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Bricked brand new EG4 3kW 3000EHV-48 (Warning Code 19)

hashwagon

hashwagon

New Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2023
Messages
3
Location
Utah
Hello,

I have an EG4 3kW 3000EHV-48 (version 2) and two EG4-LifePower4 48 volt batteries which have been running as a system flawlessly for a few weeks as I prepare for a solar panel array install. Last week, out of nowhere, my 3kW inverter began beeping with a warning code 19 which is described as a Lithium battery communication failure. When I first set up this system I had this warning until I re-configured the battery DIP switches correctly. And since then the last that I touched anything on the system was weeks ago. I began troubleshooting, re-plugging in the communication cable, power cycling, power-draining, updating the firmware, replacing the communication cable with no luck resolving warning code 19.

After attempting to reach out to Signature Solar support for several days I am convinced that they either do not have a support team, their support team hates me, or that they are what I would personally call understaffed, which is a shame. Being that my livelihood relies on this equipment's functionality I decided that I'm going to push on and continue troubleshooting myself. Once the EG4 3kW is powered on it does not provide AC output (or at least mine doesn't) due to the warning code. I found that if I switch Setting 5 to AGM and then back to Lithium 4 (EG4) that AC output power returns. This is at least getting me by as I was waiting for Signature Solar support.

Now it's dead—today when I turn the 3000EHV-48 on I heard fans spinning and the LCD screen remains black and I have zero AC output. This same behavior exists with battery input and/or AC 120 input.

Signature Solar Support Experience
  • I called Signature Solar Support on 4/19 waited in queue for a total of almost two hours
  • Pressed the option to call me back
  • Decided to send an email just after midnight 4/20
  • Response received: "Thanks for choosing Signature Solar. [...] We have received your email and forwarded your questions to the appropriate department. All emails are answered in the same order they are received."
  • Today I called Signature Solar support waiting 20 minutes while being on hold only to be disconnected (or hung up on)
  • It's been 5 business days and I haven't received my call back while not having received an actual email response
  • Am I being impatient or is 5 business days too long to have to wait for any kind of technical support, especially that myself and many other's livelihood depends on this equipment?
Final Thoughts
I love the LifePower4 batteries but now I'm having doubts about the 3000EVH-48—especially that I'm not getting support. I feel that I've reached an impasse: should I continue waiting for Signature Solar's support (and maybe get a replacement in the next several months), should I order another 3000EHV-48 and hope I have better luck (maybe when Signature Solar's support catches up they can help pro-rate or refund my original?), or should I go with a Victron product?

Has anyone else had a similar problem with the 3000EHV-48 or with Signature Solar's support teams?
 
My EG4 6000 is running on User setting for battery type, is this possible on your inverter? That seems to be the consensus of the only way to get them to work.
 
Due to the amount of pressure I have to get the system back up and running I ordered another 3000EHV-48, I can't wait any longer.
JoeHam said:
Why not simplify your life and run without battery communications next time you have it up and running ?

Thats been my choice for a decade now.
Click to expand...
I'll seriously consider running without the battery communications this time around. Thank you.
SolarScott said:
My EG4 6000 is running on User setting for battery type, is this possible on your inverter? That seems to be the consensus of the only way to get them to work.
Click to expand...
It appears that there's a User-defined option available. Thank you.
 
Similar to your support experience, I placed a call on Saturday and requested a call back. I assume that their system for call backs just doesn't work or they give up when the stack gets too deep because I never received a call back after several days. I did end up calling back during the week and spoke to tech support but the person on the end of the line would put me on mute for extended periods. I finally figured out the he was asking another person standing near him for the answers. He was obviously green and a trainer was walking him through it.

Sadly the responses I got from their support were weak at best and I'm still without answers for my problem.

I wish you luck with their support system.
 
Sorry. We hear this story a lot. Hope the company reps join the thread.

I’d look for another vendor. Some good discussions here regarding reputable sellers.
 
hashwagon said:
Hello,

I have an EG4 3kW 3000EHV-48 (version 2) and two EG4-LifePower4 48 volt batteries which have been running as a system flawlessly for a few weeks as I prepare for a solar panel array install. Last week, out of nowhere, my 3kW inverter began beeping with a warning code 19 which is described as a Lithium battery communication failure. When I first set up this system I had this warning until I re-configured the battery DIP switches correctly. And since then the last that I touched anything on the system was weeks ago. I began troubleshooting, re-plugging in the communication cable, power cycling, power-draining, updating the firmware, replacing the communication cable with no luck resolving warning code 19.

