Xantrex RC7/GS issue

[Lenny D]

Hello. 2002 Windsor.  I'm having an issue with my Xantrex RC7/GS remote for the TRACE ENGINEERING converter/inverter. 

It just started giving me some confusing readouts. As it is right now it is showing the BATT. FULL light green/on steady. The CHARGE light is flashing rapidly. The readout is alternating between FLOAT and EQUALIZING. It also is emitting a rapid clicking sound with a short beep. I've done some process of elimination. I've unplugged the data line at the inverter and left it unplugged overnight. No change when plugged back in. I unplugged the data line at the remote as well. No change when plugged back in. I've shut off the 50amp service coming in and the remote shows INVERTING and all the 12v is working. I started the generator while the 50amp was still off .. The remote returns to the same state as listed above and all systems are working. The LED status light on the inverter is flashing green as it always has showing that batteries are fully charged and in float. I also removed, cleaned and applied protectant to all battery terminals. Batteries are less than 2 years old. In summary, everything electrical seems to be working as it should. 

I'm thinking two things. Data cable might be compromised somewhere between the inverter and the remote. OR The remote has failed and needs to be replaced. My next move will be to purchase 100' of compatible data cable and run it out side the coach from the inverter to the remote and see if that fixes the issue. Then I'll know its the cable. If not, I'm considering buying a new remote (I don't think Xantrex makes the same remote anymore but most likely has a compatible replacement. I'm on hold with Xantrex as I type). ALSO PLEASE NOTE the auto gen start stopped working about 18 months ago. I haven't had it looked at as we do not do a lot of boondocking (yet) 

Any suggestions are very welcome. I'm only 2 years into this so I'm still wet behind the ears here. 

 

TYIA 

LD

Z

 

[Tom Cherry]

First…. Unplug shore.  Disconnect batteries from Solar….or cover solar panel.  Turn off both sets of batteries at Disconnect switches.  Then disconnect the positive and negative from inverter.  Technically, it is an Inverter/charger.  Disconnect all the data cables as well.  Wait at least an hour.  Do NOT plug back in any cable.

Reconnect the positive and negative.  While it is “chasing the gremlins” out….read or download the manual.  We have one here.  Put in freedom or xantrex in search box.  Click on everywhere.  Choose files.  There are 2 or 3.  Chose which one is yours,

OK….here is where is gets tricky.  I can speak for Magnum….  If you then power it on, without any data cables or AGS or Batt TEMP Sensor, there are “default” settings and it will run without a remote.

Turn on disconnect switches.  Do you have internal AC power to outlets or microwave?  If so….good

Next….measure the voltage on the house bank.  Then plug into shore or start genny.  Recheck house battery.  Should be in the 13.2 or maybe up to 14 if it is charging.  13,2/4 or so is float.  If all is good then the problems are NOT in the inverter. 

NOW….plug in the remote…..does it work.  Unplug shore….is it inverting?  Do you have internal power to microwave?  If so..l.genny or shore….should be charging like normal.

Next….assume you have a BATT TEMP Sensor….plug it in…..repeat the tests.

Sometimes a gremlin condition will take one out and it needs to cool down and dissipate all internal capacitors and such.

That’s what  you do before you start doing things….that may seem logical…isolate and find out.  Then if a bad cable…you know…or a bad remote….or a bad PCB. Remember most inverter companies say 10 years is pushing it….yes, we have folks with 20 plus.  But, until you do a complete cold and fresh start….you never know.

Good luck…l

 

[veraken]

Don't know if this will solve your problem but  I had a problem on shore power where my chassis batteries were only being charged at @ 12.5v or less. After investigation I found that it was due to a bad temp sensor on my inverter ( I have a Trace RV2012) to the battery. I disconnected the temp sensor. I talked to Xantrex and they do not have a replacement for my unit and they said just leave it disconnected - not needed.

[MHRookie]

You’ll need the manual for how to access the remote menus.  Quite possible the settings need redone.

I’d do as Tom says and perform a “hard restart” BUT read manual because it says when connecting battery cables, to do it in order.  ALSO, label the negative cables (chassis & batt) accordingly so you don’t cross them up when reconnecting.

One confusing thing, you say your “Batt Full” light is green & on steady…. The only green light on the remote is “inverter”, the others are only amber or red.

The rc7 does have an equalizing option but has to be turned on manually by pressing the right arrow button for 8 seconds and same button & duration to cancel. Then charge will return to absorb for a short period and then float.

Hope the hard start fixes the issue.

