Complicated 2x smart alternator on dual Orion XS system on MAN TGE 2026 issue to be solved

Q&A and troubleshooting
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1

Hello,

New to the forum after struggling with my new Van and elec. system where the sellers are of little help.

Recently purchase a newly build MAN TGE 3.180 with one factory installed smart alternator (200W) and dual AGM battery. (One starter and one for auxiliary consumers. The aux. battery is charged by the factory installed alternator via de starter battery. The latter disconnects from the aux. battery if the engine is killed. The starter battery thus won’t drain.)

The Van is converted by a ‘specialist’ and they installed a 2 x 200AH/2.560WH 12V LiFePO4 in parallel that each can handle up to 70A charge safely. (100A mpeak)

Charging of this battery pack is done by an Orion XS connected in parallel with the starter battery and the factory installed alternator. This system doesn’t work to my needs since the ECU is steering the alternator, meaning at times (most of the time!) the Orion is not charging. This has to be looked into at a later stage.

A third party ‘specialist’ installed a second, similar as the first, VW original, smart alternator and connected that directly towards an Orion-Tr Smart 30A Dc-Dc to also charge the leisure battery (LiFEPo4). (No ‘buffer’ battery, i.e. direct charging.)

Only the XS (called “the first”) is running over a Victron Shunt that is like the Orion XS itself is connected to the Cerbo GX system controller.

I am about to change this second Orion (The ‘Tr’) for a second Orion XS because it is getting way too hot and doesn’t produce enough power.

It only produces 300W at max. Even together with the XS (that most of the time is not even working!) I get to charge some 900Watts maximum on the leisure battery bank. With some 3% charging losses I need several hours to run to get the system charged back up to full! Not good enough if you are only have a couple of hours daylight to drive in the arctic winter… (you also need to supply energy to the heating and light systems… )

The whole Victron (2 x Orion, one MPPT charger, one MultiPlus 30/2000/220) setup is also such that it gets over 40 degrees inside the well insolated technical cabinet. The ‘XS’ became 35C on the frontside, the Tr 75C! When the MultiPlus is working from shore power or inverting to supply an aircon in heating mode it sends multiple heat alarms. Same for the MPPT tracker and the XS lowered its output due overheating and the Tr even knocked off at times… Not a good installation to say the least!

So, several actions to be taken to get a better cooled and producing system.

So, installed thermostatic controlled forced ventilation on the cabinet that helps a lot. Waiting to install some extra vents on the Multiplus and this heating source called “Orion-Tr Smart” has to go. It will be replaced by a new XS presently on my desk.

Hopefully these changes will reduce a lot on the heat issues and also increase my power input from the alternators into the leisure battery system.

The system should have been designed to work in the winter-artic where there will be no sun for weeks or months to charge the battery, very little chance to charge by shore power. So it’s the alternators that have to do the bulk of the work. If the 2560WH bank is drained to 10 or 20% we need a lot of energy to get them back ‘filled’. Hence I need to make as much as good on the two alternators with the two Orions. At the moment with the poor installation and how its been configured I need to run the engine (driving..) for over 12 hours to get the leisure battery from 10% to 90%. That is not good enough!

The first, ‘original’ Orion XS has to be configured better then at present. Probably I have to make the ‘drop off’ voltage lower so it will charge for more prolonged times, even if the ECU lets the starter battery drop to just above 12V for ‘Euro6/7’ homologation. This I think I know what to do to make it happen. But for now I leave this to be as it is.

First the new, Orion XS. That will be connected directly towards that second third party installed alternator. (Like the present ‘Tr’.)

No battery buffer, no shunt connected to the Cerbo. The only monitoring will be by Bluetooth/VictronConnect app. when it runs. (I will probably install a shunt with a Volt/amp meter in my dashboard to monitor the output of this alternator.)

My question is now; What would be the best way to configure this second Orion XS?

Somewhere in my Van is a D+ cable available from a engine vibration sensor. It can tell the Orion when the engine is running. Or I need to find a D+ connection in the fuse box under my seat (LHD) to feed into this Orion XS by its ‘H’ switch port.

What I do want to avoid is that the alternator starts to run while the engine is still idle after a (very-)cold start. (At the moment the ‘old’ Tr only starts the alternator to produce energy when the engine is pushed over the 3500rpm. How this is done is not clear to me. Can’t find any documentation nor can the installer tell me. “The alternator came configured like that…” !?! )

I also don’t want to over-charge the battery bank (although it seems to me all combined maximum currents are well within the installed wiring, bushbar, shunt and battery etc.). I think the BMS should handle the power coming from both Orions? (Any input in this?)