After attempting to reach out to Signature Solar support for several days I am convinced that they either do not have a support team, their support team hates me, or that they are what I would personally call understaffed, which is a shame. Being that my livelihood relies on this equipment's functionality I decided that I'm going to push on and continue troubleshooting myself. Once the EG4 3kW is powered on it does not provide AC output (or at least mine doesn't) due to the warning code. I found that if I switch Setting 5 to AGM and then back to Lithium 4 (EG4) that AC output power returns. This is at least getting me by as I was waiting for Signature Solar support.

Now it's dead—today when I turn the 3000EHV-48 on I heard fans spinning and the LCD screen remains black and I have zero AC output. This same behavior exists with battery input and/or AC 120 input.

Signature Solar Support Experience
  • I called Signature Solar Support on 4/19 waited in queue for a total of almost two hours
  • Pressed the option to call me back
  • Decided to send an email just after midnight 4/20
  • Response received: "Thanks for choosing Signature Solar. [...] We have received your email and forwarded your questions to the appropriate department. All emails are answered in the same order they are received."
  • Today I called Signature Solar support waiting 20 minutes while being on hold only to be disconnected (or hung up on)
  • It's been 5 business days and I haven't received my call back while not having received an actual email response
  • Am I being impatient or is 5 business days too long to have to wait for any kind of technical support, especially that myself and many other's livelihood depends on this equipment?
Final Thoughts
I love the LifePower4 batteries but now I'm having doubts about the 3000EVH-48—especially that I'm not getting support. I feel that I've reached an impasse: should I continue waiting for Signature Solar's support (and maybe get a replacement in the next several months), should I order another 3000EHV-48 and hope I have better luck (maybe when Signature Solar's support catches up they can help pro-rate or refund my original?), or should I go with a Victron product?

Has anyone else had a similar problem with the 3000EHV-48 or with Signature Solar's support teams?
Click to expand...
Could you DM me your email address? I can help you out with this
 
Go into the inverter settings to 05 and change that setting to user-defined, then scroll through to setting 26 and set that to 56.4 then go to 27 and set that to54 and then re start your system.
 
hashwagon said:
Due to the amount of pressure I have to get the system back up and running I ordered another 3000EHV-48, I can't wait any longer.

I'll seriously consider running without the battery communications this time around. Thank you.

It appears that there's a User-defined option available. Thank you.
Click to expand...
the ration of demand to supply his high this week, looking at it as we grow, maybe everyone is uncracking their gear as the weather gets better?

the phone switchboard is literally on a TV in my office
 
I think SS is able to turn around and ship sales units. That's how you bring revenue in.

You could set up a system where customers could request swapping of problematic units on-line. Put up credit card as deposit to guarantee return of old one. Ship customer a new/used/refurb unit with pre-paid shipping label to return their existing one.

In this way you can provide service turn-around as fast as sales turn-around.
If you have the manpower, you can try picking up the phone and providing support instead. But if you can't do that, customer gets a replacement in the mail within 24 hours.

Try that, and maybe more customers will be singing your praises.

Sure, it's expensive if you have to ship a new unit. That's your problem. Provide support and you don't have to do that. Build up an inventory of return units you've fixed or determined work without the reported problem showing up, and you can ship those instead.

Throw money at the problem. It is easier than finding and hiring more good people. When things slow down you can turn your attention to the bone pile and try fixing them.
 
Hedges said:
I think SS is able to turn around and ship sales units. That's how you bring revenue in.

You could set up a system where customers could request swapping of problematic units on-line. Put up credit card as deposit to guarantee return of old one. Ship customer a new/used/refurb unit with pre-paid shipping label to return their existing one.

In this way you can provide service turn-around as fast as sales turn-around.
If you have the manpower, you can try picking up the phone and providing support instead. But if you can't do that, customer gets a replacement in the mail within 24 hours.

Try that, and maybe more customers will be singing your praises.

