Brand new GZ Yeti 4000 Pro, multiple problems right from the start?
Ok wow, where to begin? Well, I just got and unboxed my new GZ Yeti 4000 Pro today and plugged it in, linked it to the app on my phone, all per provided instructions and almost NOTHING is working! The unit powers on and does connect both directly and "cloud connects". My first order of business was a check for any available firmware updates. The app reports an installed firmware version 1.5.8, version 1.7.7 available to download. MULTIPLE attempts to re-download and install the firmware have failed, all with the same failure code 244. I have tried the tip for forcing a firmware update (depressing the pair butting for 10 seconds, 2 beeps) as well as attempting a re-download from the Android app, both to no avail. After power cycling the device by unplugging ALL inputs and outputs and waiting 5 minutes, the app will not auto-reconnect to the Yeti, I have to go through the who BT pairing and wifi cloud connect procedure again. Firmware update attempt STILL fails. At this point I'm thinking that if the device at least provides power and charges, then it's not a huge deal. Problem is, USB power ports seem to only deliver power intermittently, even when the indicator in the display and the app reports that USB power is on. I have NO AC 120V output on the front outlets and the AC LED is either orange with the app indicating an AC error or the AC LED is green and the display and app report AC power is on, yet no AC output at all. I have also seen a COM 02 error pop up after a power cycle and goes away after another power cycle that I can find no guidance for online. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Anyone got any ideas short of repacking this thing and sending it back to GZ, sending back a 70 lb power station is a COLOSSAL inconvenience for me as live an hour away from a Fedex terminal?
Gotta say this, I've had GZ products before and they worked flawlessly, that's one of the major reasons I chose the Yeti 4000 Pro over Renogy or Jackery, but this is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth about GZ, especially after reading the kinds of problems others are posting about the 4000. After paying thousands of dollars for a product, I expect it to actually work!
Answers
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Don't have an answer for you, but I've had my share of separate problems. I will note that it's worth calling Goal Zero. They ended up replacing mine (didn't solve all my problems) but they did take care of returning it (sent a driver to pick it up from me, I didn't have to take it anywhere).
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This is the exact problem I am experiencing with mine as well. Reports 1.5.8 installed with 1.7.7 available. Many attempts to install following all the recommended troubleshooting tips to no avail. Previously ac ports were working but now do not.
Haven't contacted gz support yet but have little faith in being told anything other than pinned troubleshooting/pairing tips.
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Thanks PDX_Jay you for your thoughts and interest. I have sent a message to GZ support describing in detail my experiences. I am currently awaiting their response. I hope they are able to resolve my issue, otherwise I've got a really expensive 70 pound doorstop. I'll let you know.
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Thanks for responding Dunkin. Based on other reports I've been reading regarding problems with the 4000, I'm sorry to say it seems we are not the only ones stuck in this boat. Seems to me that the firmware on these things is seriously jacked up. Given the number of people that seem to be having problems with this model, I'm frankly shocked that GZ allowed this to happen. Makes me wonder if they have any quality control at all. I sent a message to GZ detailing my problems a few hour ago. I'm currently awaiting their response. I'll post back here if and when I hear from them.
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We're all stuck in the same boat. I'll give em a call when I'm able and report back. Hopefully one of us ends up with a workable solution.
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Haven't heard back from GZ yet, been only 24 hours since I emailed, so I'm inclined to give them another day or so before I start making phone calls but I've encountered some new odd behavior. I did a factory reset and then I tried again to update the firmware again. After the factory reset, the firmware update failed again, same error, except this time the display blacked out for a moment and then came back on and suddenly the display which had been reporting a SoC of 88% was reporting 0%! Then I attempted again to update the firmware, this time the display and app reported a successful firmware update, but when I look at the installed firmware version that's reported on the Android app, it reports version 1.5.0 is installed, not the most recent 1.7.7. and the option to update is still there. That's not a typo by the way, it says version 1.5.0. is now installed, not the 1.5.8 that it came loaded with and so far as I can tell, there never was a firmware version to begin with 1.5.0! I have USB power now, but still no 120V AC output, the LED above the 120V AC outlets comes on and the outlet icon on the display comes on, but no power so I still do not have a fully functional device. Whatever is going on, this is beginning to feel to me more like a straight up firmware problem and not a hardware malfunction, like the installed firmware is so hopelessly corrupted that it won't even update properly.
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For sure give them a call - they were very slow to respond to email, and I ended up calling them every time I needed an answer when I was working through my issues.
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Good to know, I'll do that first thing tomorrow. I really hope that GZ's customer service is up to snuff. I've had bad experiences with other companies' customer service before. Seems like all they're interested in anymore is quantity over quality.
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I have multiple Yet Pro 4000 units. I just got a new one the other day and experienced the 244 error when attempting the firmware update. I unplugged everything and did a soft reset. (Unplug everything and power down for 30 seconds) On powering the unit back up, the software update succeeded. The one thing I’ve found is that the units are sensitive to weak WiFi.
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Ok, just got off the phone with GZ tech support. The Tech support representative was very pleasant and seemed eager to help. They are telling me that the 4000's battery voltage may be too low, in which case it will basically shut down and not properly update, charge or discharge. They recommend I attempt to charge the Yeti 4000 Pro from AC and DC simultaneously and attempt to bring the batt voltage up above the shutdown threshold that way. I do not currently have a way to charge both from DC and AC at the same time, so GZ is sending me out a DC power supply. It'll take a few days to receive the DC power supply. I'll let you all know how it goes.
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My 4000 will not pair with my WIFI. It paired with my phone just as expected, but will not pair will WIFI. Does that mean I will never be able to do updates??
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My 4000 will not pair with my WIFI. It paired with my phone just as expected, but will not pair will WIFI. Does that mean I will never be able to do updates??
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my experience is that the Pro 4000 needs good strong wifi. Does not do well as soon as the signal level drops at all. Even though my phone/laptop are still fine, the Pro 4000 struggles to cloud connect. But as soon as I get the wifi point closer (use a repeater, or bring the Pro 4000 inside the house) it seems to do fine.
Maybe check that issue first, see if that's what you're running into? -
Hi JBIA, My experience with the pairing and wifi goes something like this, pairing over bluetooth and direct connect works just fine and when I enter the password for my home wifi, the 4000 reports a successful connection to my wifi, but first attempt to cloud connect seems to always fail, but when i hit retry on the android app it seems to cloud connect the 2nd time without issue. I did contact GZ tech support about the issues I'm having and asked them if it might be possible to update the firmware form say a thumb drive plugged in to one of the USB ports, but alas they say no, this is not possible as the USB ports are power delivery only, so it seems that the only firmware update option (so far as I know) is via wifi. I would suggest you call GZ tech support directly at 1-888-794-6250. Also, I could be mistaken, but I think in my search for a solution to my problems I remember seeing something about making sure your wifi is operating on the 2.4GHz band, not the 5GHz.