Any advices about the recommended settings of this new Orion are appreciated. I need this system to work. Can’t have issues this coming winter stranded with a low battery system in minus 30 to 40 Celsius while not able to drive prolonged times. Don’t want to run my engine all day neither…

(Hence I also need to look at that 1st installed XS… It needs to work more.

(One last note; in some circumstances (the trigger is not identified yet by me) the engine will run at higher idle revs to help the 1st (and thus the second) alternator to run. Engine runs at 1000 rpm where standard is 800-850 rpm.)

A long and complicated topic, yes I know.

2

Sounds like a mess.

The Orion XSs engine shutdown detection needs to be configured to your vehicle/alternator specifically. You can do that yourself through VictronConnect. Best done while actually driving, better be done with a second person.

As for the second alternator, i would really like to know the “specialists” reasoning for the way its done. Orions are battery to battery chargers, you should not use them without a battery directly on an alternator (fixed voltage alternator could work). The smart part of a smart alternator is just communication to the vehicle control modules to change its output voltage. The second alternator would need to be wired into the canbus and the vehicles control modules then also need to support that. A smart alternator without coms usually resort to running at a fixed voltage, so i wonder if it was done like this deliberately. In any case, why not use a WS500 controller instead of adding another XS, for direct alternator to LiFePo charging. Even integrates into the GX.

3

Yes, the first important issue is the comm. with the Car Electronic
or the integration of the XS with the “motor running/generator on (former D+) signal”

The specific Controller for the second alternator is highly recommended (sure, it’s not cheap but only so it is possible so run it safely with the overload protection of the coils or other critical adjustments).

it looks like an usual “camping installation”, that means to build the system with little or no know how of the car electronics and the interconnection and/or also little or basic knowledge of the capability of a fully integrated Victron system.

A mixed charging with Lead and Li technology is a no-go

How is the wiring?? Do you have a technical drawing or overview over the system??

can you post some more info?

e.g. full Type of the car

Date of manufacturing

Amp rating of the generators (or the type)

You have a “D+ signal” or not

Your battery types (and capacity of Starter, Aux 1the lead , Aux 2 the Li)

Is your system 12 or 24 VDC only or is there a mixed system with 12 AND 24 V

Which setpoints in your Orion XS are in use or had been tested??
(Vstart, Vstart_delay, Tstart_delay, Vshutdown, Tshutdown, Vlock_out)

4

hmm, I’d wish to be on the forum earlier.. :frowning:

Anyway, I have this new Orion XS at my desk now. Won’t harm to change the old ‘-Tr’ out for this one isn’t? At least when the alternator runs, it produces more output into the battery while not roasting the surrounding devices in the tech. cabinet like the ‘Tr’ does do…

I looked at the WS500 Pro and yes, it looks nice. But I don’t know if I can afford 500+€ again on this Van. It’s becoming a black money hole. We are already way out of our budget and it seems we aren’t there yet.. :frowning:

What I have been reading here and there is that if I can make this new Orion XS to be running after engine start (either D+ or a vibration sensor, or even a simple manual switch by me, the driver! To connect to the ‘H’ switch connection of the Orion) and if I set the parameters of the input on that Orion to match the battery and knock-off when full, that could work?

I also don’t have too much time to re-wire too much. We are going for a planned 2 month trip end of June.. still need to a lot of preparations..

5

If the Orion is the only device connected to the alternator output, then you dont need anything else to detect whether the engine is running or not. If its running then the alternator will produce a voltage, if the engine is not running then it will not produce an output. Simple as that.

Then its just a matter of setting the engine shutdown detection to suit your case. So if you always want a delay when switching on, then adjust the undelayed start voltage up to some high number, like 18V. That way the charging will always start with a delay, which you can set as well.

Just make sure that the battery-less alternator does not output any crazy voltages. Since most of the time thats the real issue when running without a battery, that the voltage regulator just goes off to max output voltage. Could be that it works fine if the smart alternator has no comms, so it will run in “limp-home” mode all the time and just output some fixed voltage

6

The VAN is a 2025 build MAN TGE 3.180 4X4 with an optional second aux. battery in the engine space. Both batteries are 12V 92AH 850A AGM.