Sure, it's expensive if you have to ship a new unit. That's your problem. Provide support and you don't have to do that. Build up an inventory of return units you've fixed or determined work without the reported problem showing up, and you can ship those instead.

Throw money at the problem. It is easier than finding and hiring more good people. When things slow down you can turn your attention to the bone pile and try fixing them.
Click to expand...
the thing with the base equipment is that you can easily just be giving insanity a 2nd and 3rd rodeo. substituting units for real troubleshooting is also not perfect. we will take your approach with the upcoming 18k though provided they are web connected (will even offer cell modems)
 
Remote support is useful, and something you can do on your own schedule without customer sitting on the phone.

But the crux of my suggestion is to put power in the hands of your customers. Give them the option of ordering replacement unit on-line, and if you don't otherwise fix their problem within 24 hours (that's in your hands), you simply ship a replacement.

This is just a web ordering function, which you can have coded and apply to all models you currently stock.
You could also implement "return for refund", which would let customer print a postage-paid return label, with perhaps 7 day delay for you to address their problem (put up or shut up and give 100% money back.)

In both cases you have the option of providing the manpower to address customer issues instead of doing exchange/refund. But likely after comparing costs you will decide people cost more, let a portion of the on-line requests be fulfilled. Automated triage based on customer's on-line description of issue could optimize your response, something to decide on after analyzing the bone pile. Again, quick retest and liquidation of used units may win out over other approaches. After all, you've put the incidence rate in the 1% range.
 
Hedges said:
Remote support is useful, and something you can do on your own schedule without customer sitting on the phone.

But the crux of my suggestion is to put power in the hands of your customers. Give them the option of ordering replacement unit on-line, and if you don't otherwise fix their problem within 24 hours (that's in your hands), you simply ship a replacement.

This is just a web ordering function, which you can have coded and apply to all models you currently stock.
You could also implement "return for refund", which would let customer print a postage-paid return label, with perhaps 7 day delay for you to address their problem (put up or shut up and give 100% money back.)

In both cases you have the option of providing the manpower to address customer issues instead of doing exchange/refund. But likely after comparing costs you will decide people cost more, let a portion of the on-line requests be fulfilled. Automated triage based on customer's on-line description of issue could optimize your response, something to decide on after analyzing the bone pile. Again, quick retest and liquidation of used units may win out over other approaches. After all, you've put the incidence rate in the 1% range.
Click to expand...
batteries are under 0.1% in actual failures, we literally have only 25 out of over 50000 sold lol. they just have major shipping costs, if somebody thinks their unbalanced stack or messed up dip switched in closed loop comms is "defective" then that turns into a total morass
Inverters would probably be over 30% of people thinking their unit is defective, most of those cases are just misuse misconfig (something that remote helps with tremendously)

The key Lose-lose that has to be controlled is unneeded returns of good equipment, a major waste of time and money for both parties. when the lower-end units have over 100 variables and the skill level of the user is questionable and we have no remote access we have to get the wiring pictures form filled out by the customer and reviewed. this form gets us a lot of pushback because people expect genius bar speed support but the thing is that without data we are fixing the problem the customer thinks they have vs. the one they actually have. the outcome is an even higher level of anger as they blame the 3 replacement units on us not knowing what the problem was overall while being unwilling to share pictures and data with us

remote monitoring and control is coming retroactively for all models we will be able to assure faster turnaround if people use the feature when we go live.
 
This forum is an excellent way to get a positive outcome from SS. I don't think I would waste 2 hours of my time on the phone trying to get an inexperienced tech. A better approach would be to just describe what is not working on your equipment and then just reference:

@SignatureSolarJames or @SignatureSolarTech or @signaturesolarHelpUs

Then you will get your problem resolved.
 
WindWizard said:
This forum is an excellent way to get a positive outcome from SS. I don't think I would waste 2 hours of my time on the phone trying to get an inexperienced tech. A better approach would be to just describe what is not working on your equipment and then just reference:

@SignatureSolarJames or @SignatureSolarTech or @signaturesolarHelpUs

Then you will get your problem resolved.
Click to expand...
Or half the folks here will share what you did wrong LOL
The way the business works is that people want to call up and have their hand held for things that are technically in the manual, heck, even I would call up tech support by default when I was first learning to install
 
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