Customer's system not charging without a change

[llubi (Albert Llobet)]

Hi all!

System description:

Multiplus 12/3000/120-16
Cerbo GX Mk2
3 x Smart Lithium 12V/200Ah
Ve.Bus BMS V2
SmartShunt 300A
Smart Solar 100/30
Smart Solar 75/15

All firmwares updated
Multiplus config. file checked and all OK

System was installed in a campervan last November, since then, it worked perfectly.

Yesterday customer went to a Campsite to charge batteries, because he was at 20% (12.6V). Multiplus showed Bulk Charging, but it only charges at 0.5 Amps.
Customer reseted system (turning off Multiplus by the phisical button and also disconnecting 12V mains)
Nothing changed.
Customer bought another 220V cable and changed spot at the campsite to test if the Schuko was failing, nothing changed.

He then called us at workshop, and we checked everything via VRM & FaceTime.

All 3 batteries (Victron Connect) show “Ready for use”
Both fuses (12V between batteries and multiplus checked)
Batteries temperature over 9ºC, configured to charge over 5ºC
Reseted Ve.BUS multiple times
Turned ON and OFF DVCC, nothing changed
Multiplus shows BMS capability to charge and discharge
Ve.Bus BMS shows both blue lights
Turned On & OFF BMS, nothing changed
Connected a hair dryer when connected to shore, works OK, 7.5A in and 7.8A out (220V)
Connected again without shore, works OK, BUT, voltage OUT goes from 220V to 256V. If then changed from Inverser to Charger Only, shows bulk+absorption+float and then goes to bulk at 0.5A
Shore current set to 3, 6, 10 & 16 Amps, nothing changed
DVCC current limiter set to 60A, nothing changed
DVCC voltage limiter set to 14,2V, nothing changed

So, everything we thinked of is tested and OK, and it always charge at 0.5A.
Shore is 228V and 50.1Hz.

Any ideas what can be happening? We never had an issue like this, and I guess multiplus is fried

Thanks!

Albert.

[pwfarnell]

Have you recently carried out a remote firmware update Via VRM on the Multiplus. If this is not done right the charger settings are set to sage values of 12V absorption and float. We have had a spate of people doing this incorrectly recently.

Extract from the manual.

After the firmware update is completed, the inverter is switched on again. The settings will have been reset to their defaults. And, to prevent overcharging, all charge voltages have been set to the nominal battery voltage, being 12V, 24V or 48V. This effectively disables the charger.

This leaves the charger settings as below.

Read the instructions at.

Remote VE.Bus firmware updates [Victron Energy]

You need VE Configure running on Windows. During the update via VRM the settings are downloaded automatically. The downloaded file
Then needs to be opened in VE Configure, converted, checked and reuploaded.

[llubi (Albert Llobet)]

Yes, first I checked, nothing updated on the multi, just MPPT and Cerbo.

Downloaded the file, checked and everything OK, it shows lithium battery type, BMS controlled,… just in case I updated again, but is still charging at 0.5A

[llubi (Albert Llobet)]

Some pictures attached to first post, 2 more here as I can’t put more than 5 in the first post (it looks like we lost all the posts on the old system)

[water_rat (klim8skeptic)]

What temperature do the batteries report via Victron Connect?

[llubi (Albert Llobet)]

13°C, higher than VRM. And both higher than setup temp to not charge

[Ludo]

So lange die installierte Ladeleistung kleiner ist als das was die Batterie verträgt macht die vernetzung über Cerbo m.E. mehr Ärger als nutzen.

[llubi (Albert Llobet)]

Been workijng with Victron Systems since 2019 and never had a problem with the Cerbo, it has a lot of useful features, and we need them

[Ludo]

Now I’m wondering why you’re having these problems if you have 5 years experience?

Cerbo is nice to have, but in your case totally unnecessary for charger management.

So disable these functions, let the chargers run independently and relax.

[llubi (Albert Llobet)]

Thank you Ludo, I’ll update you if the Multiplus is gone.