Eg4 Lifepower4 replacement BMS.

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

Anyone know what a new one costs? I’m an idiot and let out the magic smoke on a couple of mine.
And WOW! The magic stinks bad.

Dave.

 

[shopman]

When they sent me one for a warranty exchange, the paperwork stated a dollar value of $125 for the BMS.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

When they sent me one for a warranty exchange, the paperwork stated a dollar value of $125 for the BMS.

That sounds like an appropriate punishment for my stupidity.

Hard to replace? I’m searching for videos now.

 

[Zapper77]

That sounds like an appropriate punishment for my stupidity.

Hard to replace? I’m searching for videos now.

Easy to replace. A few plugs with hot glue can be annoying. 30 minutes per battery.

 

[Zapper77]

Easy to replace. A few plugs with hot glue can be annoying. 30 minutes per battery.

View attachment 186834View attachment 186835View attachment 186836View attachment 186837

1. Remove case screws.

2. Take a video and multiple photos.

3. Cut a few zip ties.

4. Remove Two Breaker Bolts.

5. Remove Precharge resistor and controller board

6. Gently pop hot glue from balance leads and temp sensor connections

7. Disconnect positive and negative cables. Protect from shorting.

8. BMS screws

Did I forget any steps?

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

I’m going to call in the morning and get a couple in the mail.

 

[shopman]

1. Remove case screws.

2. Take a video and multiple photos.

3. Cut a few zip ties.

4. Remove Two Breaker Bolts.

5. Remove Precharge resistor and controller board

6. Gently pop hot glue from balance leads and temp sensor connections

7. Disconnect positive and negative cables. Protect from shorting.

8. BMS screws

Did I forget any steps?

Looks good to me although I don't remember having to remove the resistor. Take lots of pictures and most importantly, take heed of step 7. Tape up the positive and negative leads so they don't short out!

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

Looks good to me although I don't remember having to remove the resistor. Take lots of pictures and most importantly, take heed of step 7. Tape up the positive and negative leads so they don't short out!

Number seven is the reason I’m in this situation.

 

[EG4_Jarrett]

That sounds like an appropriate punishment for my stupidity.

Hard to replace? I’m searching for videos now.

I have a guide on how to replace these if you need it. I am DM'ing you now.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

Update.

They don’t want to sell me any replacement BMS’s.

I explained to the nice sales woman what I did and took full responsibility for my actions. Asked if she would just send me a couple and I’m gladly to pay for them. Nope! Was told she can’t just sell them to me that I had to go though tech support. Got rerouted to technical for troubleshooting. I know what’s wrong with them. I burned them up! Lucky I didn’t cook all six I would be really F’ed right now. It’s 24 degrees right now and supposed to get down to 11 tonight then negative temperature and a high of about 11 for the next week. I have to run heat tape to keep the water lines from freezing to the tiny house and cabin.

I don’t play with solar for fun or a hobby. I really live off grid in the middle of Oregon in the foot hills of a small town named Post. I was trying to get this dealt sooner then later. The reason why I just wanted to pay the piper confess and get them in the mail ASAP! I have no reason to lie for free parts.

So the person from tech spoke with their supervisor and said they would warranty them. I’m like okay? But you don’t have to I burned them up. I just want the parts in the mail I need them fixed. Nope!

They want pictures of the burned up boards, Pictures of the serial numbers and to explain what I did to burn them up.

Okay fine they are giving me them for free so why not. Nope! Not good enough to send pictures of just one battery PC board she wants me the take apart the second. Now one would think? Said second battery was hooked to the first battery and both made smoke and both no longer output power so? I have no reason to lie. I burned them up and need parts!

I don’t have the room to take the second battery apart while the first is on my work bench. Much less move the first off the bench without the handles and top reinstalled. As it is I need my son to help me move the damn things with the handles on them. Not to mention whatever the outside temperature is that’s what it is in my little work shop.

All I want is the parts! I don’t want to jump though hoops I just want the damn parts!

So what are people going to do when all these batteries start lasting past their warranty period and need parts? They just won’t sell you parts? You’re stuck replacing all BMS’s with something aftermarket?

Frustrating!

 

[AntronX]

@SignatureSolarJames can you comment why you guys refuse to sell replacement BMS? I inquired about it few weeks ago and got same answer. You guys should sell parts because shipping entire heavy battery back for service would not be very efficient.

 

[hwy17]

The BMS are supposed to have short circuit protection, I'm not surprised they want to know how you managed to kill them.

They probably are gonna give you them under warranty, no matter how dumb whatever you did was. They are trying to sell idiot proof products.

