Victron Multi 3000 US Not Working Anymore

[roetter]

I have a Victron Multi 3000 for 12V- 120A charger - 120V (US version) with remote control panel. When I installed it it would not provide much power. Over about 1000w it would quickly go into over temperature. A Victron service person in Palma found that the fan connector had come off the circuit board. Can happen with shipping it around the world.

The Multi then worked fine. I re-programmed it - using the DIP switches - to default to 50 Hz. I have a mixed 120V and 220V boat system with a Victron Auto transformer. I needed 50 Hz as my European washing machine water pump did not like 60 Hz. The programming worked fine with all the lights doing the right things.

2 months later I discover that the default setting for the charger is set to 75% of its rated amps. So instead of providing up to 120A charge it stops at 90A. My bank is 840Ah lead-acid and can absorb more. On occasion I have used also the standard Cristec chargers on my boat in parallel and saw over 150A absorbed.

When I went through the DIP switch programming again, it started out strange. As I set the switches, without doing anything else, the LEDs would come on and go food in random order. When I then switched the UP button to set the new charge parameters nothing happened. I.e the appropriate LEDs did not come on. I tried this several times.

I then had the Victron guy in Palma try it and it did the same thing. Next day he came with the VE-config software and the PC adaptor (actually 2 slightly different ones). He tried programming using the VE-config software but it never made a connection to the Multi. Even tried it with my laptop and another network cable.

After this whole process the charger stopped working altogether.
So now I have a Multi that is 8 months old, that does not charge and will not drive my washing machine.

Victron thinks the circuit board needs replacing, but it is not made anymore. Now they offer me to sell me a new Multi at a 'special' price.


Any idea what I could try to make this Multi work again?

[btrayfors]

Ask Victron if they think replacing the EPROM might make a difference.

I replaced one in my older MultiPlus 2500/120 several years ago...not because the unit didn't work, but for another reason. Anyway, sounds like you might have a firmware problem and maybe a new EPROM could help.

Bill

[sailinglegend]

Try the master reset and get everything back to their default settings. You could have set the charger to off with the dip switches by mistake.

[Dockhead]

Sell you a new Multiplus?? That seems odd -- Victron gear is guaranteed for two years I think. They should swap it out for free.

I have a lot of Victron gear and have had a lot of trouble with it. Complete failure of an isolation transformer, complete failure of an inverter control panel. I love it when it works, however.

[skipmac]

I have a Victron Multiplus inverter/charger and had a similar problem trying to program it with the DIP switches. I spent a few weeks and a dozen or so emails back and forth with the US tech support manager. I was never able to get the charger voltage to go over 13.5V. Finally bought the interface and downloaded VE Config software which fortunately worked for me.

The quality of construction of their products is beautiful but so far I have not been too impressed with some of the functionality.

I think I would push a little more on the warranty support.

[colemj]

They are no longer making circuit boards for an 8 month old inverter? I don't think they have changed models recently. Also, 8 months is well within their warranty period.

Like others, I have also had problems setting this unit up using the DIP switches. We have the Blue Power Panel that provides complete remote control and programming for the unit. That works very well and is much more intuitive than the DIP switches.

I wonder about Victron's quality control lately. We ordered the same unit as yours a year ago and it came with a bent and damaged case. The retail packing box was pristine and the unit was well-packed in poured foam and foam bracing, so the unit was obviously damaged in the factory, packed up anyway and sold. Opening up the case to inspect for any real damage, I found most of the screws holding down the circuit boards to be half loose and several were missing altogether. One board was never connected up at all. When these were corrected and the unit installed, the unit made a horrible buzzing and high pitched whine (seemingly from the toroids) and would randomly shut itself down, or revert to default programming.

Victron paid for returning it from Panama and air shipping in a new unit, so they were very good on that end. I just wonder how that previous unit got out of production in the shape it was in - I can't imagine any way that the state it was in occurred post-production. Our new one works as it should now.

Mark