AGS issues

[frankiebIII]

I have owned my 2005 Monaco for about 1.5 yrs. I have been doing some more tailgating and dry camping lately and have been using generator to recharge my batteries etc. I have no idea why but I cannot get the AGS to function. I have to constantly check my battery levels to make sure I fire up the gen set before they get overly discharged. Really annoying when tailgating and have a lot of distractions…like the game!!!

I have the ME Magnum Energy Inverter/Charger Model ME2012. This is working with th ME-RC Magnum Remote Control and the ME-AGS-N network Automatic Generator Start. In a lot of the settings it shows "NO COMM". AGS Status=No COMM, Yet, I can see that the Green light is lit on the ME-AGS-N and the Network and Remote phone style cords are connected to all 3 devices as well as directed in the manual. Also, I can "Test" run the ten set from the ME-RC AND the ME-AGS-N test button so they must be talking to each other to a certain degree right?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated before I bring it in.

[GBaxter]

Yep so what you have is a newer remote on an older AGS module. The newer remote feature of RV/Other works because it is all programmed in the remote itself. It says "no comm" from the AGS module because the older AGS module cannot talk back to the remote it is all one way communication. Look at the module itself I bet you have knobs and it is starting from the setting the knobs are indicating. Newer remote and newer AGS have two way communication.

BTW the RV/Other was a change a few years back by RVIA who writes the standards for the RV OEMs (you have a sticker on the side of the coach with the RVIA emblem). The reason was they didn't want a tech to stop the generator outside for service and then have the gen start from the AGS setting. So now if the AGS starts AND stops the gen everything is still ENABLED and in AGS mode. If the generator is STOPPED manually from any station then the AGS MUST default to OFF for safety. The most common call is that the AGS started as it should but then someone manually stopped from the dash switch and now the AGS says OFF, yep just like intended. Setting to OTHER in the menu allows this feature to be bypassed and the AGS will always be ENABLED no matter how the generator was STOPPED.

Gary

[JimM68]

The AGS module I put in a couple years ago has no pots or knobs, it is pure digital.
That's why I had to upgrade to the -arc control panel.

The "down to a certain voltage" setting did not do much for me. As an example, even with fully charged batteries, running the microwave (DW heating her cup of tea) my coffee maker, and a blow dryer, will have the inverter pulling near 100 amps from the batteries, and the voltage will drop down to 10 volts or so, for as long as all three loads are on.

And the AGS (which I've set for 11 volts) will start the genny (without a real need to do so)

With the system set to trigger off a 50% state of charge from the BMK, I can fully load the inverter for 5-10 minutes and the genny won't start (unless of course the batteries actually go below 50% state of charge.)

[frankiebIII]

So here is the update.

I've got it working however it has to be set to "Other" and not "RV". It's the only way I can keep it to stay enabled. If its in RV mode it will not stay enabled. It still says "NO COMM" in the "AGS STATUS" mode which makes no sense to Magnum but I can get it to kick the gen set on when the Batteries get down to a certain voltage. Very odd….

[GBaxter]

Are you sure you have an ME-AGS-N? The -N didn't come out until 2008. The original ME-AGS has 5 knobs for adjustments and all the settings are done from there not in the remote. The -N does not have any knobs as all the adjustments are made from the remote.

I am thinking the remote may have been replaced with a newer version that can communicate to a -N model but the old ME-AGS is still connected so it will display "no comm".

If you can start the gen from the test menu in the ME-RC then it is sending data but may not be able to receive.

Use the TECH button and check the rev of the remote. If it is v1.6 or higher it was most likely changed from the original in 2005.

Gary

[JimM68]

Soem years ago, I added both the ME-AGS-N andnME-BMK-N to our ME2012.

I had to upgrade to an ME-ARC control panel to make it all work.

I got similar "no comms" when hooking everything up, and eventually found that it worked best if the control panel is "on one end" and the ME2012 is "on the other end" with all the extra stuff in between. Also important that the connecting cables have 4 wires (many hardware store phone cables only have 2)

I did eventually get the whole system to work, tho I'm looking forward to boondocking more to actually test it in real life.
Iespecially like the BMK, which shows power usage and state of charge and such.
Also, the AGS works MUCH better set to trigger and start the genny based on state of charge rather than voltage.

[TechWriter]

Mr.Mark wrote:
Frankie, I'm sure that you are aware that there is a controller in the bay too (if yours is like ours, 2008 Dynasty). I'm not at our motorhome so I don't know if our models are similar or not.

Near our inverter in the basement, there is another controller on the roof of the bay to control the AGS features. You can adjust this to start by the battery discharge rate, time to run, etc. Maybe that controller has the wrong settings.

The Magnum ME-AGS-N that both Frankie and I use has a controller that is adjusted through a remote control (ME-RC or ME-ARC).

The Magnum ME-AGS-S (non-network, stand alone version) has adjustments on the controller itself.

[Mr_Mark1]

Frankie, I'm sure that you are aware that there is a controller in the bay too (if yours is like ours, 2008 Dynasty). I'm not at our motorhome so I don't know if our models are similar or not.

Near our inverter in the basement, there is another controller on the roof of the bay to control the AGS features. You can adjust this to start by the battery discharge rate, time to run, etc. Maybe that controller has the wrong settings.

Good luck,
MM.

BTW DSDP Don, that is a sharp looking Newmar in your pic!

[DSDP_Don]

"frankiebill".....Give Magnum a call. They are very pleasant and helpful. I also had a 2005 Diplomat, but never really used the AGS. I do know that there is a technical upgrade for the system that Magnum will do for next to nothing.

While you have them on the phone, ask them what your charge settings should be. Mine was overcharging and creating excessive acid for years. Just know what batteries you have.

[TechWriter]

I have a MS2000 + ME-ARC + ME-AGS-N, and It sounds like you should give Magnum a call.