Aux. battery in parallel with the starter but with de-coupling if engine stops (how exactly don’t know, but to prevent the starter to discharged by the aux. battery). Aux. battery has most of the auxiliary devices/consumers attached.

The Van has a factory equipped 250A intelligent VW alternator fit that connects to the starter battery.

ficha técnicas alternador
ficha técnicas alternador1280×1549 196 KB

One after factory installed Orion XS charges two Eleksol LiFePO4 12V200AH batteries in parallel. Nominal voltage 12,8V, V-charge 14,2-14,8V and max. 100A charge current. (since batteries in parallel theoretically we could 200A to the bush bar that connects both.)

Eleksol batteries
Eleksol batteries1080×2640 248 KB

After factory a third party installed a second alternator similar as the factory fitted alternator. So a 250A intelligent device. (See the picture of the first one to see its specs)

A D+ signal should/could (!) be found if I believe several sites under the LH (driver) seat. Alternatively a ‘engine running’ wire could be found in the dashboard behind the fuse box. This is a +12V wire coming from a vibration sensor that has been installed to retract the electric outdoor step. I could tap from this wire and run it to the ‘H’ switch of the Orion XS. (Actually, both of the Orion XS?)

At the moment the present system work as follows:

The primary Orion XS is obviously steered by the settings. In/Out current 50A, Disconnect voltage 12,5V and re-connect 12,7V. Charger modus. Dynamo Type “Smart” with a starter voltage of 14V, delayed starter V of 13,3V with 120sec delay and a 13,1V disconnect voltage.

Here I need to change settings, since this Orion only charges just after starting the engine (lower start battery voltage) but after some 10-20 mins the voltage on the alternator drops below de disconnect voltage and the Orion becomes basically obsolete… Even if I push two heating ventilators and some other users the alternator won’t get a signal from the ECU to get to work… Only while driving occasionally I see in my OBD2 monitor that the voltage of the starter jumps up for a while, and probably the Orion will charge. But never for too long… :frowning:

The new, ‘to replace the old Tr’ Orion is not configured yet. It’s still virgin on my desk…

7

well, your answer here makes it interesting;

“If the engine is running the alternator will produce a voltage”. Actually not. They did fit a voltmeter in the dashboard and it only light’s up with a low starting to very high voltage after I push the engine over 3.500 revs. After that it can fall back and stays working, even at engine running idle.

Running idle before the rev boost I also don’t measure any voltage on the Orion Tr input. It actually stays ‘dead’. (No LED, no Bluetooth signal). Only after the rpm boost the voltage comes in and the Orion Tr starts to produce a charging current and it pops up in my VictronConnect app.

(be aware, this is the ‘old’ Orion Tr that is directly connected to the second installed alternator. No other device or battery connected to it. A direct line from the alternator output connector towards the Orion Tr’s input. Not even a shunt.) (This old ‘Tr’ I am hoping to change for the new XS on my desk.)

Where this 3.500 rpms ‘jump start’ comes from I don’t know. But the guys that fit it say it was pre-configured like that. (Which too be honest I find weird… I also can’t find any documentation about such kind of ‘jump starting’ an alternator.)

The Orion Tr has little parameters to change. I was hoping that the new XS would not only produce more energy, keep my tech. space cooler but also giving me more parameters to configure to make it work, like you already pointed to.

8

Id say thats just because its a smart alternator with no comms to the vehicle systems. But to be honest im not an alternator specialist, and i for sure havent seen all possible kinds. So its possible that you can actually program the voltage regulator itself. Ive seen this in alternators for industrial use. But i would tend to say what you see here is simply the limp-home mode. The voltage regulator gets powered up through the spinning rotor, it waits for canbus communication, doesnt get any, so at some point it starts to output some voltage. Can be used, a bit of a hack, but might work fine for years.

Do you know the exact part number that was used?

9

Ok,

take the D+Connector under the seat for control means out of the regular car electronics. So connect the XS with the D+ at this distributor box under the seat, as any other equipment in your box to keep it separate from the car.
Repair shops go nuts when they have to trace an error but find many hacks so the bus modules can not go to sleep or they can not switch off the additional loads easily for working (e.g. welding!!).

Swap the Tr for the XS !! There is an information on the Victron Site to integrate it properly. You also have backup if the primary fails.

