Gerbing single controller is flashing low voltage

[cjames431]

My Gerbing single controller is flashing low voltage. I measure 12.9v at the fuse block, connector end of battery harness, both y-harness connectors. When I check the controller though the meter bounces around when low heat setting selected but shows 12.9 on high setting. I had heat as I left the driveway but only for a few minutes with controller on full high. Does the collective mind trust think the controller is shot?

 

[SMSW]

I'm not sure I understand you. If you are getting 12.9 v at the input to the controller, and the unit fails to work then yes, its probably the controller (or the connection into the controller). If you are using a meter on the output, since these things are not simple resistance devices (rheostat), you won't get an accurate reading.

 

[cjames431]

I'm not sure I understand you. If you are getting 12.9 v at the input to the controller, and the unit fails to work then yes, its probably the controller (or the connection into the controller). If you are using a meter on the output, since these things are not simple resistance devices (rheostat), you won't get an accurate reading.

When I have the controller on the lowest setting the voltage does not hold steady, but when I rotate to full output the voltage holds steady at 12.9. I did read that the controller operates on pulse rather than a true rheostat. I may disassemble to see if I can determine the cause.
I also found that the Gerbing family is back in business though Gordon Gerbing the original founder has died. His family is continuing the business.
https://www.gordonsheated.com/index.php

 

[SteveST1300]

I would recommend the warm n safe wireless dual controller.

 

[dduelin]

I've never had a failure of the controller but I have had faults in the harness and clothing connectors and wiring inside the jacket and gloves. IIRC a flashing red/green combination indicates a low voltage fault. Since the controller is solid state I would expect it to work or not work and look first at the wiring to the controller. I had one harness fail right at the connection to the controller - the wire(s) broke right where they go into the female connector of the harness. If I held the fitting at the right angle it would continue to work and so got me home warm.

 

[T_C]

When I have the controller on the lowest setting the voltage does not hold steady, but when I rotate to full output the voltage holds steady at 12.9. I did read that the controller operates on pulse rather than a true rheostat. I may disassemble to see if I can determine the cause.

Yes, the system modulates the heat by pulsing the power. If you have an old analog meter or if your electronic meter has a bar graph you can see the pulses come and go. At low settings the pulse is maybe once a second, a common digital meter will not be able to lock onto this, they aren't designed to average the power over a time period, they are designed to smooth it over. At higher heat settings pulses are so long (or so close, as there are multiple ways to do Pulse Width Modulation) the meter will lock onto the voltage as it seems continuous to it.

PS Yes, it is not a rheostat. A rheostat (aka variable resistor) limits the output and works by burning off the excess energy as heat. When you are talking about limiting a 90w heated jacket to only putting out 10w you would have to dissipate the 80w somewhere else. Not an easy task. much easier to just pulse the power into the jacket 1/9th the time to get the same output. Transistors can turn the power on and off quickly and not waste so much energy.

 

[cjames431]

I've never had a failure of the controller but I have had faults in the harness and clothing connectors and wiring inside the jacket and gloves. IIRC a flashing red/green combination indicates a low voltage fault. Since the controller is solid state I would expect it to work or not work and look first at the wiring to the controller. I had one harness fail right at the connection to the controller - the wire(s) broke right where they go into the female connector of the harness. If I held the fitting at the right angle it would continue to work and so got me home warm.

Sounds like I have some wire wiggling to do.

 

[SMSW]

When I have the controller on the lowest setting the voltage does not hold steady, but when I rotate to full output the voltage holds steady at 12.9.

I don't know about your meter, however, my two Flukes and one Klein, all DVM's, do not read voltage instantaneously. There is a bit of a delay and sometimes I get an OL (overload) signal while the meter adjusts to the appropriate range. My best guess is your meter is not seeing the pulsing voltage until you turn it up to high, then the voltage is essentially constant and the meter does its job. These meters are not always the best instrument for the task. If youi know someone nearby with heated gear, perhaps you can borrow his controller, put it on your bike and see what works. That will tell you if the problem is with the controller and gloves or with the bikes wiring (doubtful from what you have said.)

edit: Oops, TC said it all much better than I did. I like dduelin's diagnosis best.

 

[cjames431]

I don't know about your meter, however, my two Flukes and one Klein, all DVM's, do not read voltage instantaneously. There is a bit of a delay and sometimes I get an OL (overload) signal while the meter adjusts to the appropriate range. My best guess is your meter is not seeing the pulsing voltage until you turn it up to high, then the voltage is essentially constant and the meter does its job. These meters are not always the best instrument for the task. If youi know someone nearby with heated gear, perhaps you can borrow his controller, put it on your bike and see what works. That will tell you if the problem is with the controller and gloves or with the bikes wiring (doubtful from what you have said.)

edit: Oops, TC said it all much better than I did. I like dduelin's diagnosis best.

I have a Klein DVM. I think my best mode of TS will be to plug everything into the bike and then start wiggling each connector/connection to see if I can isolate the fault.

 

[Uncle Phil]

I had a strange problem with mine blowing fuses randomly. One of the glove connectors was barely broken where it connected to the harness.
With a little wiggle, the bare wires would short out. This appears to be a problem with old version of Gerbing T5 gloves.

 

[cjames431]

I had a strange problem with mine blowing fuses randomly. One of the glove connectors was barely broken where it connected to the harness.
With a little wiggle, the bare wires would short out. This appears to be a problem with old version of Gerbing T5 gloves.

I have the Glyde by Gerbing.

 

[Uncle Phil]

I have the Glyde by Gerbing.

Probably still using the same connectors …

 

[SMSW]

Connections and wire terminations are always the problem point. You rarely see wire breaking mid run, but we all have seen corrosion, overheating, melting, etc. at connection points. This is the weak link, so as you said, fire everything up and start wiggling the male and female parts of each plug.

 

[dduelin]

Though not specific to this thread I had a broken wire inside the jacket approximately at the right arm pit and the right glove would work intermittently. I finally isolated the fault and opened a seam along the lower back to splice a repair in. By this time I had previously replaced the jacket power male connector and and the male left end of the glove wire in the left sleeve. I went with this cobble-up through last winter and sent the jacket off for a complete re-wire job ($57 including shipping) this spring.

 

[rjs987]

I have this type of Gerbing controller. My first one bought in 2007 went bad in 2013 but didn't show it was bad. Turned out to be a break in the output wire just at the bottom of the controller where the cable came out. The controller indicated all was working but no heat unless I held the wire a certain way, and even that stopped working after a few tries doing that. Replaced that controller with a newer version that had better cable strain support where it exited the controller body. Still using that one today. These controller pulse on/off at different rates for different heat settings as was mentioned so less than full on will not indicate the actual volts on a standard digital meter, or would not be able to be seen correctly with an analog meter, as was also stated above. Another time I was using an aftermarket (non-Gerbing) coiled Y cable that went bad so went back to the factory cable and still using that today as well. Intermittent wire/cable is the most likely cause unless replacing all of them doesn't fix.

 

[jodog]

I've never had a failure of the controller but I have had faults in the harness and clothing connectors and wiring inside the jacket and gloves. IIRC a flashing red/green combination indicates a low voltage fault. Since the controller is solid state I would expect it to work or not work and look first at the wiring to the controller. I had one harness fail right at the connection to the controller - the wire(s) broke right where they go into the female connector of the harness. If I held the fitting at the right angle it would continue to work and so got me home warm.

I have had a controller failure. Instead of a variable output it went to on or off -- nothing or full on. I think I may have wired it up backwards and after some amount of time it fried. I had it wired up to heated grips.