Inserted Positive into the Wrong Hole, May Have Messed up Controller

[MTinOH]

My panels and charge controller (400w Renogy panels with a Renogy 40a MPPT charge controller) were up and working fine. Then I buried the wire and the voltage was at zero so I think I probably pulled out the wires from the panels to the controller. When I took the wires out and reinserted them, I think I may have accidentally put the positive wire into the temperature control slot and the negative into the hole for the positive.

After rewiring it correctly, now my charge controller screen won't turn on at all even when connected to the battery. Is it possible that I fried my charge controller? What else do I check if the controller seems completely unresponsive? Thanks.

 

[A.Justice]

I would imagine you did some damage if that indeed is what happened. Sometimes it can be as simple as replacing a capacitor or fuse, other times it can fry traces or proprietary IC packages and ruin the whole board.

 

[GLC]

My panels and charge controller (400w Renogy panels with a Renogy 40a MPPT charge controller) were up and working fine. Then I buried the wire and the voltage was at zero so I think I probably pulled out the wires from the panels to the controller. When I took the wires out and reinserted them, I think I may have accidentally put the positive wire into the temperature control slot and the negative into the hole for the positive.

After rewiring it correctly, now my charge controller screen won't turn on at all even when connected to the battery. Is it possible that I fried my charge controller? What else do I check if the controller seems completely unresponsive? Thanks.

So everything was working correctly? Then you put one PV wire in a temp slot and one wire in a PV slot? If so you did not make a connection on either the temp or the PV , it should have been fine. Disconnect your PV. Disconnect battery. Re attach battery first in the correct + and - slots. Screen should fire up. Then connect the PV wires in the correct slots.

 

[MTinOH]

I would imagine you did some damage if that indeed is what happened. Sometimes it can be as simple as replacing a capacitor or fuse, other times it can fry traces or proprietary IC packages and ruin the whole board.

OK, appreciate the feedback. sounds like a may have to open it up and take a look to see if anything looks burnt out.

 

[MTinOH]

So everything was working correctly? Then you put one PV wire in a temp slot and one wire in a PV slot? If so you did not make a connection on either the temp or the PV , it should have been fine. Disconnect your PV. Disconnect battery. Re attach battery first in the correct + and - slots. Screen should fire up. Then connect the PV wires in the correct slots.

Yeah, I reconnected everything back after I made the mistake and the screen is blank although the panels and batter are plugged into the controler . I can't remember...should the screen on a charge controller turn on when just a battery is conntected (wanted to make sure it wasn't maybe an issue with my wiring out to the panels)?

 

[sunshine]

Yeah, I reconnected everything back after I made the mistake and the screen is blank although the panels and batter are plugged into the controler

Maybe just the display. Test the output.....and hope!

 

[GLC]

Yeah, I reconnected everything back after I made the mistake and the screen is blank although the panels and batter are plugged into the controler . I can't remember...should the screen on a charge controller turn on when just a battery is conntected (wanted to make sure it wasn't maybe an issue with my wiring out to the panels)?

Yes, the controller should fire up with just the batteries connected.

 

[MTinOH]

Yes, the controller should fire up with just the batteries connected.

Thanks for the quick response. Well sounds like maybe I fried it. I bought another controller (victron this time for some variety). I will use that and see if everything works.

 

[Ampster]

I have put things in the wrong hole with not problem. With DC it is the second wire in the wrong hole that matters.

 

[MTinOH]

I have put things in the wrong hole with not problem. With DC it is the second wire in the wrong hole that matters.

Yeah, unfortunatley I put both wires in and turned it on. Guessing the internal components didn't like that much.

 

[MTinOH]

I put in a new charge controller and everything is up and going. Guess I did toast the old one.

I switched to a 20a/100v Victron this time, so I could at least enjoy something new. The app is much cleaner than what Renogy uses.