[Ivan K]

My RC7GS was beeping and display changing random unreadable 'characters' when we got the coach. No remote functions worked. No resets corrected it and I ended up replacing it. Back then, 2016, there was a repair service offered on ebay for $75, not sure about now. I got lucky finding a new one.

[jacwjames]

Back several years ago Dr4film posted what he used for his Trace inverter settings, I copied and saved them.

 

RC7-GS Remote Panel Programming

 

·       Search Sense              =     Defeat                                     

·       LBCO                          =     ON                                           

·       Battery Capacity        =     500 amp                                  

·       Battery Type              =     Liquid Lead Acid                      

·       Charge Rate                =     80%                                         

·       Set Shore Power         =     30 amps                                  

·       External Shunt            =     None                                       

·       Fuel gauge Cutout      =     11.8 VDC @ 0% SOC                 

·       Generator Start          =     12.0 or 12.2 VDC                            

·       Generator Stop           =     Auto Float                               

·       Generator Quiet Time =     23:59 & 00:01

You must set clock to military time for Auto Gen Start

[Lenny D]

On 3/27/2024 at 8:48 AM, veraken said:

Don't know if this will solve your problem but  I had a problem on shore power where my chassis batteries were only being charged at @ 12.5v or less. After investigation I found that it was due to a bad temp sensor on my inverter ( I have a Trace RV2012) to the battery. I disconnected the temp sensor. I talked to Xantrex and they do not have a replacement for my unit and they said just leave it disconnected - not needed.

I haven't tried that yet ... I'll give it a try. Thank you. 

On 3/27/2024 at 4:51 PM, jacwjames said:

Back several years ago Dr4film posted what he used for his Trace inverter settings, I copied and saved them.

 

RC7-GS Remote Panel Programming

 

 

·       Search Sense              =     Defeat                                     

 

·       LBCO                          =     ON                                           

 

·       Battery Capacity        =     500 amp                                  

 

·       Battery Type              =     Liquid Lead Acid                      

 

·       Charge Rate                =     80%                                         

 

·       Set Shore Power         =     30 amps                                  

 

·       External Shunt            =     None                                       

 

·       Fuel gauge Cutout      =     11.8 VDC @ 0% SOC                 

 

·       Generator Start          =     12.0 or 12.2 VDC                            

 

·       Generator Stop           =     Auto Float                               

 

·       Generator Quiet Time =     23:59 & 00:01

 

You must set clock to military time for Auto Gen Start

 

I actually bought my 2002 Windsor from Dr4film ... We are currently in close contact about this. I am fortunate enough to have maintained a relationship with him over the last 2 years since we picked the coach up. He has a few ideas that we are going to try before I consider going deeper into the rabbit hole looking for a replacement or seeking out a repair shop like 'Radwell' who specialize in repairing obsolete electronics. . I have a thumb drive that Dr4film gave me when I picked up the coach. This thumb drive has almost every part, part number and vendor for the part that you can think of ... It's been invaluable in sussing out problems. 

 

[jacwjames]

When I thought I was having trouble iwht my Trace I first called Trace and talked to a service rep there he said the inverter was toast. 

But being a skeptical person I decided to call a repair shop  >>  Inverter Sales and Service, Whitehouse TN   615-285-0611

The tech was really sharp and more then willing to talk.  I was ready to pack mine up and send it in but based on what I told him he said there was nothing wrong with it but gave me things to check and I was ultimately able to solve my problem.

[Lenny D]

25 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

When I thought I was having trouble iwht my Trace I first called Trace and talked to a service rep there he said the inverter was toast. 

But being a skeptical person I decided to call a repair shop  >>  Inverter Sales and Service, Whitehouse TN   615-285-0611

The tech was really sharp and more then willing to talk.  I was ready to pack mine up and send it in but based on what I told him he said there was nothing wrong with it but gave me things to check and I was ultimately able to solve my problem.

I'm definitely willing to give this a shot. However, as far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with the inverter. Unless its the data port going to the remote. My issue lies in the RC7GS Remote. I can't even get into the settings to see what's what. That's why I believe its the remote it self that's toast. 

[jacwjames]

Since the inverter and display go hand in hand my guess is that the repair tech might be able to help!

[Lenny D]

21 hours ago, Lenny D said:

I'm definitely willing to give this a shot. However, as far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with the inverter. Unless its the data port going to the remote. My issue lies in the RC7GS Remote. I can't even get into the settings to see what's what. That's why I believe its the remote it self that's toast. 

I just got off the phone with them. Nice people but unfortunately no help. I told him everything I've done to date and he really had nothing to else to suggest short of me sending them the inverter for a bench test. We are full timers so that's not an option. He did give me the name of a company in New Jersey that works on these inverters. Since we're from Jersey and we will be heading home in June, I will be contacting them for an appointment. 