May you go to the MAN Dealer and ask for programming the Bord Module (Battery/Generator Control) to RV Modus. And ask also for the Voltage settings of the system (i speculate, after startup the Generator control sets 12,3V, after few minutes it goes to 13,7 or 14,4, when the engine is hot it goes down again until you are in engine braking or retarder mode, or the internal control over Lin Bus rises the voltage)

edit: make some photos of the situation, this can also help
another point, check your D+ if it is a Low or High Signal! Engine running also.

Modern cars can have inverted signals (some people complain over “missing signal”)

10

Is the second Generator also a 9G6?? Maybe this unit needs a control unit, because of the Lin plug. Or you can swap it for an “uncontrolled Version”.

But better in any case is a controlled Version in case of Overloading the Transmission belts (we have this Problem with an Aux. Generator at a work Van, every 3 Weeks the Belt snaps due to the 24 V/100A Generator. Reason is the Original 20mm wheel against the 40mm Generatorwheel also mounted by an “expert”. Iam on the way to change that with an XS also)

Or you can get one externally, ask an specialist for Car electronics (Bosch Car service)

11

To answer your two last posts at once; I have swapped out the ‘old’ Tr for the new XS.

I also found a block of D+ (only 12V power when engine runs) under the seats and bought myself some plug-in fuse-‘thief’s’ to get that D+ signal available.

This morning had the leisure bat’s well drained by the inverter supplying the aircon unit, meanwhile had the solar shut off (and no shore power connected).

Over the weekend studied online for specific settings for my MAN TGE smart alternator setup for a Orion XS charging a 400AH HiLiFePO4 battery bank so configured this Orion accordingly, with the D+ as ‘engine running’ signal attached to the ‘H’ port on the Orion switch.

Started the engine first with the D+ connected to the primary fitted Orion that is fed by the primary alternator and straight away it started to charge with some 600 watts. Nice, but it did that before so no change here obviously. (But this time it kept running much longer. Probably by the better voltage config I made now.)

And in disconnecting the D+ wire the alternator immediately stopped working. That is good to know. I have had lots of issues of starter battery draining and my main suspect was the Orion draining the AGM starter battery to charge the leisure. I measured 0,2 to 0,3 Amps over its cable between the battery plus and the Orion. By ‘killing’ the Orion with the cutting of the D+ signal according online info it should stop draining my starter..

So I am happy with that 1a alternator + 1a Orion XS setup. After a while, even the ECU decided to run the engine at elevated rpm’s to sustain a bit better output on its alternator('s).

Second alternator + second (now new) Orion XS;

After starting the engine it didn’t kick in. Which was a bit of a disappoint. I was hoping this new Orion XS would ‘kick it’.

(The guys who build-in the 2nd alternator had a small voltmeter in the dashboard build in. So I can ‘see’ it working or not. It stayed dead’.)

So, after some waiting I decided to rev up the engine to above 3.500rpm and straight away that voltmeter showed a voltage (from 4,5 running up to 14,6) and a second later the Victron Connect app showed the (new) Orion XS started to charge the battery!

So, the Orion at least works. :slight_smile:

I then disconnected its (separate from the other Orion) D+ line and as expected, the Orion ‘died’. It didn’t supply power anymore. That little volt meter still showed >14V which means in my opinion the alternator still has a 14V tension on its wiring. (Is this good? Or bad?)

After re-connecting the D+ signal again the Orion started to charge again.

So far, so good:

Question 1; what happens now if the D+ is disconnected but the alternator is still showing a high voltage? Can this harm the alternator? (I mean to have been reading something like that somewhere.)

Question 2; If the leisure battery bank is filled close to 100% again, both Orion’s principally are still charging. The first will do the configured absorption and trickle charging, but this second? Do I need to disconnect this second Orion? (But what about the alternator then?) Or should the settings in both Orion’s be exactly the same so the batterie bank won’t be overloaded? Or, is the BMS taking care of overloading prevention?

I still don’t understand why this second alternator in fact only kicks in when it has been given a high rev. To my opinion this is purely done by the alternator internal management. Would there be a way to change this? And could I ‘switch it off’?

If the Orion’s and/or BMS are protecting the battery bank against overloading, I could live with the ‘high rev. kick’ on that aux. alternator. But a more desirable solution would we a simple switch on the dashboard so I can basically switch ‘on’, or ‘off’ the second alternator. (Over charge protection and engine shut down via the D+ signal would still prevent issues.)

