Question

Error Message  

Full Shot of Controlle   I have this controller setup in advanced using Cyclic to turn on each zone every 4 days. I ran it once this season and all went well. After a good rainfall it went into Alarm which is normal due to the outdoor sensor picking up the water amount that fell. I took a look at it today and when in AUTO where I normally leave it the screen is flashing from the current date and time screen to a "4 error" screen and continues do this back and forth. The Alarm light is on but it has not rain in a few days. Any help with trouble shooting this would be much appreciated.

Answer
Hey Paul, the 4 err means you have a short circuit on zone #4. Normally it would be the solenoid on valve #4 that needs to be replaced. To tell if it is the solenoid or the wire going to the valve, go to the #4 valve, and disconnect both of the wires from the solenoid, and make sure the ends of the wires are not touching each other. To clear the error message, put the dial in auto, and hit the advance button. Once the err message is cleared, manually turn the #4 valve (zone) on from the controller. If you still get a 4 err message, then the problem is in the wire from the controller to the valve, if you do not get the message, then the problem is in the solenoid, and you need to replace the solenoid. Good luck and have a great day.