Smart UPS 3000 doesn't power up

[BillP]

Hi there,

My Smart UPS type SUA3000RMI2U from production year 2011 doesn't power up anymore. Not any single led lights up. The 220 current does arrive onto the mainboard. I can measure that.

According to support I'm not eligible for warranty anymore. Just crossed it with 5 months. Massive bummer!

I do hope if anyone can tell me what to do. Any bad caps in there to replace ??

[BillP]

Hi there,

My Smart UPS type SUA3000RMI2U from production year 2011 doesn't power up anymore. Not any single led lights up. The 220 current does arrive onto the mainboard. I can measure that.

According to support I'm not eligible for warranty anymore. Just crossed it with 5 months. Massive bummer!

I do hope if anyone can tell me what to do. Any bad caps in there to replace ??

[BillP]

To add to that. The batteries are next to dead. But support told me that this type of UPS should at least power up and is not relying on a connected batterypack. Nonetheless in all fora on the internet I read on Smart UPS that if the battery isn't delivering the right voltages to the electronics on board the thing wouldn't come on.

Is this th same with mine? Is it worth trying to buy new batteries?

[Anonymous user]

Is there any sign of scorch marks around the semiconductors on the four fin silver main heat sink (would indicate blown inverter/charger stage) ? When its plugged in do you get correct charging voltage (54 Volts DC ) at the battery connector ? How old are the batteries ? Are their cases swelled/cracked ? Any site wiring fault LED activity ? Never heard of APC ups having issues with bad caps.

[BillP]

Hi Battman, no scorch marks around the semiconductors. And when its plugged in, I do not get the correct voltage of 54 volts. On the contrary. The voltage I measure is in the beginning 8V and quickly goes down to 0.10V, See pictures. No swell marks on the batteries. And I presume they are from the same production date as the UPS, so Jan 2011.

[Anonymous user]

Looks more and more like a hardware fault, unfortunately...its like the inverter/charger is trying to start and then gets shutdown, either because of a crowbar (protective circuit kick in due to over current / over voltage / undercurrent / etc...maybe due to a partially shorted semiconductor) or maybe the controller chip/circuits are faulty...could be a number of things.

[Anonymous user]

APC doesn't do repairs on these units, only warranty coverage replacement...you'd have to find a local service shop, who even then would be kinda stuck without schematics and any form of obvious fault information/codes.

[BillP]

By the way is this SUA Smart UPS one that also should power up without batteries. Before purchasing new ones I would like to know if this UPS should at least indicate some sort of life without them.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

There is no point in purchasing new batteries if you are not getting 54 Volts DC at the battery terminals with the ups plugged in and no batteries (even the dead ones) installed and the input breaker (if there is one) turned on. ...you most likely have a faulty UPS.  Good luck !