Changing that aux. alternator for a ‘normal’ one is ‘at the moment’ not an option. It’s hard to get to it (physically!) under the hood. You can hardly ‘see’ it! It also might need another wheel, and is going to cost me a couple of hundred euros.

So I can live the ‘high rev. kick’ if the battery protection works nevertheless.

12

Please make some photos, this sounds like a whole hackaround like this situation there on a ship Automotive diagnostics expert untangles Marine power problems - Victron Energy

The positive aspect is, you have already top quality material. Now it has to be integrated properly. Contact a MAN Service for more Infos for your car (the people have to know, when you are underway, a problem there could end catastrophic when you are stranded in remote areas).

The plugin thieves are the kind of plugin the fuse or cutting inthe cable?? The cutting cable type makes room for water damage in the vehicular cablesets–> very expensive in the future due to complete exchange of all wires in the vehicle (mostly not possible due to work and costs)

Why disconnecting your PV? Except in a storage garage, the system could be kept on (it must also preprogrammed for comm. loss when you have all components netted with a Cerbo)

13

Fuse 'ladrones' para señal D+
Fuse 'ladrones' para señal D+1117×1983 392 KB

Two locations I found and used to supply both Orion’s with a D+ signal. In the fuse holder cabinet under the driver’s seat (LHD). No worries about humidity here.

Fuse ladron
Fuse ladron1299×2307 392 KB

This is one of such ‘thiefs’. You can insert it in an unused fuse bay to ‘steel’ the power from it and insert a fuse of your liking in it.

14

The PV was disconnected, as is the shore power, to simulate a prolonged (longer than a day) stay in an area without sunshine or shore power.

We are planning to go to North Scandinavia this winter where the sun will be so low that even if the usual clouds are not there the power from the PV will be marginal. And since most Campsites will be closed too we are heavily depending on the only two power sources readily available; the two alternators.

Hence I need to simulate such reality in sunny Spain by disconnecting the PV.

My builder claims he never had elec. issues with the installation he installed. But then again, how many have two alternators? How many have even two factory installed batteries with one smart alternator.

And how many are being prepared for long periods without alternative power? The usual Camper user is regularly using PV power plus often shore power so their systems are always fine.

I need to test my system to conditions I might expect in the mountains with sub zero temperatures, stranded in a blizzard and no other power than what my both alternators will give me. (Well, I do bring a portable generator and diesel heater with me. But that is for emergency use only…)

15

Anyway, this morning my leisure battery was discharged up to such level power was down. Since the sun (I switched the PV ‘on’) wasn’t doing too much yet I needed to start the engine to get some energy in the leisure batteries.

My second alternator, directly connected (no battery buffering) to the ‘new’ Orion XS was charging after the ‘kick’ I gave it in temporarily ‘kick’ the revs. It charged at a comfortable 600W until the engine shuts down. So this works fine.

But my primary alternator, also responsible for charging my starter battery, didn’t do anything at all. Although my starter battery only had 12,3 Volts the alternator didn’t charge. Even if I switched on some ventilator anything happened.

Then after rev’ing up the engine slightly, it started to charge its connected Orion, but only with some 90 Watts. Hardly anything…

Only after shutting down the second Orion (600W) this first one was going up to about 200-250Watts. But the voltage on the starter battery still only showed 12,2V now… :frowning:

Only after some 5-10 minutes suddenly the ECU decided the starter battery needed some juice and increase the voltage to 13,6V that after some minutes even became 14V. In the meantime I also saw the Orion connected to it now jumping into 600W charging. (This while the 2nd Orion is still working at 600W).

It seems the ECU is in control of that basic alternator. (Euro6/7 engine requirement?) and only let that alternator work at high potential when it deem fit to do so. And the “deem fit” doesn’t imply the status of the leisure battery!

So, now I need to find out if there is anyway to ‘fool’ the ECU into making the alternator work at capacity the moment the leisure batt’s need it.

16

I hope you’ll read my comments with Karl-Heinz too**.** Maybe you have any further comments or advices? Two, (or three) know more than one. :wink:

17

I have not yet read everything above, but

Sounds like normal smart alternator behaviour to me. Due to the current measurment on the starter battery, the vehicle knows how much energy is missing in the starter battery and how much load is currently on it. So rather than load the cold engine with additional battery charging, the vehicle is just supplied by the battery. After some time (or other variable like coolant temp) the starter battery is then charged again.

