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Pre-RMA Bench Test Instructions

12. Pre-RMA test form - Lithium Battery Smart

In this section:

1. General

Product, system and fault information
Date	....
Model	....
Part number	....
Date of installation (if known)	....
Date of failure (if known)	....
BMS model used	....
VRM portal ID	....
Does the battery bank consist of an individual battery or multiple batteries?	Multiple batteries. Individual battery, go to section 2.
How many batteries are connected in series?	....
How many batteries or series strings are connected in parallel?	....
Check the battery bank or request a photo of its wiring. Is the wiring conform chapter 3 in the Wiring unlimited book?	Yes. No, no warranty.
Are all batteries in the battery bank the same model, age and capacity? Note that this does not apply to the exceptions as described in the electric installation chapter in the manual.	Yes. No, no warranty.

2. Initial check

visual check
Is there mechanical damage to the battery case? Notice The warranty excludes battery damage from dropping, transportation, installation, or external causes.	Yes, no warranty. No.
Did any material leak from the case, or is the case damaged, expanded, warped, or melted? Notice This indicates that the battery was either overcharged, charged at temperatures below 5 °C, or deeply discharged, followed by an unmonitored recharge.	Yes, no warranty. No.
Are there signs of water ingress into the battery case? Notice The battery has an IP22 rating and is not waterproof.	Yes, no warranty. No.
Is there damage to the BMS cables or its connectors? Notice Possible causes are: BMS cables subjected to excessive pulling or used for battery lifting. Connectors crushed beneath or caught between adjacent batteries.	Yes, no warranty. No.
Have the cells or busbars inside the battery moved, or are they damaged? Notice The battery can only be used upright. Sideways use, especially in vibrating environments (vehicle or boat), can result in cell or busbar misalignment. Request an installation photo.	Yes, no warranty. No.
Are the battery terminals damaged, badly corroded, or have significant burn marks? Notice This can be caused by exceeding the maximum torque or arcing during an electrical connection.	Yes, no warranty. No.

3. Battery usage check

Battery usage check
Is the BMS working and installed correctly? Discuss with the end user or get an installation schematic. Notice To check BMS functionality, refer to the "How to test if the BMS is functional" chapter in the manual.	Yes No, no warranty Unknown
Does the installation contain a battery monitor with a history menu, like a BMV, SmartShunt or Lynx Smart BMS and/or is the system on the VRM portal?	The system has a battery monitor. The system is on the VRM portal. No battery monitor or on VRM.
Has the battery been too deeply discharged and left for a few months in a deeply discharged state? Check this on the VRM portal or inquire with the end user. Notice Extended deep discharge, like during winter storage for boats or vehicles, can lead to irreversible cell damage.	Yes, no warranty. No. Unknown.
Is the battery past its lifespan? Has it produced more energy than what it has been designed for? Divide the "Cumulative Ah drawn" history parameter by the rated battery capacity. Does it surpass the battery's cycle life in the datasheet? Notice A battery is a consumable; it wears out with time and needs replacing when its life ends.	Yes, no warranty. No. Unknown.
Has the battery received a monthly full charge, i.e. reached the "float" stage? Check this on the VRM portal or inquire with the end user. Notice Cell balancing occurs in the absorption charge phase, when the battery voltage exceeds 14.2V (28.4V). Interrupting this stage and not arriving at the float stage leads to incomplete balancing and potential cell damage. Lithium batteries should be fully charged once a month.	Yes. No, no warranty. Unknown.
Has the battery voltage been above 15V (30V)? Check this in the battery monitor history or on the VRM portal. Notice This happens due to a faulty charger, misconfigured charger, the wrong type of charger, BMS problems or the BMS is not controlling all charge sources. Excessive voltage harms cells, causing swelling, material leakage, or smoke release in extreme cases.	Yes, no warranty. No. Unknown.
Was the battery temperature above 50°C or below 5°C during charging? Check this on the VRM portal. Notice This can only happen if there are problems with the BMS or the BMS does not control all charge sources.	Yes, no warranty. No. Unknown.

