Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: Solar Over Temp

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Solar Over Temp

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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13847
Printed Date: 22 Jun 2025 at 10:53am
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Topic: Solar Over Temp

Posted By: mikeyg2347
Subject: Solar Over Temp
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 7:05pm

Any one have any idea what the "over temp" error message means on a charge controller? I've got a Renogy 100w system that I've had for about 5 years. It sat out in a hard rain (which it's done many times before) and when I plugged it into the solar port I got a message saying "over temp". Now it isn't charging. I took the controller apart thinking maybe it needed to dry out, but no luck. Called Renogy, got put on hold for an hour and finally talked to a woman who had no clue about anything, but promised to send me an email with a ticket number. Naturally the email never came and they aren't responding to my emails, so here I sit wondering if I need a new controller, if water possibly got in the panels and shorted them out....I dunno. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Mike

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Mike

Replies:

Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 7:24pm

Disclaimer: I'm just learning from much smarter folks here.

Firs thing I would do is check open circuit voltage of panel(s). Just need a voltmeter to check. That would rule out panels. If they are not or have not been physically damaged, they would be guaranteed.

I would then check output voltage of controller. You could have a problem with the controller-pod connection? Do you have a way to connect controller to battery without using pod built in port? You could easily make one.

Renogy support is slow. I've been working a couple of tickets for a couple of weeks, but feel like I am slowly making progress. Most of my help has come from here.

I have to say, the last thing I would do is take controller apart.

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2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6
Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 7:43pm

Very unlikely that water could get into the solar module, and that wouldn't create an overtemp error in the controller anyway. Unless you're getting a battery overtemp alarm (there is a different error code for that) the controller has a temp sensor that is monitoring the heat sink the transistor(s) are attached to. It apparently thinks the temp is too high when its not because you had it disconnected long enough to cool down I'm sure. So it has shut off charging to try to cool down.

You could try to identify and replace that temp sensor I guess, or clean it up and make sure that it isn't shorted. Was there any moisture in there when you opened it up?

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 8:09pm

The earlier controllers were not waterproof. The newer Voyager controllers do claim to be waterproof. If water got in there, it could have shorted something. Why not try something that is done to dry out cell phones when they get wet. Put the controller in a fine mesh cloth bag. Put that in a bag filled with rice and leave it for a few days. That will help dry it out. I guess you could use silica gel to dry it out also, but it is easier to get a bag of rice and it does work.

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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Posted By: mikeyg2347
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 9:48pm

The controller appeared to be dry when I opened it up. There's just a couple of boards in there which I pulled out without disconnecting and let sit for a couple of days. If there was any moisture it would have been gone by then I'd think. The over temp alarm comes on immediately which is interesting because there's not enough time for any heat to develop.

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Mike

Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 10:07pm

It sounds like it is time for a new controller.

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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Posted By: mikeyg2347
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 6:59am

Any recommendations on a brand? Renogy's newer models are reasonably priced and advertised to be waterproof but I'm totally unimpressed with their customer support.

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Mike

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 6:59am

I've never looked in one of those controllers but you might try this.

Look for the heat sink. The larger device(s) on it will be the field effect transistors (FETs) which do the pulse width modulation switching. If the heat sink temp sensor is a discrete device it will be smaller than the FETs. Like maybe a very small button on a ring terminal attached to the heatsink somewhere. If you can find that you could try to detach it, clean it up and reattach it.

If that doesn't work, and it probably won't, then as StephenH says, get a new controller, and maybe get a "waterproof" one this time.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 7:21am

Morningstar makes good stuff, I used to work with the founders at another company and they are good folks.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 7:43am

I have had 2 Morning Star's on two different applications and have been very satisfied with the controller's operations. With each of them I had issues that had to be worked through and the customer support is just outstanding and I would highly recommend the company and their equipment. The equipment is not the cheapest out there but the customer service more than makes up for that. By the way I am still using the Morning Star controller on our RPod 179 and it is working well.

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Jay

179/2019

Posted By: mikeyg2347
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 8:17am

Which model of Morningstar do you recommend? Looks like the Sunsaver 10 amp, 12 volt will do the job and it's only $63. That's $30 more than the comparable Renogy but that doesn't break the bank.

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Mike

Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 10:01am

The model depends on the solar you are trying to gather. I have used the Sunsaver and it did a good job, if the 10 amps processing is what you need go for it. Like I said that the equipment is more expensive but the customer service is fantastic.

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Jay

179/2019

Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 11:30am

It might just be something like particles of dirt bonded across the thermistor leads or something similar on some leads around one of the chips...

Sometimes just blasting the entire board and discrete components with an electronic spray cleaner will dislodge or clean it, sometimes you have to get more aggressive with a very small brush, 1/4" or less in size used with the cleaner spray.

If that don't fix it, I doubt it has any hope of being repaired.

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r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!