Eg4 Lifepower4 battery is ticking on start

[robby]

Ok, good to know, seems like a bad batch of bms then. I'll make a video if it does not get resolved asap. Let us see what they do.

Will this problem is not a Bad batch of BMS units.
It has been happening since DEC 2021 when @Koldsimer got his first set of four and even four could not start his Inverter.
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/s...t-powering-up-with-eg4-lithium-battery.33250/

Over 1080 Posts in that thread and a bunch of people complaining of the same problem.
After that thread you have others that pop up every week or two with new people having the issue.

 

[Solar Guy Richard]

Hey everyone, I'm out of the office until tomorrow but we are working on several fronts to find out what the exact problem is and a solution. I've been working with a few users on some updated firmware and possible fixes. The process for updating etc right now is complicated and so we are working to get a solution and make it as easy as possible for people experiencing this issue.

 

[sten]

Do we have an open ticket with you currently? I would love to get your issue resolved ASAP

@BenFromSignatureSolar Ive been working with @RichardFromEG4 for the last couple months tryng to get it solved.

 

[mmmnnn]

Can you let me know what email address you sent this to? I can't find it anywhere in tech@signaturesolar.com
I have found the order using your order number but I don't have any emails from the address you used when you purchased the product.

I would love to be able to trouble shoot this with you asap. I will try calling you at the phone number you provided with your order.

Sent to support@signaturesolar.com and they confirmed it was forwarded to tech waiting for your call

 

[Lilikoi_Heavy_Industries]

Hey everyone, I'm out of the office until tomorrow but we are working on several fronts to find out what the exact problem is and a solution. I've been working with a few users on some updated firmware and possible fixes. The process for updating etc right now is complicated and so we are working to get a solution and make it as easy as possible for people experiencing this issue.

If you have changes to firmware, what are the changes being made? Are you finally tuning the BMS to allow more inrush current? The funny thing to me about this thread is all these issues were known on the site before any of these people ordered, I was very concerned I would hit issues the entire time between requesting that they be ordered an showing up at my house. It was a lot of months ago.

I'd like to be able to use my two lifepower4 with a Victron 5000VA eventually and it sounds like someone is already testing that here! I wonder if it's wired correctly for current sharing???

My MultiII 48/3000 starts great on a single battery when I test it that way, same with reliable wzrelb 48/3000. Just lucky I was building a smaller system and had more modest expectations for current handling it sounds like.

 

[Kornbread]

Will this problem is not a Bad batch of BMS units.
It has been happening since DEC 2021 when @Koldsimer got his first set of four and even four could not start his Inverter.
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/s...t-powering-up-with-eg4-lithium-battery.33250/

Over 1080 Posts in that thread and a bunch of people complaining of the same problem.
After that thread you have others that pop up every week or two with new people having the issue.

@robby Do you think this forum represents a fair sampling for the broader purchasing public of the eg4 battery? These eg4 battery threads are popping up with some regularity, and like others, your praise @Will Prowse is what steered many into the purchase. For what it's worth, knock on wood, I have no issues with my eg4, but have to wonder if the manufacturer has made some unannounced improvements to the bms.

" ... SOK, orient power, eg4, trophy, energetech and jakiper all use the same parts (update: EG4 has their own bms). I see a lot more complaints about eg4 because they sell 10X more than all of them combined (at least from my stats on the affiliate links), so I expect them to have more complaints. ...".

 

[Will Prowse]

@robby Do you think this forum represents a fair sampling for the broader purchasing public of the eg4 battery? These eg4 battery threads are popping up with some regularity, and like others, your praise @Will Prowse is what steered many into the purchase. For what it's worth, knock on wood, I have no issues with my eg4, but have to wonder if the manufacturer has made some unannounced improvements to the bms.

The only issues I'm hearing about eg4 are on this forum. I'm getting zero emails about these issues. Despite getting numerous emails on renogy and others. If someone has an issue, they seem to come straight here.

I'm trying to figure out if it's a bad batch but I just got off the phone with signature solar and it doesn't seem to be the case. My good friend just ordered 5 so I'll check those out and test them when I see them. It's hard to differentiate from user error. Something I learned from running this forum and my channel is that I can't rush to conclusions. So I'm seeing what action signature solar will take given the evidence.

 

[Will Prowse]

Can someone post a video of these batteries not connected to anything at all, and causing the error, clicking and disconnect? And post it here?

 

[sten]

@Will Prowse I just had a session on the phone with the lead tech guy at Signature Solar and we tested the battery inputs on the inverter. They have continuity and according to him they should not so something went bad for me (it seems) in the inverter and not the battery. They're gonna ship me a new 6.5k EG4 inverter and hopefully that gets my system back up and runnign again!

 

[mmmnnn]

Can someone post a video of these batteries not connected to anything at all, and causing the error, clicking and disconnect? And post it here?

Battery straight to victron 3000VA multiplus, no bussbar or fuse
on battery turn on, clicks to precharge the capacitors (i guess). Then when turning on the victron inverter, battary dies.

