Smart-UPS 5000 RM / Batteries need immediate replacement

[Anonymous user]

Hi All,

I have a problem with a "Smart-UPS 5000 RM" (SU5000R5IBX120). Some days ago I got a notification that the batteries need immediate replacement. I have replaced the batteries but the battery alarm LED is still red and any self test fails. On the weekend I have calibrated the UPS successfully but the LED remains red. After that I have disconnected the UPS and powered off. After powering on the self test was successfully. Today I started a self test manually but it failed again with "Batteries need immediate replacement".

The battery is loading successfully up to 100 %.

Any idea or help is highly appreciated. 

Best Regards - Bernd

[BillP]

Hello Bernd, 

What is the serial number of your UPS? Also, did you replace the battery with genuine a APC battery or a 3rd party battery?

If your UPS is close or above 10 years old, the problem could be the UPS itself is having a problem recognizing the new battery. If you used a 3rd party battery, our UPSs are meant to only work with APC batteries and that could be the reason the UPS is still reporting it needs a new battery. 

Regards, 

Nicole 

[Anonymous user]

Hi Nicole,

the serial number of the UPS is AS0725160389. The serial number of the genuine APC batteries is 7A1649L16027.

APC.DE advised me to check and adjust the battery constant. Do you think this is worth trying ?

Best Regards - Bernd

[Brad_C]

You could certainly *check* the battery constant to see if it is plausible without disrupting anything.

Just hook a serial cable up to the UPS, set it for 2400,8,n,1.

Type Y and it should respond with SM. If it does that, type 0 and it will respond with the battery constant.

Type R and it should respond with BYE, and you can disconnect.

If it has an NMC you may have to remove it first. I have a 9606 and a 9617 and they both pass the basic UPSLINK commands through on the serial interface, but they block getting it into program mode (not that you need it for checking the battery constant).

[Anonymous user]

Hi Brad,

after connecting the serial cable I landed on the 9617 and was prompted for user id and p/w. Is there a way to check the battery constant w/o power down the UPS and removing the 9617 ?

Best Regards - Bernd

[Brad_C · Accepted solution]

Yes, I just tested this with an SUA3000 with a 9617.

Log in and log out again. When the card says "Loggin out." Press "Y".

Any UPSLINK command will be answered. Any character not in the UPSLINK command set will cause the card to request a login, and you must log in and out again to get it back into listening for UPSLINK command mode.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Brad,

this helped me a lot. You saved my evening. I could check the battery constant. It is 91 as it should be. I am afraid I have to start looking for a new UPS.

Thanks a lot for your support - Bernd

[Brad_C]

Before you trash it. Have a really good look at the battery contacts and the fuses on the battery pack (if they are on the pack themselves).

The fact it passed a calibration and passed a power-on self test indicates the hardware is/was fundamentally ok. The batteries are new and should be fine.

The UPS performs 2 tests for the batteries. One is a periodic pause in the charger. If the voltage holds up it says "I have a battery present", and the other is the periodic self test. That actually starts the inverter and transfers the load to battery to check the charged but loaded voltage on the battery. A dicey connection or dud fuse could easily cause those symptoms.

Does the unit actually transfer to battery when you try a self-test? Does it hold up if you pull the mains? (If it does both of those then don't bother reading further).

If you have a volt-meter, pull the batteries out and measure the voltage on the connectors on the UPS. They are connected in series so one will have positive, the other negative and the remaining 2 pins will be connected together. Some of the larger UPS I've worked on have had the battery fuse internal to the unit. Make sure you see ~55V on those terminals. The UPS will quite happily tell you the float voltage is fine with no battery connected.

Fuses are pretty robust, but they do fail occasionally. Make sure the pins on the connectors are clean. Again, they are self-wiping and pretty robust but stuff happens.