Kelly KBS controller (KBS24101X and family): dead, won't run, or blinking a fault code
Post it in and I'll find out what's wrong on a bench set up for these controllers: dead, won't run, blinking a fault code, or fine until the engine's running. AUD 175 bench fee, taken off the repair price; repairs typically AUD 300–650.
To send it: how to pack and post it, and the address, are on the repairs page. Not sure it’s broken? The fault note has a ten-second multimeter check that settles the most common case.
Models
KBS24xxx, KBS36xxx, KBS48xxx and KBS72xxx series (for example KBS24101X, KBS24121X, KBS48121X), and the KVD series, which uses the same configuration program.
Symptoms I see most
| Symptom | Usually |
|---|---|
| Won’t run, or cuts out, once the engine’s running or the charger is on — fine otherwise (or: worked on a 12 V boat, not on 24 V) | The controller shutting itself down at the top of its voltage range — often no fault in it at all. Read the note first; a multimeter check may save you the postage. |
| Red LED blink code at power-up, no output | A stored fault; the live monitor readout tells a real fault from a parameter problem. |
| Motor twitches or runs rough | Hall sensor or phase issue, or a wrong motor-type parameter. |
| Dead, no LED | Input protection, pre-charge or internal supply failure. |
| Runs, then stops hot | Current or temperature limit parameters, or a real thermal problem. |
What the bench diagnosis includes
- Power-up on a current-limited supply at your stated system voltage, motor disconnected.
- Connection over the controller’s serial port with Kelly’s KVD/KBS configuration program and the correct converter, live readout of bus voltage, fault flags, temperature and parameters, compared against a known-good unit.
- A written finding: what’s wrong, whether it’s the controller, the parameters or the installation, and the repair price if there is one.
What to include in the box
The controller and, if you have them, the serial cable and converter Kelly supplied with it, a saved parameter file if anyone ever made one, and a note of the battery type and the pack voltage measured at the controller. That last one matters more than you’d think.