Powerwall Gateway Defective

[SSonnentag]

Our triple Powerwall system quit working back in November 2019. After one site visit, the technicians thought the problem was the 22 gauge communication wiring between the Powerwalls and the Gateway. A month later when the techs came back out to replace the wire with 18 gauge, they found it didn't solve the problem. Now they're saying the Gateway itself is bad. Apparently, there is supposed to be around 10.5V on the communication line, and they're only seeing 1V. So now we're waiting for a new Gateway.

 

[SSonnentag]

Well, after a snow day cancellation on Feb 10, we're scheduled to receive a new gateway tomorrow. The weather looks good, so I'm crossing my fingers for a fix to this 4-month downtime to our Powerwall system.

 

[SMAlset]

Good luck that solves the issue. At least you aren’t in hot A/C weather. Let us know if you’re back up and running.

 

[jjrandorin]

Well, after a snow day cancellation on Feb 10, we're scheduled to receive a new gateway tomorrow. The weather looks good, so I'm crossing my fingers for a fix to this 4-month downtime to our Powerwall system.

Wait... you have actually been down without powerwall functioning at all for 4 months?

 

[SSonnentag]

Wait... you have actually been down without powerwall functioning at all for 4 months?

Yep, completely offline and not charging. Nobody knows whether it has maintained any charge or completely discharged. It is inaccessible via the app.

 

[jjrandorin]

Yep, completely offline and not charging. Nobody knows whether it has maintained any charge or completely discharged. It is inaccessible via the app.

wow...... thats horrible. I just read your OP in this thread closer, and it took them a month to come back out and replace a wire, to even then see it didnt work?

Who are "the technicians"? Tesla or third party? I am a fairly patient person especially when it comes to customer service issues since I have involved with "supporting people" (or managing people who support people) most of my working career. Even with that, my patience would have been gone a LONG time before 4 months of a non working 20k+ system that was under warranty.

 

[SSonnentag]

wow...... thats horrible. I just read your OP in this thread closer, and it took them a month to come back out and replace a wire, to even then see it didnt work?

Who are "the technicians"? Tesla or third party? I am a fairly patient person especially when it comes to customer service issues since I have involved with "supporting people" (or managing people who support people) most of my working career. Even with that, my patience would have been gone a LONG time before 4 months of a non working 20k+ system that was under warranty.

They are Tesla employees. The service van says Tesla on its side. I will certainly be insisting on a warranty extension.

 

[charlesj]

This is unacceptable, just horrendous.
Not to be able to isolate the issue is just as bad as it seems they are playing a guessing game.

OP, I am assuming the gateway did send grid power to house and utilized solar energy properly?

 

[SSonnentag]

Yes, grid power was sent to the house, but the Powerwalls just sat there flashing green LEDs for 4 months. The Tesla guys came yesterday and replaced the gateway, and then said it would be 24 hours before it started working. This also seem really fishy to me. It didn't take 24 hours for the original gateway to start functioning. It's currently been 22 hours since the Tesla service guys left and it's still offline.

 

[SSonnentag]

Hooray! As of yesterday our Powerwalls are back up and functioning. It took 5 service visits, 4 of which were rescheduled at least once.

All told, it took (pick your favorite unit):

• 4 1/2 months
• 141 days
• 12,182,400 seconds
• 203,040 minutes
• 3384 hours
• 20 weeks and 1 day
• 38.63% of a year

 

[SSonnentag]

It would have taken 6 visits, but I fixed their screwed up signal wiring myself to save another 2-4 weeks of waiting.

 

[charlesj]

You mean that since the time of your post on Feb 26, they had to come out more times? What was replaced how many times?
What wiring did you fix, sensor wire polarity?

 

[SSonnentag]

You mean that since the time of your post on Feb 26, they had to come out more times? What was replaced how many times?
What wiring did you fix, sensor wire polarity?

Yep, there was another visit to fix something the Feb 26 guy did wrong. App was showing power flows all screwed up. I just went in and moved the signal wires around until the power flow display was correct. It turned out that only two of the signal wires were backwards. There are four pair of signal wires. One for solar, one for power wall, one for house usage, and one for power from/to the grid. None of these signal wires are labeled, and none of the connectors on the block in the gateway are labeled either. So I had to disconnect one and see what changed and then disconnect another and see what changed to basically figure it out blindly through trial and error.

 

[power.saver]

Actually, there are two pairs for solar and two pairs for grid. The PWs send their flow through a separate cable, and house is computed from the other three. Nevertheless, any two or more of the four pairs wrong will give incorrect readings.

Normally on the Neurio, the left two connectors (1) and (2) are for grid, and the right two connectors (3) and (4) are for solar, although this can be reconfigured through the installer page.