question

sheltiejim avatar image
sheltiejim asked

Victron Multiplus Mains Failure?

I am having problems with my Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120-50
(230V/240V) that is installed on a sailboat. Please forgive my detailed
description, but I am presently at my sailboat in Raiatea, French
Polynesia, and I have only limited, once per day, Internet access.

I installed the charger/inverter (I will use the name "Multiplus" in
this message, but I mean "Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120-50 (230V/240V)";
this is only for brevity) in October 2019, pre-Covid. I have only this
week been able to return to Raiatea from my home in the USA. When I
installed the Multiplus in October, 2019, I tested it thoroughly, and it
appeared to work perfectly. When I applied 230 VAC to the AC In
terminals, I was able to measure and use 230 VAC at the AC Out
terminals. The inverter worked as specified and the batteries were able
to be charged.

When I returned to my boat this week, I applied 230 VAC to the AC In
terminals, but there was ZERO VOLTS on the AC Out terminals, regardless
of the position of the rocker switch. When I turn the rocker switch to
"On", about 100 to 200 milliseconds later, I hear a faint "click" coming
from the top right corner of the Multiplus. I do NOT hear a clock
coming from the bottom left corner, where the AC In connectors are.

When I turn the rocker switch to "On" (not to "Charger Only"), the Mains
On light DOES NOT illuminate, but the Bulk, Absorption, and Float LEDs
flash yellow. In addition, the Inverter LED flashes green, alternately
with the Bulk, Absorption, and Float LEDs. (The actual Bulk,
Absorption, and Float LED flash pattern is a little more complex than I
indicated, but I cannot figure out how to attach a short video to illustrate the
pattern precisely.)

As far as I know, nobody has touched the AC circuitry on my boat since I
installed the Multiplus on October 2019. I fervently hope that some
Victron service person reads this message and can advise me. This is a
pretty expensive piece of equipment to have failed after virtually no
use whatsoever.

Hopefully,
Jim Melton

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Charger
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seb71 avatar image seb71 commented ·

Did you check if AC In Line and Neutral are connected as they should be (and not swapped)?


Does the Multiplus work when powered by the batteries (and AC In not connected)?


Does it charge the battery from AC In when the rocker switch is in "Charger only" position?


Do you have a MK3-USB interface and a PC/laptop to connect to the Multiplus and check it with VE Configure 3 software?


I tried to find the LED pattern you describe in the Victron Toolkit app, but that one is not documented there.

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sheltiejim avatar image sheltiejim commented ·

Did you check if AC In Line and Neutral are connected as they should be (and not swapped)?

* I actually reversed the "Hot" and "Neutral" wires at the shore power connector of my shore power cord. I am positive that the "Ground" wire is properly connected, but was not 100% positive about the "Hot" and "Neutral" wires, so I have tried them in both possible positions. It made no difference in the Multiplus behavior.


Does the Multiplus work when powered by the batteries (and AC In not connected)?

* When I open the 230 VAC breaker and the AC In connectors on the Multiplus have ZERO volts, the behavior is identical to the behavior when the AC In connectors have 230 VAC. I believe the correct answer to your question is "No", it does not work (any better) when AC In is not connected.


Does it charge the battery from AC In when the rocker switch is in "Charger only" position?

* I am not positive, because I neglected to disconnect the battery connections to measure the voltage on the 12 VDC terminals while the AC In voltage was turned on. However, I do not believe that the Multiplus is charging the battery when the rocker switch is "Charger only" position.


Do you have a MK3-USB interface and a PC/laptop to connect to the Multiplus and check it with VE Configure 3 software?

* No, I do not have the MK3-USB interface. I have purchased, but have NOT YET installed, a Victron Cerbo GX and companion display. Will this help me with the configuration?


I tried to find the LED pattern you describe in the Victron Toolkit app, but that one is not documented there.

* I also tried to find the LED pattern, without success.

* Many thanks for your efforts to help me!

* Jim

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seb71 avatar image seb71 sheltiejim commented ·

Line and Neutral should always be identified (which is which) before connecting to AC In. There is only one way they should be connected to the Multiplus AC In.


The battery is OK? Was it charged by other means (solar) all that time?


Don't disconnect the battery.

But disconnect everything except the battery (AC In and all loads from AC Out) and see if the Multiplus behaves the same or not.


A Cerbo GX would give some more information, but I would not add a new component to a non-working system.


On a boat I think you should have a MK3-USB interface (and a laptop) to be able to check/change the Multiplus settings, even without Internet at the site.

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sheltiejim avatar image sheltiejim seb71 commented ·
Again, thanks very much for your help, seb71! I know that it is important to properly connect Line and Neutral, which I have done inside my boat and to the Multiplus. Today, I will make certain that I have wired the shore power cord properly. Thanks for the reminder.


The batteries are definitely OK; they are kept charged by a solar panel and I have a person check the voltage every month. (The batteries are AGM, so there is no chance to check the fluid level.)


I will disconnect everything but the battery and see what, if anything, changes on the Multiplus. I will report the result tonight. (I asked another electrical guy about this yesterday, and he suggested disconnecting everything, AC and battery, for 5 minutes to see if the Multiplus would "reset" in some way. I did, and it did not.)


I will follow your advice and NOT connect the Cerbo GX until the Multiplus is functional again. Thanks for that advice.


I did not know about the MK3-USB interface, but I will try to purchase from the store in Tahiti where I purchased the Multiplus. It will take a few days to arrive, if they have one in stock.


Thanks again!
Jim

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1 Answer
jwfrary avatar image
jwfrary answered ·

There's an app for your phone called victron toolkit which demonstrates the light combinations and thier meanings.

Certainly an error message of some kind!

Let us know your findings!

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sheltiejim avatar image sheltiejim commented ·

jwfrary, I downloaded and installed the Victron Toolkit app and attempted to find the light combination that I see, but the specific combination DOES NOT APPEAR in this app! I am convinced that it is an error message, but cannot determine exactly what.


Here is a (lengthy -- sorry!) step-by-step description of the light pattern:

* Turn rocker switch to "on"

* bulk & float LED on

* bulk & load LED off; inverter on LED on

* bulk & absorption & float LED on; inverter on LED off

* bulk & absorption & float LED off; inverter on LED on

* bulk & absorption & float LED on; inverter on LED off

* bulk & absorption & float LED off; inverter on LED on

* bulk & absorption & float LED on; inverter on LED off

* bulk & absorption LED off (float LED still on); inverter on LED on

* bulk LED on (float LED & inverter on LED still on)

* (bulk & float LED still on); inverter on LED off

* bulk LED off (float LED still on); inverter on LED on

* bulk LED on (float LED still on); inverter on LED off

* bulk LED off (float LED still on); inverter on LED on

* bulk & absorption & float LED on; inverter on LED off

* bulk & absorption & float LED off inverter on LED on

* bulk & absorption & float LED on; inverter on LED off

* bulk & absorption & float LED off inverter on LED on

* bulk & absorption & float LED on; inverter on LED off

* bulk & absorption LED off (float LED still on); inverter on LED on

* (continues to repeat)

I did not find this pattern when scrolling through all of the LED combinations in the Victron Toolkit app.

More suggestions welcomed.

Jim

P.S., I have contacted a person here on Raiatea who says that she has a "Victron MK2 USB". Is that sufficiently like the "MK3 USB interface" to be useful for my problem?

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