Thank you for your help

LD

[Ivan K]

I bet your remote failed. I got curious last night and plugged my old remote in. Display works fine and shows what's expected but leds show battery full which it wasn't, charge light once a while goes to very fast flashing sequence and none of the buttons work like if the reverse communication was out. Checked the board and plug, reseated the eprom, nothing visibly wrong on it. Back to new remote and all works fine. Good luck and pls let us know if you get it repaired, I would not mind to have a working spare if it made financial sense. 

[Tom Cherry]

@Lenny D & @Ivan K

OK....CURIOSITY AND COMMENTS.

The RC7 GS remote is NO LONGER available  NEW and there are some "for sale....BR 549" ads out there.  Personally, NOT knowing if a remote is Good or Bad, in an online auction is a bit disconcerting.

OK...Lenny...Two THINGS....I would do.  Get on the horn again with Xantrex/Freedom or whomever.

What is the NEW PN for a replacement Remote that will work with my Freedom Inverter.  Assuming there is one.  GET THAT INFO.

Now, Ivan says he has a NEW remote.  Is it one of the last made remotes or is it a different PN and will it work with your inverter.

THEN...  FInd one on Amazon.  Order it....try it out.  If it doesn't work....ship it back.

Next up....for the Inverter tech support.

Ask him if there is a DEFAULT setup function.  This is really something that we, the moderators, need to know as we deal very little with inverters not a Magnum.

With a Magnum inverter, you can do a REBOOT or RESTART and there are BUILT IN parameters....so it will work WITHOUT a remote.  I would hope (assume?) that yours has the same ability.  IF SO....remove the REMOTE.  Remove the Batt Temp Sensor....remove any AGS...but it may be that the GS model remote has that built in where Magnum has a standalone.

Do the RESTART.  Then "TEST".  Basically.....do this.

On SHORE...  after your RESTART and power on the Inverter....measure the Voltage to the House Bank.  It should be above the typical 12.7.  Don't know what the parameters are for the Freedom...but a good 3 phase charger will BULK around 13.5 - 14 VDC.  Then ABSORB and the voltage comes DOWN and approaches the LOW 13.'s....then FLOAT (Fully Charged)....13.1 or so.

Let the Inverter do its trick all night.  Then next morning.....measure the house bank with power ON.  Should be around 13.1 or so...

NOW...  Disconnect shore.  The Inverter SHOULD switch (automatically) to INVERTING.  You should have 120 Vac to the interior outlets and Microwave.  Check the House Bank.  Should be starting to drop from around 12.7 or so.

If it ALL WORKS....  The Inverter is OK.  ODDS are....a new REMOTE.  I can't recall, but did you remove the Batt Temp Sensor connection.  They go bad.

My thoughts....  You should be able to do the testing yourself.  Then if it is the Batt Temp sensor....replace... or the Remote....order one.

Just my technique....

Let us know...

[Ivan K]

When I said 'new remote', I was referring to identical 'new old stock' remote that I acquired in 2016 to replaced the broken one. And yes, AGS is a function of the same remote. Without the remote, inverter can be switched on/off by a manual switch on the box but that's all. Inverter comes back after a reset with previously saved parameters except TOD which disables AGS and there is no way to see or set parms without the remote's display and functioning touch buttons. As far as I know, the new remotes use a bus communication network, not backwards compatible.

[MHRookie]

The only item I found available is a “new chip” on eBay.  It says it’s installed on a RC7 remote to make it a RC7gs remote…$200.

[Ivan K]

18 minutes ago, MHRookie said:

The only item I found available is a “new chip” on eBay.  It says it’s installed on a RC7 remote to make it a RC7gs remote…$200.

The new RC7GS was less than that, back then...

[Lenny D]

2 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

@Lenny D & @Ivan K

OK....CURIOSITY AND COMMENTS.  ...... Hello Tom, thank you for this reply. I am going to try and respond to your suggestions one by one. 

The RC7 GS remote is NO LONGER available  NEW and there are some "for sale....BR 549" ads out there.  Personally, NOT knowing if a remote is Good or Bad, in an online auction is a bit disconcerting ....... I saw an online auction with a few of the RC7/GS and a RC7 (which would work as well) but the auction ended in 2022 .. lol .. I didn't see any others but I too would be leery of going that route. 

OK...Lenny...Two THINGS....I would do.  Get on the horn again with Xantrex/Freedom or whomever.