[UPDATE] Battery doesn't click or alert when turned on without any cable connected. however i tried that in the previous video when it was connected to the main switch.

https://imgur.com/a/ngblv0B

 

[goldserve]

Just to add to this, I wasn’t sure this was normal or not with my recently bought two eg4 lifepower4 and Outback skybox inverter. I have to hold down reset, put one unit into precharge mode but it also clicks but doesn’t alarm or error out. After this, I can turn on my second battery in parallel and it works normally. The clicking is due to relays and constant retries? How is the precharge supposed to work then? I guess I missed that video.

 

[robby]

@Will Prowse the is a direct link to @Koldsimer video from 6 months ago:
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/s...eg4-lithium-battery.33250/page-21#post-439449

 

[robby]

@robby Do you think this forum represents a fair sampling for the broader purchasing public of the eg4 battery? These eg4 battery threads are popping up with some regularity, and like others, your praise @Will Prowse is what steered many into the purchase. For what it's worth, knock on wood, I have no issues with my eg4, but have to wonder if the manufacturer has made some unannounced improvements to the bms.

I would doubt that most people who put up solar systems know about this forum. You really have to be doing it from the Hobby side of things to go into it at this kind of depth.

For example the Dealer I bought my Sol-Ark 12K from told me that he had bought 40 of the EG4 batteries and he installed them on Job sites. I would assume that his customers just wanted Solar and have no clue about the brands of batteries. I did notice that he no longer has any EG4's on display, it might be he ran out of stock or maybe he had an issue.

 

[mmmnnn]

@Will Prowse the is a direct link to @Koldsimer video from 6 months ago:
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/s...eg4-lithium-battery.33250/page-21#post-439449

so if he does the same thing @ night where no charge controller power, he's out of luck? P.S. up to last Tuesday, his issue hasn't been resolved and been given the run around from signature solar (check page 54 of that Thread) since he posted in Feb!! Wish i did see that before i bought from them!

 

[robby]

so if he does the same thing @ night where no charge controller power, he's out of luck? P.S. up to last Tuesday, his issue hasn't been resolved and been given the run around from signature solar (check page 50 of that Thread) since he posted in Feb!! Wish i did see that before i bought from them!

I think he used an old set of lead acid batteries to start the Inverter at night.
They certainly had him hooping on one foot while rubbing his tummy for several months. Then when the forum pressure started to hit them they offered to exchange them for EG4LL Batteries. He was lucky in that he was only a 2 hour drive from their warehouse, if not he would have had to pay shipping both way for all four batteries.

 

[mmmnnn]

I think he used an old set of lead acid batteries to start the Inverter at night.
They certainly had him hooping on one foot while rubbing his tummy for several months. Then when the forum pressure started to hit them they offered to exchange them for EG4LL Batteries. He was lucky in that he was only a 2 hour drive from their warehouse, if not he would have had to pay shipping both way for all four batteries.

That’s terrible! @Will Prowse skimming thru the referenced thread, this issue has been going on and e4g been keeping low profile about it. Please go thru few of the 50 pages of that thread, and you will understand it’s not just couple of bad luck customers, and e4g was active there with no resolution other than a hack.

They need to issue a recall!

“This is not new, they have been aware of it for 6 months!”.

 

[Shimmy]

They need to issue a recall!

What they need to do is update the BMS firmware with sufficient options to address the issue, and do a better job of communicating the minimum recommended number of units for different inverter models. The hardware itself should be able to do the job, but timing of the pre-charge resistor needs to be modified. In some cases, they likely need to be able to coordinate a power-up sequence across multiple units to coordinate contactors, which could be trickier.

 

[mmmnnn]

What they need to do is update the BMS firmware with sufficient options to address the issue, and do a better job of communicating the minimum recommended number of units for different inverter models. The hardware itself should be able to do the job, but timing of the pre-charge resistor needs to be modified. In some cases, they likely need to be able to coordinate a power-up sequence across multiple units to coordinate contactors, which could be trickier.

Seems to me the issue is not fixable via software. Remember, not everybody is facing this issue, and it’s been 6 months, and I assume they are all running the latest firmware. In my case and the OP we are using a single eg4 battery and it is not able to handle any kind of inrush current of pre charging the capacitor (the bms ticks during that) then when the inverters turns on (the battery shuts down)

If it’s software related then why is not everybody complaining about this?

In my Case I bought 2 batteries, and I’m testing them individually with the same failed outcome

Very possible eg bms supplier screwed eg4 in a batch of defictive BMS

I’ve noticed that in one post eg4 support oked changing the BMS but the customer and still keeping the warranty!
Post in thread 'Eg4 Lifepower4 battery is ticking on start'
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/eg4-lifepower4-battery-is-ticking-on-start.41681/post-531900

They have been aware of the issue, and remember, so far no body reported the issue has been resolved. All are hacks by using a starter battery or solar charger to handle rush current

 

[goldserve]

According to this, the clicking is normal and I’ve been starting the battery the wrong way. You are supposed to use the circuit breaker and not the reset to engage the precharge?

 

[Will Prowse]

I'm still waiting for a video of this issue occuring when the battery is not connected to anything. Till someone posts that, I don't see an issue here. Those are super sensitive to inrush, just like all other server rack packs. Can someone please post a video of this issue when cables are not connected to the pack.