Go Power GP-PWM-10-SQ Flashing / Non-responsive

[muttinthehut]

Hi - we have the Go Power Solar On Board kit in our 2021 Surveyor 202RBLE. I am very confused on the operation of this unit and wondering if there might be an issue with it. It is non-responsive when I attempt to use the "Battery Select" or "Volts / Amps" switch and it is constantly flashing. I contacted customer support and they said it's possible there is a wiring issue. So - a couple of questions:

1) Has anyone else experienced this before I disassemble?

2) Does anyone know what drivers are required to remove the unit from mounting? It looks like some type of square driver but wanted to double check.

3) Also, does this control charge if the battery disconnect is in the "off" position? It appears I'm getting 12V even if the battery is "off". I can turn on the interior lights. That shouldn't be the case should it? Perhaps there is a wiring issue? Everything seems to operate properly on shorepower when used.

I'm new to the solar setup so a little confused and there's not a ton of documentation on this smaller unit. Any guidance/help would be appreciated!

Thank you!
Joe

[muttinthehut]

I thought I'd post my findings here in the event someone else runs into the same issue. Go Power customer service suggested that I test the wires and see if they were reversed. They were indeed reversed and once I corrected them, the controller was operational. It displayed volts and I was able to switch between volts and amps. (Prior to correcting the buttons were non-responsive and the unit just flashed) Go Power did say a number of issues like this on FR units had been reported, so just wanted to pass along.

Why neither Forest River nor the dealer corrected this issue doesn't give a newbie like me a real comfort level, but I digress.

[Dcrates]

Hi Joe- I think I have the same issue you described. Can you tell me which wires you checked? At the controller or up on the roof? Thanks!

Dan

[muttinthehut]

Originally Posted by Dcrates

Hi Joe- I think I have the same issue you described. Can you tell me which wires you checked? At the controller or up on the roof? Thanks!

Dan

Hey Dan - it was at the controller. Mine is mounted on the wall to the right just inside the door. If I recall, there are two square head bolts that mount the controller. I removed those and you can easily get to the battery and solar panel wiring (4 wires in total). You can check it by checking the voltage on the sets of wires at the controller. They're all the same color, so I used a piece of cardboard to keep the wires labeled and separated (don't short them!). After I did that, the controller stopped flashing and immediately started working correctly. Hope this helps and good luck!
Joe

[Flybob]

For some reason that baffles me, Solar manufacturers use different polarity configurations on their connections. You should always check the polarity on connections and not assume anything.

[Wanda-R]

Hi. Joe, I have the same trailer and solar set up as you do. I'm glad to hear it's a solvable problem. I'm new to all of this so it would help to know a little more about what you did once you were able to get the controller off the wall. How did you check the wires and how did you know they were reversed especially since they're all the same color?
Thanks in advance.

[muttinthehut]

Originally Posted by Wanda-R

How did you check the wires and how did you know they were reversed especially since they're all the same color?
Thanks in advance.

You'll need a voltmeter to check the wires. Mine were all the same color too but they are marked + and - on the terminals on the controller (if I recall correctly). Take a piece of cardboard and use it as a placeholder for the + and - wires to keep the wires apart and from shorting out. use a voltmeter to check the voltages across the separate + and - pairs. If you wait till dusk or if you're parked in the shade, you should be able to easily determine which pair of wires are from the solar panel. That pair will have a much lower voltage. Then just swap the pairs on the controller terminal to the correct the issue. Once I swapped them, the controller became responsive and I was able to cycle through settings shown in the manual. It has been working correctly since the swap and no issues.

It is easily done and not difficult at all. I think the worst part was removing the controller, which required a small square head bit. Hope this helps!

[Wanda-R]

It helps a lot. Thank you very much. One more question...my controller is flashing a 603 code. Did you have the same thing or could this be something else?

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by Wanda-R

It helps a lot. Thank you very much. One more question...my controller is flashing a 603 code. Did you have the same thing or could this be something else?

603 error Code is a Battery over charge greater than 17.5 volts. I would stop charging immediately and call tech support. 17.5 will damage your batteries.

Actualy, I would hope that the controller is doing its job and shutting down thus the error code.

https://support.gpelectric.com/kb/ar...q-error-codes/

[muttinthehut]

Originally Posted by Wanda-R

It helps a lot. Thank you very much. One more question...my controller is flashing a 603 code. Did you have the same thing or could this be something else?

Yes I think I had that code as well. On mine the controller was not responsive to any of the push buttons and was flashing.

[Wanda-R]

Hi all. Well after several emails with Technical Support and a few attempts, the issue is finally resolved. Ultimately, it came down to the wires not being installed correctly. As mentioned in an earier post, getting the screws out was the hardest part...it seems they get embedded into the plastic of the controller. Maybe they're a bit too big?
Anyway, thanks to you guys for your help and insight. All the right lights are lit and the batteries are being charged. Time to hit the road.
Take care,
Don

[NJKris]

Whoever they have installing these things at factory needs to get a new job. Mine wasn't working from day 1. Called the Forest River 800 help line, they said to take it to a dealer. Yeah, right. 3 hours away. Called GoPower, they said to check connections behind controller. Sure enough, loose wires. Reconnected snuggly, no further issues.

[muttinthehut]

Originally Posted by Wanda-R

Hi all. Well after several emails with Technical Support and a few attempts, the issue is finally resolved.

Glad it worked out and you got it resolved. Beyond me why something like that wasn't caught by the factory or the dealer.

[NJKris]

Factory obviously doesn't check them, and I told dealer not to install battery, as I was bringing my own box and batts.