solar not charging

[mthom]

I recently purchased a 2023 elite 2 with lithium premium package. My viltron app says the panels are delivering 0 watts. My batteries are slowly draining as I have nothing powered. The red on/off switch is on. I've read the the panels have to be developing 5 volts more than the current battery state for the charge to start? I'm wondering if some setting is wrong on the charge controller or battery settings that is not allowing charge

 

[Rolind]

I seem to remember that the panel voltage needs to exceed the battery voltage before the solar charge controller will begin to deliver charge to the batteries. 
Also, once the batteries are fully charged, the solar charge controller will stop delivering charge to the batteries until the the battery voltage drops to a certain point.  I do not remember this voltage.

If the batteries are fully charged, and the solar panels are under sunlight, placing a load on the batteries should cause the charge controller to send charge to the batteries.

I would place the trailer in the sun, turn on a load, maybe the inverter, and see what happens when you do. Make sure you are using the Victron phone app connected to the charge controller to monitor amps delivered to the batteries.

 Hope this helps, we absolutely love our LE2.

 

Edited July 9 by Rolind

[mthom]

Thanks for the reply. No charge under load

[Steph and Dud B]

Put in a service ticket with Oliver or call Oliver service. I believe there are breakers or fuses for the panels, but I can't remember where they are. It could also be an incorrect setting. Oliver should be able to help you sort it out.

(Also, please let us know what it was after you get it fixed, for future reference.)

[mthom]

Oliver service couldn't help. I'm taking it to laical rv shop for assistance. I keep thinking its gotta be something simple but no luck

[jd1923]

Do your batteries charge on shore power?

What brand solar charger? What does the SC panel read vs. the Victron app?

Besides the SC ON/OFF switch, there should be a dedicated breaker. Did you check that?

Edited July 9 by jd1923
Added last sentence.

[mthom]

Oliver says there is no other breaker in my model year. Checked the fuse on panels not blown.

[rich.dev]

22 minutes ago, mthom said:

Oliver says there is no other breaker in my model year. Checked the fuse on panels not blown.

What is your hull#? We also have a 2023 (Hull# 1386) and unless the previous owner made changes there should be a breaker panel under the street side bed. Here's a pic of it, check the 2 breakers and the fuse under the red cap below "SOLAR (50A, TYPE 2"). As you can see our inverter breaker is in the off position.

[mthom]

Yes I saw this. wasn't sure it was a breaker. How do you reset it?

 

[mthom]

Fuse under red cap I assume

[Steph and Dud B]

43 minutes ago, mthom said:

wasn't sure it was a breaker. How do you reset it?

Yes, that looks like a circuit breaker. Some of those are manual reset, some are auto reset. Look/feel for a small reset button on one side of the breaker, similar to this photo.

Very surprised Oliver Service didn't tell you about this.

Edited Wednesday at 04:10 PM by Steph and Dud B
Added photo.

[Frank C]

49 minutes ago, mthom said:

Fuse under red cap I assume

Make sure the red lever on the Optifuse resettable breaker is pushed inwards (see arrow on picture).  The Optifuse breaker on the left shown in the photo is in the open state when the lever is popped out like that. The Optifuse on the right is closed.  The red rubber covers on the outer two items are just contact covers on the other self resetting breakers. The Optifuse breakers can manually opened by pressing the little red button on them (which will make the red lever pop out), and then pushing the red lever back in to reset.

And this is my first post in a long while since we sold our Ollie. A sad day when it was towed away, but it went to a good new owner.   We’ve moved on to other travel plans now.  But I still lurk here on the forums occasionally 🙂  

Edited Wednesday at 04:20 PM by Frank C

[Steph and Dud B]

3 minutes ago, Frank C said:

Make sure the red lever on the Optifuse resettable breaker is pushed inwards

Correct, but based on the labels, the solar breaker is the red one in the left.

@mthom: if there's no reset button on the red breaker on the left, try turning your solar panels off for a few seconds using the red switch above the bed, then turn them back on in an attempt to reset an auto-reset breaker.

[Boudicca908]

On 7/9/2024 at 8:41 AM, mthom said:

The red on/off switch is on.

Are the batteries on? On my 2022 each of 3 LiFePo batteries has a button on the top to turn it on.

[mthom]

Thanks for all your replies. None of the breakers are tripped, I took the red cover off the solar connection on the left, saw there was no fuse, made sure connections were tight. The batteries are delivering a charge. Frustrating, but I'm learning some things