I wouldnt, because thats not its primary function. First and foremost its responsible to charge the starter battery, which is measured and controlled by the vehicle controllers. Then its responsible to run the vehicle. Only after that it needs to supply loads, which the Orion XS and the leisure battery are.

Id rather have my fridge shutdown and stay off but still be able to reliably start the vehicle and drive somewhere, than being stranded with a running fridge. But thats just me

18

I recommend a visit at a experienced MAN Dealer for reprogramming the Battery control unit! Say to this guy you also will operate the vehicle in scandinavian winter season!! So make sure, the battery will be full (RV or another special mode so the alternator can deliver full power on request)

The voltage of 12,3 V is typical for the “smart” (meaning battery killing) system. If your Orion is set on this voltage it discharges the starter battery unnecessary.

You need start charging with the High or Low signal “engine running”.

The fused thieves are okay, this is the right choice without messing around with the original cables of the vehicle

19

After reading up a lot more (And AI is definitely a good help, if the questions are carefully fraised… ) I now understand more about the smart alternator and starter battery combination than probably many mechanics occasionally dealing with them.

And indeed several posts and docs (even from Victron) inform that indeed a smart alternator with a starter battery and leisure battery via a DC-DC charger is not always the ideal situation.

So what I decided to do is first connect the ‘H’ switch connectors of both Orions to a D+ line (contact, not running engine) so if the contact is off, at least the Orions are not active and the first Orion won’t drain the starter battery. This is highly recommended in several posts and recommendations found online.

Than I found that the Minus pole on the starter battery actually has a ‘shunt’ with a signal line towards the ECU. According some info in removing the plug of this signal wire the primary alternator runs at full power, which I tested and indeed; the moment the engine runs it jumps to almost 14V on the battery attached voltmeter and also the Orion started to load. After just some minute at full capacity. Thus I can ‘fool’ the ECU.

And as you wrote, it is not really intended to do so! Removing this signal from the shunt has some caveats! The ‘Start-Stop’ system depends on it and according several info it can cause all kinds of alerts of the car electronics. Hence it is not recommended to disconnect it. So I have to think …

I made an solution; I cut one of the wires and put a small switch in-between that I can reach under my seat. Now I can leave the line intact and only in real need, like depleted house battery under harsh condition, I can temporarily switch off that line and force the alternator to work at full. I can then also make it do so when the engine is at working temp not to overload the engine while still cold.

Off course, in the latter situation the ‘battery monitor’ looses its info and has to be ‘reset’. I need to find out how that is done.

(Just two days ago found out that the Victron battery monitor was gone nuts. It showed 75% SOC while the inverter shut down due low voltage! I logged in with a special app to my battery BMS and found the batteries where completely drained. 0% of the nominal capacity left! It was the BMS that actually shut down the battery! The only way to get them back up again was connecting the Multiplus to shore power to charge them up again.

I found that the battery monitor (or “shunt”) is doing nothing more than a calculation of the battery status based upon what went in, and what came out… And since the system has been a mess for weeks now, the info from the “shunt” was obviously completely wrong.

So, after a night of charging and setting the proper alarms and battery specs in the Victron app I synchronized the 100% status when the BMS showed the batteries were full again.

Never new it worked this way, nobody ever told me and I am afraid the installer doesn’t even realize…)

So now I know how to ‘reset’ ('auto reset happens when battery is fully charged for a while without any load and the Victron Cerbo than sets the capacity at 100%) the battery monitor, I suspect the MAN must have some similar kind of ‘resetting’ or synchronizing way to tell the ECU the starter battery is full when it is really full.

A ‘fresh’ start to say so. I only need to find out how. Probably via some kind of OBD2 setting. I happen to have an OBD2 app and diagnosis plug so after finding the proper info I should be able to handle this…

20

We are going to Holland (my nationality) in July and August where I am planning to visit the MAN garage in my previous home region to speak with them about my issues and maybe some change in settings or recommendations.

Here at least I can speak in my native language and have therefore better options to explain what I want and what the issues are.

(To be honest, I live and worked in Spain for 26 years now, but most technicians I met know the absolute minimum and combined with a general chauvinistic ignorance (“here comes another loaded foreigner that knows better than us but doesn’t even speak the language…”) I find it very difficult to get noses pointed in the direction to where I want them. I can understand why, but it makes it harder for me to find solutions. According my Spanish employees my Spanish is pretty good after all these years but still…

I’ll bet in my home country I get better understanding and at least the language is no more an issue… :slight_smile: