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Smartgauge problem - need advice


starman

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The boat was laid up in the winter with batteries turned off except feeds to bilge pump and Smartgauge.

Returned to find the SG reading E04 and Low. The batteries are fine; we've been cruising a couple of weeks and no charge issues but the error code is still there.

I've done the factory reset stuff three times and still it comes back.

The volts reading for batt 2 (starter) is fine.

 

Any suggestions? Where's Gibbo when you need him!

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I would check the voltage actually on the back of the smartgauge - the domestic battery terminals - with a meter. If it is normal then it sounds like something wrong with the SG but I think more likely is a bad connection between the domestic batteries and the SG - maybe some corrosion in the fuse etc. This would show up as a very low voltage on the SG's input.

 

If you find nothing wrong with the voltage on the gauge's terminals then as a precursor to getting a new one/getting it repaired, I would take it out and put it in an airing cupboard or the like for a few days. Damp is the enemy of electronics!

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I found the small electronic board on the shunt had gone on mine giving some very unusual readings. Was told because of its location it is prone to damp etc. A new board cost about £15. I use the victron battery monitor

However the Smartgauge doesn't have a shunt. It is all contained within the one unit.

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I would check the voltage actually on the back of the smartgauge - the domestic battery terminals - with a meter. If it is normal then it sounds like something wrong with the SG but I think more likely is a bad connection between the domestic batteries and the SG - maybe some corrosion in the fuse etc. This would show up as a very low voltage on the SG's input.

 

If you find nothing wrong with the voltage on the gauge's terminals then as a precursor to getting a new one/getting it repaired, I would take it out and put it in an airing cupboard or the like for a few days. Damp is the enemy of electronics!

Thanks for that - unfortunately the volts at the back of the gauge are fine so the fault may well be in the SG. WIll try the warm place trick but it's in the boat engine room so pretty dry and warm already.

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When I bought mine it didnt work properly, the buttons were really diffcult to activate. Sent it back to Cactus Nav, they sent it to Merlin, who replaced it.

 

I'd guess, if you have an email exchange with Merlin, they will probably be helpful. Given that they are made to be used on boats, it's hard to see why a period of damp'ish conditions, or connected to low batteries, would cause a problem.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just to add to Richard's comments, from personal experience, the guys and girls at Merlin are excellent and can't do enough to help - http://www.merlinequipment.com.

There must be different guys and girls there now I'm afraid - I've sent two emails about this and had not even an acknowledgement.

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I found the small electronic board on the shunt had gone on mine giving some very unusual readings. Was told because of its location it is prone to damp etc. A new board cost about £15. I use the victron battery monitor

 

As some on here will know, I find the Smartgauge lacking, just SOC & Volts is inadequate IMO, but it could be improved into the stratosphere with the addition of some of the extra features the Victron battery monitor provides. However, the SOC accuracy of the Victron is so appalling it might as well not be there.

 

As far as I'm concerned, if the chasps at Merlin were to produce a Smartgauge which had the full range of a proper battery monitor with the same high degree of accuracy as the current Smartgauge, I'd replace my victron with it. No doubt at all.

Edited by BargeeSpud
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As some on here will know, I find the Smartgauge lacking, just SOC & Volts is inadequate IMO, but it could be improved into the stratosphere with the addition of some of the extra features the Victron battery monitor provides. However, the SOC accuracy of the Victron is so appalling it might as well not be there.

 

As far as I'm concerned, if the chasps at Merlin were to produce a Smartgauge which had the full range of a proper battery monitor with the same high degree of accuracy as the current Smartgauge, I'd replace my victron with it. No doubt at all.

Well they do. For £1k. But now you've said it, you'll have to get one! (And let us know how you get on with it!)

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Given the number of badly composed and/or trivial emailed questions I get from the general public, I'd say your emails just got lost in a ton of general detritus arriving all the time in their in box.

 

But on to your fault. E04 is 'high voltage' iirc. Yet you say the SG was reading 'low'. My SG NEVER reads 'low', it always gives a value. What voltage range is yours displaying? Do you have solar panels?

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Well they do. For £1k. But now you've said it, you'll have to get one! (And let us know how you get on with it!)

I find the NASA BM2 plus Smartguage gives it all for about £250.There isn't a reasonably price option that provides it all.

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Have you told them who you are, I am sure they wouldn't want an article about their poor service in the Waterways press

No I haven't . Believe it or not I don't like playing that card.

Given the number of badly composed and/or trivial emailed questions I get from the general public, I'd say your emails just got lost in a ton of general detritus arriving all the time in their in box.

 

But on to your fault. E04 is 'high voltage' iirc. Yet you say the SG was reading 'low'. My SG NEVER reads 'low', it always gives a value. What voltage range is yours displaying? Do you have solar panels?

IIRC (I don't have the manual with me) the O4 code is 'voltage outside measurable range' and, yes, it reads Lo. (Engine start battery reading seems accurate when it reads that). Voltage at the connections to the back of the gauge seem correct too.

No solar panels either.

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My manual says E04 + lo means the voltage has fallen below 9V. The error will clear as soon as voltage returns to within range. However E04 will stay on the display. Pressing any button will clear the error display.

 

So, no need to do factory reset. But seeing as you have, did you then setup the unit from scratch?

 

Also, given that you say in the original post that the batteries were turned off, are you 100% certain that the Smartguage is wired to the battery side of the isolators?

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My manual says E04 + lo means the voltage has fallen below 9V. The error will clear as soon as voltage returns to within range. However E04 will stay on the display. Pressing any button will clear the error display.

 

So, no need to do factory reset. But seeing as you have, did you then setup the unit from scratch?

 

Also, given that you say in the original post that the batteries were turned off, are you 100% certain that the Smartguage is wired to the battery side of the isolators?

Not wishing to sound snappy but the error doesn't clear and it's been there for 3-4 weeks now, I've done the reset properly (several times) and the unit is wired properly.

I do have a manual; it's just not to hand this weekend.

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Not wishing to sound snappy but the error doesn't clear and it's been there for 3-4 weeks now, I've done the reset properly (several times) and the unit is wired properly.

I do have a manual; it's just not to hand this weekend.

 

 

Not snappy, but in that case this suggests your unit has a fault. On a correctly working SG the error message displays until you press one of the buttons to change the display, then it disappears.

 

Mine certainly behaves this way with the over-voltage error displayed when it detects by my solar installation equalising. E03 I think I must get then, not having the manual to hand either!

 

The manual is available on-line here, by the way:

http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/pdfs/manuals/sgaugeman_r203.pdf

Is it possible is the SG is correctly displaying

 

"E 04 Battery voltage has been outside the measurement range."

 

Due to a poor battery post connection, say?

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A further read of the manual this morning reveals on page 7, under Important Note, a condition that gives your error. It looks like, after the system reset, the Smartgauge may be detecting the wrong battery voltage.

Thanks for the tips. I fear it is the unit - the voltage from the feed wires from the batteries is ok at their terminals on the gauge so I guess the electronic gubbins inside has failed.

What I need is someone in the pit garage to give me the secret work-around code (in-joke for F1 followers).

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Always worth a phone call (I keep telling my kids this when they use emailing for everything). Apparently Merlin's server has been problematic so emails have been getting lost. They were very helpful on phone.

Anyway, no solution yet but a few things to check and a deal on a replacement if the unit is duff and can't be fixed.

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