What is the NEW PN for a replacement Remote that will work with my Freedom Inverter.  Assuming there is one.  GET THAT INFO. ... I asked them this question and they told me they do not make a compatible replacement. I was told its either a whole new inverter/remote set up or I continue my hunt for a used one.  

Now, Ivan says he has a NEW remote.  Is it one of the last made remotes or is it a different PN and will it work with your inverter..... I will need to contact Ivan about this. 

THEN...  Find one on Amazon.  Order it....try it out.  If it doesn't work....ship it back. ... The only things I've found on Amazon when I enter 'RC7/GS Remote' are TV remote controls and RC toy cars. I added 'Trace and Xantrex' and Xantrex came up with a few things that weren't compatible   

Next up....for the Inverter tech support.

Ask him if there is a DEFAULT setup function.  This is really something that we, the moderators, need to know as we deal very little with inverters not a Magnum. ... I will call back and ask that question but, I looked all around the outside of the inverter for any reset ports, surface and or recessed and nothing. I did turn the inverter off for several minutes then back on. No change.

With a Magnum inverter, you can do a REBOOT or RESTART and there are BUILT IN parameters....so it will work WITHOUT a remote.  I would hope (assume?) that yours has the same ability.  IF SO....remove the REMOTE.  Remove the Batt Temp Sensor....remove any AGS...but it may be that the GS model remote has that built in where Magnum has a standalone. ... The inverter is holding its previous settings. Everything is working as it should. I have already removed the battery temp sensor cable as well as the remote cable. I left the temp sensor unplugged and just tried re connecting the remote. Same results.  

Do the RESTART.  Then "TEST".  Basically.....do this.

On SHORE...  after your RESTART and power on the Inverter....measure the Voltage to the House Bank.  It should be above the typical 12.7.  Don't know what the parameters are for the Freedom...but a good 3 phase charger will BULK around 13.5 - 14 VDC.  Then ABSORB and the voltage comes DOWN and approaches the LOW 13.'s....then FLOAT (Fully Charged)....13.1 or so....... All the voltages you listed are where my batteries are at and how they are acting. I'm currently in 'FLOAT' and they read 13.1 .. House and chassis typically read out the same. 

Let the Inverter do its trick all night.  Then next morning.....measure the house bank with power ON.  Should be around 13.1 or so... I haven't done this as the batteries were showing proper voltage. When I unplugged from the 50amp, with no generator they held at 12.8/12.7 .. I didn't leave them without shore power too long to see how fast they dropped but long enough to see they were holding. 

NOW...  Disconnect shore.  The Inverter SHOULD switch (automatically) to INVERTING.  You should have 120 Vac to the interior outlets and Microwave.  Check the House Bank.  Should be starting to drop from around 12.7 or so. .. I did this with the remote still plugged in and acting cranky and the remote did show it changing over to 'INVERTING' (green light) No beeping or clicking sounds. Batt charge was steady yellow. All seemed normal. 

If it ALL WORKS....  The Inverter is OK.  ODDS are....a new REMOTE.  I can't recall, but did you remove the Batt Temp Sensor connection.  They go bad ... I did remove the BTS cable .. No change. 

My thoughts....  You should be able to do the testing yourself.  Then if it is the Batt Temp sensor....replace... or the Remote....order one.

Just my technique....  

One thing I did not mention. When I first noticed the remote was not cooperating I decided to check my battery terminals. I did have some green going on so I cleaned all 8 battery terminals as well as the connectors. What I noticed was the positive lead in to the first in series was very loose. I could move the connection with one finger. On that positive terminal is the main feed out to the coach. A power supply for a BANKS upgrade for the Cummins and two smaller wires with the crimped wire ring connectors .. (not sure what they are for) ... I pulled all the wires and cleaned and added protectant to all the terminals....My thought was, could that loose connection have caused any issue before I saw it.... ALSO .. About 15 months ago my AGS stopped working. I had it set to start the genny at 12.1v. When the batts dropped to 12.2 the remotes readout showed me messages that said it had tried to start the genny 3 times with a failed start message. The generator starts just fine manually via a regular Carlings rocker switch. I never checked the connections to the genny as I was planning on bringing it in to a generator shop for a professional look see. We have yet to do any real boondocking so having that fixed was not a high priority. . Now I can't help to think if that was beginning of the end for the remote. . . I bought this 02 Windsor from our friend Dr4film. A member of this group. He's been invaluable to me since we bought her. Me being a 'Newbie' , he's had miles and miles of patience with me and my laundry list of questions .. lol .. He's a good egg. 

Thank you for your help Tom. 

Let us know...

 

Edited April 2 by Lenny D