4. Initial voltage check

Initial voltage check
Measure the battery terminal voltage and write it down.	........
Is the voltage above 10V (20V)? Notice Bluetooth will not be active when the battery voltage is below 8V (16V) or if a cell is below 2V.	Yes, go to section 5. No, no warranty.
Is the voltage below 8V for a 12.8V model or 16V for a 25.6V model? Notice While recharging might work, the battery is damaged with capacity loss. A terminal voltage <10V (<20V) or cell voltage <2.6V is not covered by warranty.	Yes, no warranty. An attempt can be made to recover the battery; refer to the "Micro-controller power-cycle procedure" in the manual. No, no warranty. An attempt can be made to recover the battery; refer to the "Battery very low terminal voltage" chapter in the manual.

5. Bluetooth

Bluetooth check
Is Bluetooth active, i.e., do you see the unit in the device list of the VictronConnect app?	Yes, go to section 6. No.
Exclude these factors and address them if relevant: Are there problems with your phone or tablet? Are you within Bluetooth range? Just one phone or tablet can connect via Bluetooth at once. If another is connected, the unit will be listed but greyed out in VictronConnect app. Consult the product manual and the VictronConnect manual to try to resolve the Bluetooth issue. Is Bluetooth active now?	Yes, go to section 6 No.
Open the battery, measure each cell voltage, and write them down. Cell 1: ................ Cell 2: ................. Cell 3: ............... Cell 4: ................. (Cell 5: ............... Cell 6: ................. Cell 7: ............... Cell 8: ................) Are any of the cells below 2V?	Yes, no warranty. No.
Bluetooth might have been turned off in the product settings, or the Bluetooth module failed to power up correctly. Perform the Micro-controller power-cycle procedure located in the appendix of the manual. Is Bluetooth active now?	Yes, go to section 6. No, lodge RMA and ask for a new circuit board.

6. Functionality

Functionality check
Measure the terminal voltage. Is it at least 12.8V (25.6)? If not, charge the battery until the terminal voltage is at least 12.8V (25.6V).	Yes, the terminal voltage is above 12.8V (25.6V). No, not possible, no warranty.
Update the firmware and set all settings to default.	Done Was not possible.
Connect the battery to a BMS. Is the BMS indicating a pre-alarm, low-voltage or high-voltage alarm? If so, replace the PCB or lodge an RMA. Is the BMS showing any alarms?	No. Yes, lodge an RMA.
Connect with the VictronConnect app and write down the individual cell voltages: Cell 1: ................ Cell 2: ................. Cell 3: ............... Cell 4: ................. (Cell 5: ............... Cell 6: ................. Cell 7: ............... Cell 8: ................) Are any of the cells below 2V?	Yes, no warranty. No.
Does the VictronConnect app indicate that the cells are balanced?	Yes, skip the next step. No.
Charge the battery using the information in the "cell imbalance" chapter in the manual. Write down the individual cell voltages: Cell 1: ................ Cell 2: ................. Cell 3: ............... Cell 4: ................. (Cell 5: ............... Cell 6: ................. Cell 7: ............... Cell 8: ................) Are the cells balanced now?	Yes. No, the battery is faulty.
Disconnect the charger. Let the battery rest for a day. After a day, check the cell voltages and write them down: Cell 1: ................ Cell 2: ................. Cell 3: ............... Cell 4: ................. (Cell 5: ............... Cell 6: ................. Cell 7: ............... Cell 8: ................) Is the battery still balanced?	Yes. No, no warranty.
Is the battery voltage significantly below 12.8 V?	Yes, no warranty. No.
Discharge the battery until 11V (22V). Recharge the battery using a BlueSmart battery charger in "lithium" mode with absorption set at 14.2V (28.4) and float at 13.5V (27V). Charge until the charger goes to float. Look at the charger history and check how much capacity (Ah) went into the battery. Is there a big difference in the battery's rated capacity (Ah) compared to what the charger supplied?	Yes, no warranty. No, the battery is okay.

7. Remarks

Provide additional fault information or add issues not already covered in earlier questions
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8. RMA lodgement

For your information purposes, provide details after lodging the RMA
RMA type:	Warranty claim. Non-warranty repair or replacement request.
RMA lodgement date	....
Victron Energy RMA number	....
Your reference number	....