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jrnycsb avatar image
jrnycsb asked

Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120-50 120V completely dead

I have a Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120-50 120V that is only a couple of months old. Worked perfectly until I tried to turn it on via the Digital Multi Control. No lights. No sound. I have 300 Ah of Battle Born LiFePO4 batteries that are fully charged and everything on the DC side works perfectly. Is there a checklist for troubleshooting a totally dead unit? I don't have a Mk3USB and I was wondering if getting one and connecting the Multiplus to a computer will it even show anything if it is totally dead? Thanks for the help!

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Charger
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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ commented ·

According to the manual just plugging the panel into the multi with the RJ45 cable is fine, no set up needed. Is the multi switched on using its own front rocker switch? After that the panel can take over.

If it is still an issue then unplug the panel from the Multiplus. Does everything work as before?


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Justin Cook avatar image
Justin Cook answered ·

@jrnycsb, are you using a genuine Victron RJ45 UTP cable to connect the DMC to the Multi? Generally speaking, other-brand of straight-through industrial RJ45 network cables are fine to use, but this sounds like a possible communication error between the Multi and the DMC, in which case the cable is always the first thing to check - this is at the very top of the list in the VE.Bus error code documentation.

If you unplug the DMC and the UTP cable from the Multi, does the Multi come back on and behave normally?

Have you checked your fuse between the Multi and your battery bank? You should have a ~400A fuse (assuming you're using the proper 4/0 cable to connect to the battery bank), which is another thing to check right away. Also, check to see if you have correct DC voltage at the MultiPlus input terminals (with those BBs, I'd expect ~13.6v if you haven't been running other loads off them).

As a secondary issue, you definitely should get an MK3 so that you can appropriately program the Multi's charge profile for the BBs, but in general the interface through VictronConnect -even when hardwired- won't show you many possible errors... plus, the unit will need to be powered on before you'll be able to connect with an MK3. So: yes, you should get one, but no, it won't immediately help you with the issue.

If you run through those things and haven't found anything amiss, then you should contact the authorized dealer or distributor from whom you purchased the device and they will provide you with direct technical support for the unit.

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jrnycsb avatar image jrnycsb commented ·

I feel stupid. It was the fuse. I only had a 300 Amp fuse on it. Have ordered a couple 400's. Thanks for the info. I also ordered the MK3 and will program it when the cable arrives.

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neoneddy avatar image neoneddy jrnycsb commented ·

Similar happened with me, I had a loose connection from my MPPT Charger... I couldn't figure out why my volts where reading much higher than my battery bank and hardly any watts going in. I always check my connections regularly.

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ jrnycsb commented ·

@jrnycsb Finding a blown fuse should feel like success! One of the easier things to fix.

Please be careful just replacing the fuse with the larger one. Make sure that the cable rating is appropriate to match (+extra), you want the fuse to go before the wire insulation melts off!

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nebulight avatar image nebulight jrnycsb commented ·

before you replace the fuse, check and see if you can identify why the fuse blew. 300 amps is a lot of current so you don't want to install a 400 and have that blow immediately.

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Warwick Bruce Chapman avatar image
Warwick Bruce Chapman answered ·

For a 300A fuse to blow in a 3000VA, the inverter must have been supplying in excess of the 2400W rated maximum (which is possible for short periods).

Please consider adding a GX to log what is going on. An install of this size should definitely have a GX device.

Remember with 12V you need the thickest cables. What size cable do you have between the multi and the battery and how long are they?

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mdbrown avatar image
mdbrown answered ·

Agreed. After such a failure, I like to install a much smaller/cheaper fuse for initial bootup.


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