concord AGM) is only 35mm2 x approx 2.5m long. Spec is 70mm2, so I'm undersized vs spec. However Marine Electrician who installed says 35mm2 is welding cable with 300A capacity. The unit is tripping out when batteries are fully charged, maybe a week after leaving the boat, so only a low current draw - only electric fridge only is left on, so maybe only 4-5amps, which you wouldn't think was an issue. However does the Multiplus sense the resistance and not like what it 'sees'?
I'm looking for an answer. Have been working on issue for 2 years since installed and losing patience with the product and brand.
Thanks Mike
Does it still switch off when there are NO loads attached?
Troubleshooting, especially remotely with limited information is often a process of elimination, and its best to start with the unit itself in perfect isolation. Just the batteries and the multi, then add each other element one by one, add solar next, then add loads, etc. Until the fault appears.
If the fault appears with just a battery connected to a Multi, then you check the wiring and the fuses. If they are 100%, and if it still happens, then the Multi is at fault.
Undersized wires can lead to a DC ripple effect. The multi will detect this and shut down. A few percent is enough to lead to issues.
If a system is not performing properly, I would definitely bring the cable size up to spec, or isolate the loads and see if that resolves it. One load in particular may be specifically triggering it.
Hi Guy, sorry one other thing I forgot to mention.
I noticed when I rebooted the Controller yesterday after it had tripped out again after 4 days, that the 'Low Battery' light on the Controller comes on for a split second as it's rebooting, then goes out and 'Float' light comes on. What would this indicate?
Thanks Mike
A split second indicates nothing unfortunately. Just a transitory state during startup.
Wondering if there is EMI or RFI on the communication connections to the Venus. Just saying that with the CCGX, there is a requirement to attach a ferrite donut or sleeve around the DC power input wires just where the wire connections "connect" to the circuitry. Is there such a requirement with the Venus, and if so - is there a ferrite bead or sleeve fitted?
I have a similar problem with my multiplus 3000. On a couple of occasions since it has been put in service a year and a half ago, typically when shore power temporarily shuts off and I am not on the boat, the system completely shuts down until it is reset. My system and cabling is way oversized for the loads, and I am set to charge at only 30amps, a fraction of the units capacity. I Can’t figure out why the system shuts down, similar to other users on this thread.
Has anyone figured this Victron glitch out?
