Quick summary
I have the SmartSolar 150/85, that reset and when restarted now only reads 1.6V from the solar array instead of the normal 46V. The solar array is providing 46V to the breaker, when the PV breaker is off, measured with a multimeter. As soon as I flip on the PV breaker, the 46V then drops to 1.6V, even when the breaker from the controller to the batteries is off. When the breaker to the batteries is on, the controller won't charge because 1.6V is not 5V above my 12V system.
I happened to be plugged into AC at the time, but I am a full time boondocker and solar is my power source, so this is a major problem for me.
[edit:added VRM charts of PV yeild, PV state, PV voltage, and AC input]
More details:
The charge controller turned off due to an over-voltage alarm on the batteries (#38, as displayed on my CCGX). This will happen every once in a while when the batteries are near full charge. My battery bank (not victron) has a cell that will sometimes spike, due to a fault in the BMS (my battery manufacturer is replacing my sense boards). Normally, I flip off/on the breakers and restart the charger and it is all good.
This time when it turned off and immediately turned it back on, it now reads 1.6V from the solar array, instead of 46V. I checked every panel, and they are all outputting the proper voltage. I went to the breaker and noticed that when the PV breaker, from the PV array to the controller, is off, the voltage is 46V coming from the array, and the panels are operating as normal. The second I flip the breaker and pass the current to the charger, the voltage immediately drops to 1.6V.
In the app, it is giving me the error of "charger not turning on due to low PV voltage," as expected since 1.6V is not 5V greater than my 12V bank.
I have a 4s2p solar array and tried wiring just one string directly to the charger, and am getting lower than the 1.6V when all 8 are connected. The 1.6V reading will also vary with sunlight (goes down when clouds pass).
Sounds like something happened to the controller. The RV was parked, jacked up on blocks, when this happened and has not moved since.
