3181 Wiring or earth fault in ABB ACS880 Drive

3181 Wiring or earth fault in ABB ACS880 Drive indicates that the drive has detected an imbalance in currents, indicating either a ground leakage (Earth Fault) or that the input and output power cables are incorrectly connected. 

 

ACS880 Fault: Wiring or Earth Fault

Fault 3181
Description: The drive has detected an imbalance in currents, indicating either a ground leakage (Earth Fault) or that the input and output power cables are incorrectly connected.

STOP! Before testing, ensure all power is disconnected. If you are performing an insulation (Megger) test, YOU MUST DISCONNECT the motor cables from the drive. Testing with the cables connected will destroy the drive's IGBTs.

Primary Causes

• Earth/Ground Leak: Insulation breakdown in the motor windings or the motor cable.
• Incorrect Wiring: Input power lines (L1, L2, L3) are accidentally connected to the motor terminals (U2, V2, W2).
• High Capacitance: Excessively long motor cables creating "stray" capacitive current to ground.
• Hardware Issue: A malfunctioning internal current transducer within the drive.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

• Check Power Connections: Verify that the supply power is connected to terminals L1, L2, L3 and the motor is connected to U2, V2, W2. Swapping these will trigger Fault 3181 immediately.
• Inspect Motor and Cable: Disconnect the motor cable from the drive. Use a Megger to check the insulation resistance between each phase and the ground, and between phases. Values should be well above 100 MΩ.
• Check for Moisture: Ensure there is no water or heavy condensation inside the motor terminal box or the drive’s conduit entry.
• Verify Cable Length: If the motor cable is extremely long, the drive may detect "phantom" leakage due to capacitance. Check if the cable length exceeds the limits specified in the ACS880 hardware manual.
• Internal Drive Check: With the motor cables disconnected, try to reset the fault and run the drive (be sure to disable "Motor Phase Loss" protection temporarily). If the fault 3181 appears even with no motor connected, the internal current sensors are likely damaged.

Related Parameters

Parameter	Name	Adjustment Note
31.20	Earth fault	Selects how the drive reacts when an earth fault is detected (Fault or No Action). Default is Fault.
95.20	HW options word 1	Bit 3 can sometimes be used to adjust the sensitivity of the earth fault detection in specific hardware versions.

Pro-Tip: Common Installation Error

On new installations, 3181 is almost always a wiring error (Input/Output swap) or a pinched wire in the conduit. On existing installations that have been running for years, 3181 usually points to motor winding failure or cable insulation degradation due to heat or vibration.