APC SMX3000 - Error: "Batt Soft Start" error

[timbo343]

Does anyone have an APC SMX3000 or similar that they could help diagnose a problem.

 

Ours is stating "Batt Soft Start - Contact APC Tech Support". The fans on the front of the APC aren't spinning either and the APC is not holding any charge.

 

I've read a online a few articles that it might be that the batteries need replacing, though no one knows if they were ever replaced. We have inspected the batteries and done a voltage test, the volts range from 5v to 11v on the 10x 12v batteries

 

We can buy new batteries from CPC for £13 each or buy the complete unit (RBC143) for around £300.

[PotNoodleTech]

APC batteries tend to start going down hill after 3 or 4 years so how old is your APC unit? If it's older than that then yes it probably just needs a new battery slotting in.

[mavhc]

I got a lot of "battery bus soft start fault" on smx3000rmhv2u, apparently it's a design flaw

[timbo343]

I got a lot of "battery bus soft start fault" on smx3000rmhv2u, apparently it's a design flaw

 

Hmmm, that doesn't fill me with confidence about changing the batteries and the message will disappear.

 

APC batteries tend to start going down hill after 3 or 4 years so how old is your APC unit? If it's older than that then yes it probably just needs a new battery slotting in.

 

The unit is a 2017 and it looks like there is a little leakage on the battery cells, so maybe new batteries will solve the issue.

[PotNoodleTech]

Hmmm, that doesn't fill me with confidence about changing the batteries and the message will disappear.

 

 

 

The unit is a 2017 and it looks like there is a little leakage on the battery cells, so maybe new batteries will solve the issue.

 

It's hard to tell - you may buy a new battery and find the unit still doesnt boot.

 

I moved from APC to Eaton and reliability and battery longevity has been far superior, in fact my Eaton 5000's are 7 years old now and still have 90%+ battery capacity on the original batteries. I wouldn't touch APC again with a bargepole to be honest!

[mavhc]

Do Eaton's batteries work in multiple versions of their USPs? annoyed at APC in that one battery module only seems to fix one UPS model

[timbo343]

This is the error that we are seeing so i i'm thinking change the batteries.

 

[PotNoodleTech]

Do Eaton's batteries work in multiple versions of their USPs? annoyed at APC in that one battery module only seems to fix one UPS model

 

Not sure but as you only need to change them once a decade by the look of it I am not expecting to find out for another 3 years or so!

[timbo343]

We've purchased new batteries for this UPS 10x https://cpc.farnell.com/leoch/lp12-5-4/battery-lead-acid-agm-12v-5-4ah/dp/BT06223 and they are now installed. To my surprise the UPS has passed it's self test! Whoop!