After warranty, people can slap another BMS on the cells if they want to.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

@SignatureSolarJames can you comment why you guys refuse to sell replacement BMS? I inquired about it few weeks ago and got same answer. You guys should sell parts because shipping entire heavy battery back for service would not be very efficient.

I figure it’s for liability reasons. But you’re right. Shipping 200 pounds of batteries cross country isn’t going to be cheep. My friend shipped a box of presents from Sweethome Oregon to my mailing address in Prineville Oregon $48. The box was probably 18” and square and maybe 20 pounds.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

I figure it’s for liability reasons. But you’re right. Shipping 200 pounds of batteries cross country isn’t going to be cheep. My friend shipped a box of presents from Sweethome Oregon to my mailing address in Prineville Oregon $48. The box was probably 18” and square and maybe 20 pounds.

Maybe 100 miles also.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

The BMS are supposed to have short circuit protection, I'm not surprised they want to know how you managed to kill them.

They probably are gonna give you them under warranty, no matter how dumb whatever you did was. They are trying to sell idiot proof products.

After warranty, people can slap another BMS on the cells if they want to.

It’s just so much easier to replace a part with the same part though.

 

[EG4_Jarrett]

Update.

They don’t want to sell me any replacement BMS’s.

I explained to the nice sales woman what I did and took full responsibility for my actions. Asked if she would just send me a couple and I’m gladly to pay for them. Nope! Was told she can’t just sell them to me that I had to go though tech support. Got rerouted to technical for troubleshooting. I know what’s wrong with them. I burned them up! Lucky I didn’t cook all six I would be really F’ed right now. It’s 24 degrees right now and supposed to get down to 11 tonight then negative temperature and a high of about 11 for the next week. I have to run heat tape to keep the water lines from freezing to the tiny house and cabin.

I don’t play with solar for fun or a hobby. I really live off grid in the middle of Oregon in the foot hills of a small town named Post. I was trying to get this dealt sooner then later. The reason why I just wanted to pay the piper confess and get them in the mail ASAP! I have no reason to lie for free parts.

So the person from tech spoke with their supervisor and said they would warranty them. I’m like okay? But you don’t have to I burned them up. I just want the parts in the mail I need them fixed. Nope!

They want pictures of the burned up boards, Pictures of the serial numbers and to explain what I did to burn them up.

Okay fine they are giving me them for free so why not. Nope! Not good enough to send pictures of just one battery PC board she wants me the take apart the second. Now one would think? Said second battery was hooked to the first battery and both made smoke and both no longer output power so? I have no reason to lie. I burned them up and need parts!

I don’t have the room to take the second battery apart while the first is on my work bench. Much less move the first off the bench without the handles and top reinstalled. As it is I need my son to help me move the damn things with the handles on them. Not to mention whatever the outside temperature is that’s what it is in my little work shop.

All I want is the parts! I don’t want to jump though hoops I just want the damn parts!

So what are people going to do when all these batteries start lasting past their warranty period and need parts? They just won’t sell you parts? You’re stuck replacing all BMS’s with something aftermarket?

Frustrating!

I'm DMing you.

 

[Jamsolar876]

Please share outcome

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

I figure I may as well tell everyone how I managed to kill 2 BMS’s. I was working inside my Magnum mini panel moving and replacing some grounds and upgrading wire sizes. I was being lazy and didn’t want to shut the whole system down as the sun was out and was charging good. Big Mistake!

Ended up touching the main #6 stranded equipment ground that goes to the ground rod to the battery positive bus bar.

I was also later that day going to add a 175 amp fuse to the positive bus bar in the Eg4 rack. Where the 2/0 cable hooks for my Magnum inverter.

When it happened some of the batteries shut down their BMS’s others popped their breakers. I didn’t make a note of what happen to the two burned up batteries. I turned off the breakers for all the batteries. finished up and put the panel back together. I then started the start up process. Everything seamed fine and thought I was out of the woods. Until the two batteries started smoking.

I thought they were on fire so I flipped off all the breakers and started removing them fast as I could. Luckily my son was here and we got them out onto a picnic table. After a few minutes we removed the covers looked around didn’t see anything at first. So I removed the grounds from the cells and taped them. Put the covers back on and placed them in my work shop.

It wasn’t until I fully took the first one apart to take pictures that I found the burnt up spot on battery one.

Don’t be dumb like Dave. When working on your stuff turn off everything! Not just A/C out.

 

[hwy17]

Did you have your batteries negative grounded intentionally?

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

Did you have your batteries negative grounded intentionally?

They are grounded inside the mini panel where you bolt the negative 2/0 cable. There is a jumper bar that goes from that lug to the body of the panel. I’ll se if I can find a picture But it won’t be of mine because it’s 0 degrees outside right now.