Solar indicator not showing on panel above door

[U.Toadifact]

I have a 2017 Autocruise Select 122 PVC. The electrics have been working fine until today when I noticed the solar charging indicator was not showing on the control panel above the sliding door. The solar regulator has a permanently lit red led and the green led is flashing. The charging switch is on on the main control panel.

The panel above the sliding door says my leisure battery is fair at 12.6 volts and the vehicle battery good at 12.7 volts. It shows there is no current flowing to the selected leisure battery.

We are expecting to do our first off gid trip soon. Can anyone point me to a fix please?

 

[I2C]

Don't know what regulator you have but have you checked any fuses it has connected in the circuit. Also, I'd check with a multimeter the voltage from the solar panels going in to the charger controller and going out to check the panels are okay and if the controller is working. Appologies if you've already done that.

 

[U.Toadifact]

The solar regulator lights are now both out so I assume that is because it is getting dark. I may check further in the morning. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Robb]

I had a similar problem with my Sargent solar system last week. The sun symbol vanished on the control panel and the solar controller only showed one flashing green led. I ordered a new 150w solar controller from Sargent over the weekend which cost £48 and fitted it yesterday, which then restored normal service Probably a waste of money as I have a new Victron MPPT 100/30 controller to install, but I need time to get some new panels installed before wiring that up.

 

[U.Toadifact]

As it has been so sunny for a few days, and I am aware the regulator shuts off when the battery is fully charged, I am wondering whether when this happens the sun symbol goes out on the control panel?

I am leaving a single led light on through the night to reduce the battery charge and see if the sun symbol returns.

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[Robb]

Since replacing my solar controller I've been on hook up with both batteries fully charged and every time I look now (during the day) I see the sun symbol?

 

[U.Toadifact]

And ... relax!

I left a reading light on all night and when I checked this morning all is well with the sun symbol beaming merrily. I just wish the mysterious workings of this system were documented in detail somewhere. The handbooks are next to useless.

Thanks again to all who responded.

 

[seanwinder22]

I had a similar problem with my Sargent solar system last week. The sun symbol vanished on the control panel and the solar controller only showed one flashing green led. I ordered a new 150w solar controller from Sargent over the weekend which cost £48 and fitted it yesterday, which then restored normal service Probably a waste of money as I have a new Victron MPPT 100/30 controller to install, but I need time to get some new panels installed before wiring that up.

Sorry to bring this back up buddy I’ve just dropped on this thread did you ever fit the mppt bypassing the Sargent regulator? I’m just wanting to know if fitting the mppt you lost the solar icon on the control panel above the door

 

[Robb]

Hello Sean,

A lot of solar over the bridge since that comment! I ended up bypassing the Sargent system and wired the 3 x 100w panels direct to the battery which worked well apart from the loss of vehicle battery charge, which wasn't a problem for me at the time and I did lose all the control panel data, but I had it all on the Victron app.

With the new van I've tried to keep things standard so I can revert when the time comes to sell. I've fitted 525 watts of independent panels for an Ecoflow power kit and an additional 100 watt panel for the Sargent system. Swift had wired 2 x 100 watt panels in the standard system, I added a third 100 watt panel and replaced the mppt for a Victron unit which works well with the Sargent system apart from having to replace an internal Sargent system fuse from 10 to 20 amp. So far all the control panel indications are normal and I hope they stay that way!

Regards Rob

 

[seanwinder22]

Hello Sean,

A lot of solar over the bridge since that comment! I ended up bypassing the Sargent system and wired the 3 x 100w panels direct to the battery which worked well apart from the loss of vehicle battery charge, which wasn't a problem for me at the time and I did lose all the control panel data, but I had it all on the Victron app.

With the new van I've tried to keep things standard so I can revert when the time comes to sell. I've fitted 525 watts of independent panels for an Ecoflow power kit and an additional 100 watt panel for the Sargent system. Swift had wired 2 x 100 watt panels in the standard system, I added a third 100 watt panel and replaced the mppt for a Victron unit which works well with the Sargent system apart from having to replace an internal Sargent system fuse from 10 to 20 amp. So far all the control panel indications are normal and I hope they stay that way!

Regards Rob

Thanks buddy
Yes I’ve done the same putting in extra solar and the mppt
But apparently bypassing the Sargent or in my case nord ne221 which apparently work together with solar or mains running to the panel
The icons showing on the panel are a signal feed for each system
Instead of going to the battery from the mppt I’m getting told I should have gone to the b1 & b2 terminal on the back of the fuse panel and like you mentioned changed fuse from 10 to 20 amp
You then get the icon showing which the system then works as it was built to
I probably haven’t worded it right what I read but the Sargent or nordelectronica was designed like this to monitor all charge coming in
I may try take a wire from the mppt positive output over the terminal b2 which is the leisure terminal on the fuse panel to ack like a D+signal to the control panel
Maybe if then picks up it’s taking charge for solar
Which all work for ehu & solar

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